Crazy wood prices?

There is enough thoughtful commentary in this thread to keep it open but if it continues to just be about bashing expensive wood and premium wood suppliers that is not what we are about here and I will close it.
 
I actually thought that the division between premium grade wood and cheaper wood was delineated very well with a minimum of "heat" in this thread. Especially in where the jump from less expensive wood to premium grade wood should be for newer makers.

As with everything the price of materials continue to climb....that won't be changing soon.

I especially enjoyed the comments by J. Doyle as his thoughtful commentary both as a user and seller of high grade wood gave me plenty to think about.

As I have been all over the map philosophically on this thread...lol...I hope no one was offended by any of my exploratory rambling....
 
I've really enjoyed this thread from the sidelines. Everyone makes good points for both sides of the aisle. The one point I would add to the discussion is about some makers not understanding why people would pay much more for a premium handle than for a less flashing one. I think the answer is very simple. People don't by a custom knife just to use, they buy it to show it off. They also get personal satisfaction from looking at and handling their treasured knife. I dare say that someone who buys a knife just to use will not pay top dollar for premium materials. There are many practical people who just want to buy a well-made knife to do chores around the ranch and in the field. There's a market to serve those types of users. If that's your niche, then use the more affordable wood. But, if you want to expand your market and increase your income and number of sales, make the switch to high-end materials and the boost in revenue and sales will speak for itself.
 
This is a good thread with lots of good discussion. All too rare on forums these days. Having one go many pages without getting closed is even rarer.

Everyone has stayed pretty civil and respectful even if disagreeing.
 
You’ll never know what your price should be until you start hearing “no” once in a while. If you don’t get a little lump in your throat when you quote the price then your price is too low. The hardest thing to fight is the urge to give everyone a deal before they even have a chance to say no to the asking price.

I often struggle with that myself lol. I want/need to sell so bad that I be like, “yes I have 130$ on it but it’s all yours if you’ll gimme 115$ lol. Good posts guys. Interesting discussion.
 
I still have a long way to go but, some of the JUNK I see people selling just kills me! I cant believe they get anything for some of the garbage out there. This has gotten a little off topic but I wish I had the audacity to charge what some do!!


I totally agree! I just seen a knife that a friend of mine paid 675$ for. It did have a nice set of fossilized mammoth ivory scales (I believe that’s what he said they were). The handle was gorgeous and the blade was decent but even my being a relatively new maker, I do believe I could have done a much better job on the blade. The grind lines were pretty straight even though they were a bit softened instead of crisp, but the grit lines that were not removed from the coarser belts blew my mind based on the price tag. But hey, I guess you get whatever you can out of them. It was apparently worth 675 to my friend... That may very well confirm the point y’all are making that the handle is really what sells, to the average Joe...
 
when you say "Presentation" grade, is this grading system similar to what gun stock maker use?

I believe that is where the term came from. As far as I ever could tell, in the knife world......

exhibition, museum, master, 5A, presentation etc....all mean more or less the same thing...

Top shelf, i.e. the best of the best for that species.
 
"I still have a long way to go but, some of the JUNK I see people selling just kills me!"

but the grit lines that were not removed from the coarser belts blew my mind based on the price tag.

What if....

What if there is a natural pairing of the skill/experience level of the maker to the Perception/analysis ability of the buyer!!??

What if the price tag alone is the proof of quality/value to many buyers??

I have been on knife web sites where I am surprised that the maker is selling ANYTHING...yet pics of many SOLD knives.
 
Could be? Someone on here told me when I considered starting to sell not to be the cheapest! I'm not, but I am still not actively seeking clients either. I like all kinds of knives and styles, they do have to appeal to me though. I just see makers putting out very rough knives, bad forging, lousy grind lines large gaps in handle material etc... and asking (and getting) big bucks for them! Things I wouldn't consider selling or putting my name on.
 
Could be? Someone on here told me when I considered starting to sell not to be the cheapest! I'm not, but I am still not actively seeking clients either. I like all kinds of knives and styles, they do have to appeal to me though. I just see makers putting out very rough knives, bad forging, lousy grind lines large gaps in handle material etc... and asking (and getting) big bucks for them! Things I wouldn't consider selling or putting my name on.
And with that desire to only sell your best you should ask a fair price for your knives.
 
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