What’s your price range for handmade fixed blades?

[Joseph Bandeko]

Hey guys and gals I was wondering what y’all’s price range is that you typically stay within and why? for handmade fixed blades.

Seems that most of the knives sold on this forum are in the $120-$350 range and that seems to me to be a bit low, especially since for that kind of money you can go and get a production fixed blade in ”better” materials that will preform the same or better and the fit and finish will probably better. (Knife makers please do not think I am taking a stab at any of you)

anyway I’m very curious to hear all of your thoughts.

 

[FullMetalJackass]

Really depends on materials used and complexity of execution. Lots of great stuff available for around $350

 

[Joseph Bandeko]

Another piece of advice for Joseph Bandeko
If you're wanting to command a premium price, I'd utilize premium materials. Your "solution" knife looks very nice, no doubt, but it also looks very plain. There's nothing immediately apparent that sets it apart from a plethora of other knives out there (aside from the $1000 price tag.) It's a full tang blade with single piece micarta scales. If you spend some time in the classifieds here, on facebook, or on instagram, you'll find thousands just like it.

Additionally, if you're spending 16 hours in just hand sanding alone on a knife like that, I think it may be prudent to get a higher grit belt finish, and use conditioning belts post grinding so your not spending as much time with the slow hand sanding process. You need to find a process that works for you, that will get your desired finish, in a less time consuming manner. You can spend all day hand sanding, but that doesn't change many of the aspects in a knife that consumers care about (eg. materials, design, grind, etc.)

Again, this is just my opinion. Your knife looks great, but a great $200-$300 knife. I don't mean to come across as negative, just my $.02 and some food for thought.

S35VN I feel is a premium material, it just gets used a lot (because it’s a great steel) so people don’t think it’s premium anymore (tell me how that works )
I didn’t spend 16 hours hand sanding the one I have for sale now, I’ve spent 16 hour one I’m working on and not only am I taking it to a much high grit, but also have you tried hand sanding S35VN? because it takes a LOT more time then simple carbon steel. As far as selling it for $200-$300 I spent almost $200 making it so... (I also think it’s hard to get the feel for the quality of some of my work without handling it)

With all that said this is exactly why I started this thread, so that I could hear what people think and why they feel that way.
So I will try to take into consideration what y’all have said and apply it in the future.