Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: Tracker0721 on January 17, 2016, 01:25:43 am
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Working long days so I haven't been able to say how awesome ya'll have been doing on your knapping, but a quick look shows a lot of awesome works being posted! Keep it up ya'll!
So I've been being told I could sell some of the knives or arrowheads I've made, would love to make some extra money to fund my hobbies, but I always feel my work isn't good enough. Especially compared to some of ya'lls on here! cough Scott's knife cough cough. So I took a gander on etsy to see what the markets like and there's some awesome knives, priced around what I'd think is right 200 or so, but others that are terrible yet marked up and others that are beautiful for like 50 bucks! How do you all judge your prices and how do you sell? I know the masters deserve the high prices and the new guys should keep practicing but how do you decide where your product sits on that scale?
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It comes right down to what is it worth to you. Perhaps if therewere a guild you could uss you modle you mention, but honestly, the artist decides his price tag, the consumer decides what it is worth.
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...but honestly, the artist decides his price tag, the consumer decides what it is worth.
yep. and no offense anyone, but i personally would not pay a premium for slab work, no matter how good it finished as.
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A lot of people sale by the inch. Usually Ten dollars an inch is what I've been seeing depending on material.
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Lots of variables in that question...If you lived in say Texas and had a yard full of great rock and paid nothing but your labor then your price may be different from someone that paid per pound. Also slab cuts can yield more points than trying to spall a couple preforms. Then your over all skill, time and popularity in the knapping arena can change values. Not an easy answer but hope this helps.
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You gotta start selling to know where the price is at. Setup at local markets and fairs and see what the customer will buy. The more you sell the better you get and eventually you will find a resting point for the price. Bottom line is keep it fun and don't worry too much about selling cause you ain't gonna get rich at this hobby. Keep your overhead low and make a little side cash and be happy. 8)
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With all due respect to leOn a well made point is a well made point and if i could get my hands on one of ishi's glass points i don't care that it was basically a slab, no offense
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I have some points that was made from slabs you can't tell them from ones made from a spall.
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With all due respect to leOn a well made point is a well made point and if i could get my hands on one of ishi's glass points i don't care that it was basically a slab, no offense
^^ None taken. Hell, I'd pay a premium for one of his unfinished slabs. Even if it had only one flake across it.
Let me rephrase. I would buy a well made slab point/knife, no doubt, however, I'd be willing to pay more for one that was spalled and knapped by the same person.
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I used to feel slabs weren't as good, but seeing the points I've seen from slabs that are amazingly well made and the ones that are just edges popped around once really makes me believe that good slab work should still get the same. If your flakes don't run across it though and it looks like you've only set the edge to flake then keep practicing. Buttt if your willing to pay more for a spalled knife, wanna buy one? Haha >:D
But selling by the inch seems like a good plan. Does anybody time how long they take to knap something then put an hourly rate to it?
I'd one day like to be as good as some of these guys that can sell knives for 1,000 bucks and it's truly art but I keep looking at mine as hunting tools. So I'd just be happy to make up some gas money for my drive to glass buttes this march haha
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Working long days so I haven't been able to say how awesome ya'll have been doing on your knapping, but a quick look shows a lot of awesome works being posted! Keep it up ya'll!
So I've been being told I could sell some of the knives or arrowheads I've made, would love to make some extra money to fund my hobbies, but I always feel my work isn't good enough. Especially compared to some of ya'lls on here! cough Scott's knife cough cough. So I took a gander on etsy to see what the markets like and there's some awesome knives, priced around what I'd think is right 200 or so, but others that are terrible yet marked up and others that are beautiful for like 50 bucks! How do you all judge your prices and how do you sell? I know the masters deserve the high prices and the new guys should keep practicing but how do you decide where your product sits on that scale?
post some pics we want to see them.
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Does anybody time how long they take to knap something then put an hourly rate to it?
