Custom knife prices

I don't think custom knives are overpriced. I had to laugh when someone said the price should be cost of materials plus a little bit. You have to have the skill to design and turn out a top-quality piece. I imagine that takes years to develop. You have to get the equipment that will do the jobs you need done. I doubt anyone is giving that stuff away. You have to be able to deal with customers, dealers, and anyone else who has a question. How do you put a price on that? Then if you want to be able to charge top dollar for your knives, you have to stick it out for a good long time while your reputation develops. I'm amazed that anyone ever considers going into knife making, and I seriously doubt that when you add up all of the material costs and time involved that anyone is making anything anywhere close to what their work deserves.
 
popedandy said:
I don't think custom knives are overpriced. I had to laugh when someone said the price should be cost of materials plus a little bit. You have to have the skill to design and turn out a top-quality piece. I imagine that takes years to develop. You have to get the equipment that will do the jobs you need done. I doubt anyone is giving that stuff away. You have to be able to deal with customers, dealers, and anyone else who has a question. How do you put a price on that? Then if you want to be able to charge top dollar for your knives, you have to stick it out for a good long time while your reputation develops. I'm amazed that anyone ever considers going into knife making, and I seriously doubt that when you add up all of the material costs and time involved that anyone is making anything anywhere close to what their work deserves.
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plussss ... the material costs ... up recently ... not to mention living cost tooo :) :)
 
There are a small percentage of makers that earn a very good living from knifemaking. There are also some that make a good living because they are doing designs for manufacturers.

Prices for high end materials such as ancient walrus and mammoth ivory have gone through the roof. I am surprised to still see knives that incorporate these materials that I think are underpriced. I'm pretty sure this ivory was bought some time ago, and once it is gone we are going to see some pretty dramatic price increases.
 
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I believe the time that goes into some knives is priceless. So that justifies a lot of the prices to me.
 
Uk-Fire said:
I believe the time that goes into some knives is priceless. So that justifies a lot of the prices to me.
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Yeah, like 40 years in the case of someone like Jess Horn. When you buy a knife from a maker that has been working hard at his craft for 40 years or 20 years, or whatever, that's how much time went into that particular knife. Also, as far as cost of materials are concerned, what contributes more to the cost of your knife, the $100 worth of ivory or the $$multi-thousands worth of shop equipment?

Pete
 
Having seen what ivory costs these days, $100.00 wouldn't get you very much. The cost of machinery is amortised over the total number of knives produced. The cost of materials isn't, except in the case of bulk purchases of steel and some handle materials such as Micarta. A nice piece of walrus ivory for a one piece handle on a bowie can cost over $500.00. Even an average piece will be over $300.00. Then the maker adds whatever profit they want to make to that cost. There is no way that a maker is adding that much to the price of the knife to cover the cost of the machinery that is being used.
 
Lorien said:
Les,
your posts are getting a little too personal and abrasive for my liking, and I've said about all I need to say on this topic, so I'm going to bow out of this one.
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Actually, I think Les was being very upfront and gentle in his posts.
 
If anything, I think some of the more "budget" customs turned out by makers such as David Farmer, Stomper, Ray Laconico, and others, are very reasonably priced considering the quality of the product you get. Especially compared to similar knives in the production realm. Add into that the fact that you get exactly what you want (reagarding materials, thickness, grind, etc), and that you get something with a little character, a little SOUL, and I think if anything some of these prices are a downright steal. I've pretty much gone to almost strictly customs for my fixed blades, as the prices match what some manufacturers are asking, and I like to give my business to the "little guy" when I can. Also, the customer service you get, and the warantee, are usually top notch. How's that for some reasons?
 
Thank you Tom.

I credit Coop (Kumbaya) and STeven (putting me on the kinder, gentler path...such as he has taken).
 
Keith Montgomery said:
do you believe that custom knives are priced at a level that mirrors what they are really worth.
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Yes, unless no one is willing to buy the knife, then it’s either shelved or the price is reduced until it sells. Buyer’s will decide and with the advent of the net buyers can be more informed then ever before.

