Pricing your knives (again)

C

CDH

Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
283
I know, this topic gets bandied about regularly, sorry! I just have trouble believing that my little knives could be worth anything reasonable, but maybe I sell myself short...and that isn't good on a lot of levels. Call me insecure.:foot: I am considering making a batch of each and throwing them out there. I have got to make this hobby at least partially self supporting and would rather not make these and end up losing my butt, I just can't afford it right now! :D

So, I thought I might get some input from the veterans here. If you want to comment here, fine, if you want to via email it should work via the forum or you can use cdhtaway AT gmail DOT com.

What would you think is a reasonable selling price for these 2 blades as you see them here? They are hand rubbed to 600 grit and HT would probably include a cryo cycle.

440C and micarta, ni-silver rivets
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/cdhcmh/Knives/P8210071_cropped.jpg

ATS-34 and mesquite, Loveless bolts, lightweight 'half tang', w/basic sheath
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/cdhcmh/Knives/IMG_0643_edited.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/cdhcmh/Knives/PB040026_cropped.jpg
 
I sold my first two for around $55 plus shipping with no sheath. I calculated the cost of materials, heat treating and personal time at $10 an hour. I'm sure I had a lot more hours than I priced for, but I felt it was a fair price.
 
CDH said:
I know, this topic gets bandied about regularly, sorry! I just have trouble believing that my little knives could be worth anything reasonable, but maybe I sell myself short...and that isn't good on a lot of levels. Call me insecure.:foot: I am considering making a batch of each and throwing them out there. I have got to make this hobby at least partially self supporting and would rather not make these and end up losing my butt, I just can't afford it right now! :D..
Click to expand...

As a registered user, you should be careful about the "not selling" rule...

Since you mention this is a hobby, you should aim for a few times the material (including heat treating costs) and near zero for your time. If you can't sell them, give them away to friends and family. That will get them out of your sight so you can concentrate on your next ones. :)
 
I understand about the not selling without a membership upgrade and to be honest I'm not sure if I'll even sell here...I just am trying to avoid wasting some money making a batch of blades that I will be stuck with. I'll upgrade as necessary but not before I actually have finished blades in my hands ready to go, and that'll be months from now.

So far all the ones I have made are being used by myself or family with good results, and I enjoy it, but it'll have to become self supporting for me to continue much more. I just can't spend hundreds of dollars a year on this when I'm scraping bottom every month trying to raise 2 young kids.

So I was just curious as to what the experienced guys thought a blade like I have made would be worth. If it is $50 each I'll have almost that out of pocket in it and I'll not bother. If I put my time at $10/hr I'd still be near the $100 each mark with the few power tools I have at present. Do you guys even see my dilemma? I'm not whining...just trying to get a feel for where I stand. Being new, and slow, it is frustrating to hear that you can work 8-10 hours and put $30-40 into a kitchen knife and maybe get $50 for it.
 
Looks nice, if the finish is as good as the pic suggests it might be the right buyer might spend enough to make it worthwhile, My suggestion (and I'm not a full time maker, I'm a goldsmith who makes knives) is don't expect to make a lot of money right off the bat, theres a learning and experience curve, you're not a well known maker, so the market doesn't know you, make knives, sell them for what the market brings. Put some out for what you think you'd like to get (adjusted for the aformentioned conditions) and if your work is consistantly flying out the door, raise your price, if it's not lower it until you find a balance point.

Just my opinion,
-Page
 
It is called paying your dues. There are a lot of makers who have been making knives for years who only get $150.00-$200.00 per knife and they are guys who have worked many years to get the quality of their work to the point where someone would be willing to pay them $150.00 for a knife. If you are already trying to make a profit on your first couple of knives, you already have one strike against you.
 
If you know your knives are of comparable quality to other custom makers,your still going to have to let a few go cheap in order to get them in the hands of collectors/users.once you make a name for yourself and your knives are saught after you can up the price.take a look at your knives..,are they something you'd gladly pay $150/200 to have??
 
I have been making knives for 10 yrs...ats34 and heat treated by Paul Bos.....No profit here but i just love making them...I sell all of my knives for $70 with sheaths......Thats about 50 cents per hour............But at least it is self supporting...carl.....Merry Christmas
 
I'm just trying to not lose my butt on a batch...and maybe make enough to start building equity in tools. Making them one at a time is eating my lunch in shipping out for HT.

