Slip joint prices

Shotgun said:
you can get a stellar fixed blade for about $150 but even the basic slip joints are all $300+.
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You've gotten some really good answers so far, but if I can just pare it down to the simplest and most essential piece of the answer, it's this: moving parts. Moving parts are a whole lot tougher to do than nonmoving parts. More complicated, more precise, just tougher.


Mike
 
Rusty McDonald said:
... Every now and then one of them sells one for under $250 which in my humble opinion is a steal.
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Although my income is fixed I sometimes can stash aside money for what I call my. "Slush Fund" this is money that I stash away at the end of the week, change, left over bills, eventually it can add up to, (and has) $300.

Usually though a bill pops up and quickly drain the fund.

Any of you kind folks out there see a $250 custom folder please drop me an email.
 
Per the knife maker for sale area, Alsdorf routinely sells for less than $300, so does Coats. I've never seen coats' work, but I've handled a lot of Alsdorf's and he sells a well-made knife...just a little short for my taste. I like big blades on my slipjoints. There are a few for sale that are overpriced, weird design, or have obvious flaws, and they sometimes don't sell very well in the >$300 range.
 
Thanks Rusty and everyone. Once you've made a slipjoint that you are willing to
put up for sale on the forum and have it gone over by some pretty savvy collectors
after having passed what you feel is right. Bob Loveless said it very well, the market
will cull them out soon enough --or not. You are selling knives that will be compared
to the very best made. Cheaper?
Ken.
 
T. Erdelyi said:
Although my income is fixed I sometimes can stash aside money for what I call my. "Slush Fund" this is money that I stash away at the end of the week, change, left over bills, eventually it can add up to, (and has) $300.

Usually though a bill pops up and quickly drain the fund.

Any of you kind folks out there see a $250 custom folder please drop me an email.
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Rick Menefee lists his "shadow" slipjoints ,ss blade/spring/liners,in the makers for sale,for $225 plus $7 for shipping & IMO,are a GREAT knife
Gotta "catch one" though,they go quick

-Vince
 
why are custom slip joints so expensive?
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You should get a hold of one and find out for yourself. I was fortunate to handle an Alsdorf MOP Interframe and was really impessed. It had a snap that was something to behold.

I will be getting one of my own when the right one shows up.


Mitch
 
Keep in mind that most slippies don't have adjustable pivot screws; the tension has to be dead-nut from day-one and stay that way for the life of the knife.

Also, unlike the populer liner/frame locks that allow the blade to move more or less freely between its closed and locked positions, a slip joint's tang maintains intimate contact with a single backspring that has to hold it (firmly!) open and closed while applying constant pressure against the tang at all times. If the blade travel isn't smooth, consistent and predictable across its entire path - if its "walk" isn't up to snuff - you'll feel it every time you open or close the knife. Throw in a half-stop and a backspring that remains flush in all three blade positions and the knifemaker is confronted with a significant challenge. A slip joint with excellent "walk" and a nice positive snap (or "talk") at both ends is extremely satisfying from a tactile, as well as functional, standpoint.

Frankly, I don't know how the makers of affordable custom slip joints mentioned in this thread manage to do such amazing work for such a reasonable price. No wonder these timeless custom knives have enjoyed such longterm popularity.
 
Rick said:
Keep in mind that most slippies don't have adjustable pivot screws; the tension has to be dead-nut from day-one and stay that way for the life of the knife.

Also, unlike the populer liner/frame locks that allow the blade to move more or less freely between its closed and locked positions, a slip joint's tang maintains intimate contact with a single backspring that has to hold it (firmly!) open and closed while applying constant pressure against the tang at all times. If the blade travel isn't smooth, consistent and predictable across its entire path - if its "walk" isn't up to snuff - you'll feel it every time you open or close the knife. Throw in a half-stop and a backspring that remains flush in all three blade positions and the knifemaker is confronted with a significant challenge. A slip joint with excellent "walk" and a nice positive snap (or "talk") at both ends is extremely satisfying from a tactile, as well as functional, standpoint.

Frankly, I don't know how the makers of affordable custom slip joints mentioned in this thread manage to do such amazing work for such a reasonable price. No wonder these timeless custom knives have enjoyed such longterm popularity.
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A very informative and cautionary post. Should no doubt be helpful to the more novice slipjoint buyers.
Thanks Rick.
 
