how do YOU explain to someone that a knife is worth a couple hundred dollars

J S Machine

J S Machine

Well-Known Member
I have run across this predicament many times now over the years, and I am looking for advice on how to explain.

Many people ask me what I will charge for a knife. To the average person who is not a collector or enthusiast, $20 for a knife at wal-mart is rediculous. The response of $100+ is unheard of, let alone a couple hundred..

Some people understand; but many never do, and simply walk off looking at me like I am some sort of whacko..

I'd really like to be able to explain this in a way to people to make them understand that it really is worth that much.

What are your experiences, and how do you explain it?
 
Some people want the best.

I tell 'em this, a $1000 used Yugo will more or less get you back and forth to work, yet Ferrari sells $200,000 sports cars as fast as they can make them.

Then again there are lots of guys with $5000 custom rifles and $30,000 fishing boats who clean their kill with a $2 Ginsu knife :34:
 
You just tell them: If you don't buy it NOW somebody else will buy it tomorrow ;)

If you're talking about a hand crafted knife that you made just explain what the cost of material was and the quantity of hours you spent working on it at a basic hourly rate. Most people will understand it. If they don't let them go buy a $2.00 knife and hate themselves forever.
 
There is no simple or quick way to explain it to someone....beyond telling them that it's completely handmade/custom. For years while I was on my way up, doing the small gun/knife shows, I would always be asked...."Where do you buy your blades?" "Where do you buy the guards?" "Where do you buy the handles?" Or the every popular...."Who chrome plates your blades for you?" For a long time I tried to explain the process to people, but it always ended with the "deer in the headlights" look, and no sale. I hate to say it, but the kind of folks you mentioned, are the type that I would rather not have own one of my knives...because I know they will not take care of it, and I will very likely see it again, when they do something dumb to it, or with it.
 
For those who could appreciate a custom knife, you have to relate it to something they understand. I always ask guys what hobbies they have. If they are hunters, I ask them what kind of rifle they shoot. Most will say Remington, Winchester, or Savage, etc. Then ask them if they'd rather have a no name "made in China" scope or a Leupold. I've foun d that to truly explain it on a level to where the "unknowing will understand, you have to find a way to relate it to something they understand.
 
I'm new to knifemaking, haven't sold a knife yet, probably won't for a little while anyway, but just 2 days ago I was asked how much it costs me to make a knife, by a guy who was looking $300-400 knives at a show. I don't have nearly the tools, or a tenth of the skill of y'all, but I answered him like this (and he's in construction so he understood):
- There is fixed materials cost for the steel, pins, tubes, bolsters, handle, and sheath parts. This is the stuff the buyer can touch.
- There is a variable consumables cost for epoxy, sandpaper, belts, bits, cutting discs, blades, etchant, foil, quenchant ... and so forth.
- There is a capital outlay recovery cost for all the tools. Better tools produce more consistent quality (usually) which increases cost.
- There is a small administrative load to advertise, sell, warehouse, design, ship, etc.
- And there's a labor cost in manhours spent. The higher the skill of the labor, the more valuable the time = higher cost. This is the stuff the buyer can see.
 
Good stuff yall, thanks.

I have just been having alot of trouble with this. Not that I care what anybody thinks necessarily, I just wish there was a way to put it to people where I could eliminate all possibility of looking like a fool when I tell them a price.

I think maybe a better understanding on my part of the kind of people who actually use these knives will help. Do people who buy the knives that we make here actually use them? Does it depend on the kind of knife it is (I would think so)? Seems to me that outdoors type fixed blade knives would be the most widely used in the field. I don't know that people would actually use knives that approach art quality. It seems that many high end folders are of art quality more than anything else. Like the one I just made..

Most of the people I know who carry a knife use it for everything in the world such as cutting packages open, cutting tasks of every kind - from cutting string to rope to rubber hose to wire...and then a few of those people think their knives are tools and such, like using the tip of the blade as a screwdriver..I guess what I am trying to describe is that most people just don't see the purpose of a handmade knife. They think it is foolish to pay what we ask for our knives when they can go to any store and buy one for less than $20 that they can use for a long time; and I think a lot of it may be that they don't have to worry so much about it because they don't have alot invested in it if it breaks.

It just makes me think about the knife I just made. A damascus blade with mammoth tooth handle scales. Durability does not belong in the same universe with that combo. if it is dropped the scales will likely break. Therefore, it is not a good candidate for everyday carry in my opinion. Also, the damascus blade is hard to keep looking good on a user knife, and will require maintenace and touch up to keep looking good if the knife is a user. And then there is the element of rust. I have a damascus blade on a knife that I carried for over a year, and the rust issue was just a pain. Something stainless would be better for EDC.

So the thing is, you sell a knife for that kind of price that is basically an art knife, and you hope that the buyer will put it in a drawer or display case somewhere and recognioze that is is what it is because of its materials and how it was made, I guess..
 
You can buy a reasonable linerlock at Walmart for a dollar. The more expensive ones might cost up to $50. They all cut.

