India stag, desired or not?

A

A. G. Russell

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Mar 10, 2001
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I took beautifully matched pairs of stag scales to the blade show and sold less than $500 worth.

Wrong kind of stag or wrong place?

I will soon anounce a web site for selling all kinds of Sambar and Axis antler.

When I put stag handled knives in my catalog the sell really well, have makers been turned off because it has become so rare?

A. G.
 
I think the price and lack of high quality material has scared many makers away.

Plus many of the newer makers don't have the experience working it and as such might shy away from working with this tricky material.




Big Mike
 
It will be difficult to try and keep this thread non-sales related, so anyone interested beyond discussion, send the OP a PM or email.
The OP can post the prices he was trying to sell at for the purpose of discussion, but keep it in basic ranges without photos. Links to your website with samples and prices would be even better ( like Burlsource does).


It may be the price you sell them at. If they are priced right, I don't know why they would not sell. I personally have far more use for solid handles in Sambar stag. The rolls are OK, but the crowns should fly off the table ( if the price is right).
 
The stag that they are bringing in now looks like it has been dyed and double the price of what good stag sold for before the bad economy kicked in.
 
Well. no stag is being brought in from overseas as there is none available in India as it is now illegal to collect or to distribute there. All stag sold now is old stock. The best quality stag is treated with potassium permanganate and looks good. There is always some crud along with the good...as in anything. People need to realize that stag is now a rare commodity and not readily available.....hence the pricing.
 
I make user knives, and as such I need to keep a real close eye on costs. 90% of my knives sell for under $200, and 90% of that is tied up in high-grade steel, HT and labor.

Both myself and my clients have shied away from stag. What we're seeing the last couple years is very expensive and frankly, not terribly impressive. I simply can't afford to invest $50-100+ in a piece of mediocre stag that will probably sit on my shelf for years.
 
Big Mike,

While I am no longer making knives, I always found stag much the easiest handle material to use, much faster than wood or horn. Once you got the front of the stag lined up with the guard you were home free. Shape the stag to the guard and polish. Deep finger grooves like Bob Dozier and I used to do are a horse of another color.

I am sure that it will take a week to get the web pages up so there will be no prices discussed, having a dealer membership I assume that I will be able to post a web site.
 
If you think the younger makers will need advise, I am sure that the older makers and I can use this thread or others to provide lots of expertise to guide them.
 
A.G.-
It's very possible that many makers simply didn't know you were selling stag.
I love good stag, so be sure you let us know the web site.
 
I personally have only worked with Stag twice or so. But I really love the stuff. Also, I've seen some of the stuff you have A.G. I'm sure a lot of the makers will end up buying at least some of your stuff.

Regards
Alexander Noot
 
A. G. Russell said:
Big Mike,

While I am no longer making knives, I always found stag much the easiest handle material to use, much faster than wood or horn. Once you got the front of the stag lined up with the guard you were home free. Shape the stag to the guard and polish.
Click to expand...


AG, you would have to bring up are mutual friend Bob Dozier, the man that inspired me to rise to the challenge of knife making.

But, your words speak volumes. Those not use to working the backside of the slabs to achieve the proper fit will ruin some slabs grinding too much bark off. A very expensive lesson at today's prices.

I have learned through the years to treat any bark-on material very carefully, as there is no room for over finishing; I guess that's a lesson the young guns can learn from us older fellows.




Big Mike
 
Isn't all almost all sambar stag soaked in potassium permag. to stop parasites ?
Thanks.

Doug
 
How about some larger pearl scales, A.G. ? That would be great for some others including myself. Frank
 
I've never worked with it, but it really makes a knife pop when it looks good. Like others have said, I think the economy is hurting us all.
 
I only buy my stag if I can pick it up and look at it. I have ordered too many pieces based on a photo that were disappointing (some were down right disgusting).

Having said that, for the last two years I have only bought two pieces at the Blade Show in Atlanta. Those two pieces were over priced in my opinion and were nothing like I was able to obtain in previous years.

I am not a table holder at Blade, and usually go on Friday and Saturday. I realize that table holders may have a "slight" edge in picking the premium pieces compared to those who simply attend the show. Based on prices that I, as an "attendee" saw, I can only imagine what they paid for the better pieces.

I love premium Sambar and some of the Red, but based upon my pricing and perceived standing in the "Wanted" arena, I can't see trying to increase my prices based on fairly low quality available pieces

Robert.
 
AG: this is a good post!

While at Blade Show last year I saw some beautiful stag. I asked the dealer how he worked it, he told me it is a secret. I walked away!
Later at the same show I saw some that looked like it had been worked over in a kindergarten class. I asked the dealer how he worked it, I got the same answer " It is a propitiatory method". again I walked away.

I had no intention of working with stag, was just curious, when I got the answer that their methods were "secret" I immediately lost interest. I hate secrets and have no respect for those who keep them from the rest of the knife community.

Still the image that these "secrets" are hard to develop, I would suggest first: the newbie is afraid to try to equal the beauty the one with the secret has 'discovered' and lacking the theoretical skill, shies away from buying stag.

I feel you would not only be doing the stag market a favor, as will as the new makers if you posted some of the methods you have found useful in working stag.

By sharing you will be doing all a favor.
 
Ed Fowler said:
AG: this is a good post!

While at Blade Show last year I saw some beautiful stag. I asked the dealer how he worked it, he told me it is a secret.
Click to expand...

Secrets in our business????...........No such thing......... There are only undiscovered or not-yet learned methods.

A truism is that most folks peddling stag are not knife makers who are probably not from around here, and apparently take us as fools.
 
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