Price check on Ax/hatchet cover

[Boriqua]

If its the wrong place to ask let me know. I just finished a very basic tomahawk cover so the gentleman could carry his big ol hatchet into the desert. Pattern time is always the big time eater but I dont charge people because I am stupid and slow and take to long coming to a pattern I think is secure and safe. Took about 4 hours of Fabrication time after design and pattern with dying and all. Its pretty basic but I know the guy and he is going to go out and beat it to death so strength over pretty for him.

Now I remember a boss who told me when I was a teen that he can only charge "X" for an electrical outlet even if it takes me 3 hours sooooo ... what is a fair price for something like this. I was thinking $45.00

 

[CaptQuirk]

Cost of materials x hours? Example, you have a foot of leather @ $7-$10 a ft, $2 for the hardware, so say $12, x 4 hours labor, for $48? Actual costs may vary, because you also have thread and dye, and incidental costs for sandpaper and other chemicals.

By the way, that came out nice. Good job!

Edited April 8, 2017 by CaptQuirk

[RockyAussie]

There is NOOO way I would touch doing that for under $100 au (about $70.00 US) and like you I would still be losing on the patterning time heaps.If I am as equally stupid and slow I think it would take me 2 hours plus to get that pattern as is. Regards Brian

[CaptQuirk]

Look at it this way, once you get the pattern figured out, there are other folks that would be interested in something like this. If it took you 3 days to get the pattern right (I realize you aren't that slow, but somebody else might be), how could you charge that to somebody? It isn't their fault you ate paint chips or sniffed the leather glue, or whatever reason it took you that long, right? They are paying for a finished product, and actual work involved. I like a challenge, even if it takes me a couple attempts to get it right. If I make a holster for somebody, and screw up the first attempt, that is on me, not them. I chalk it up to experience, and only charge for the finished product, not the screw up.

That may have come out a bit caustic, but I wasn't trying to insult anybody. Honest

[Boriqua]

Hey Rocky .. I am glad you threw in a time because you hit the nail on the head. It was about 2 hours of draw it .. cut it out of poster board. realize no way is that going to work and continuing like that with scissors and razor blades until I had it right. One of the big deals I hope sheath and holster makers are thinking about is you are making cases for pointy and or scary stuff. I dont have the same trepidation when I make a bag but when I make a holster or sheath I sweat it. I thought 2 hours might be the crazy man side but ....

CaptQuirk .. I didnt find it caustic at all. I alluded to the same in my original post. Its why I came to see what other guys sell a similar FINISHED product for. My shortcomings don't translate to higher cost. Having said that .. it is a one off which I think commands a slightly elevated price compared to a dude who has a pattern for the Excalibur super hatchet and is just producing them from a working pattern ... maybe? 

I don't think this particular hatchet is something I will find a big market for so its really about a client wanted something special and I provided it. But .. forgetting that .. what can you charge for a hatchet carrier thingy.

I get a fair amount of calls for one of a kind items but people dont usually understand the development cost associated with a one of a kind piece or why its more money than a similar item I offer. Anyway thank you for the replies. They are genuinely greatly appreciated. Keep em coming.

As a potentially useless reference .. I charged $65.00 for the two below but I have done a fair amount of knife sheaths and dont have to think so hard.

Edited April 9, 2017 by Boriqua

[CaptQuirk]

@Boriqua- If they are paying you to make a one off, so that they are the only one to have it, sure, jack the price! But, if there is no reason for it to be a one off, then why should they pay more? Crank out a few more, and shop them around. You already did the hard part, right? I know a few fellas that carry hawks and hatchets regularly. Of course, some of them are into historical reenactment, and would turn up their nose because it "Isn't period". But a lot of them are outdoorsmen.

[Boriqua]

So .... What would you charge for that piece?

There are so many hatchets it would be hard to come up with a single pattern but aside from all that... If you made the above... What would you charge?

[TacticallySharp]

If it's  a repeat item I charge a basic price starting at $75US for either a sheah or holster. All my hawks are one up customs. Anything  custom starts at $100. The first one is a basic. The second one was a custom to start with, but as also a Blasesmith that became repete due to numer of them I do for myself and two other knifemakers. I gave them the pattern for the knife.

 

Edited April 9, 2017 by TacticallySharp

[CaptQuirk]

I gave you my breakdown... without all the exact figures, about $48-$50. What hatchet did he have? I'm guessing it was a SOG... or whatever they are calling the military styled knockoffs? That is a fairly popular hatchet with wanna be badasses and hunters. Knock out another one, and post it on some outdoor sites. One I frequent is Georgia Outdoor News- www.forum.gon.com . They have a forum section for folks like us to hawk our wares. One of the mods has an avatar of his 2 favorite hawks in his belt, but he is one of those historical types.

