$250 for bolsters? WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?

P

Pergatory

Joined
Aug 15, 2000
Messages
465
I was looking at the Emerson company store for a custom Emerson, okay, an extra $25 for colored titanium liners
okay, $250 for damascus.
AND THEN!!! $250 extra for bolster. WTF is up with that? That's a lot of dough for a knife that IS not a custom. Could somebody please explain this. I find this absolutely ridiculous. BTW The difference for Ti bolsters between Boker's Walter Brend is TEN DOLLARS!!!! I'm not comparing a Commander to this Boker, but I would not expect to pay more than $50. Quite frankly, I'm flabergasted.

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"Never let your morals get in the way of doing what's right" -Hari Seldon, Foundation, -Aasimov
 
I think the Ti bolsters being used for the "C/P Shop" are the same ones Emerson uses on his full-custom knives. Anyone else know anything? I too thought it was a little spendy just to add bolsters...
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Usual Suspect

RFrost5746@excite.com -- My Collection
 
I feel your pain. No offense to Emerson, but a guy like Kevin Robinson can add bolsters and Micarta scales for $120!! And from what I've seen, he does a dang fine job of it too!

I guess they are banking on that your custom knife is 100% Emerson, not customized by someone else. I don't know, maybe they're afraid everyone will cancel their custom orders for 5's,6's......and just get a full blown damascus/bolster/pearl commander in alot less time?

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Brigadier
Beretta 92 FS nut and Wave-aholic
"And for this cause God shall send them stong delusion,that they should believe a lie;" 2 Thessalonians 2:11
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove[expose] them." Ephesians 5:11
 
Brigadier:
Thanks for your support, you are correct Ti Bolsters and Micarta scales for $120.00 but I am not Emerson, so you get an Emerson knife and Robinson Custom work,,result a custom production so to speak.
The reason that I started doing custom work was because I liked the CQC7 with bolsters but not the price of a custom 7 and with the support of one of the top custom auto makers in the business I accomplished and aquired the custom production knives that you see today.

I like the looks of a bolstered knife and the price is right.

Brigadier thanks again.
Thanks to all of the Usual Suspects for all of their support and feed back.

Kevin

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Member--Texas Knife Makers and Collectors Association

Usual Customizer
 
I dunno, left me scratching my head first time I saw that too.



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"You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol than you are a musician because you own a guitar." ~Jeff Cooper
And the same goes for a knife...
And, I'm a Usual Suspect.
Some of my Knives and other neat things
 
Kevin,
Can you just put ti bolsters on, cause that black and grey look is sweet.

Reed
 
Hello Kevin,

I have admired your work that I have seen on the forum.

Someday, come hell or high water, we will do busisness.
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My goal is to have a cqc7 plain edge with Ti bolsters and micarta scales. If the bolsters and micarta are polished, what does this add to the price?
Can you do the bolsters with just the pivit screw and a second retaining screw and a straight seam as opposed to the angle that is on some of the ones that have been recently posted? I'm still undecided how I want it.
thanks in advance for any reply.

To all the other formites, I hope you don't consider this a spam, if so, I'm sorry. I'm still new to this.

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Is it SHARP? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
 
Kevin does some real sweet work! I am counting the minutes till I get back my mini cq-7 from him and am looking forward to purchasing a K.Robinson original if he ever sells one!!!
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Reed:
I can configure it however you like,you are the customers!!!
DJ_Wolf:
Polish Ti and Micarta no extra charge.
I can and have done 1 screw bolsters (pivot and 1 screw)
I can also do a straight line bolsters,about 50% of the work I do is straight line, more of an Emerson custom look.
Scott:
Hopefully I will be able to finish your mini 7 this weekend.
2 weeks I will begin the assembly of my first full blown folder so keep an eye out for pictures.


Kevin

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Member--Texas Knife Makers and Collectors Association

Usual Customizer

[This message has been edited by K Robinson (edited 05-09-2001).]
 
Kevin,
How do we get in touch with you? I have a new plain edge Commander with a satin blade and green scales. Maybe a set of gray bolsters would be just what it needs??
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My e-mail: res09l5r@verizon.net

note: that is an "L" between th 9&5.
 
