It seems egregious to me that some makers are charging hundreds of dollars for cord wrapped fixed blades with a bead blast finish. I mean how hard can that be to make? I don't mean to start a flame war I'm just really curious why a Strider is fixed blade is worth more than 2-3x the material cost when it looks to me like not much work went in it. Emerson fixed blades come to mind too.
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egregious pricing?
- Thread starter Trent
- Start date
Trent said:
Get a book on knifemaking or visit a maker. There is WAY more to it than you think.
Trent said:
You are paying for design, for one thing. The quality of the design and the time that went into it. People forget that. On top of that you are paying for a reliable reputation and a great warranty.
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Pricing is governed by supply and demand and what the market will bare. If all the knives that are made sell then they are not overpriced.
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I don't own a Strider, but from what I've read, they are worth the price. I personally think they are a little overpriced though. I would probably buy a Swamp Rat knife before a Strider.
I really dislike Emerson products, and would agree with you that they are way overpriced. Some people love them though.
To each his own.
I really dislike Emerson products, and would agree with you that they are way overpriced. Some people love them though.
To each his own.
There are the cost of materials and time, then you have to consider this person may be making a living from it. The average walker lock, from start to finish may take me 16-28 hours to build. The average fixed blade between 8-16 hours. Then there is the sheath work, etc. You have to take this and the material cost and profit into consideration.
The only time I personally have a problem with some prices is when I see custom knives that have "poor fit and finish", poor quality, workmanship, etc. and high prices. Ive seen mannnnnnny like that at shows to where I just shook my head in disbelief.
The only time I personally have a problem with some prices is when I see custom knives that have "poor fit and finish", poor quality, workmanship, etc. and high prices. Ive seen mannnnnnny like that at shows to where I just shook my head in disbelief.
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Material costs have virtually nothing to do with the price of a production knife. More important is the marketability of the brand name. Strider gets very high prices because the knife says Strider, not because of the costs involved in making the knife. Now having that name be worth that much cost something as well and that's part of the price.
To a lesser extent volume plays a part. There are economies of scale in making higher volumes of products. The companies complete overhead, including production costs of products, when divided by a bigger number of products will be smaller than when divided by a smaller number. So volume plays a part in pricing as well. Look at the Victorinox SAK's as an example. The company produces literally millions of units per year. That helps make the knives more affordable.
With custom makers it is a lot more complex. Some designs are very hard to make by hand and time consuming. As an example, a fixed blade knife machined integrally from a single piece of steel, guard and all, is expensive because it is hard and time consuming to make a knife that way. Polishing is a time consuming process, and so on.
All the other issues play into the equation as well. Famous makers get more for their knives than relatively unknown makers simply because of the name on knife. etc. etc. Have you seen what original Loveless knives get in the marketplace? It will take your breath away. Are the knives better than the knives of other makers? Not necessarily. Were they harder to make? Probably not. But they say Loveless on them.
While you don't always get a better product at a higher price, it is fair to say that manufacturers and custom makers know what their product is worth in the marketplace and can generally price them pretty accurately. If they don't the products don't sell well or sell too quickly. So if you see products selling as they should, it is a fair bet they are priced properly. Hope this helps.
To a lesser extent volume plays a part. There are economies of scale in making higher volumes of products. The companies complete overhead, including production costs of products, when divided by a bigger number of products will be smaller than when divided by a smaller number. So volume plays a part in pricing as well. Look at the Victorinox SAK's as an example. The company produces literally millions of units per year. That helps make the knives more affordable.
With custom makers it is a lot more complex. Some designs are very hard to make by hand and time consuming. As an example, a fixed blade knife machined integrally from a single piece of steel, guard and all, is expensive because it is hard and time consuming to make a knife that way. Polishing is a time consuming process, and so on.
All the other issues play into the equation as well. Famous makers get more for their knives than relatively unknown makers simply because of the name on knife. etc. etc. Have you seen what original Loveless knives get in the marketplace? It will take your breath away. Are the knives better than the knives of other makers? Not necessarily. Were they harder to make? Probably not. But they say Loveless on them.
While you don't always get a better product at a higher price, it is fair to say that manufacturers and custom makers know what their product is worth in the marketplace and can generally price them pretty accurately. If they don't the products don't sell well or sell too quickly. So if you see products selling as they should, it is a fair bet they are priced properly. Hope this helps.
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Since Strider operates in a capitalist society, they are entitled to charge whatever they want to charge for their products. It doesn't matter how much they cost to make, design or warranty. There is nothing moral, immoral, or "egregious" about their pricing strategy, as long as they don't lie about the products.
Ask yourself this: Do you think you could make an equivalent knife, charge less for it and still make enough money to cover all your expenses and turn enough of a profit to satisfy you? If so, what's holding you back?
