Charlie May wait times?

EMT_Lee

EMT_Lee

Joined
Feb 6, 2009
Messages
2,281
I know a lot of you guys have Charlie May knives, and I've always really liked the looks of them. So, I emailed Mr. May about ordering one of his Skifa Scandi's, but I was wondering what the wait times are like?
 
Hi,
I got mine last year , after about 9 months(Mr. May told me 1 year). Right now I heard 2 year if you lucky maybe 18 months.

Jozsef
 
11 months for me. If you are going to use it for Bushcraft be sure to make sure he knows you want a wider handle. He won't do a contoured handle but you can get him to make it fatter and that will help.

bga8.jpg

bga5.jpg
 
Well, I might not want to wait quite that long. I'm already 3 months out on the Skookum, and I just dont think my poor heart can bear the strain of another drawn-out wait. However, I think I might contact Off The Map Outfitters about one of those lovey bushcrafters....
 
EMT_Lee said:
Well, I might not want to wait quite that long. I'm already 3 months out on the Skookum, and I just dont think my poor heart can bear the strain of another drawn-out wait. However, I think I might contact Off The Map Outfitters about one of those lovey bushcrafters....
Click to expand...

You will be happy getting a knife from Brian, and you're knife will be done in a fraction of the time :thumbup:
 
The Brian Andrews is a lot bigger blade than the Skifa.

In fact I was suprised how small the Skifa was although I really like the design of the Skifa.

Also I think the steel choice is better on the Brian Andrews. The D2 on the May is fantastic for it's wetness and stain resistance but I think while it's harder to sharpen than 01 it is not any more resistant to chipping in the scandi grind. I wish May used the 3V like Dan Koster uses. It's really hard to sharpen but the chipping is virtually nil.
 
A knife worth waiting two years HAS TO BE the best knife ever, that's for sure. Don't mean to be harsh on anyone, don't take me wrong. I just find waiting two years for a knife (or anything for that matter) a tad excesive. I am sure the knife is worth it and a truly piece of art.

Mikel
 
HornyToad said:
Brian Goode post this knife recently:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=637206

I PM'ed him and he said it would go for $350 and a two year wait AFTER he started taking new orders.

That is one fine knife but I may not live long enough to enjoy it. :eek:
Click to expand...

You're right, that is one damn fine looking blade. And, I'd love to throw some support to a NC maker, above all others.

However. $350 for O1 and micarta? Sorry.
 
You guys have to realise that a knife takes anywhere from 10 to 15 hrs to make. Its a different story when 10 guys want a knife and you work a full time job but all of a sudden guys want your work from all over the world. You still have that full time job + want to live a life and not be in the shop 5 days a week.

I love this forum and making knives for guys who want a hard use knife that they can not simply go to the local outdoor store and purchase. Prices range from maker to maker as they do from artist to artist in anyy format.

My wait time is basically grown because I have that many guys emailing me for knives. IF it takes me 6 weeks to produce a batch of 7 knives and I have a wait list of say 60 knives the match tells the timeline. Add that I want to attend the bladeshow now and my wait time grown because I am making knives for that as well. Thats the reason I no longer take orders right now. When I get cause up I will take 30 orders, fill 25 orders, take 25 more and hope to have a managable timeframe or at least predictable.

The price of a specific makers work is based on tons of factors. if you look at the gamet of makers my price is actually at the lower range compaired to some. Its all about what is the cost to take me away from my family life and add this to my sometimes 50 hrs a week day job supervising 38 staff for a special needs provider and you get a bigger spectrium of why priecs are what they are.

Anyways sorry for the ramble but there is always more to this than wait times and money. Enjoy the forum fellas and I hope you get work from some of the newer makers on the forum!! There are tons of good makers who can get you an awsome knife here.
 
blgoode said:
Anyways sorry for the ramble but there is always more to this than wait times and money. Enjoy the forum fellas and I hope you get work from some of the newer makers on the forum!! There are tons of good makers who can get you an awsome knife here.
Click to expand...

Supply and demand...I think Brian is spot on as most all knife makers are doing it as a hobby/part time hobby/love and they still have a family and day job. The personal touch and a quality blade/design is what draws most to the custom side, but don't forget the hours these guys put into making these blades. For me, it's easy...order a couple of nice custom knives and then deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan for a year and before you know it, the knife arrives to your home about the same time you do:D

My Charlie May and BGoode knives took a year...but they were worth waiting for!

ROCK6
 
blgoode said:
You guys have to realise that a knife takes anywhere from 10 to 15 hrs to make. Its a different story when 10 guys want a knife and you work a full time job but all of a sudden guys want your work from all over the world. You still have that full time job + want to live a life and not be in the shop 5 days a week.