It takes me about the same amount of time to make a side notched hunting point as it does to knap a 6" knife blade. Selling by the inch is the easiest way to calculate price. There are other considerations like flake quality, material, & point design...so you will need some experience with different knapping stones to be better able to offer a reasonable price.
I have personal feelings that make me guarded against slab work, but try not to let that interfere with critiquing others who do it. I understand the reason behind it and agree that in some cases the material is just too valuable to waste. However, I chose to reduce material with percussion and rarely work with slabs, therefore the other method doesn't feel right to me.
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I'll post some pics once I have some Internet. Takes up too much data to download em.
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So here's my first set followed by some arrowheads since my fingers healed up. And the bear head that was a broken head. Gonna inlay it in my rifle stock maybe.
(http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/Dylan_Halbach/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsbknznbc4.jpg) (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/Dylan_Halbach/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsbknznbc4.jpg.html)
(http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/Dylan_Halbach/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsdh7y2ykg.jpg) (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/Dylan_Halbach/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsdh7y2ykg.jpg.html)
(http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/Dylan_Halbach/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsclellwy3.jpg) (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/Dylan_Halbach/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsclellwy3.jpg.html)
(http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/Dylan_Halbach/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsi6it0lqf.jpg) (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/Dylan_Halbach/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsi6it0lqf.jpg.html)
(http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/Dylan_Halbach/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpstspdcoqc.jpg) (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/Dylan_Halbach/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpstspdcoqc.jpg.html)
(http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/Dylan_Halbach/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsnqzxqn4r.jpg) (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/Dylan_Halbach/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsnqzxqn4r.jpg.html)
(http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/Dylan_Halbach/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsmcaiv698.jpg) (http://s173.photobucket.com/user/Dylan_Halbach/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsmcaiv698.jpg.html)
All spalled. All sharp as can be. That's my strong suite
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That's what I'm talking about! Nice points, those will kill. Thanks for posting. It's good to follow peoples work.
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Nice work I really like the bear head.
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On slabs...I am an ABO Knapper but beleive slab work is a good way to conserve material and if you are using it you likely are using other modern materials that will help in producing beautiful flake patterns which I really like to look at. To me slabs help bring about amazing patterns that can showcase the materials, form and style! This technique is one of many that modern knappers employ to explore pattern, color and form and become elements of importants beyond just function.
On pricing the amount of work and it's importance matters.
1. Production of larger orders has an economy of scale.
2. Market will play a factor-will you sell to hunters, yard sales, craft fairs, art exhibitions, museum gift shops, museum collections, friends.
3. Recognized and valued by others in our community. This can effect price when work is sold at themed events.
4. Technique can change the value it depends on what the buyer wants. Maybe they have a collect of only slab knifes or a museum only wants ABO work.
5 skill plays a factor also, buyers valuation through an appreciation of your skill...works with step vs no steps, how you employ pattern to the form, how you use choose to place a pattern of color as you build a point.
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That bear head is KOOL! Great job on the arrowheads also. John
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I would pay or trade for good points like yours. My hands do not handle the knapping very well. I have taken a LONG break from it.
Those points look great to me. What kind of rifle are going to inlay ?
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My Opinion: I think it depends upon your market place. As an example I knew a retired sheriff that lived on the big bench on the south side of the Columbia Gorge. He had fairly close access to all the obsidian he could haul out and had a working agreement with all the truck stops along the Columbia River. He was an expert flake over grind knife maker. His knifes were astounding and hafted with deer horn. His prices varied according to the color and size of the blades and were high enough for the truck stops to display and sell them. The people who bought these blades could care less about his methods only about the beauty of them and were willing to pay for them. One of Waldorf's disciples was an expert FOG guy and sold his work at a high price. One of the very best knappers I have known very well sold individual and show cases at a local well known rock shop in Portland. So if you have a market with people that only care about the intrinsic beauty it doesn't matter how you knapped the blade! I am not a fan of FOG however I can't remember a blade I ever made without some amount of platform abrading (grinding)! Joe