General observation

A bit of a hot take there, don't you think?

I wouldn't worry about who makes up the community. Maybe you should spend a bit of time here interacting with people and you'll see if it's your scene or not. I'd bet you can find places here that you'd like to be a part of.

As for why knives get more expensive, I'm not sure that's a fair statement. A given amount of money today, adjusting for inflation, buys you a lot more now then it did a long time ago, speaking generally. Entry level knives today are great, and if you have the cash and love knives, there are makers around that will blow your mind with what incredible stuff they can offer you. It's a good time to be a knife enthusiast.
 
Crow.Named.Mr.Bluejay said:
I am a newbie and have a ton of questions...

Introduction:

I am 30 years old, Atlanta native, tattoo artist.

I own a good number of pocket & hunting knives. Most are Case & Buck knives from the 80s-90s that my grandfather would give me every birthday. (My EDC, for the past 20ish years has been a Buck 110, circa 1974-1980 according to https://www.buckknives.com/about-knives/how-old/.)
I received his collection postmortem, which peaked my interest in continuing his collection of hand forged/crafted blades.

That said, researching the craft of smithing and building, I have noticed that knife collecting is extremely pricey.
Has it always been this way or has this, due to yuppie hipsters, ....
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Welcome.

Calling ones' self a "tattoo artist" is pretty "hipster."

1) There has not been a tremendous escalation in knife prices, except possible in the world of sprint runs and limited editions. That is driven by knife fans....no one else. Not trust fund babies, old money, or people with excess cash to spend on tattoos.
2) You want a new knife? Buy a new Buck 110 and get a Spyderco Delica for a feel for something more recent. Then read here and browse the sites of our supporting retailers.

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/paid-dealer-members-list-updated-10-21-2018.1089879/

If you want something handmade...

https://www.bladeforums.com/categories/hosted-knifemakers-forums.807/

3) Then buy what looks cool to you. Not rocket science.
 
kniferbro said:
I don't think you'd categorize the tattoo industry that way yet the prices artists charge are ridiculous. You're just not that deep into the hobby, just like I'm not that deep into tattoos.
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I definitely understand the perception of the pricing when it comes to the tattoo industry.

Majority of people don’t know that we are private contractors and only receive, on average, 40-50% of what we charge for any piece that we produce. The other 50-60% goes to the shop owner (for rent, general shop supplies, etc.).
From the % that we do garnish, even more of it goes back into replenishing the materials used, thus reducing our cut further.

Example;
+I charge someone $120 for a tattoo that is the size of a softball and it takes me 1.5-2 hours + draw time (varies but for this ex. we will say 30 minutes) & set up/breakdown (20ish minutes) complete this piece.
~I garnish $60.

+I then factor the amount of money of the supplies used to produce the piece... used 2-3 needle groupings at roughly $1.25 each, used 2-3 tubes (disposable for sanitary & time saving purpose) at roughly the same price of the needles, inks that are on average $12 per 1oz. bottle, transfer paper for stencil $1 per sheet used, & various other things (paper towels, prep razors, machine bags, clip cord sleeves, green soap/dettol, ink caps, petroleum jelly, etc).
~Around $10 gets put aside for future supply orders.

So for that 3 hours of work, my net was $50. Factor what I have to put aside for taxes, and I only made what the manager of a McDonald’s would make in that amount of time.

That tattoo, if done properly (not by the kitchen magician, Billy Bob in his dirty trailer), will last a lifetime.

I love my work, so I don’t mind working for barebone minimum, haha.
________
That being said, I definitely get the cost of supplies and the time that goes into the craft, and greatly appreciate it. That is the other thing that caught my attention.

What I don’t understand is the markup, when in most cases that I have read/seen, is so large.
Generally it seems that the used forge is owned privately by the smith/crafter, which eliminates an overhead that receives a percentage of the net earnings.

They are very similar in a lot of rights, especially when you look at machine building in the tattoo industry. Cost of tools for the trade, time invested, artistry, pride in craft, etc.

But unless the blade is 100% hand made without the use of power tools, I believe that the cost is reaching on a large amount of blades that I have seen posted.

No disrespect to anyone that marks up. I get it. Gotta eat. :p
 
Hackenslash said:
There's an element of "fad collecting" in the knife hobby, but it's far from a controlling factor on price. The elements who are buying knives as a fashion accessory are present but far from a majority.


I think the upward pressure on pricing comes from a lot of different factors, depending on the knife in question.