Ask yourself this: Do you think you could make an equivalent knife, charge less for it and still make enough money to cover all your expenses and turn enough of a profit to satisfy you? If so, what's holding you back?
Gollnick
Musical Director
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Trent said:
Congratulations. You have identified a market opportunity. This is your big chance to start making your own cord wrapped fixed blades with a bead blast finish and selling them for just a few bucks less than Strider or Emerson and make a huge profit.
I agree with the first poster. There are currently some 'hot' brands right now that I feel are overpriced. Strider, Faulkniven, and Emerson are three that come to mind. The high prices are also partly due to the current "tactical" knife fad - they're hot and buyers apparantly don't mind the sky-high prices.
Every company has to make the same business decision. Have a high profit margin and sell few knives, or lower the profit margin and sell more knives. Having a higher price also allows for tighter quality control, more hand-finishing, and better heat treating.
Still, some knives are way overpriced even given the extra quality, warranty, and finish. The Strider is a good example. One flat piece of steel with some cord wrapping and a sharpened edge for $360. For $360 it should have a mamoth ivory handle or jewel-encrusted scabbard...
-Bob
Every company has to make the same business decision. Have a high profit margin and sell few knives, or lower the profit margin and sell more knives. Having a higher price also allows for tighter quality control, more hand-finishing, and better heat treating.
Still, some knives are way overpriced even given the extra quality, warranty, and finish. The Strider is a good example. One flat piece of steel with some cord wrapping and a sharpened edge for $360. For $360 it should have a mamoth ivory handle or jewel-encrusted scabbard...
-Bob
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Should a Rolex Sub cost three times more than an Omega SMP? No.
Something is "worth" whatever someone is willing to pay. Don't like it, buy a Swamp Rat.
Something is "worth" whatever someone is willing to pay. Don't like it, buy a Swamp Rat.
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On the question of worth - if it didn't cost so damn much you probably wouldn't want one...
averageguy
BANNED
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Yes. Strider knives are overpriced.
I would say the same about Busse - at least they have a pair of scales.
And there are others.
But there is plenty of demand for them, so they are priced accordingly.
If you can afford it, no reason not to own a few. But there are many fine
knives available for the prices some of these knives fetch.
I would say the same about Busse - at least they have a pair of scales.
And there are others.
But there is plenty of demand for them, so they are priced accordingly.
If you can afford it, no reason not to own a few. But there are many fine
knives available for the prices some of these knives fetch.
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Once, Fallkniven's were regarded as very good deals for the quality. Then the dollar crashed against the Euro. 
But then consider that many U.S. knives cost double to our fellow knifeknuts on the other side of the Big Pond.
As for the rest: supply and demand.
But then consider that many U.S. knives cost double to our fellow knifeknuts on the other side of the Big Pond.
As for the rest: supply and demand.
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- 1,675
eleven said:
Or trying it yourself. Knife making is a highly skilled craft, especially since you deal with so many different kinds or work (forging, metalurgy, wood working, plastics, epoxy, decorative things like inlaying, filework, and countless other stuff). And you have to be good at each.
Also you have to have a cool name like Dozier.
Did I mention you need to be good at stuff and things.
Hi,
How do you classify one with poor fit and finish. Say a knife with a 6 to 7 inch blade that costs about $350.00.
Would you expect the blade to be perfectly shaped? I have a knife that has on 1 side a very very slight indentation. You can't see this straight on, you have to look at it at an angle and use a light. Then tilting the blade slightly, until a shadow forms, the shadow on 1 side of the blade is completely uniform throughout the length of the blade, but on the other side at about 2/3 down, the shadow curves slightly. The curve is circular.
Also on the spine I can see that it is not completely smooth, at one place on the spine it has slight ridges. Again this is visible only at an angle with light. The knife is satin finish.
Thanks very much for any comments that you may give.
How do you classify one with poor fit and finish. Say a knife with a 6 to 7 inch blade that costs about $350.00.
Would you expect the blade to be perfectly shaped? I have a knife that has on 1 side a very very slight indentation. You can't see this straight on, you have to look at it at an angle and use a light. Then tilting the blade slightly, until a shadow forms, the shadow on 1 side of the blade is completely uniform throughout the length of the blade, but on the other side at about 2/3 down, the shadow curves slightly. The curve is circular.
Also on the spine I can see that it is not completely smooth, at one place on the spine it has slight ridges. Again this is visible only at an angle with light. The knife is satin finish.
Thanks very much for any comments that you may give.
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Depends on the maker, and blade materials. If it's from a well known maker, I'm sure that the knife would have to be up to their standards, which are usually set pretty high.
Fit and finish is usually accociated with the whole knife. It is all about having matching scales, just the right abount of blade play, and an all around perfect knife.
Fit and finish is usually accociated with the whole knife. It is all about having matching scales, just the right abount of blade play, and an all around perfect knife.