I love this forum and making knives for guys who want a hard use knife that they can not simply go to the local outdoor store and purchase. Prices range from maker to maker as they do from artist to artist in anyy format.

My wait time is basically grown because I have that many guys emailing me for knives. IF it takes me 6 weeks to produce a batch of 7 knives and I have a wait list of say 60 knives the match tells the timeline. Add that I want to attend the bladeshow now and my wait time grown because I am making knives for that as well. Thats the reason I no longer take orders right now. When I get cause up I will take 30 orders, fill 25 orders, take 25 more and hope to have a managable timeframe or at least predictable.

The price of a specific makers work is based on tons of factors. if you look at the gamet of makers my price is actually at the lower range compaired to some. Its all about what is the cost to take me away from my family life and add this to my sometimes 50 hrs a week day job supervising 38 staff for a special needs provider and you get a bigger spectrium of why priecs are what they are.

Anyways sorry for the ramble but there is always more to this than wait times and money. Enjoy the forum fellas and I hope you get work from some of the newer makers on the forum!! There are tons of good makers who can get you an awsome knife here.
Click to expand...

Yes, I completely understand why wait times are the way they are. I, honestly, didnt mean to offend you in any way. Please accept my apology, if I did.

In the end, I actually did decide to stay on Charlie's list. His work has always caught my eye, and the man has been a top-shelf gentleman and quick as hell in his response times to me. Guess I've got some more waiting to do. :D
 
Brian,

My comments are in no way intended to disparage you. It is obvious the quality of your work just from the pictures. You, like Ray Laconico, have artistic talent, not just machining ability. Very good attention to detail. I can see why your knives are in demand and that is a complement. A fair price is what you feel it is worth (your time and materials) combined with what customers will pay. Apparently you ask too little, even at $350, because of your backlog. Many people on WSS won't pay that because they are going to use them or just can't afford that much. Many people, including myself, will pay that much or more for a Busse, so $350 is not way out of line. I could afford it but don't want to wait 2 years, and Ray Laconico is more in line with my price point, $200 and six weeks wait including sheath. Maybe someday I'll get one of your knives, but it will become a safe queen to be enjoyed in my living room. :thumbup:

Sorry to hijack the thread.
 
no no no.... no offense taken fellas :)

Just trying to give a well rounded view of some of the points of this topic. I wasnt going to reply at all but thought I could help give other viewers of the thread more pices to the puzzle so to speak.

I am honored that something I make is a desired object and guys keep asking me to make knives. It pushes me to keep producing a quality tool and thats what I love to make. Everything I make has being used as the main purpose and not a flashy collector object. That is why I love 0-1 so much as well as D2 and Micarta is about as tough as you can get.

Thanks for the discussion fellas!:thumbup:
 
The makers time and art is what I'd be paying for if I were to buy a custom. If it were just a matter of materials and good design there are loads of factories that do that. Fällkniven is conspicuous.

To me the custom is all about the art and craft of the maker and how much time my thing spent tapping them. On that, I find it no different from painters, poets, some barristers, some medical practitioners, and so on. I bet some people dread my fee, but that's another subject so I'm pressing mute.
 
I can agree with Brian to a point but still cannot for the life of me see why a Charlie may knife should cost more than those from Brian Andrews ? The ones from Charlie may do not even have contoured handles so time cannot be a factor.

I must say though that having watched the ML knives video on utube of Matt forging his knives and then hand filing them etc that I now understand how long it can take to produce a knife, are Charlie may's hand forged ????
 
Charlie's knives are top notch. Not one deviation on the blade. Charlie's wait time is due to his popularity of his work, and his and Gene Ingram's knives sell themselves. His knives are probably one of the cleanest grinding perfectionist blades I know.
 
Joezilla said:
Charlie's knives are top notch. Not one deviation on the blade. Charlie's wait time is due to his popularity of his work, and his and Gene Ingram's knives sell themselves. His knives are probably one of the cleanest grinding perfectionist blades I know.
Click to expand...

I will agree with ya there, I have drooled over the keyboard many times viewing his gallery !!!!;)
 
Charles May makes a seriously good knife. Fit, finish and function are TOP NOTCH... its why people line up to get his knives and don't mind waiting. I have a scandi from him that is simply an amazing little cutter. One of my favorites!

Why does anything cost more or less... its simply supply and demand.

Brian builds a FINE knife also... just needs more time to spend in the shop! Keep at it buddy. Soon you won't need the day job!

Who is John Gault? :)

Tom
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top