I also feel that the price of Emerson custom/production is way to high and consequently, I have decided not to purchase one. Dick
 
I feel that is too much also...but its just like Microtech...you can get something done by them for $750 for custom scales and a polished blade......or you can send it to someone like Kevin or me and get it done for less than half that. Granted, you wont have that "Emerson" or "Microtech" stamp of approval on it....but if its the same quality of work......who cares.....its your knife.......enjoy it how you please.

david

www.banditknives.com
 
I understand how many people would feel that this is a high price; however, what has to be taken into account is what is time worth in a high level manufacturing business. It is my understanding that when a bolstered knife is ordered from the C/P line, they have to be fitted to the knife by somebody qualified to do that. That means that that person is not doing their normal job in the assembly and finishing on the regular production knives. Keep in mind that if they could have assembled and finished 10-20 (or more) knives in the time it took to fit the bolsters to one knife, that costs money. I have seen the work done by aftermarket customizers, and it is very high quality stuff. They are in business to do this, and it is economical for them. At the Emerson production facility it is not. I have a bolstered knife being done at the factory, I will let you all know how it turns out, and if it was worth the extra money.

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He who advances is sure of heaven-He who retreats of eternal damnation.
 
nyeti:
I could rebutt your statment with hard facts but as I am a guest here I choose not to rock the boat.
I have fitted bolsters to 95% of the knives that I have done custom work to and that equals to a fair amount of knives, all of them start as a sheet of titanium beit CP or 6AL4V and are then bandsaw cut to aprox shape and size and then custom fit to the knife via 2x72 belt grinder, this method is far more labor intensive than what a production company would be willing to invest in a set of bolsters.
nyeti I mean no offence to you so please do not take my statment as such.
Emerson can charge what he wants because he can and I ENVY him for that, he has paid his dues.

Kevin

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Member--Texas Knife Makers and Collectors Association

Usual Customizer

[This message has been edited by K Robinson (edited 05-11-2001).]
 
Just my opinion...if you don't like the price you have a wonderful option...don't buy the product. For sure, you can get someone to do the job for less, and a first rate job at that. Your call, but why complain about Ernie's price. He can charge whatever he wants. If you want an Emerson custom, buy it. If you want an EKI custom production, buy it. If you want a first rate aftermarket retrofit, buy it. Ernie doesn't have to justify his price, nor is he running an auction. Simply running a respected business. No one is obligated to buy bolsters from him unless they want to. My 2 cents.

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Once in a while you get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right.
 
jackstraw, that was not the point of my initial inquiry. What I really wanted to know if anyone know why the bolsters cost so much extra. To me, it makes NO sense to put $250 bolsters on a $150 knife. Apparently most people here believe that the price is correct (yes, I wondered if it was a typo) and that it is labor intensive enough to warrant such a cost.
Let me also thank you for pointing out the brutally obvious. I had no idea I had a choice to not buy the bolsters. I thought I was required by the government to so. Thanks for the info, I sure do feel liberated now, and all thanks to you.
 
Kevin-that was exactly my point. You are a custom maker who can take a product, and work on it to create a very beautiful piece. My point was this. How many production knives could you put together in the time it takes to make a set of bolster and fit them. If you were at the Emerson factory, I guarantee that you could build far more than $250.00 worth of knives in that time. That is what the people at Emerson are looking at. Welcome to the world of big business. The nice thing is that you can buy a readily available production knife, or take your old beater, and send it to Kevin to have it bolstered at a reasonable cost (but I am sure somebody thinks that Kevins price is astronomical). Its like cars-you can order a vehicle with all the bells and whistles done at the factory for a hefty add on. It is convenient, and adds resale value. Or, you can do it yourself, or contract customizing work later for less money, but it is very personalized, and it may or may not payoff on the back end (how much would you pay for the pink flames on the lime green pinto-maybe alot, maybe a little).

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He who advances is sure of heaven-He who retreats of eternal damnation.
 
Nyeti,
I also ordered something from the c/p shop,
A leftie commander with blue liners, satin plain edge and of course bolstered, I'll post a pic when it arrives, hopefully soon

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JimBob
 
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