Who is making what you think is the best value in a handmade folder or straight knife

fishface5 said:
Best value depends on what characteristics you value: design/style, blade material, other materials, fit & finish, egonomics, the type of job it is meant for, innovation, etc etc. Most of those are subjective/personal preference not objective. If you defined what you wanted & then found several makers who fit your criteria then you could find reviews of their work to try to compare them, otherwise there are just too many good makers for the question to have a meaningful answer.
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Exactly what I had thought. Before lobbing in a doozy, you ought to have identified yourself and your criteria. The internet is filled with anonymity. Stating who you are adds credibility.

Buffalohump said:
^^^ I will second this. Some tremendous bargains to be had in the Makers for Sale exchange area. I am quite amazed at what some of these guys price their knives at. It sometimes seems to me they are practically giving them away.
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...as they should! :D

Truth is, in this competitive and addicting market, the first thing you want to do is produce quality and have recognition. If you are in this for the long term, you have to give it away and incrementally build your pricing.

How many of us watched YouTube for years before we saw a single advertisement? Crazily, same thing.

BBsKnifeworks: Yes, I see where you stand with the Dick Atkinson reference. The Mike Snody 'Boss' is a similar cost value, yet they are all gone (as far as I am aware?).

Good luck. Hope to see you contribute more often.

Jim
 
I must add Jason Wilder, for fixed blade. Incredible work for the amount asked.
rolf
 
He doesn't make folders, but for a tough, differentially heat-treated fixed blade check out David Farmer's forged L6.
Mine has a 4.5" blade and bamboo handle, and will cut through some very gnarly stuff without chipping or rolling the edge.

IMG_0620.jpg~original
 
I can see this topic is stirring some controversy and almost didn't respond, but it does give me a chance to register an impression that's been building in me for a while now...

From what I know of pieces I've bought personally, pieces I've had my hands on, and pieces I've seen prices on, I have yet to see a knife from Stuart Branson that I thought was priced commensurate with its value in the custom marketplace. I agree 100% with Coop's assessment that the first thing you want to do is produce quality and have recognition, and if you are in this for the long term, you have to give it away in the beginning and incrementally build your pricing. But even with years now of glowing recognition and open-arms reception from the collector community, Stuart is well behind the price-to-value curve in my opinion, consistently offering work of a much higher caliber than his pricing reflects. I cannot imagine this will last much longer, given his success and market acceptance to this point, but I know something about his prices on recent pieces and I continue to shake my head in amazement. Even on pieces of his priced in the $1,000 range, the value in terms of complexity, aesthetics, and quality on all counts is remarkable.
 
I would like to thank the folks that contributed something worth while to this post. For those that seem to think the question was not worth discussing or deem it not worthy for this forum might I suggest reading a different thread. Please realize I mean disrespect but you might want to consider finding something better to do with your time.
 
Well, being the contrary sort that I am, I was inclined to give a serious response to the OP.

However, I think I found a Freudian slip in this part of the last post.

BBsKnifeworks said:
Please realize I mean disrespect but you might want to consider finding something better to do with your time.
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Not sure it is worth the effort . . .
 
Will York said:
I can see this topic is stirring some controversy and almost didn't respond, but it does give me a chance to register an impression that's been building in me for a while now...

From what I know of pieces I've bought personally, pieces I've had my hands on, and pieces I've seen prices on, I have yet to see a knife from Stuart Branson that I thought was priced commensurate with its value in the custom marketplace. I agree 100% with Coop's assessment that the first thing you want to do is produce quality and have recognition, and if you are in this for the long term, you have to give it away in the beginning and incrementally build your pricing. But even with years now of glowing recognition and open-arms reception from the collector community, Stuart is well behind the price-to-value curve in my opinion, consistently offering work of a much higher caliber than his pricing reflects. I cannot imagine this will last much longer, given his success and market acceptance to this point, but I know something about his prices on recent pieces and I continue to shake my head in amazement. Even on pieces of his priced in the $1,000 range, the value in terms of complexity, aesthetics, and quality on all counts is remarkable.
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Interesting observation, Will. Does an absence of official ABS recognition, or status affect a makers abilty to charge higher prices, or the secondary market values?
David
 
BBsKnifeworks said:
I would like to thank the folks that contributed something worth while to this post. For those that seem to think the question was not worth discussing or deem it not worthy for this forum might I suggest reading a different thread. Please realize I mean disrespect but you might want to consider finding something better to do with your time.
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It was a bad question worded badly....perhaps you might better spend your time reading and searching The Custom s/f before you try to piss in the wind.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
How is this man's question equal to "pissing in the wind"? I dont really see the correlation.
 
