what do you think its worth

One other piece of friendly advice.. if you want to reach the largest audience of buyers in the future, ditch the brass in favor of nickel silver or some type of stainless steel like 303 or 416. There has been an ambivalence towards brass knife furniture in the market for a number of years. While many don't mind brass, there are a great many who won't buy an otherwise attractive knife simply because it has brass. Through the zealous instigation of a well known knife purveryor, it even has its own demeaning slogan ..."Brass has no class".

Regardless of the right or wrong of it, that is the unfortunate reality nowadays. You'll reach more people if you switch.

Take care. I wish you well on your knifemaking journey.
 
thanks for the advice you gotta give the people what they want and i have a good size peice of 416 that i was about to cut up for some other knives im about to start work on that are like the red and black dymond wood with 440c on my photobucket im going to try to improve on that knife
 
Mike,
You're going to want to leave the dymondwod alone too.... while it is wonderful stuff (I would use it if I could) Frost cutlery has ruined it for the general custom knife buying crowd.

Once you get fit and finish down, material choices become an integral part of knife design. It's actually one of the parts of knife design I struggle with.
 
oh really i guess i havent seen what they have yet but i was getting it for about $2.55 for a pair of scales so its cheap and looks good because everyone that swa my first knife then they saw the first one i made with the dymondwood they thought it was a step up because i was using pallet wood and saw blades when i staryted then i went to 440c bar stock and the dymond wood and as soon as i made some of those i started selling them as fast as i could make them
 
Well I would say you know your customers best. I'm just saying for the larger group like BF customers, dymondwood is a no-no. I make some chef's knives and some guys insist on dymondwood.

Frost cutlery are the guys you see on late night tv selling 3000 knives for $75.
 
well thank you guys for all the advice and i gotta go but i will be back tomorrow and dont worry i dont get offended easily especially when i want an honost opinion thanks again
 
Will Leavitt said:
Here's a picture of the sheath I make for my "pocket knives" I sell these blades for about $100. An experienced custom knife buyer expects, straight stitching, smooth edges and a good design. Anything beyond that in a leather sheath is a plus, but they expect the basics to be of good quality.

edcsheath.jpg
Click to expand...

will that's the same groove tool i use, works great for the profile. but i'm looking for a straight one with now guide bar to do things like belt loop bends and back side stitches.
 
JT, I groove both sides of the sheath before I stitch. I stab all my stitching with a hand awl to keep my stitching in the grooves on both sides.
 
Just a thought , but it seems to be best to stick with the basics first , before jumping to high end damascus , stag , ivory , etc. The knife is not just about the expense ( or lack of expense ) of the materials being used.

Nail the fit & finish , then move up to the higher end stuff. Sort of a walk before you run thing.

I still have yet to try damascus , ivory , stag , etc , due to not being comfortable with my skill level , and when using those materials you have to be able to do them justice or finding a buyer to recover material cost alone will be tuff.

Keep trying to make each one better than the last , enjoy the journey , and learn as much as you can from everyone who will talk to you about knifemaking , and then take all that data you gather and use what works for you.
Ask 20 knifemakers the same question , you are liable to get 21 different ways to do something.

You have been given some great advice by some knowledgeable folks in the previous posts.
 
I just want to give this guy Mike props for his attitude. :thumbup:

While I agree with the advice Fitz and Will shared with Mike (not you Wylie! lmao, j/k), it's pretty unusual for someone to come on here and not freak out over that kind of response.

Let me repeat! I am very much in agreement with what's been shared, but we've all seen guys with a much different attitude when faced with replies that are not filled with sunshine or smoke. ;) :)

It's also pretty impressive to tackle front and rear bolsters so early on.
 
NickWheeler said:
...While I agree with the advice Fitz and Will shared with Mike (not you Wylie! lmao, j/k), it's pretty unusual for someone to come on here and not freak out over that kind of response.

Let me repeat! I am very much in agreement with what's been shared, but we've all seen guys with a much different attitude when faced with replies that are not filled with sunshine or smoke. ;) :)
Click to expand...

It's quite refreshing to find someone who sincerely wants a straight answer to his questions and can deal with an equally sincere and direct response, isn't it, Nick? :thumbup:

Mike, I looked at the rest of your photos of knives. You are doing quite well for only 4 months at this. You seem no stranger to tools. I hope you continue to share your progress with us and spend time here often.

I would suggest you fill in your profile and share a little about yourself, if you feel so inclined.
 
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YES Fitz! :)

Mike has made sure that neither you nor Will, will ever need to start a jerk-wad thread. ;) :D

At least in this case.:p
 
NickWheeler said:
I just want to give this guy Mike props for his attitude. :thumbup:

While I agree with the advice Fitz and Will shared with Mike (not you Wylie! lmao, j/k), it's pretty unusual for someone to come on here and not freak out over that kind of response.

Let me repeat! I am very much in agreement with what's been shared, but we've all seen guys with a much different attitude when faced with replies that are not filled with sunshine or smoke. ;) :)

It's also pretty impressive to tackle front and rear bolsters so early on.
Click to expand...

100% agreed.
With an attitude like the one you have now, Mike, you'll learn by leaps and bounds.
Later,
Iz
 
Mike, you asked about Admiral Steel. Admiral is a very popular steel supplier to knife makers, and very many (if not most) of us have purchased from them over the years. Some have purchased thousands of pounds of steel from them with never a problem.
Every once in a while some one will get pissed at them but it's usually over business and not the steel itself.
My biggest complaint in the past has had to do with the straightness of steel when we get it. They cut much steel from plate, and if the operator is too lazy to reset the shear after cutting thicker stock, it can curve more than is necessary. Not a problem except for adding a greater need for straightening by the end user.
If you ever have any problems, ask to speak directly to Terry Summers, one of their vice presidents in charge of blade steels. He is usually very responsive to our needs and problems.
 
At one time I made and sold a lot of hunters. I used a lot ot 440-c and ATS-34. Heat treated properly these steels make great hunting knives and as your quality of craftsmanship improves you can conyinue to raise your prices. As far as the case goes, it should protect the knife from loss and the wearer from the knife under all circumstances such as falling and stumbling. Frank
 
mike ,Will is right the first thing i noticed is the sheath im not making my own sheaths yet i am going to just work on making knives and handles .The less rivots in my opinion the better looking and classier appearance.Also leather stiching or sinue gotta be straight and edges buffed.very nice knife just im going to do a damascus knife before the end of the month hope it turns out as nice as yours.
 
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