Makers, how do you decide how much to charge for your knives?

Matt, if you really wouldn't mind me hanging around, I would love to spend some time with you while you are making a knife. I would be very willing to clean up afterwards.

Dan, I actually thought that you had a great idea there, whether it was directed at me or not. I think spending time with a maker would add to the understanding of all none knifemakers as to just what you guys go through. I am sure it would be eye opening to say the least. It would probably also make me want to start up myself even more than I do now.

Ferret (I must apologize, I deleted your emails to me and think that I have forgotten your name, I seem to remember Dave or David, but I am not sure), I would absolutely love to stop by your shop and do all of those things you mentioned. I am just crazy enough to try that croc wrestling, but I would have to start with a little one.;)

Ed, from the many emails that you have sent me I know that if you charged by the hour for the knives you make, very few could afford them. It is wonderful that you are willing to take the time not only to try to make each knife better than the last, but to do all the testing that you do so that makers in the future will have the benefit of all the work you have put in.

I am actually quite excited about the idea of spending time with Matt. Maybe while he makes the knife I am going to have him do for me. What an education that will be. :D
 
No Jerry, I would be in shock if the MAKER told me his knife was XXX dollars PLUS XXX dollars because of WHO he is. Oh no:D *laughs*, that is what COMPETITORS say about the famous Makers, in comparison to the price of the famous maker's knife, and the NOT famous maker's knife when someone like me talks price.
For example, I had the wonderful pleasure to talk to Graymaker. Dan makes awesome knives and we joked about how busy he is and that maybe he needed to raise his price as IMHO, his work was on par with the "big guns".
To all of the knife makers reading this, I NEVER meant to imply that anyone of you would sit in arrogance and say to a NEWBIE like me when my eyes went:eek: :eek: :eek: after asking the price, and just a little confused as to why a Bowie from say Randall would command so much more than some of the lesser knowns, but magnificent Men who are turning out stunning work, just not yet a household name!!!!!
Thanks for cutting me some slack;) ;) Wolf
 
Hey Keith
you know, anyone interested
 if worked right, a guy wanting to visit makers
can do it like a work / vacation 
you could literally travel the world and do
it as a tax deduction on top of it.
 expense in learning a trade go hand in hand
this works for the beginner on up
  I look for ways to recoup my Tax Dollar
whenever I travel .
kind of like the show in Alaska it's at a time
for fishing,, Great fishing.
and again you may know this anyway, others may not.
 an Idea for the ones that know not.
 if I were Mat I'd have you here all the time.
  you wouldn't want to clean up after me ..  ahhh I got
 a goats path running from here to there.
 it's more dangerous to walk to my buffer than using it..

Hey wolf thanks for the plug,, I will always do my best.

There is a story behind why a man at it for
28 years is low profile. that would be for another tread
later Thanks
Dan;)
 
Ira (wolfmann601)
I got your e-mail but when I replied it came back.
any way thanks for the order.
but you need to see the mail I sent.
do you have your return addy right for
your reply mail typed in right
 in your mail setup?.:confused:
 
Dan,
try wolfmann@aol.com. I am having SERIOUS E-mail trouble with outlook. try my Aol addy. That should work!!!!!
Thanks, Dan...I hope you see this ASAP.......wolf
Knife content: Graymaker model 160!!!!!!
 
Done wolfmann601
let me know if you don't get it
by e-mail, we'll leave this thread alone, we're
off subject,, Thanks again
 
ppls~

nice little thread you have going here.
so .. to bring it back to topic .. i just wanted to say that PhilL had it right.
market is everything for price (IMHO)

i find where i am makes a big difference... as there are not too many people here who are willing to pay out big $$ to purchase blades.. handmade or not.
most people that i have spoke to didnt even know what a forge was .. and the general consensus is that bladesmiths havent existed for a long long time.
so .. according to them .. i was extinct.

but .. i am not alone in this situation .. one of the makers at the show i was just at told me that he never sells blades in Oz .. simply because he can get 3 times the money if he takes them back to the UK and sells them there.

i have been told by a lot of makers, though, that things are looking up due to internet sales and the like .. and because the Australian Dollar is down compared to the US dollar .. US collectors are more apt to take a risk in an internet purchase ..
and a blade that might be able to sell for $300 here ... woul donly cost a little over US$150 ...

in a country where i have overheard people say that a $50 spyderco blade was totally outrageous .. and no knife shoudl Ever cost So much! .. i find that i cant look to put a high price on blades .. unless i am going to appeal to a broader market than directly infront of me.
my pricing, therefore, comes more from how pleased i am with my completed blade + the expenses it cost to make it in the first place.

my 2c.