STR said:
One thing about disagreeing or complaining about the price of a piece of art is that its fruitless, especially dealing like this with the artist in question by voicing your distaste for his or her price when looking at it
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Absolutely! Being new to the “custom knife show” I hope it’s not insulting to a maker if I tell him “it’s great, but I’ll have to save my penny’s for it” or similar. It’s not that the knife isn’t worth the price, it’s just not worth it to me and that is true for every other buyer that does not buy because of the price.

jdsmith02115 said:
I believe you can put any price you want on a finished piece, hell it can look like a telephone number in europe. You will get that price, If the work clearly supports the numbers. If the work clearly does not, you will be looked at as one completely out of his mind.
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Another good way of saying if a person buys it the price is right. I’ve learned custom knives are art so adding up materials and overhead does not equal the value. Of course, we have all seen the “buyer” who must be “completely out of his mind.”

The analogy to collecting fine art is true. Another analogy is to actors. At the beginning it is a difficult struggle and the “technicians” are soon separated from the “artist”

Les Robertson said:
Pricing "pre-qualifies" buyers and will allow the maker to make the most of the email/phone time with clients and potential clients.
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Please, keep spreading the word. It is amazing the number of sites that suggest “email for pricing”. The site’s may as well state “if you have to ask the price you can’t afford it” or “you are not experienced enough to buy from me”.

Dear Custom Knife Maker,
If your website does not have pricing you have zero chance of having me as a buyer. Also, you have almost the same chance if you do not price your knives at shows.
 
Sorry to chime in late......

As a highschooler I find myself fortunate to own about 6 real good custom fixed blades, for my purposes, customs from 80 dollars to 250. With that said, I have the utmost repesect for better known makers and their prices which are well out of my range.

I always consider a custom knife worth it when compared with a similar factory piece. A knifemaker puts time and effort into every knife they make and understandably putting a price on that time is difficult.

Still, I am finding myself taking the time to get a true custom folder in the 400-500 dollar range. Wish me luck, maybe after another year I will have saved enough well earned money to get a Sebenza, an RJ Martin piece, or something from Mr. Ohta. Who knows what miraculous pieces of craftmanship will be available a year from now? :)
 
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mmmotorcycle said:
Sorry to chime in late......

As a highschooler I find myself fortunate to own about 6 real good custom fixed blades, for my purposes, customs from 80 dollars to 250. With that said, I have the utmost repesect for better known makers and their prices which are well out of my range.

I always consider a custom knife worth it when compared with a similar factory piece. A knifemaker puts time and effort into every knife they make and understandably putting a price on that time is difficult.

Still, I am finding myself taking the time to get a true custom folder in the 400-500 dollar range. Wish me luck, maybe after another year I will have saved enough well earned money to get a Sebenza, an RJ Martin piece, or something from Mr. Ohta. Who knows what miraculous pieces of craftmanship will be available a year from now? :)
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Check out Michael Burch (Burchtree) ... he has awesome and interesting designs.
 
Ramm9 said:
Please, keep spreading the word. It is amazing the number of sites that suggest “email for pricing”. The site’s may as well state “if you have to ask the price you can’t afford it” or “you are not experienced enough to buy from me”.

Dear Custom Knife Maker,
If your website does not have pricing you have zero chance of having me as a buyer. Also, you have almost the same chance if you do not price your knives at shows.
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Amen to that brother. If a knifemaker doesn't know beforehand what he wants to charge for a knife (before I enquire...not before he finishes his piece) then he's just a bad buisinessman in my eyes. And if he knows he can tell people.

Telling people to enquire sounds like they'd like to know what's in your pockets before they tell you the price.

At the very least they could have prices up of past pieces just to give an indication.

Also I regard anything constructed's price to be according to the following formula:

Materials + profit on them + Hourly wages + a slight margin + a piece of investments made = total and final price.

basically it's costs (time=money) plus a small margin for taking the risk.

Offcourse when experience goes up so do hourly wages.

If this formula isn't present (and it usually is) then I'll start wondering about the price of something.
 