For North American and European based manufacturers of production knives, I think the greatest price escalator is labor cost. It takes skilled labor to turn out a quality knife and those folks cost more $ every year. As Chinese knife makers are faced with paying higher wages and providing better working conditions, we've seen the prices of those knives rise also.

The materials themselves don't affect the end cost of a knife as much as you might think. A knife in premium steel may command twice the asking price as one made with a common steel (say...M390 vs. VG10) but the raw cost of the superior steel isn't twice that of the common one.

There's also been a recent rush in innovation and design. Talented designers don't come cheap and deserve to be well compensated. At the end of the day, one can still score a knife that's a decent functional tool for not much more in adjusted dollars than one would cost in the 70's. It's the rapid growth in knives that offer more than basic functionality that's caused the increase in price.

If you're looking for a simple, functional Stockman, one can find a Rough Rider for the same price as a Case cost when your grandfather bought his knives. The Rough Rider is probably made just as well too.

It's the knives that offer premium performance, style and materials that represent the greatest inflation in price. Those knives weren't necessarily around 40 years ago...at least not in the numbers that they exist now.

I haven't been around here as long as many, but I'm not aware of any trust fund babies or bored old money here at Blade Forums. There are, however, a bunch of co-dependents and enablers.


That's an entirely different question and mostly dependent on which particular knife you're considering.

Good luck and welcome to Blade Forums. Knives are an expensive hobby...but not as bad as sports cars, ex-wives or wristwatches.
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Extremely helpful. Thank you so much for your time and information.
 
Yes...there a LOT of expensive knives out there..but right now is an incredible time to be into knives, at least folding knives. For $50 you can get a LOT in a knife that you could not get one year ago. There are tons of knives out there and the sky is the limit in price...but there are some really talented makers and super quality pieces available in all price ranges. The competition is fierce because of the knife explosion!!! So in any price bracket it it a GREAT time to be a buyer in my experience. ...as long as it is FUN...and you spend within your limits....its all good!!!!
 
marcinek said:
Welcome.

Calling ones' self a "tattoo artist" is pretty "hipster."

1) There has not been a tremendous escalation in knife prices, except possible in the world of sprint runs and limited editions. That is driven by knife fans....no one else. Not trust fund babies, old money, or people with excess cash to spend on tattoos.
2) You want a new knife? Buy a new Buck 110 and get a Spyderco Delica for a feel for something more recent. Then read here and browse the sites of our supporting retailers.

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/paid-dealer-members-list-updated-10-21-2018.1089879/

If you want something handmade...

https://www.bladeforums.com/categories/hosted-knifemakers-forums.807/

3) Then buy what looks cool to you. Not rocket science.
Click to expand...

It is hipster to introduce myself and include my occupation??

That there be some cracklogic.
 
Knife forums have upped ante . Prior to them you could collect knives at a modest price in ignorance of all the expensive stuff out there. Now it is in your face all the time and it creates a desire to own that cool expensive stuff, but with restraint you can still choose your level of enjoyment.
 
Hackenslash said:
A knife in premium steel may command twice the asking price as one made with a common steel (say...M390 vs. VG10) but the raw cost of the superior steel isn't twice that of the common one.
Click to expand...
The "supersteel tax" contains a large fantasy component, but, to be fair, the additional tool wear and abrasives expenditure are real cost centers, especially if you want a good finish.

Personally I would rather spend less and have N690.
 
James Y said:
I own, carry and use knives of different price ranges. My two most consistently-carried and used knives, both of which I carry every day, cost me around $35 and $25 each (Victorinox Executive and Soartan SAKs). Yes, I also own some expensive knives (some CRKs, Spydercos, etc.). I'm FAR from a trust-fund kid; I work hard for my money, and spend it very carefully, especially the older I get (I'm 55 now).

Consider this: Many people who claim to have 'little spare money' spend considerable amounts on Starbucks, beer, fast food, etc., etc., etc. It's not uncommon for many people to spend $150 and over for a single night out on the town. These things all add up. There are so-called "poor" kids in economically-depressed neighborhoods who are somehow wearing $300 to $400 basketball shoes. If someone really wants something and they deem it important enough for them, they will find a way if they really want it.

If/when I decide I really want a new knife, I set aside a special 'knife fund' for it and let it slowly accumulate. Depending on the knife's cost, I often find myself not buying it at all, because by the time the fund builds up, I no longer really want it. But that money was kept from being spent on other non-essentials like beer, coffee, restaurants, the casino, etc., none of which I spend money on, anyway. It's a result of a sacrifice, not unlimited funds. And if I never bought another knife ever again I'd be fine with it, as I am enjoying the knives I already have just fine right now.