D.
 
As for me the more I like the knife when its done the more I feel it's worth. If I get a "Hey I like that one" from the wife or son the price goes up a little.

What I find interesting is that alot of the unusual knife designs I like get a Ho Hum responce. Other designs I personally am not thrilled with other people think are great.
Maybe that should tell me something
:rolleyes:
 
So Ira, Dan, you all done with your knife deal? You are? good.:p ;)

The replies have been great. I was thinking how nice it would be to have the chance to observe someone like Ed Fowler while he produced a knife. I would be willing to bet a person could learn a heck of a lot about what goes into making a knife and all the little things that go into the cost of a knife.

Dan, if I make it to Maine I will look you up. It sounds like spending some time with you could be a lot of fun.
 
Keith: That would be good times. I would also add that pricing my knives is the hardest thing that I have to do. One decision about knives that I hate to make.
 
Keith,

I for one really appreciate your thread here, super good topic, and the responses have been great! (good doin' bidness with ya too friend, all is done and good here).

It's kinda funny that you brought up Ed, and in a way kinda funny that Ed responded right after...and I'll tell ya why it's funny, to me anyway...

Two years ago at Blade West, my first knife show, somewhat overwhelmed by the knives, and the 'buzz' in the air, something really strange happened...

Walking the aisles with purpose, moving forward at a fair clip, I locked eyes with Ed as he moved in the opposite direction from some 40 feet away...and time slowed down for a brief second...

Kinda like if you made eye contact with a friend in a crowd...no sounds for what seemed to be a long time, just a long slow eyes locked head turn, sort of like, "Don't I know you...????"...and then it was gone, Ed was gone, and the 'buzz' was back...really weird.

So, I'm thinking, "I've got to meet this guy" But of course, Ed's table was swamped when I got there, when he was back at his table, and being that I didn't know Ed from Adam, it was just a weird moment in time, and was soon placed on the back burner of my mind.

Over the next year I learned a little about Ed, his family, his friends, his apprentices, his work, and his writings...."This is a good guy" I'm thinking, I'd like to meet him...

Fast forward, Blade West this year, I bring my wife, and there's Ed again...We're working around the show and my wife stops, from a distance she's looking at Ed like he's a long lost uncle...

Now, my wife is a former resident of rural Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, has hunted/shot/dressed everything from deer to moose, and knows her skinning knives...and there's Ed, looking just like an old Yukoner friend...I just know she wants to talk with him.

Ed, buddy, we spent time at that young fella's table off to your right, the fella that makes knives that look a little like yours...and when the coast was clear, we headed over to your table...only to be cut off at the pass...lol *shoot*

Well, that's Ed's charm, so many folks want to be close to him, that sometimes it's hard to get close...

My wife has an eye for quality, buying from the likes of Jess Horn; she wants to meet the maker and talk about the knife that she is going to have made, and being that she buys so few, she intends to use them.

When I mentioned that I was thinking about selling the 30 year old Win. Model 70 .30/06 Featherweight she let out a screech that made me realize her hunting days were far from over...

What a dream eh? Her taking a big game animal with Jack O'Connor's 'Rifleman's rifle', and then dressing it out with an Ed Fowler knife....hummm... :D

Love your work Ed, and looking forward to meeting you someday soon.
 
A CUSTOM knife. WOW!!!!! I am FINALLY starting to move my collection into the big leagues. Yup, in a year or so when Dan finishes the model 160 (Mine will be the "601")I will have two Brad Duncan's, two Robert Hankins ( Robert, I will be calling) and an ICC urban tactical model 2A. Thats my list.:D :D :D
Will I EVER own a plus $1,000 knife? God, I sure hope so:eek: :eek: But I have to plan out my knife buys a year in advance and then bust butt to get enough money to buy the above. Of course I will continue to buy Production knives. For now, they are more in line with my level of collecting.
I do not know the exact science of how one places a value on a knife. For example, at the show sunday, I met Dan face to face. We had e-mailed months prior. I asked him if he could make me a very special knife, but a knife my Beer budget could afford. Dan was gracious to say yes. we shook hands for the first time last Sunday. GREAT guy who has his soul into making knives and MAN is he HUNGRY!!!! not for Money, but to make even a little player like me feel like I just ordered my tenth Jerry Fisk Southern with wolf-tooth Damascus, 24K gold and walrus!!!!!!!:eek:
Then there is Robert Hankins, an absolute gentleman. And Dennis(junglejim)who also makes knives to my TASTES and right now, my budget.
I do not plan to wheel and deal with the big players. Finally,my collection has begun. I have no more "trade stock" now I have only what I plan to keep for my Legacy.
IF ANYONE reads one iota of negative in the above, you are sadly mistaken. This is a very positive post. I purposely did NOT use the names of super makers like (nope, won't ever say Tom or Jerry. Did I say that? I wasn't supposed to say that!)This is just what a beginner writes when he is beginning the voyage into the world of Custom knives. It really is NEVER about money........wolf;) :D
 
Yes Keith all done
that's a bit embarrassing :o for me because
I'm the type that likes one on one and
to be highlighted by someone well
it keeps me on the humble side at least.

