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Ken Onion auction

What a coincidence, I was in Plaza Cutlery today talking with Dan about some of the recent shows and we happened to talk about Ken Onion's knives a little. He purchased 2 at Las Vegas and still had the maroon micarta one in the shop ready to be shipped. He let me check it out and I can now see why his stuff is HOT right now. Dan could have easily got more for the knife but did not. (Dan is a really good person and good to deal with)You can still check the knife out on his web site www.plazacutlery.com
 
Hi Dr. Lathe,

You are welcome. Because most of us who purchase custom knives are not into on the level that dealers are. They can easily lose site of what is necessary for dealers to bring knives to the shows and sites.

Just like it is difficult for those of us who do not make knives, how difficult it can be for the makers to put together 10-30 knives to bring to a show. Or to keep a web site updated with new knives.

All this excitement and to think today I sold my custom Onion I got at the Las Vegas Show for Ken's price.



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Les Robertson
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
 
Boy thelu that was quite the edit you did. Don't have the guts to stand behind what you originally posted. Were you uncomfortable with the response you were getting. It kind of makes my earlier post sound like I was responding to things that were never said.
I would like everyone to know that my response was to things that have since been edited out of a previous post.
Westflorida, what I posted was not in answer to your thread, but in answer to a rude and insulting post that has since been edited to look much better than it actually was.
If you do not have the conviction to stand behind what you post then don't do it in the first place. Do not take the cowards way out!
If this seems to have gotten me a little angry, it has. I must now go and cool of. As my wife likes to tell me "don't sweat the small stuff, and when you look at the big picture most things are small stuff".

Keith.
 
This happens all the time at auctions. Either people get caught up in the bidding or they just want to avoid waiting for the knife, or they have the money and don't know any better. No one says anything when auctions don't get up as high as maker's price and the seller didn't set a reserve. If someone is happy with the knife at the price they paid, that's what matters. I routinely see fixed blades by 2 South African makers(Theuns Prinsloo and Arno Bernard) sell for $150-$250 on ebay. Last Nov. I was talking to Theuns at the NY Custom show and the same knives were on his table for $90.A guy walked up, asked if he could take $75, he pulled out his calculator(figuring exchange rate), and said yes. But, if the folks buying at ebay like the knife and are happy, it doesn't matter. Don't forget, most people aren't like us, they might buy 1 or 2 knives to use for a lifetime.
Quick story which parallels Les's about dealer's costs,travel,etc. About 1985or86, at the NY show, I was about to buy my very first handmade. I had alot of productions but no customs. The knife was on Paul Basch's table and I kept looking at it, going outside to think, looking at it, going outside,etc. I was really working up a sweat. It was $175, which at the time was alot of money to me, especially with 2 small kids at home. I stopped at Bruce Voyle's table, started talking to him, and asked him if the prices for handmade's were justified. He just said, well figure out the cost of materials, cost of his shop and tools, electricity,money to advertise, and how long it takes him to make a knife, and you'll see he doesn't make very much of an hourly wage. It made sense, bought the knife , and haven't looked back.
BTW-it was a stag folder with filework by Vernon Hicks(now deceased) and I still have it.

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Dave (Phil.4:13)
I Can Do All Things Through Him Who Strengthens Me
Lifter at work: www.profitness.com/Profiles/profileDaveAbramson
 
The "usual ripoff" of 1 and 1/2 times is "a little out of line too". The dealers I know of are lucky and very lucky to get 25%. That means they goota sell a lot of knives to keep a business and their families afloat.

If my dealer is asking 1.5 times the makers price, I would back away very quickly. There are quite a few out there that will treat you better. Les, Jay and Karen, Larry, Mark and David are some of them.


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" The real art of living is to keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post in memory of James Mattis
 
Things sell for what someone is willing to pay, weather on auction or a dealers table. If a dealer can not sell an item on his table or website you will see the price come down till it sells. If the starting bid at auction is to high it will not sell.

If you do not like the price do not buy it, if you like the price, buy it.

I do not understand where the bitching comes in.
 
I see nothing wrong with the AZCK auction. I consider them one of the better places to buy custom knives. They don't "jack up" the price like some other dealers. In fact, I'm looking for the brown truck as I write this. Also, I made a bid on the Onion but got left in the dust. That's life.
 
Anybody who actually knows Jay and Karen would have a hard time slamming them.They are really good people whose business is an outgrowth of their passion for knives. I can't say for sure, but I doubt anyone had a gun held to their heads who was actually bidding.
smile.gif
BTW, I left the bidding at $675 with absolutely no hard feelings to anyone involved. The others just wanted it more than me. That's called free enterprise!
David

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AKTI# A000150
NC Custom Knifemakers Guild member
NC Knife Knuts member
 
Sammy B , If you are refering to my Mid tech Boa knife It's true I do have the parts cut out. Nothing out of the norm there. I market it as such and price it accordingly However to assume that all I do is final fit is grosely inacurate. I've merely taken the grunt work out of the project by having the parts cut out I still do everything else by hand .This allows me to focus more time and energy or the extras instead of doing the mindless task of profiling parts.

This is the first knife I have ever done this with. all previous knives have been made completely buy hand .My decision to do this comes from falling farther and farther behind and trying to satisfy some of the demand. I have been and will be completely honest about which knives are or will be made using pre cut raw parts and which ones I band saw out by hand.
And no it is not a collaboration thing either.
I take what I do very seriously and don't want to mislead anyone nor do I wish for anyone to assume anything. For me to build that knife on Ebay by hand with that carbon fiber inlay I guarantee it would have cost much more than 450.00. so I had the pockets cut via cnc. as it was much more cost effective.

As for the person that spent 1100.00 on my knife I'm flattered and honored that you would think enough of my work to spend that kind of money on it for whatever reason.

Aloha!!! Ken Onion

 
Ken,

Yes, I was referring to the Mid-Tech Boa. A very nice knife indeed. Obviously I was misinformed. As I understood it you were doing the blade and inlays with the handle and "action" being done elsewhere. I don't have a problem with it either way. I think for the money it is a fair deal. I would love to see more of your work on the market
smile.gif


The caviat is that people need to be able to easily determine a full handmade versus a Semi-Custom offering from the same maker. Like the Lile's with and without a dot for pre and anti mortem.

This is an example of the confusion that arises when there is no real clear deliniation from one to the other.

-Sam.
 
Like the Lile's, all you have to do is ask the maker, or the dealer. As Ken has demonstrated, he is completely forthcoming about the fabrication methods he uses on this knife. It's even part of the friggin' name! If you can't figure it out from there, then caveat emptor.
 
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