when is it "good enough"

I think you are wise to be concerned about flaws in your work. I wish all makers where as concerned. I am a newbie to handmade and custom knives. I have purchased two knives by a large reputable maker of handmade knives in CA direct and one knife by a smaller maker. The first two knives where each in the $50 dollar range. I immediately sold them, as I was very unhappy. The finish on the scales was very poor and the blades where unevenly ground and shorter than the makers specs by a good 1/2inch. The most recent knife I purchased was also a disappointment. This knife was purchased on clearance from a shop and is not returnable or I would send it back. It has poor edge geometry, is dull and has excess adhesive leaking out from the handle wrap. This knife was $80 on clearance. While I realize I have purchased at the lowest end of the market I expect the quality and finish to at least be up to a low-end production knife. I am seriously rethinking buying any more handmade knives until I can spend the money for a big name. I was hoping to switch over to buying only handmade/custom knives and to support some of the smaller makers. However if $50 to $100 dollars (my normal knife price range) will only buy poor quality work I will stay with production knives. At this point I will probably not buy any more handmade knives over the net, as I know I bear some responsibility for buying knives unseen. I am surprised at what some makers will let out of the shop though.
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Tom,

In the end, your customers will determine whether or not your level of craftsmanship is worth the asking price - whether you make inexpensive neck knives or fully tricked out works of art.
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Right on!

-Jose
 
Tom Mayo,

I have always worked on the prinicple that "If you can make it better then you should"
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That mindset is essential, IMO. Good post.

Ed,

I pick the areas where no compromise is allowed, where an absolute pass - fail rules. I believe every knife maker makes this decision in one venue or another. It may be because the blade broke and looks kind of odd without a tip or due to a microscipic flaw in the pearl handle buried next to the tang.
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LOL! :D

-Jose
 
This is question along the same lines as the thread's initial question, and is triggered in part by Laredo's signature. Do those of you that sell knives actually know at what point the knife is done or will be complete, absolutely positively, or do you tend to want to continue tweaking it as it goes out the door?
 
SPHAYES, It's really bad when you bought low end junk expecting a decent knife, which you are certainly entitled to your money's worth. You bought in good faith and you are certainly entitled to a full refund at the very least. I imagine anyone that would turn out crummy work would be just as flakey about refunding your money, unfortunately. But I would sure try to get my money back, and the "maker" should give you at least an apology, also. A real maker would NOT turn out junk or even consider selling it. Sorry about your troubles, guy, and I would not feel badly about passing the guy's name around about his poor work.
 
Ed Fowler kind of nailed it already. But I will add something Ed Caffrey said, quoting Wayne Goddard: "Look good, feel good, cut good." Yes, this is simple. Yes, this is subjective. But it also contains all of the basics.

As a relatively new maker, I am with Bruce Bump: make the best knives you can at this point. Price them to reflect your own experience and skill. If you are serious, increased experience will lead to increased skill. BUT, like all great musicians know, practicing your mistakes is not really practice at all. This is where working with, or at least showing your knives to, a very skilled maker will help, provided that maker will give you an honest critique. And provided you can take it.

John
 
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