Jim
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I completely understand that. I am extremely minimal when in comes to things that I don’t need to sustain or for work. For me, I guess that comes from being raised in a lower class setting and only ever having the necessary items to live. That is also a large reason that I was originally cringing over some of the prices I have seen, haha.

I unfortunately see exactly the things that you mentioned almost daily.

I didn’t mean to sound like everyone is one or the other. In fact, so far, everyone has been exceptionally informative and polite. I appreciate it very much.
 
marrenmiller said:
It's a good time to be a knife enthusiast.
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It's the best time to be a knife enthusiast, full stop. There are more knives, in more styles, made from more materials, by more makers, available to more people, at all price points, than ever before. Furthermore, there's more information about all of these knives and bigger communities to celebrate them than ever before. It's the absolute Golden Age of knife enthusiasm.

Too bad some people can't see that past the end of their nose.
 
Crow.Named.Mr.Bluejay said:
I am a newbie and have a ton of questions...

Introduction:

I am 30 years old, Atlanta native, tattoo artist.

I own a good number of pocket & hunting knives. Most are Case & Buck knives from the 80s-90s that my grandfather would give me every birthday. (My EDC, for the past 20ish years has been a Buck 110, circa 1974-1980 according to https://www.buckknives.com/about-knives/how-old/.)
I received his collection postmortem, which peaked my interest in continuing his collection of hand forged/crafted blades.

That said, researching the craft of smithing and building, I have noticed that knife collecting is extremely pricey.
Has it always been this way or has this, due to yuppie hipsters, gone down the same path of vinyl & thrifts?
My grandfather was a lower class farmer and never had the kind of money that it takes to purchase some of the knives that I see.

I know that prices are going to increase over time, metal quality, and that you are paying for an artistry. However, it still leaves me with the question of why such a tremendous escalation?

If this community is in fact trust fund babies and bored old money, it is unfortunately not my scene.

Any and all helpful information is greatly appreciated and no malice was intended towards anyone in this post.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Jay
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I think that as long as blades have been around there have always been expensive blades that would cost a lot to collect.

Actually there are so many good budget options today that never existed before.
 
SpySmasher said:
In all honesty, a lower-class tattoo "artist" like yourself is probably not going to enjoy this scene.

Leave knives to old-money, trust-fund, yuppie hipsters like myself.
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Well, if that weren’t satiric, you just made me want to further involve myself.

Pissing off entitled, snarky shitheads is my favorite past time. It doesn’t cost a thing and is easily obtainable.

Not lower-class at this point in my life, but I know my roots and fought like hell to come up. So, there is that. Want to be a dick? Do it elsewhere. I am trying to educate myself and have a few decent conversations along the way.
 
Lapedog said:
I think that as long as blades have been around there have always been expensive blades that would cost a lot to collect.

Actually there are so many good budget options today that never existed before.
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Thank you.

I am definitely starting to find more that I am linking through the forums and looking up the things that others have mentioned. I was preemptive in my post.

So much to read and see.
 
Crow.Named.Mr.Bluejay said:
Well, if that weren’t satiric, you just made me want to further involve myself.

Pissing off entitled, snarky shitheads is my favorite past time. It doesn’t cost a thing and is easily obtainable.

Not lower-class at this point in my life, but I know my roots and fought like hell to come up. So, there is that. Want to be a dick? Do it elsewhere. I am trying to educate myself and have a few decent conversations along the way.
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This is not the forum for being confrontational.

There are many members here with very modest incomes.
 
SpySmasher said:
It's the best time to be a knife enthusiast, full stop. There are more knives, in more styles, made from more materials, by more makers, available to more people, at all price points, than ever before. Furthermore, there's more information about all of these knives and bigger communities to celebrate them than ever before. It's the absolute Golden Age of knife enthusiasm.

Too bad some people can't see that past the end of their nose.
Click to expand...
Completely agreed
 
Crow.Named.Mr.Bluejay said:
Well, if that weren’t satiric, you just made me want to further involve myself.

Pissing off entitled, snarky shitheads is my favorite past time. It doesn’t cost a thing and is easily obtainable.

Not lower-class at this point in my life, but I know my roots and fought like hell to come up. So, there is that. Want to be a dick? Do it elsewhere. I am trying to educate myself and have a few decent conversations along the way.
Click to expand...

I’m sorry but you sound like a prototypical millennial, Remember if you were born between 1/1/1983and 1/1/2003 you’re a millennial.
 
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