MikePierich Posted April 19, 2011 Posted April 19, 2011 for you who sell their work: If you guys wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask where you sell your knives. I love to work with my hands and am fairly creative, but as a businessman I generally stink. Do you go to shows, local gun shops, word of mouth? When I think of the time it takes to make a nice knife, it's hard to see how to make a decent wage and still find people who will pay what the work is worth. May I ask what you charge for your work? Thanks in advance. Quote
Steve Sells Posted April 19, 2011 Posted April 19, 2011 I have prices on my web site. Most of my sales have been word of mouth, as I play with history groups for over 20 years, they have gotten to know me and my work, as well as my now passed on teacher. cant make a living at it, but I do not own a lot of the power tools that I would need to make them faster. Quote
Rich Hale Posted April 19, 2011 Posted April 19, 2011 I believe youi can only sell for prices the market will beaer..thatr is of course the simple answer: Now how do yoiu put that to work? Youi have to assess the market and see wot it will pay.Again a simlistic answer. Get familiar with everything you can aboiut the knife market. Read every magaizne you can get your hands on. Got to at least one show a month and find the makers and quite frankly ask them how they decide on prices. Let them know youi are new and see if they will give up any thing in how to determine price. Prt of this is to touch and feel the work of others and make mental notes abouit how it compares to your work. If you forge blades look for work done that way, If stock removal do the same. Look at every knife, comercial and custon for fit and finish, how it looks, does the overall shape appeal you? would you pay your hard earned bucks for this work? does anyone pay for this knife? To me that means if you go to a show on early sat morning and make noes of everything you see and maybe even table locations, go back an hour before the show closes and see if the table is still full and if not wot has sold. You are seeking advice that is hard to just guess at so you have to spend the time to find answers. Check n line sits that sell custon knives and see what they have and then anything you like keep a note of it and follow for as long as it takes to see if it sells, for how much and who the maker is. If You researcch the maker is it a hall of fame maker? if so the prices will not be something you can expect for a while. Not to discouint other sites but two I look at are AG Russell, they have and on line site and a mail out catalog of knives. Get on the list for those or just check on line. Also Arizona Custom knives has an on line site and it may be of soome value to you. If yu aere making wot yoiu feel aer sellable knives now and want to test te waters call either of those sites and tell them you wold like to send them a knife and see if they will market for yoiu. They will let youi know if they want your knives now or may make suggestions of wot you may need work on. After they get a piece from you they will suggest a price they will list it at and give you the option of going with wot they say or setting your own price or shipping it back to you. Both of these places have huge clientel lists and get your work seen by many. They do not do this for free. They take a cut off the top and there is usually a delay before yoiu get any of the money after a sale. Quote
newbladesmith Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 I have gotten some flack for the way i price the things i make, but this is how i price both the blades that i make, and the chainmaille that i weave. First i factor in just how much money i will be spending on any one thing. With knife making i factor in how much fuel i will burn, how much the sand paper i use will cost me and all the other little things i need to make a nice knife. Then when i get that number figured out i usually add 20%. Then i figure out how long it'll take me. I personally charge 10$ an hour even though i have been told that that is severely undercharging. It's something that i love doing so i don't feel like charging much more than that. You figure out what you're time is worth. That's how i do it. Like i said, i may undercharge but i would be making them weather i was getting paid or not, so that little sum, plus the pleasure of seeing my work appreciated is all that i could ever want. Quote
MikePierich Posted April 29, 2011 Author Posted April 29, 2011 Thanks, Yes, that's a common way of pricing anything, whether it be art or anything else. The catch is that when you're starting out you might make as good a blade as a professional, but it might take you 3 times as long to make it. But as you say you'd be making them anyhow, and at least you can pay for materials and an occasional six pack. I doubt many people make anything by hand and earn a handsome living at it. Quote
JPH Posted April 29, 2011 Posted April 29, 2011 Hello: OK I am NOt your "average" maker..and what I am able to do..most others simply can't...I don't mean this to sopund arrogant, but due to the fact that I am in the not so envious position of being a published writer on the subject of blade smithing almost everything I make cells out rather quickly. I do one show year and that is the southern California Renaissance pleasure fair and that keeps me busy all year round filling orders, making stock and other items for sale. I have not been to a knife show in quite a few years and I am pretty much out of the loop as far as that goes. What I suggest is for you to hone your skills, improve on you need to, and make an honest knife, i.e. one that is the best quality you can make at the time as well as priced fairly and by that I mean one that isn't overpriced for what you are offering, nor is it underpriced for the quality therein. My grandfather said "don't price you milk so high that it sours in the can ". Truer words were never spoken in my opinion. If you are serious about doing this is a livelihood learn all you can about every aspect of blade making. From heat treating to grinding to handles to leather work to sharpening and everything else that goes into making a knife. You will also benefit from taking any number of small business courses at your local community college or other institute of higher learning. I wish you the best luck in this endeavor so get out there and get to it. JP Hrisoulas Quote
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