Lorien said:
--unless a buyer is acquiring historically significant pieces, then if you buy direct from the maker you should not be paying more than the shop rate, and the shop rate should have a top out from the maker. For the maker to inflate their shop rate simply because they are popular is a recipe for disaster.
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I couldnt agree more. I have often been told my numerous customers of mine that my prices are wayyyyyy too low for what they get...not to mention the amount of contact they have with me. I wont raise my prices as myu popularity grows...the only time I raise mine is for logistics. AKA I have to buy steel from a new mill...so it costs more to get this certain type now and I have to charge more for my knives to make up the diff. Other than that,nope. I have seen the "I'm popular now so my prices just doubled" thing happen very very often. But then what happens is the market becomes flooded with that certain makers knives and they become much less valueable. You feel me?? I'm a custom maker....and I agree with Lorien...its a recipe for disaster.
Although I DO believe that certain names on certain knives fetch a higher price for a reason...but that is only when the maker has established himself and being worth that price. Ferrari has made themselves worth the price they charge for their cars. If youre just using the same steels and same handles as everyone else, but your 'style' is different, ya maybe there will be people who will pay for your style, but eventually youre gonna ahev to do soemthing more to set yourself apart. Just my 2cents. :thumbup:
 
Ramm9 said:
Yes, unless no one is willing to buy the knife, then it’s either shelved or the price is reduced until it sells. Buyer’s will decide and with the advent of the net buyers can be more informed then ever before.


Absolutely! Being new to the “custom knife show” I hope it’s not insulting to a maker if I tell him “it’s great, but I’ll have to save my penny’s for it” or similar. It’s not that the knife isn’t worth the price, it’s just not worth it to me and that is true for every other buyer that does not buy because of the price.


Another good way of saying if a person buys it the price is right. I’ve learned custom knives are art so adding up materials and overhead does not equal the value. Of course, we have all seen the “buyer” who must be “completely out of his mind.”

The analogy to collecting fine art is true. Another analogy is to actors. At the beginning it is a difficult struggle and the “technicians” are soon separated from the “artist”


Please, keep spreading the word. It is amazing the number of sites that suggest “email for pricing”. The site’s may as well state “if you have to ask the price you can’t afford it” or “you are not experienced enough to buy from me”.

Dear Custom Knife Maker,
If your website does not have pricing you have zero chance of having me as a buyer. Also, you have almost the same chance if you do not price your knives at shows.
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Sticking it out there and losing you as a customer: Those people you are referring to have more customers than they can deal with, thats why they do that. There are people in the knife business that I would LOVE to get a knife from.......but I cant afford it......I do look at the going prices, but they will never have me as a customer.......it does not affect their business in the least.
 
I think knives from makers and some dealers have great prices. BUT, with some knives on the aftermarket, the prices are through the roof. I have no complaints with the prices on the custom knives I have purchased; I think that the prices have been fair and square. IMO.
 
I guess i have the idea that a knife maker should sell their knives for what they can get. If someone is willing to pay thousands of dollars for a knife why shouldn't the maker charge it. I am in the belief that most makers could get more for their knives then they charge. If they broke down every aspect and everything they put in a knife the guys selling their knives in the hundreds are basically working for peanuts. It's an art. I am not in the position to tell anyone that they are overpriced. I just may not be willing to pay the said price. It all comes down to if you feel it is worth the price buy it if you do not then don't.
 
Ramm9 said:
Dear Custom Knife Maker,
If your website does not have pricing you have zero chance of having me as a buyer. Also, you have almost the same chance if you do not price your knives at shows.
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I couldn't agree more , I can count numerous times I have " inquired" , and never get a response.

Doesn't matter if it is knives or whatever is being sold online , if you are trying to sell something , put a price ! The customer took the time to seek out your product , the least you could do is put a price.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have looked at the price on a knife on a makers table and thought to myself " No way " , however it is a daily occurence ( sometimes many times a day ) to say to my self " No way ! " while cruising the for sale forums.

If the makers prices were too high , certain people wouldnt be able to make the $$$ they do "flipping" knives. (( referring to individuals , not dealers or purveyors who have a business )).
 
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