J
JMDesigns
Guest
Here is a knife I just finished. I went with a Bowie theme and started with a Typhoon kit. The clip point came out quite nice, and the handles have been ground to give the "octagonal" feel of a coffin handled bowie. The handle grind follows all the way around the pins for a seamless finish where it meets the blade. The latch has been ground to match the angles of the handle. Everything was hand finished to a polished satin, including the pins.
The handle inserts are a natural old-growth Hawaiian Koa with a nice curl to it. They have been finished using mineral oil (the traditional method for finishing fine Koa products) so that they can patina over time, and develop even richer bronzes and gold. The wood was found by myself in Hawaii on my honeymoon. This wood is illegal to cut down in Hawaii, and as such must be found lying on the ground, or from old stock (which is nearly impossible to find).
I have been asked in another forum what I will be pricing my knives at, so I pose this one as an example of my work. Since I have no money to get a membership on that other forum until I sell a knife or two, I will likely sell my knives here on KnifeDogs.com. As I am new to the forum I don't wish to step on any toes, so please let me know if I do.
I suspect that a fair price on this piece would be around $250. That is taking into account what it cost to make, my time, the rarity of the handle material, and the quality of the finish. As a long time fan of Bali-songs I also considered the market value of full customs vs. that of the BM line, as well as others. Being that this is a semi-custom I feel it falls somewhere in the middle.
Your opinions on my work are welcomed, as well as thoughts on my pricing. I currently have two more of these on the bench that have solid stainless handles instead of inserts, and have a nice pocket clip for EDC as well.
The handle inserts are a natural old-growth Hawaiian Koa with a nice curl to it. They have been finished using mineral oil (the traditional method for finishing fine Koa products) so that they can patina over time, and develop even richer bronzes and gold. The wood was found by myself in Hawaii on my honeymoon. This wood is illegal to cut down in Hawaii, and as such must be found lying on the ground, or from old stock (which is nearly impossible to find).
I have been asked in another forum what I will be pricing my knives at, so I pose this one as an example of my work. Since I have no money to get a membership on that other forum until I sell a knife or two, I will likely sell my knives here on KnifeDogs.com. As I am new to the forum I don't wish to step on any toes, so please let me know if I do.
I suspect that a fair price on this piece would be around $250. That is taking into account what it cost to make, my time, the rarity of the handle material, and the quality of the finish. As a long time fan of Bali-songs I also considered the market value of full customs vs. that of the BM line, as well as others. Being that this is a semi-custom I feel it falls somewhere in the middle.
Your opinions on my work are welcomed, as well as thoughts on my pricing. I currently have two more of these on the bench that have solid stainless handles instead of inserts, and have a nice pocket clip for EDC as well.
-Matt-