I understand paying dues...no issue there. I have a pile of rejects and scrap plus some new scars from the last 2 years self teaching myself this craft, but now I have a couple of kids and one less paycheck in the household than when I started. That tends to shift ones motivation and priorities.;)

I don't expect to make a lot and would be doing backflips to get $150 and happy at $100, but $50 would not be enough to keep me going with the amount of blood I put into each blade right now.

Thanks for the comments!
 
a hobby is just that, a hobby.

Pro-makers demand more for their blades because that is what they are, pros. They have the equipment, supplies, client base and "time in service". I made knives for over 6 months before I sold my first one. and it was for 25.00.

I have been selling knives regularily for about 1 year now. I am in the "paying my dues"stage. Every knife gets better than the last, and I learn more every time I turn on the grinder.

Take your time. Learn the craft.
 
There are lot of makers in Texas who can help you advance your knifemaking by leaps and bounds with a couple of visits. I would also take the advice given about working with some basic tools steels until your skill level increases.
 
my first knives I figured out that I basically made around $1.50 to $2.00 an hour :D Gotta take time and more important make enough that you are able to reproduce quality and craftsmanship each and every time to ensure a top notch product.

Time and Effort get you to that point, no matter what the price tag says you would like to receive for your product.
 
Hang in there, keep making knives, and don't get discouraged, your knives look good. I been making knives part time for about 5 years, and am now selling most at $150.00- $200.00 range. When I started, $50.00 was good.
 
Thanks for the comments...yes, all of them!

My goal is not to start making these for an income (unless I win the lottery and need something to keep me out of trouble) but to make enough to buy some tools and take a hunting trip occasionally, rather than drain the bank account...that is what the boat is for. :D

I am relatively new to y'all on this forum but I think I am ready for the next step. The mesquite handled knife linked above is my first HT (O-1) and I have successfully made blades from 1095, O-1, and 440C. I tried for a year, got frustrated after only one successful build, quit for about 18 months, and then have been back at it for about 2 years on an hour here, two there basis. Heck if I get a blade done in 2 months I'm doing well! Draw filing is slooooow going!

My main point to this thread is to get a feel of where I am...and what is a reasonable pricing level for the kind of blades I showed in the original post. I'd be fine with $100...but I'd have to be batching them and therein lies the problem...up front costs.

Thanks again, I think I have seen what I was looking for!
 
Bobby Branton said:
There are lot of makers in Texas who can help you advance your knifemaking by leaps and bounds with a couple of visits. I would also take the advice given about working with some basic tools steels until your skill level increases.
Click to expand...

I know of 2 within 4 a hour drive...one of whom I wouldn't get near because he seems buffer happy (blades are heavily finished on a buffer...everything is rounded to hell, not my style) and you feel like you need a bath after talking to him at a gun show.

The other is Mike Snody, and while I have swapped a few emails with him and he seems like a good guy, we simply have never been able to get together. Weekend trips when you have a 2 and 4 year old in the house just don't happen very often, so I have to rely on the internet and books...and my own common sense and reasonably good mechanical skills.

If there is someone out there reading this within day trip range from Corpus Christi, I'd like to hear from ya!
 
I am within a day trip range if you don't mind starting early and gittin back late,I'm about 3-1/2 hour drive from CC. And if your working with stainless get a few blades ready for HT and we could run them through the oven.
 
Try to sell the ones you have at 1-1/2 times the material costs. If they sell, then keep doing this for a while. Figure that your labor time is free; look at it as if your improving your skill for free. You state that you just want your hobby to be self supporting, so keep it that way.

If they don't sell, then you'll know that you'll have to drop your costs.

I don't think you should hope to be able to pay for a hunting trip anytime soon though. That's a lot of filing!!

Good luck,

Mike L.
 
Hunting Trip!!! I do good to keep myself in materials and new tools.
 
SBuzek said:
Hunting Trip!!! I do good to keep myself in materials and new tools.
Click to expand...

Of course, I consider a week hunting public lands out of a tent a major hunting trip...I'm not talking about Africa or Alaska here. :D

Thanks for the offer. Where in Texas are you?
 
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