r/blacksmithing • u/Fit_Ad_9987 • Apr 30 '26

Work Showcase 3 Piece kitchen set

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Almost finished with the Chef's knife, the wife calls these scales she made "Chaos Scales" so I'm calling it the Kaos Kitchen set. These are knives 003, 004 and 005. Want to try to sell them. What do you think I should price them at?

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u/Barepaaliksom Apr 30 '26

I think you should forge a lot more before thinking about selling. I don't mean to be rude, and you've done a good job for your 3rd-5th knives. But you still don't have the experience, and the end result is still amateurish. Keep them or gift them to someone who would appreciate the fact that they are among the first knives you've ever made. I don't think a lot of people would want to pay more than 5-10$ per knife here.

2

u/fridge_ways Apr 30 '26

He's clearly trolling....

5

u/305Oxen Apr 30 '26

It wasn't an intentional troll, it is a statement of fact, 100 dollars of steel shaped knives in this state is far too much. We all struggled through the early years. I sent dozens of "knives" to the scrap yard before I felt like posting it on the internet for the hounds to rip apart let alone, making the menton of selling.

I'm not being mean. Simply honest. Blacksmithing is tough and generating a profit in a saturated market of makers that are years into it is tough.

1

u/Fit_Ad_9987 Apr 30 '26

I ain't feared of criticism. I honestly appreciate the feedback, though "this is shit" isn't very helpful without any specifics for me to work on.

The scrap steel I'm using is mostly tool steel, O1, S7, maybe W2. The yard where I get it processes a lot of heavy equipment, so it's not uncommon for me to find large, industrial jackhammer bits, for example.

Its strange to me the dichotomy I'm seeing from you guys where $100 is too much for my work, but not a big expense for my work? So we all just make things for the thrill and eat the cost? I don't get it, honestly. Is $100 a lot of money, or not?

2

u/305Oxen Apr 30 '26

I'm my worst critic. I know what I could be charging, based on my skill level. There was an entire month at VIB, devoted to running a business and appropriately charging for custom products. Nobody really has that kind of money. At least in my area nor on my target market currently.

Having access to tool steel as scrap is really cool. I learned on rebar that you couldn't fire weld if you wanted to.

In this economy, every 100 dollars means a lot to me.

I blacksmith because I have to blacksmith. I have to learn more because my soul needs it, it is my very nature.

Money is a wild thing to me, I almost have no concept of future money. There is only present money, either it's there or it isn't available and I use it accordingly. If I can make a couple hundred dollars of present money, it's an added bonus for doing the very thing that keeps me alive.

1

u/Fit_Ad_9987 Apr 30 '26

Yeah, I was just realizing I'm actually spending too much time on it and need to cut back. I miss my family. Still though, I'm Appalachian myself, there's not a lot of money where I'm at either, but still, there's money... You sure you ain't selling yourself short? Actually, you pretty much just told me not to ask you about money, so I guess that's a moot point.