Budget tips for the Beginners ??

allwayzfishin

allwayzfishin

Joined
Dec 10, 2011
Messages
30
How did you guys learn and grow with this hobby, but not break the bank, or get the old lady made at you for foolish spending?


I need some advise on being cost effective when just getting started.

I know recycling is one way, lets here some other methods for keeping cost reasonable for the new guy.

Thanks in advance to all who care to comment.
 
Simply... I got started by getting the best custom knife I could for the price I could afford. No I never went into debt. You can buy custom knives from $50 up to well
the sky.... $30,000 $80,000. Have you been to a knife show yet?
 
I have been to the Gun and Knife Show at the IX Center in Cleveland a while back. I plan on attending the next event. Also, i am going to subscribe to Blade Magazine. I currently have production blades, such as a Falkniven s1 and a few Bucks. Oh, I have a Mora too. Now, I have two knives I just completed recently-minus sheaths. I need to get some sheathing materials, and was wondering what can be cost effective on sheathing and handle materials. I plan on making mycarta this weekend. I have a ton of virgin maple drop and some hardwood laminate from flooring installs to use as well. I have a source for Uddeholm 15n20 and Aldo has great prices and a joy to talk to. So, I found that sheathing, for me, is becoming a bit of a pain to accomplish on a budget.
 
This thread would be dedicated for the beginning hobbyist who doesn't have anyone to show him/her how to make quality knives and reduce mistakes. Thus, waste would be reduced.

Just starting out here, and I have been reading alot, but I still find myself making lots of mistakes. To farther myself along, I am trying to be cost effective to keep this hobby going. I have abandoned other hobbies to fund and pursue this one. Its addictive and fun. I like the reaction of peoples faces when they held that first knife I made. I like that it performed for what it was intended to do too. So, I am just trying to keep cost low as I learn. Besides, some of these will be donated to Boy Scout Troops and maybe someone here to field test in a pass around. I am eager to put in the time and money to learn this craft, but I just want to be smart in my purchasing of raw materials.

Thanks,
Adam
 
Sounds like we are talking about buying knives here.

I don't go into debt to collect.

Buy what you like, and interests you.

Buy believing that the value will fall, that way, if it does, you are not surprised. If the value goes up, it is a bonus (some knives will go up in value, and often drastically, depending on maker, availability, wait time etc).


I also try not to "count chickens until they hatch" meaning I try not to buy one with the intention of selling another just to pay for it. What I mean by that is not that I don't make purchases intending to sell others later. I just don't count on the money from other sales to fund the first out of necessity (just going back to no debt for collecting).


I am not a true collector. I just buy what I intend to use, and use what I buy.

The only exception from that is I have a custom that my Uncle made (Glen Hornby). I would like to use it and carry it, but I just have not been able to make my self do so, as the knife is truly irreplaceable. It was my first (and right now only custom), and bought from my Uncle long before he passed away. I paid for it with lawn mowing money as a young kid.
 
Acquiring custon made knives is an expensive hobby in part because it can become rather addictive and the behaviour of "rationalization" allows you to disregard your true financial situation and buy yet another knife.
Buying on the secondary market is less expensive. Most custom knives do not get used and are "as received from maker".
Savings from original cost vary, but 25-40% is common. It depends largely on the knifemaker. There are very few whose knives sell at or above their original price.
roland
 
Here is what I do:
  1. Browse through the custom section for four weeks, every alternate day, looking at the designs, and the makers. In a month or so, you should get a flair of the makers, their design styles, and their cost ranges.
  2. Do not purchase any knife in the first month - you may repent, since there might be a better looking design that fits your needs two days after your purchase.
  3. After a month is over, decide a upper limit you can afford (do not steal, borrow, get into debt), the shape-size of the blade you want. Do not worry about the steel at this moment - most reputed makers properly heat treat and temper their steel, so you should be good to go on any steel.
  4. Purchase a blade that you really like, and feel fits your needs the best. Designs are a matter of heart as much as they are a matter of mind. Keep this in mind. :-)
    - If the blade is spoken for, contact the maker and see if he/she can make you a similar one. Most makers will.
  5. Enjoy your purchase - relish you have a "custom" handmade, a fine combination of sweat, heart, mind, and matter!

Most importantly, do not start with the sole/primary intention of making money, or collecting - you will never enjoy a knife that way. I personally feel a knife must be used to appreciate its true value. You may eventually walk the collector path, but aiming for it from the start may be slightly misleading as a beginner, and my put you in debt.
 
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