To sell a knife for hundreds or thousands you need marketing skills. It does not hurt to have a unique design and a style that is your own.

ernie
 
This is a cool topic and something I think we all have struggled with at some time.. I think I finally figured out what works for me..

The way I explain a value of my knives is through honest communication and education.. I take the time to explain some of the process and tools used to make the knife. Also touch on heat treating processes. etc.
Most of the materials speak for themselves.. (to us knife makers) But I will always try and explaine things like 12,000 year old fossil handles dug up in the arctic north. or amazing and beautiful woods from across the globe. Extremely rare ivorys or one of a kind inlays or engraving etc..etc..
If a damascus blade is involved (which most my knives are) I may explain the process of forging the steel. Telling them how the blade is a one of a kind creation sorta like a fingerprint. That no two are ever exactly alike etc.. Things like this sort of allows the person to hear the hammer blows and see the sparks flying and get excited as you are about the knife.. As well as understand the value.
:9:
Im sry to ramble on and on here, but I also feel its VERY important to take the time and explain the materials and blade design. (strengths and weaknesses) and the proper way to care for them.. An informed Knife user normally will take very good care of there knife if given the right info..

And finally, there is always gona be the people that just dont get it and probably never will. :) And thats OK..
Thankfully,Most folks I speak with "get it" and some are even willing to fork out some of there hard earned cash to buy a custom creation. :D and for that Im truly thankful! and count myself blessed.
I hope this helps..

Its a knife life!
Randy
 
I don't really have a problem with a custom knife costing 200, 300, or 500 dollars or more. Heck, anymore, you can find "production" pieces for those prices (although I may not necessarilly always agree with their price points).

The thing I sometimes struggle with is what makes one maker's stock removal 1095 hunter with micarta handles worth $300 where another maker prices a nearly identical blade at $200 or even less.

I guess it goes back to marketing... ;)
 
The thing I sometimes struggle with is what makes one maker's stock removal 1095 hunter with micarta handles worth $300 where another maker prices a nearly identical blade at $200 or even less.
Click to expand...

I can identify with that question/feeling. One aspect that is ever present with custom knives, is the personal aspect that goes along with a "custom" knife. To a finer point, the name and reputation of the maker. While it is an intangible, in that you can't see, taste, touch, or smell it, it's the aspect that makes one knife of given materials/design more valuable than another similar knife from another maker.
This is why I feel it's of the utmost importance that when an individual begins to sell his/her knives, that ANYTHING that leaves the shop MUST be the absolute best it can be. As I often tell students, an individual can spend 20 years building a good reputation in the knife world, and IF one substandard piece is allowed to leave the shop, it can destroy that reputation.

I have seen many instances of this happen, throughout my career in knifemaking. I've seen makers who rose to prominence, only to then "rest on their laurels", sending out knives that were less than their best work, who then quickly faded out of the knife scene.
I can remember thinking when I got home after testing for, and achieving my Mastersmith rating..."I can take it easy now....I made it!"
That lasted about two days, then I realized that I had set a standard, not only for myself, but in the eyes of knife buyers, and that any knife that left my shop from that point on had to meet or exceed that standard of quality.

Another example: I once had an individual approach me at a major Knife Show. This was a fairly new maker, who's rich father has set him up a "knife shop" as a college graduation present....complete with all the latest CNC equipment.
He made hunters similar in design to mine, and I was selling mine at the time in the $400-$700 range....he was ticked off because he was asking the same for his, and nobody would buy them. There were two reasons he could not sell his knives for the same prices as I could....

1. He was an relatively unknown maker, who had not established any kind of reputation within the knife world.

2. Although his knives had great fit and finish, they looked "machine made", with none of the intrinsic value that "hands on time" and attention to those details imparts to a knife.

As far as I know, the individual is no longer a knifemaker. I can only surmise that his emphasis was on the money first, and not the overall quality/appeal of his knives to the buying public. He was not willing to invest the time or effort required to cultivate a name or reputation within the knife world. Philosophies on this aspect are as varied as knifemakers, but my philosophy is simple.... "I would rather explain price, than apologize for Quality".
 
I think we should also consider we are consumers as well. Ask yourself why you bought the computer that you did, or your car / truck, why did you buy that shirt, why did you buy that sofa? You get the idea. What considerations did you make before you purchased those items? The price point is irrelevant in my opinion. Some people drive mercedes and others drive a kia, some buy HP computers other buy Dell, some folks wear $175 pairs of shoes others flip flops. What if the Dell and HP are the same price? What do you base your decisions on?

IMO.....The key is to educate folks on the value of the item you are selling. Why is it better than X? Why will it last longer than Y? Why is considered one of kind, that's handmade? What makes the materials it's constructed of more valuable than a production version?