Will York said:
I can see this topic is stirring some controversy and almost didn't respond, but it does give me a chance to register an impression that's been building in me for a while now...

From what I know of pieces I've bought personally, pieces I've had my hands on, and pieces I've seen prices on, I have yet to see a knife from Stuart Branson that I thought was priced commensurate with its value in the custom marketplace. I agree 100% with Coop's assessment that the first thing you want to do is produce quality and have recognition, and if you are in this for the long term, you have to give it away in the beginning and incrementally build your pricing. But even with years now of glowing recognition and open-arms reception from the collector community, Stuart is well behind the price-to-value curve in my opinion, consistently offering work of a much higher caliber than his pricing reflects. I cannot imagine this will last much longer, given his success and market acceptance to this point, but I know something about his prices on recent pieces and I continue to shake my head in amazement. Even on pieces of his priced in the $1,000 range, the value in terms of complexity, aesthetics, and quality on all counts is remarkable.
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Wonderful assessment, Will. I concur. :D

In the same 'still rising' vein, I'd call Serge Pachenko right into this mix. No one has his style, and his quality is top grade. Expect extra value and get on board. A few years ago, it was Gus Cecchini, NOW look at his rise!

Coop
 
His response was pissing in the wind, David.

The initial question was just a bad question badly worded.

Coop, remember what we talked about some time ago?

Weight of words, amigo...don't play that game, it isn't good for you or anyone else.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

2knife said:
How is this man's question equal to "pissing in the wind"? I dont really see the correlation.
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2knife said:
Interesting observation, Will. Does an absence of official ABS recognition, or status affect a makers abilty to charge higher prices, or the secondary market values?
David
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Yes, I'm sure, and obviously it does take awhile.

This is off-topic from the original question and has nothing in particular to do with Stuart (I believe he's still classified an ABS apprentice), but I've wondered about the stamp-value-added issue for some time--especially in the case of the JS designation. Personally I've not found the JS designation to noticeably increase value of a given maker's work, have you David?

I'd be interested to hear opinions/experiences with JS-stamp values, though I certainly don't want to step on anyone's toes. But some well-known, forged-blade makers obviously don't use the JS stamp. From my own observation, I've assumed this is probably because of one or two reasons. One is that some makers achieve Master Smith quality work long before they test for and receive the MS stamp, and my assumption is that they don't want to compete against MS-stamped work with JS-stamped work, even if their JS-classified work is of comparable quality.

Also, I've noticed that once a maker achieves MS status, his/her JS knives often plateau in value. I know some collectors anticipate that plateau phenomenon and are hesitant to put as much money into a JS-stamp knife as a piece with no stamp, even if the quality is there, and I believe some makers anticipate that as well and decide not to use the JS stamp. And of course some Master Smiths also don't use a stamp, although I do think the MS stamp is a recognition of achievement that commands some increment of value. Interesting question, to me at least.

I think of names like Nick Wheeler, Tim Zowada, Rick Dunkerley--all examples of makers who command top prices but who don't use a stamp, even though each is known for forged blades and each is in a different category in terms of achievement/recognition within ABS. And, of course, when it comes to American makers at least, some of the highest prices are commanded by stock-removal makers with no ABS affiliation.

I don't know--ABS hasn't been around for that long, so at any given point in time we're seeing just a snapshot of an evolutionary procress. Interesting subject, though, at least to me.
 
I'd say the most cost-effective custom is a production knife you buy and then modify yourself. That doesn't cost much, and you learn from it too.
 
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