So... When DO you start selling your knives?

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David LaFerney

Joined
Feb 4, 2015
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122
I'm just wondering because I've seen it come up at least a couple of times now. Knife makers shouldn't sell knives until they are producing a quality product that won't negatively affect their brand - I get that. And maybe "pay some dues" as well. Fair enough. But how does that usually play out - when it does - in a way that has good respectable results?

You start making knives for some reason - probably you make the first ones for yourself.
Then maybe you make some to give away as gifts.
Along the line you acquire better kit and develop your technique and style - hopefully.
After a dozen or so gift knives, but before you are ready to start selling any - what do you do with your production?
Or is that enough experience?

When someone asks you something like "How much would you charge to make one like that for me?" How do you know when you are ready? You don't want to get a bad reputation for selling too soon - Or too cheap.

On the other hand you're gonna have a good bit invested in equipment, material, and time by the time you can make a good knife efficiently enough to make a profit off of it if you do sell it. I know that some people don't worry about that, but I for one need to eventually get some kind of return on my investment if I want to continue buying all the stuff that goes into this pastime. If I don't eventually sell knives I will probably stop making them - that's just reality.
 
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Twenty knives or so in, I still haven't sold one. I have no plans to sell one any time soon. Not because of lack of quality, I've made a few that were definitely worth putting a price tag on. I just like making them, and most get traded or gifted.

Some makers have salable knives by their 5th. I've seen some with hundreds of knives sold that I would be too embarrassed to sell. They were salesmen that were capable of convincing an unknowing public that their railroad spikes made better knives than 5160 or 1095 because of the magic of their "triple drawn triple quenched" technique. Your personal ethics play a big role in when you start selling.

If your knives are good enough to sell, and you want to sell them, then sell them. If you're not sure, find a maker who's opinion you respect and ask them to take a serious look at your work and tell you if you're ready or not.
 
Honestly man, when you think your knives are of a quality that you can stand behind, sell them for a price you find fair. you usually have to take a hit of the first few as far as price goes just to get them out there, but if your feedback is positive and you can sell them... why not? there's no "industry standards" in our trade that says "this knife maker is ......." so if you think they are good, and people like them, who cares what we say? i started selling them years ago for $80 each and i couldn't make them fast enough... still can't. the problem with pricing is just that, some people over inflate their prices far beyond what their product is worth and some undervalue theirs. I still have a hard time raising prices because i want my knives in the hands of people that are going to use them and i'd hate to have someone that really needs one and will use it not get one because they can't afford it so i often cut prices for military members and family still to this day. That being the case, you have to look at not just the cost of the materials in your product to set your price, there are a lot of other factors that will play in if you want to make a profit such as:
-electricity
-heat treat
-consumables, like epoxy, files, sand paper, grinder belts, wear and tear on your equipment... and actually paying for your equipment.

if you're not taking these into account you are likely undervaluing your product and are most likely losing money, but it's all a balancing act. Would i buy a $400 knife from a guy who only made 5 knives in his life? Yes... if he was already at the point where his designs, materials, geometry and attention to detail on fit and finish merited that price but again that is going to be a question that you have to honestly ask yourself "are my knives good enough to ask that price?" I still sell most of my knives starting at about $170 but after all is factored in, i make less than $10 per hour on each one, but for me it's about getting my designs right and getting my knives into the right hands to give me the feedback that i need to make my product better. I can afford this luxury as i have a full time job on a salary that lets me make them at my own speed and keep it as a hobby for now. If i decided to go full time, i would have to charge a signifigantly higher price for them.

Long story short: if your product is good for the designed purpose and your customers agree, then you can sell whatever you want at a fair price.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I was starting to think no one would comment. Everything you say makes good sense to me. I'm not planning to try to sell anything for a while, but based on what I've done so far I'm already pretty sure that I will be able to make a knife that looks good, and cuts good. I need to make some "field grade" knives without all the hand sanding and fiddling about - then abuse the crap out of them and see how they stand up to hard use. Then if that works out make some that are both proven tough and nice and shiny - then think about what they would be worth. Thanks.
 
i don't agree with waiting to be able to turn out a quality product to sell them, as long as they are priced accordingly. sell them cheaply and increase the prices as the quality improves. i would be embarrassed to sell the knives i made 10 years ago today, but even back then people were amazed that i actually made them from scratch and were happy to pay the prices i charged. that is what kept me inspired to make more and improve quality.
 
I know from my other hobby/sideline - beekeeping - that it is a lot easier to tolerate the ongoing expenses to grow and just do a good job once you start generating some income. The wife is a lot more on board too.
 
Your knives should be priced relative to their quality. As your skills improve, the price should increase.

If people are regularly offering to buy your knives, that's probably a good sign your knives are "decent".

I've sold every knife that I've ever made except for the first two. Selling knives early on allows you to buy more equipment and materials to practice with.
 
I probably made 10 or so before I started selling them. It worked well for me but every once in a while I see one of my early knives on the exchange and cringe a bit. There have been a few times I almost bought them back just to get them out of circulation. I guess that shows that my abilities have increased. I suppose 10 years from now I will think the same thing about the ones I am making today. I guess what I am saying is sell if you think the quality is there but try to make every one better than the last.
 
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