We live in a disposable society that doesnt value product longevity, we just go out and buy a new one. So there's huge value in a product that with stands the test of time and can be handed down. That concept is quickly slipping away......... I wanna make it, buy it and build it ONCE.........if I can. I am willing to spend the money to get quality that will last. Lots of other people out there share that belief. The problem is that most folks can't look at a custom blade and understand it's value without some hand holding from the maker. The only thing they generally have to rely on is "your advertising". What you tell them, whether it be in person or on your website, or through stuff they hear from other buyers. People really honestly don't know a good one from a bad one, until you explain it. Trick is explaining it in terms that they quickly understand before their eyes glaze over. I deal with the same thing working in IT. Analogies that arent too technical work well to make your point, and you will quickly find out where their interests lie based on the kind of questions they are asking.

Lots off shoots to this topic as well. If I go to your website and theres a bunch of red x's where the images are suppose to be and the last date it was updated says 2006, then that leaves me with an impression as a consumer. They say on average people are only willing to wait about 7 seconds for a page to load on the screen and then they move onto something else that loads quicker. Large images take a long time to load, several large images take even longer to load. Anyways lots of things to think about, great topic. Larry
 
no need to justify

:35:
HHH Knives said:
This is a cool topic and something I think we all have struggled with at some time.. I think I finally figured out what works for me..

The way I explain a value of my knives is through honest communication and education.. I take the time to explain some of the process and tools used to make the knife. Also touch on heat treating processes. etc.
Most of the materials speak for themselves.. (to us knife makers) But I will always try and explaine things like 12,000 year old fossil handles dug up in the arctic north. or amazing and beautiful woods from across the globe. Extremely rare ivorys or one of a kind inlays or engraving etc..etc..
If a damascus blade is involved (which most my knives are) I may explain the process of forging the steel. Telling them how the blade is a one of a kind creation sorta like a fingerprint. That no two are ever exactly alike etc.. Things like this sort of allows the person to hear the hammer blows and see the sparks flying and get excited as you are about the knife.. As well as understand the value.
:9:
Im sry to ramble on and on here, but I also feel its VERY important to take the time and explain the materials and blade design. (strengths and weaknesses) and the proper way to care for them.. An informed Knife user normally will take very good care of there knife if given the right info..

And finally, there is always gona be the people that just dont get it and probably never will. :) And thats OK..
Thankfully,Most folks I speak with "get it" and some are even willing to fork out some of there hard earned cash to buy a custom creation. :D and for that Im truly thankful! and count myself blessed.
I hope this helps..

Its a knife life! i love your sig randy .if you have to justify your price to someone,its like charlie brown from there on.its the same reason why in every thing we have choices.there are kIA LOTS AND MERCEDES LOTS.THERE IS RUGER , AND THERE IS SIG SAUER. no offense to those with rugers.Randy
Click to expand...
 
I'm not naming names, but I've seen some $300+ factory knives with fit, finish and edges most 'Dogs would laugh at. Not to mention mediocre materials and balance like a brick. Yet they sell like hotcakes and command a handsome profit in the secondary market. Your guess is as good as mine.
 
Many people ask me what I will charge for a knife. To the average person who is not a collector or enthusiast, $20 for a knife at wal-mart is rediculous. The response of $100+ is unheard of, let alone a couple hundred..
Click to expand...

I don't feed trolls, you can see them coming down the isle. Most are looking for attention and should not be there. At the local muzzle loader show I always put out one simple skinner with an outrageous price, say $2500.00 for a small antler tipped skinner. When asked why it is so expensive I say "I made it". The look on their face tells me if it is worth the time to explain the difference between the wal-mart and mine. The trolls get a disgusted look and wonder off to bother someone else.
Sometime during the day there will be a dad explaining things to his son and I'll give him that skinner with the promise to send me a pic of his first kill. I have 8 pics so far and two of those kids now make knives.
BUT, if I had to depend on the income of my creations my attitude would probably be a little more appealing.....Randy
 
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Church & Son said:
I don't feed trolls, you can see them coming down the isle. Most are looking for attention and should not be there. At the local muzzle loader show I always put out one simple skinner with an outrageous price, say $2500.00 for a small antler tipped skinner. When asked why it is so expensive I say "I made it". The look on their face tells me if it is worth the time to explain the difference between the wal-mart and mine. The trolls get a disgusted look and wonder off to bother someone else.
Sometime during the day there will be a dad explaining things to his son and I'll give him that skinner with the promise to send me a pic of his first kill. I have 8 pics so far and two of those kids now make knives.
BUT, if I had to depend on the income of my creations my attitude would probably be a little more appealing.....Randy
Click to expand...

Randy, great story about giving the knives away as a "first custom" knife to young guys. If you ever get a chance, post a couple of those pics if you can.
 
Randy, Tracy's right that's a great story and you know we'd love to see those pics. If I ever start doing shows I think I'm going to steal your idea. ;)
 
People buy things to suit a need, or to suit a taste, or to suit both at the same time. The things that people are passionate about, or that bring enjoyment to their lives, they tend to spend more money on than would strictly be necessary, when they have the money to spend. This is the American dream, who in this country pretends to not understand this? Do they drive a 1984 Yugo?
 
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