They are difficult to make require more time, and many times more machinery to get that fit you crave.
Some very good commercial knives might be a place to start. Others will go into the secondary market.
Making a purchase from what looks to be a future very good maker can be a boone to the wallet. There are a great number of people who keep their prices at an accetable level for entry level pieces. The more blades usually the prices goes up and the makers quality will follow.
I like to be able to pick the steel. Some feel ATS 34 is fine for a pocket knife. I like 3V for a tough blade that will do a lot of work. They get crazy sharp and stay sharp for a long while. I also like some carbon blades on historical reproductions of Civil war pieces.
We all have our favorites.
Bailey Bradshaw will make a great knife with just about any steel you want. He is a M/S . No longer cheap but the quality sings.
Ray Smith M/S , makes great reproductions that I consider to be a bargain. Many under 300.00 . Great barlows !
I have many more that are not known widely but they are out there.
Or save your money and buy one good piece that will last a lifetime.

Floyd
 
I just sold my first traditional slip joint for $300 in at the Chicago Show. It was easy enough to sell because it was numbered 001 and if I die may be valuable, hehe.

Seroiusly, I spent money for the steel, shipping, waterjet cutting, more shipping, heat treating, more shipping, handle materials, an Evers stamp, another Evers stamp, stone for the nail nick, dial indicator for the rise and drop, stencils for the numbering and built a hydraulic press for the Evers stamp and at least 4 days of sweating and swearing to finish it. It didnt come out perfect like most of the names mentioned here but I am proud of it. The wife looks at it and just shakes her head with a confused look.

Its the challenge of it all is why we do it. Do it long enough and the prices should go up.

I looked at some T Bose and B Ruples at the show and the dealers had to wipe drool from them. I have a long way to go to reach that level of craftsmanship.
 
A maker has to love traditional slipjoints. If he makes them just for the $, he's fighting a lossing battle.

My first slipjoints back in the early 90s' were $75 +/- but had to make something else to pay the bills.
I make a few now but the ain't $300 :D
 
RogerP said:
I'd like to know where all those "stellar" $150 fixed blades are at.

I'm actually surprised that some of the nice $300 - $400 slip joints I have seen don't cost more. Oh crap, did I just say that out loud?? :p

Roger
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Look in the for sale section. A lot of the makers on here offer really nice fixed blades for around $150.
 
Custom slipjoints are at first glance quite expensive. That isn't to say that the prices are out-of-line, they aren't when you consider the amount of work that goes into making one.

I know exactly what you're going through, I've been bitten by the bug myself. One solution is to seek out newer makers. I would love to own a Bose knife, but I'm not yet at a place in my life where I can comfortably spend that much on one of his masterpieces. So I take another strategy, I identify new-to-newish knifemakers whose work has caught my eye, then get on their list. It's not hard to do since a lot of these guys are active participants in online forums. The stuff coming from these newer guys these days is quite outstanding and should make you quite happy. They blow away anything the production companies have to offer.
 
Rick said:
Keep in mind that most slippies don't have adjustable pivot screws; the tension has to be dead-nut from day-one and stay that way for the life of the knife.

Also, unlike the populer liner/frame locks that allow the blade to move more or less freely between its closed and locked positions, a slip joint's tang maintains intimate contact with a single backspring that has to hold it (firmly!) open and closed while applying constant pressure against the tang at all times. If the blade travel isn't smooth, consistent and predictable across its entire path - if its "walk" isn't up to snuff - you'll feel it every time you open or close the knife. Throw in a half-stop and a backspring that remains flush in all three blade positions and the knifemaker is confronted with a significant challenge. A slip joint with excellent "walk" and a nice positive snap (or "talk") at both ends is extremely satisfying from a tactile, as well as functional, standpoint.

Frankly, I don't know how the makers of affordable custom slip joints mentioned in this thread manage to do such amazing work for such a reasonable price. No wonder these timeless custom knives have enjoyed such longterm popularity.
Click to expand...
That is an awesome post!!! Thank you Rick!! :thumbup::thumbup:
 
Bruce Bump said:
I just sold my first traditional slip joint for $300 in at the Chicago Show. It was easy enough to sell because it was numbered 001 and if I die may be valuable, hehe.
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I'll take 002 at that price! :eek:

Shotgun said:
Look in the for sale section. A lot of the makers on here offer really nice fixed blades for around $150.
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No doubt. I just don't equate "nice" with "stellar".

Roger
 
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