what do you think its worth

NickWheeler said:
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
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Well I agree that Mike's attitude is one that will ensure success.

Jerkwad? I've been called a lot worse. :D I've been a bouncer, senior NCO in the Army and used to umpire college baseball. It'd take a lot to make me get worried over words, course I'm not frail and malnourished like Nick :p
 
Just a word from my own experience, about using high-end materials too soon. A friend from this forum gave me a hefty piece of beautiful damascus that he'd made. Yet when I assembled the knife I got the bolsters misaligned :eek: and to top it off used some bone scales jigged to look like stag, that had hollows on the back. What a f-ed up handle! :o Needless to say, that's one of the knives that's never gotten out of here. Someday I'll grind off the handle and do it over, because the steel and the knife's grind deserve it. (Actually I should probably tweak the grind a bit now too.) I about cried like a girl when I saw what I'd done with the bolsters, yet I went ahead and put a handle on it. That's not what a "proper" maker would do at all. I got caught up in getting the knife built without being a craftsman, and every time I get it out I feel my face burn. At first glance the knife looks nice and it feels good in the hand, but it doesn't hold up to scrutiny at all. Not at all. But it's salvageable and believe me, it'll never see the light of day until it's done properly. ;)

One thing I still struggle with is the concept of "good enough." I'm limited in what I can do by my current skill level but as soon as I think something is "good enough" I will have quit learning and may as well sell my tools and all that beautiful handle material and steel I want to use some day. I hope I never make a knife that's "good enough."

Mike, your knife is not as bad as mine. You've made exceptional progress. Hanging around here will hone your sensibilities and expectations, and these great folks will guide you in the right direction. You have a fantastic attitude and that's a nice knife in its own right. Keep up the good work.
 
mike_clark7912 said:
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
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Please don't use palletwood anymore. Pallets that have been overseas get fumigated, and that stuff is scary bad for you.

I'm loving the thread because of the way you're approaching advice from these guys. They won't guide you wrong.
 
"High End" materials... I just sold some knives wrapped with hemp..... reckon that qualifies as high end material? :P

Not directing this at Mike, just a general observation about the times we live in.

There seems to be a rush to advance without an appreciation for the learning required for the next level. There's nothing wrong crafting a well designed knife out of simple steel and quality wood. A blade with a fine finish on the handle, a buffed or rubbed finish that pops and well thought out design is a joy to behold and to use. Master the skills for quality fit and finish on a slab handled, full tang knife. Then move to the next step of adding a guard/bolsters, then move on to filework or whatever is the next step but take the time to learn and master the basic steps. You will at times have to revert back to the basics to work through an issue.

Mike, let's look at your damascus knife from a sales/business point of view. You say you dropped $250 or more in materials. You could have made that same knife from 1095 or some other steel and have a knife that cost about $75. You're going to need to charge at least $325 or more for the damascus knife because I'm sure you're not adding in the cost of belts, adhesives, sandpaper and LABOR. You could charge $150 or so for that same knife in simple steel and make a profit of $75or so. $150 wouldn't be out of line and buyers know that you're a new maker and expect certain flaws (although they shouldn't, but I digress.) The $325 for the damascus knife is out of line because there are expectations of quality in that price range that are missed due to your experience level. You can sell the knife at a loss or make a profit using simpler steel. I know which one is going to allow you to buy better tools and more materials.

You can learn a lot and buy a lot of tools making and selling $100 blades. Keep improving and you won't have to ask us if your knife is worth $500, you'll know it and more importantly your customers will.
 
thanks guys i just got back to the comp and have been reading over your posts and yes the green and black is dymondwood and yes i need to work on finishing work it seems like that is the hardest part making it look good i have alot of cheaper materials and i just made that knife to see if i could do it because you could say it was a christmas present i took all the money i got and put some in myself and ordered all the materials to make it but i also ordered 6 feet of 440c at the same time so i have enough to make 8 9 inch knives with that so now im gonna try the bolsters on some of those oh and by the way i have to take some more pics cuz i went home and just had to buff on that knife and i got most the scratches out of the brass and some off the blade and you guys are right about useing to exspensive materials too soon because the whole time i was makeing that i was so worried i was going to mess it up and then i would have a the crappiest most exspensive knife i own lol
 
i am going to start a new thread because i have some questions about heat treating but im gonna have to do so later im at work now and i have to put a motor in a sander and wire it up and test it and put a dro on it and sticker it up because they want to deliver it tomorrow so im gonna have a busey day but i will check back about 12:30 or so thank you again for all the advice and im gonna work on my profile tonight as well and get some more pics
 
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