Question for the most knowledgeable

Hi guys, I've been lurking around here several weeks sucking up all this free info. And first I'd like to say thanks. These posts have helped me streamline my knife building and saved me an unmeasurable amount of time. I never knew when I quit gunsmithing to make these simple things with a blade and handle that I would have to learn so much. Seems they are as complicated as any of the guns I've work with.
Anyway. I have a regular and economy line that I work with. The economy line I get most of the steel (A2) for free, already tempered and ready to go. So I'm able to offer them at a good price. ($ 60.00 to 80.00) My problem is my orders for the economy line are keeping me from working on and improving my standard line. ( about 40 in the past month, these 14 hour days are not feeling much like a part-time job). So my question is, am I crying about good fortune. I really want to make the higher end knives. I hate being limited by the materials of my economy line. I thought about just producing a certian number of economy knives each month, but my customers like the option of chosing their handle materials and blade styles. Do you paragons of wisdom have any helpful hints on how I might find a happy medium.

Steve Shiffer
Double S Custom

1) -Raise your prices if you are accepting orders for custom handle materials. That will cut down some of your workload

2) -Decide what you want from your knifemaking. If you want to do artistic experimentation and exploration, you just have to make time for it and recognize that you won't be able to handle the volume of economy blades that you are currently making.

I wish I had that problem.Dave

Thanks Don,
I guess I needed someone to tell me that. i just don't want to price myself out of business. But I do want to explore my limits more than I have been.

Dave, thats why I worded it that way. I didn't want to sound like I was crying about being busy and making money. I've just not been able to make the knives I want.

Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures for your critique soon. Another aspect that wasn't that critical with gunsmithing.

Thanks for the help guys!!!!!!!!!!

Steve
Double S Custom

Steve, I am not one of the most anything, when it comes to knives. I have found though, I enjoy the knifemaking more when I am making what I want to make and in my own time frame. My friends and clients tell me they can tell the difference in the quality of my blades, when I am creating and taking my own sweet time. I truly beleive that being happy in your work makes you a better craftsman.
KEN (WWJD)

Steve,
Don is right on the money! There are several different levels of knife buyers out there, it is up to each maker to decided where they want to be in the market. Some key market price ranges to be aware of are.......
up to $350...............about 90% will buy to this price
up to $500...............about 50% will buy to this price
up to $750...............about 25% will buy to this price
$750-$1,500...........about 5%
$,1500-$2000..........about 2%
$2000 and up...........Less than 1% of the buyers.

These are all generalizations, but for the most part it has held true over the past 10-12 years. Obivously, what every maker wants is to sell fewer knives, for more money.
I personally look at it as........... Do I want to work myself to death and sell a ton on $125 knives every year? Or would I rather spend that time to sell a few $1000+ knives?
It is a very common for makers to get caught up in the "Volume" game. We think we are doing great because we have a lot of orders, but often times do not look at the fact that all those orders are for "low end" knives. But sooner or later, the interest in those low end knives will dwindle, and we find ourselves in a spot where we have not taken the time and effort to "go to the next level", and wonder what went wrong.
There is another matter of reputation too. The knife market is fickle. If all a maker does is produce low end pieces, then he/she will gain the reputation as such, and will not be taken seriously by the main stream market. It's a lot of hard work, but a maker must always seek improvement, try new things, and show that he/she is moving "upward" with each successive knife.

I will echo Don's words............raise prices bit by bit, until you are comfortable with the level of orders for a given knife. The public will let you know when the price is high enough.
Unlike other things, knife prices/values are not only influenced by the type/quality of the knife, but also a great deal by the maker, and his/her reputation in the knife world. So guard your reputation well! Letting anything that is less than the best you can do, go out of your shop today, will affect you many years down the road.

Ed you really read my mind. I've been killing myself this past month or six weeks keeping up with demand, and it has taken all the enjoyment out of making the knives. I've come to hate the walk across the yard to the shop. I've ben worried about getting a rep. as a lowend knifemake or getting stuck in a certin market. I've also not noticed any progression in my work, just repetition. And as Ken said my work just isn't reflecting that spirit that a knife you put your all into does.
So thank you much for helping me work this out mentaly. And helping me realize I'm not screwing up but improving by decreasing the number of economy knives I put out.
My boys also thank you. It seems I'm not taking orders for those knives now, so they just inherited a large quantity of blade steel. They are extatic. If they keep learning as fast as they are, they'll be teaching me in a couple of months.

Steve
Double S Custom

I agree with everything said here, but I thought I'd throw a twist in.
You Neo-Tribal guys ought to love this one.
Weather you use files or cable or 3V, ect...
quality keeps em coming back.

A friend of mine, a few years ago, asked me why I didn't do any really fancy filework on my knives.
I told him when I got a customer that wanted to pay for it, I would.
He asked me, How are they gonna know you can do it?
He said, I know, and you know, but they can't know untill you show them what you can do.
To make a long story short, I started getting pretty fancy w/ filework. BOY! Did sales improve.
The better the filework, the more I got.

Fancy materials doesn't mean the knife is any better, nor does fancy adornment.

I am a fulltime maker.
I suggest you use what is available to fill orders, but always keep a few in work to really show off.

I have knives in just about any price range, yet I don't focus on any. When I make a batch of folders, I price them accordingly and start the next batch which may be miniatures made into earings, followed by some hunters, skinners, ect...
You have to make what sells, but you NEED to make a few you "just wanted to". Price them accordingly too, or they will be gone too fast.

Everything we do takes practice.
All I'm saying is practice on what ever is cheep for you.
Mistakes on expensive stuff makes you mad, and that doesn't help anyone.

If I had ground a few blades with the cheep stuff, then and only then is it time to buy the $$$$$$$

You will know when it is time.
I wouldn't give up on "old reliable" either.

Thanks Gene,

I'm taking a break. I'm going to do as you suggest and still make my economy knives, but I'm going to limit their production. I started making knives to relax and explore my artistic side more than I was able to do gunsmithing. When I sold my first few knives I thought WOW this is great people really like my work. Then as the orders started really coming in I did like Ed said and got caught up in the volume game. I lost my focus and with it lost the enjoyment. Being a paramedic pays the bills and buys grinder belts, so I'm taking a step back, gonna' make some christmas presents for the family and regain my focus.
Thanks for the advice. It has really helped me regain my sanity. My wife says thanks also, she now gets to see me some.

Steve
DoubleSCustom

Don't ever get so wrapped up that you miss the important stuff in life, your wife is one of those important things.
This stuff can be habitual,too.