Help me price this folder, please.

Santi

Santi

Joined
Sep 12, 2000
Messages
2,483
It's a custom 440-C liner lock folder. OAL 6.5" approx.
All 440-C hardwear. MammothIvory + FileWork.
100% handmade. (No CNC machine.)

A friend told me that 230$ for this would consider cheap.
Is that so? :confused:

He said any makers in USA, no matter how no-name he is would charge at least 230$ for it..
  • For a stock of Mammoth Ivory alone is already 50$;
  • for that delicate file work, another 60$ would be highly "reasonable" ;
  • And for other labour jobs required to put all things together, grind work polishing blade, heat treating etc, another 120$ is quite cheap.

[No to mention that, if it's made by a name maker, price might be two-three times more expensive: he also said.]

Don't you think so? It's nice knife, but still pretty expensive for me. :confused:

A few more pic here.

THANKS! :D
 
SANTI, YOUR FRIEND IS RIGHT, 230.00 IS CHEAP, FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DESCRIBED. PUT THE SHOE ON THE OTHER FOOT, IF YOU HAD THE KNOWHOW TO BUILD THIS KNIFE, COULD YOU SELL IT MORE CHEAPLY.
KEN (WWJD)
 
Ivory should always be a $100 option. I cant make any money on a folder if I cant get at least $300 for it. I only charge $20 extra for the filework but that little lanyard loop should bump the price up about $30 IMO. I say $450+ If it had damascus add another $100. Nice Knife, good gents folder. Remember we should keep our prices up, these things are not easy to make and not everyone can make them, especially that nice.
 
I could not see that you would be able to make any money on that knife selling it for $230.00. Ivory is expensive and I agree that it should be about $100.00, maybe a bit more, file work and lanyard hole $60.00 to $70.00 (some would charge as much as $100.00 extra for the work done on that knife). Add to that the cost of other materials and time spent making the knife and the fact that it turned so nice and I can't see it being sold for under $425.00 and $450.00 to $475.00 is probably a very fair price.

That is a very nice knife and from the looks of it, it is worth far more than $230.00. I would have to handle it to know how smooth the action is, but if it works as good as it looks I would stick with my above estimate of it's worth.
 
Santi, that's a very nice knife, but I have no idea what it's worth. What I do know is that when I look at a knife and it's price I start to compare it to comparable knives in the same price range. There aren't many liner locks that I've seen in the under $250 price range, and if that's what I was looking for I'd buy it in a heartbeat. At $350 there's a bunch of other makers knives I would have to compare your knife to. Maybe yours is still a bargain, but I wouldn't be as quick to jump on it. At $450 or above the field gets too crowded with better known makers and as much as I hate to sound like a snob, your knife had better be noticeably better than there's for me to even consider buying yours.

If you can make a profit and are willing to sell it at $230, I would have to say do it. Name makers got to be "Name Makers" by selling knives to people that thought they were a good value. Word of mouth about those knives once they get into a buyers hands is what it's all about. When you start getting a backlog of people waiting for your knives that's the time to raise your prices. It's simple supply and demand. The people telling you that you're selling too cheap I'm sure have your best interests at heart, but they're not telling you that they'd be willing to pay more, they're just complimenting your work. In an open market a product is worth exactly what someone is willing to sell it for and someone else is willing to pay.

If I were in your position I would get a few of my knives in the hands of some of the great dealers out there and ask them, "What can I get for my knives?"
 
I don't have a clue on what your knife is worth, all I make is fixed blades. But I have to say that is one beautiful folder. Everyone says material,wages and overhead is what you have to figure in when selling handmade knives, but if your an unknown like me, that just doesn't tally,and if you think you can get x amount for it because someone else sold theres x amount, good luck.
Your knife is probably as good or better than any knife out there, but if people don't know you or anything about your product, its hard to get close to what you should get. I've taken a lot of time to perfect my technique to where I have a lot of comfidence in my knives and there performance, but I still can't compete with even lesser known makers that have been selling longer than me.
I don't want to discourage you or anyone else from getting into knifemaking, I think it is a very rewarding and honorable profession, but it takes time to get established and sometimes you have to sell some at real reasonable prices to get your products into the publics hands. I don't mean to down grade anyone, but if you could sell it for less to someone that will carry it and show it off, your better off then to sell it high to someone that will just take it home and put it in a drawer or a collection for safe keeping. I wish you the best of luck and hope you get all its worth.
I'm no expert, this is just what I've learned from my experiences.

Bill
 
Look at some web sites that sell knives such as knife art. com Perhaps there you will be able to get a close idea of the value of the one you have made, noting such things as bolsters and type of materials, as well as additional fitting, etc. I believe in the end only you will be happy with the price that you feel is right. Sure, you don't want to give it away but over pricing isn't going to help it sell especially if you want to make several to sell in the future. Frank.
 
I agree with much of what has been said above. That is a beautiful knife and you should get more than $230 for it. I would guess between $300 and $400. Even though you're not a name maker it looks like the workmanship is there so I say don't be shy. You can always lower your asking price if it doesn't sell, but it's hard to raise it. Starting out with a higher price that is fair shows that you have respect for yourself and your time and workmanship.
 
The workmanship is neat and tidy, file work is nice. Blade design is very conventional and handle design is functional. Because of the handle material and workmanship the knife is worth the money.

A blade redesign to a more rakish trailing point and some more shaping of the handle would improve its value significantly.
 
Well, I had done some deals with Santi for a couple of folders, and to tell you the truth : I LOVE THEM !!

Both of the knives have very smooth action, nice feelings, nice weight and perfect size too.

Guessing that this knife has the same quality as the ones that I have, I can honestly say that $230 is a fair price for this folder (considering it's a hand made with ivory handle and file work).

Joe
 
Thanks a lot for all input. :)

Then, how much more if I add the MammothIvory Inlay Thumb-Stud, like this one below? 10$ or 20$ or more? :confused:
 
Santi that's a very nice piece. Clean lines and looks to be executed well. Pricing ones work, for me anyway, is harder than making them. I think $230.00 is low. Considering the materials and filework I think for starting out this piece should be in the $350-$375 range. The thumbstud inlay wouldn't be that special to me, but there's a seat for every rear-end. LD
 
These are very nice knives .I own one.It definately is NOT up to the quality of a maker like Terzoula,Ralph,Tighe or even Alan Blade ,Siegle ,not even on the same street.The blade is hard to open and the thumb stud is totaly not ergonomic at all. Any (custom Maker in the US would not let a knife out of his shop that had such a rough action to it .These knives are verry shiney though.I have been all over SouthEast Asia and you see lots of stuff like this for the Export market(tourist).In my own opinion.Thanks BLADEAHOLIC
 
You have to look at the economy in tailand 15 cents an hour is probably a good wage here its 25$ an hour so you have to bear that in mind what does some general field hand make in a year in US moneys 20,000 a year like here .I think not probably more like 1,200 a year so this all afects the price of an object.The hand work is nice but through in some teflon washers and machine the thumb studs and....B.A.
 
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