Food for thought

K

KentMurker94

Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
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Why is it that a maker like Ken onion can make a knife with materials like titanium and s35vn and get over a $1000 for it but if a no name maker made the same knife with same quality, the price wouldn't even come close? I'm guessing that your paying for the prestige that comes with the name. What else could it be?
 
Ben makes a good point, but I would add that known quality and secondary market liquidity are also important considerations. Your example, Ken Onion, spent many years establishing himself as a maker of high quality knives. Hundreds of satisfied customers can attest to the quality of his work, which provides new or prospective buyers the confidence that they are making a sound investment when they buy one of his pieces. A new or lesser known maker may offer a similar looking knife with similar materials for less money, but how does the craftsmanship and overall quality compare? The materials might be the same, but the heat treatment and construction - especially those parts hidden to the naked eye - might be entirely different.

The custom knife world has seen a few makers with questionable quality-control issues come and go over the years, and the people who bought those knives invariably lost money. If a lesser-known maker has not yet established a reputation as a consistent and reliable craftsman, then the buyer takes on more of a risk with his investment. The buyer must be compensated for assuming this risk, and that's where the lower "value" price comes into play.

Secondary market liquidity is also an important consideration for knife collectors. If a collector wishes to sell a knife in order, perhaps, to fund the purchase of a new one, he will have a much easier time doing so if the maker already has a broad customer base. This Ben Seward fellow is another great example. Ben is a full-time maker whose award-winning knives have been purchased by many dozens of serious and prominent collectors, enthusiasts, and outdoorsman throughout the country. Ben presents at shows, has an active presence on social media, is easily approachable, and has a well-earned reputation as a serious maker of the highest quality hand-forged blades. Collectors and dealers know what they're getting when they see one of his knives on the secondary market, so if you need to sell one you'll have no problems doing so.

So as a collector, you may well get a high quality knife at a lower price from a lesser-known maker, but, as with any investment, you'd be well-advised to do your homework before putting your money on the table.
 
What the previous two exceptional Knifemaker's stated plus it goes the other way, too....

There are MANY these days that have the same thoughts that you seem to have on this subject....get a company like Halpern to cut a slew of parts for their latest, greatest creation that they CAD'd up with 'new found skills', put together said parts/pieces and now they want over a $1000 for a knife with materials like titanium and s35vn.

Problem is there's no style, no ergonomics, the action/lock-up sucks, and it's STILL over $1K!!!!!!!!!!! No name recognition, no experience, no Fan Bois to clamor over their Lotto's, no Open Bids, no Closed Bids, etc., and they, and their buddies who think it's the greatest new design of ALL TIME, get bent because no one is interested in another 'gray turd'....my description of such.

I've bought many a knife from a new and unknown Maker but the quality was there and it was priced to get their pieces out into the Market and peoples hands, not just go straight to the $$$ realm of an Onion, Carson, Walker, and other Greats....folks that paid their dues for decades and were the Innovators, not the guys wanting to cash in on the latest fad.
 
Materials are often the smallest part of the cost of a custom knife. Reputation is invaluable to a maker, and a good one is hard-earned. Good reputation means more demand, more demand means higher prices. It means that a newer, less known maker has to charge less and make sure that he builds a good reputation based on good work and service. It can be a slow process or a fast one.
 
A rare Loveless is a great example. You’re talking about a perhaps $25,000 knife made from $25 in materials. The materials have very little to do with it. It’s a combination of scarcity, demand, reputation/importance of the maker, workmanship, skill, design, and only then materials.
 
The same reason why a T-shirt by Adidas or Nike goes for $40,- and a simular one without the brand name goes for $8,-
 
there is a spectrum of integrity...

Integrity is something that's proven over time, and in any endeavour, you'll find people who bring little integrity to their endeavour, and people who bring it all, and many in between.

I think many of you might agree with me if I said that those who bring little integrity eventually make themselves known and that they usually flare out and move on. I think that they're outnumbered by those bringing a medium amount of integrity, who are generally pretty good at applying themselves, but perhaps more easily malleable by other distractions, and who lose track of their shit from time to time. The remaining group, and perhaps the smallest, bring almost complete integrity who apply themselves fully to their craft. They won't be dissuaded and persevere in their field without distraction. The product produced by their diligent labour, hard won skillsets and social networking grows in value because of the integrity proven over time and through struggle. They work hard for Us- usually at their own expense if we're talking dollars

I've always found that the process of art is at least as interesting as any individual piece. The body of work is the story of the person who made it, and how it's influenced the work of others tells a story of an exceptional example of integrity within a particular field. For me, their example and the challenge of achieving maximum integrity constantly inspires me

We all need a little inspiration from time to time, and owe a lot to those who provide us with it. It's just too bad they're almost always not the ones who see financial benefits from their work, even when it's their work that created a market for others
 
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