 But I do enjoy someone getting excited over a knife I built for him or her,
 it does much good for the pride.
I like to see guys like Ira you and others
get excited over this stuff if it weren't
 for you we'd be making butter knives or not making at all..
as any maker knows and feels this will push you
 to do your best as much as anything at least it does me.

I have not had the pleasure of meeting ED
 and would like to but for reasons
other than Just knives, though it's the bases,
I say this because in most of the making trade
you see the persons sole in there work and you can tell what kind of guy or gal
he or she is,
 but for some the bright lights and fame can change one just a bit.
 
 I hope no one ever thinks this of me..
just from what I can see Ed's pretty down to earth,
( ED I'm glad to see you have e-mail now
 back a long I mailed Audra and she thought you didn't have one,
 I love to see a woman forging, )
 anyway I think Ed knows and will not forget were he's from.

  yes pricing knives is very hard to do like Ed said the clock won't do because
you can't remember to use it all the time.
I can, most of the time get close, but when finishing a knife forget it, I'm so lost
in it,  time will fly and time doesn't mater anymore
 it's better than fishing if you want to forget
the worlds troubles for a while
 you can add up the belts
your electric bill and Materials estimate your time
and come close you have to guess a bit.
 you also have to take in account how far behind in orders you are
 it's sad to say but
the farther behind we get the higher the price needs to get
 to cut down on the orders, you can say well just don't take more orders
 ask any knife maker if he wants to stop offering his knives,
 it won't happen.
  still it's nice to be able to pay your bills and maybe have a car a year or two newer
 so you know you'll make it to the next show Ha Ha well you know what I mean
and for some that can't sell what they have,
 well these are the so called dues your paying it's very hard starting out for new makers
if your good you will sell knives so keep it up....
Makers will have off times it should be built in to the price,
  kind of like a seasonal worker he'll need to budget his money,
 inherently our prices have to go up as the demand for the work go up
we don't always want it to happen, you want everyone to have one of your knives
if they want one, 
 do you sell it for $150.00 when you know you can sell it for say $395.00
 well we do it but limit it to friends and family and some others at times.
 but if you sold them all for 150.00 instead of the higher a
lot of us would have a back log
of years and years lets face it,
 money is what makes the world go around.
 everyone in every job with very few exception will not turn down a raise...
I need to leave this thread alone
Keith you come on down you don't need to buy a knife to have a drink with me.
 I love to talk shop. I'm not good with words so forgive me..Dan
 
Hello Melvin: Next time you see me at a show, just walk up and introduce yourself. When I am at a show I usually cruise at about 30,000 feet and sometimes don't see all I should. Shows are where it all comes together, the work, the dreams and I get pretty high. Also somtimes my blood sugars get a little off (joys of a rattler bite) and I really don't notice all I should. I am sorry we did not get a chance to talk. Just walk up and hit me in the head or something, but please don't mess with my hat (western joke). Thanks for the kind words, I love to share time with folks who know natures bounty, firearms, dogs and naturally knives. Those who have known the opportunity to hunt good country all have something in commmon.

Greymaker: I have the e mail, not too good at all the computer stuff, but can usually answer e mails. Looking forward to meeting you.
 
I hope my response found it's way and made a little sense. I did get your download to work.
MY RESPONSE: Let me just breathe for a second, my eyes are all welled up. Must have something in BOTH of them as they are spitting tears. OK, OK......JERRY, I say, DAMN, you are a true HUMAN!!!!!What did you think? I could say in words what my Heart is feeling? No, it is NOT like making a S&W model 599998798. Each Knife says something. I NOW fully understand, and I THANK YOU.........Ira
What will it be? I get the first round............:)
 
Wolfie, I don't have the the slightest idea what you are talking about, but it sure sounds emotional.

I am really enjoying what everyone has had to say on this thread and would sure like to see it continue, with the input of the so far unheard from makers and everyone else with an opinion.
 
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