How Do You Buy Supplies?

DanF

DanF

Well-Known Member
In the past, I placed an order every quarter. This year I made a mega (for me) list and am ordering for the entire year to hopefully save on shipping costs and possible down times.
Was curious how others approached this and what works for you?
Thanks,
 
I buy a year's supply of steel and use it until it is just about gone. 6-10 pieces at 6 foot lengths. Then I re-order.

With handle material, I buy 8-10 pieces at a time. Or I trade, barter, accumulate, just about all the time.

With leather, I buy a couple of sides every year. Usually at one time to save on shipping.

Essentials like belts, sand paper, epoxy, etc, - I accumulate a list and buy it when needed. I try to save on shipping costs and order all at once. Does not always work out, unfortunately.
 
I buy stuff as I need or stock up on sales. If I don't get a quantity price break it doesn't make sense to me. I see the guys from Phoenix a couple times a year so I will get stuff from them at the shows. I go to USKMS a couple times a year so I'll just pick stuff up then. Handle material comes from my local loggers usually. Steel I either get from Tracy or Alpha who cuts everything to fit into a flat rate box so shipping is cheap.
 
I buy as I go...I try to stock up on certain things (wish i had on epoxy...I'm almost out and have three knives to finish by wed...) I do watch close outs and sales and will buy what I can afford to at the time. I guess the real question is: Is there a plan? No.
 
It seems like every time I place an order I look around my shop and realize that I forgot something. . . So, I usually place an order about every other month or so to stock up. A portion of my work is making custom pieces for interested clients. For that kind of work I don't know what I need until I work out the details of the knife with the client. So, I just roll the shipping costs into the price of the knife and go on my merry way.
 
I'm a buy as you go type guy. I run pretty thin margins between my family taking all the knife money. I order belts 150-250$ at a time, as often as I need to. When the account is good, I buy more. I use about a side of leather a year. I order steel whenever I need a specific size I'm out of, and typically order other steel at the same time. Always watching for a sale or a chance to combine shipping.
 
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