How much to charge for...

D

DHackney

Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Messages
178
Hi folks,

I'm about to start on a project for a friend and need to know what I should be charging
for the following knife set:

- either nickel silver or stainless steel guards and pommels
- red deer or sambar stag handles
- red or black/white spacers between the handle material and the guard and pommels.
- mosaic pins
- larger knife - drop point with 4" blade, flat ground O-1
- sister knife - straight spine with 3" (thinner profile from spine to
edge) blade, flat ground O-1
- both knives differentially heated treated
- hand rubbed finish (600 grit)

Thanks and kind regards,
Dana Hackney
monument, CO
 
There's to many variables when it comes to figuring knife prices, thats something we all need to figure out individiually. I would say what ever you feel confortable chargeing for your talent level and what he's willing to pay, that will give you your price.

Good luck,

Bill
 
Hi,
I'd suggest taking a look at what similar knives go for by different makers. That will help you ballpark better.
 
for the suggestions. I'll do some surfing to see what others (of similar talent) are charging.
I think mine are looking pretty good: they just take A LOT of time. I'm guessing I'm working for the minimum wage level for the 1966 era :confused: Oh well, I'll do better the longer I practice.

Thanks again guys,
Dana
 
Dana,Sit down and figure out what a Dana Hackney knife is worth.Don't base it on another's work.Your work and Loveless' may be of the same quality,but you won't get his price. Material+ Workmanship+ Reputation= Price.
Stacy
 
I think bladsmth nailed it for you Dana.I know it hurts to see knives that might not be as nice as yours sell for much more but thats the way it is.I think #3 in Stacy's equation adds up to most of the cheese ! And rightly so .
 
In the event that you want a more concrete (but possibly less helpful) answer, let me explain how I do it. Many people scoff at this but it's done me quite well. I made a spreadsheet that allows me to enter the size, materials, and characteristics of a knife and it gives me an ammount. It takes into account my own investment in the materials (which comes to what I paid for it x2) the heat treating (including shipping), the number and material of the pins, the amount of fine shaping I have to do (like finger grooves), the length of the handle, the length of the blade (varies depending on the steel), and filework. I also have it calculate the cost of the materials, the profit I make from the knife, and 10%, 15% and 20% discounts. If you're end numbers are comming out higher or lower than you think they are worth then just go back and adjust the values. This makes no adjustments for an exceptionally sweet knife but those sell faster and unsold knives don't make any money. The end prices come out about 10% less than similar knives made by slightly better-known makers and mine are hand-rubbed.

- Chris
 
Chris you and I think very much alike! At least we have similar approaches to problem solving. :D I live in spreadsheets for about 95% of my working life and use them for everything else at home too; what a wonderful tool. I don't even use a calculator anymore, just fire up a spreadsheet.

One recommendation that made a lot of sense for me when I started was from Bob Engath: Four times the cost of your materials. He didn't say, but I factored in abrasives too, which for me are usually about equal to the materials in the knife. That worked out to about a dollar an hour. :D

Today I shoot for around $10 an hour after my direct costs. (All the overhead is a sunk cost and I'd be buying tools of one form or another no matter what. ;)) That's marginally better than flipping burgers and it's a whole lot more gratifying. But it won't pay any bills.
 
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I haven't got the balls to calculate what I'm making per hour...

- Chris
 
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