How much is to much?

Gahagan

Gahagan

Well-Known Member
I need some help on pricing a knife. I have a necker knife I have made and for me to finish it right with a quality leather sheath to match I would have to chare $100+ for the knife and sheath. Is that to much for a quality necker knife? I am torn should I just make a cheep kydex sheath that dosnt flow well with the style or go a pay for the sheath and charge more for the knife? Please let me know what you think.
 
Nobody but you can really answer those questions. EVERYBODY has problems pricing their knives. So many factors come into play, the least of which is materials and time. You also must decide how much profit margin you must have, your place in the market, and a number of other intangible aspects.
 
You had to bring up that 'place in the market' stuff, didn't you. That has got to be the hardest intangible to put into play.

I think that, ultimately, the market will tell you where your price should be. If your knives sell faster than you can make them, it might be time for a price increase. If they don't seem to sell in a 'reasonable' amount of time, you're probably asking too much.

Finding that initial starting point is the hard part.

Just my li'l ole opinion.

Carey
 
I just had to ask. I have a vison of how the knife should look and the shaeth for it. But I know as a new maker and the size of the knife I may have difficulty getting out of it what I put into it.
 
I understand your dilemna, being pretty darn new myself. At the risk of going out on a limb, I tend to think $100 is a fair base price for a handmade knife with sheath, if the quality and materials are up to par. Any less than that, and I don't see how a maker can make anything on his labor.

As long as I'm thinking out loud... I suppose a guy could crank out basic neckers with a simple grind, coarse machine finish and no scales, and a simple pancake kydex sheath and pay himself something for his time at less than $100... but as a custom knifemaker, do you want to be known for turning out the "cheapest" possible work? The good factory-made neckers (Becker Necker and Izula come to mind, both good knives) fitting that despcription seem to go for $75 or so, IIRC.

Please keep in mind I don't really know what the heck I'm talking about here, just wondering.
 
Blind Horse Knives is pretty much doing just that--small necker sized knives, basic designs and grinds, machine finish, recycled steel (some sort of concrete saw, I believe), for around $65.

Finding your "place in the market" is really good advice. It's easy to think of terms of PRICE=MATERIALS + LABOR. When it comes down to it, more realistically PRICE=MATERIALS + DESIGN + NAME RECOGNITION + LABOR.

You could have excellent fit & finish, top notch materials, but have a design so off the wall that it doesn't sell well. You could also have a design that's been over-done, that it's difficult for your knives to stand out in the field.

The thing that stands out in your post is that you already feel that a Kydex sheath wouldn't do the knife justice. Would you be happy selling the package that way? Yes, you could make a sale because your price point is lower. Do you think the customer would be just as happy with a Kydex sheath? If you're unhappy with it, and think that the package would be better with a leather sheath, do you think customer satisfaction would be greater as well?

I guess what I'm trying to say is, you could get a customer, but would you get a customer that would come back to you in the future because of how happy they were with the knife/sheath they acquired from you?
 
Last edited:
Good points there, NJStricker. By no means am I disparaging anyone who makes basic user knives and sells them at prices that compete with the factories. There's certainly a market for them, and more power to 'em if they can make a living at it!

Perhaps it depends on what sort of market you intend to address, and what kind of name recognition you hope to achieve in the future?
 
this is the knife I that is in question. I just dont see it with a kydex sheath.
KGknife1bweb.jpg
 
james terrio said:
Good points there, NJStricker. By no means am I disparaging anyone who makes basic user knives and sells them at prices that compete with the factories. There's certainly a market for them, and more power to 'em if they can make a living at it!

Perhaps it depends on what sort of market you intend to address, and what kind of name recognition you hope to achieve in the future?
Click to expand...

There are quite a few newer makers creating knives for the user crowd, and doing quite well at it.

Your last statement brings up a good point. It's not just a matter of knowing your place in the market, but knowing which market you intend to try to sell in. Basic users, high end users, art/collectors, etc.

I agree with you, Gahagan--I don't see it with Kydex either. Rather than asking "will SOMEONE be willing to pay $100 for this knife?" you should probably be asking "which market am I making this knife for?" If you are going for the user crowd, Kydex is probably fine. If going for a higher tier buyer, then leather would be a better choice.
 
I see it as more of a decorative user. Some where knives on a daily basis as part of their attire and they must look good in doing so. But this also must be practical for use as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top