[Boriqua]

Opps sorry about that. So my thinking at 45 bucks is about right. Its a benchmade 173 tacticak but its about 18" long with a heavy prybar nail puller thing on the end. Heavy as hell! I prefer lighter faster sharper hawks but to each thier own. Life is to short to judge.

[CaptQuirk]

11 minutes ago, Boriqua said:

 Life is to short to judge.

Even shorter, when you try to overcharge the wrong dude with a hatchet in his hand

[Mark Moss]

With the time you put into it, minus the cost of the materials you are around minimum wage.  I have seen photos of your work on other postings, you are a very talented, (obviously not new leather worker) and do really clean, nice work.  Personally, I believe you are greatly undervaluing the value of your work.    It took you years to acquire theses skills and the tools to do it.  What is 4 hours wage for the person buying it?  I believe your work is well worth $90-$100 minimum.  If you had the pattern already done, clicker die made, and spent less than an hour to make, it that is one thing, I believe you should charge according to your time and effort.   I believe a person of your talent should be compensated for 4 hours of your time/skills.  What would 4 hours of work cost you from a plumber ?  

Edited April 9, 2017 by Mark Moss
Grammar

[RockyAussie]

4 hours ago, Boriqua said:

Hey Rocky .. I am glad you threw in a time because you hit the nail on the head. It was about 2 hours of draw it .. cut it out of poster board. realize no way is that going to work and continuing like that with scissors and razor blades until I had it right. One of the big deals I hope sheath and holster makers are thinking about is you are making cases for pointy and or scary stuff. I dont have the same trepidation when I make a bag but when I make a holster or sheath I sweat it. I thought 2 hours might be the crazy man side but ....

CaptQuirk .. I didnt find it caustic at all. I alluded to the same in my original post. Its why I came to see what other guys sell a similar FINISHED product for. My shortcomings don't translate to higher cost. Having said that .. it is a one off which I think commands a slightly elevated price compared to a dude who has a pattern for the Excalibur super hatchet and is just producing them from a working pattern ... maybe? 

I don't think this particular hatchet is something I will find a big market for so its really about a client wanted something special and I provided it. But .. forgetting that .. what can you charge for a hatchet carrier thingy.

I get a fair amount of calls for one of a kind items but people dont usually understand the development cost associated with a one of a kind piece or why its more money than a similar item I offer. Anyway thank you for the replies. They are genuinely greatly appreciated. Keep em coming.

As a potentially useless reference .. I charged $65.00 for the two below but I have done a fair amount of knife sheaths and dont have to think so hard.

I can only say ridiculously toooo cheap. You aim for a very high level in the products you make and some may not see the difference but I sure can. I get that you may see a similar looking thing being made up to sell with a knife in a store and you think that may have something to do with the price to charge. You are capable of doing high class work and it would be probably years before you get another similar job which by then it will take hours to realise you cant find that pattern etc etc. Charge out your worth or your time will get lost in doing anything at a unsustainable value.

[TonyRV2]

I think 45 bucks is about right for this.  I have to disagree with a few others that say if you had the machinery to spit these things out you could go cheaper.  Doesn't work that way.  No one cares if your cutting out dies with a clicker, or machine sewing vs hand sewing.  What counts is the quality of the item, regardless of the path to the final product.  What this means is that to a great extent, the market sets the price.  I can't charge 100 bucks just because I do everything by hand, thats nonsense.  The exception would be if your an artisan with a reputation and a mass following.  If people are lining up for your goods, then you've established your own market niche and can charge what that market will bare....most of us can only hope to reach that goal.

[CaptQuirk]

11 hours ago, Mark Moss said:

  What would 4 hours of work cost you from a plumber ?  

You can't buy a plumber at WalMart for $9.95. Apples and oranges? Maybe so. You can't buy a quality made cover like this at WallyWorld, but you can find cheap products that do the same job, made by cheap labor, cranking them out en masse. Not exactly the same thing, but a lot of folks will compare the final products by the price.

[bikermutt07]

Being a one off custom and knowing your level of talent, I would have no issues paying 65.00 for this. I sold a not perfect wallet Friday morning to a co-worker for 30.00.

That's if you know the guy as a friend and are doing this for fun.

If you have business overhead, then look more towards 80-100.

I only make stuff as a hobby. My wife (the art teacher) has finally decided to put her art out there. We have worked a few craft shows. The humble bracelets I made I marked at 25.00. If they don't sell like last weekend, I turn them into gifts. My pricing isn't so much about what I have into them as much as it is about what those items should cost.

Even as a hobbyist I have respect for what you real leather workers are capable of and I don't want to be the one to devalue your market. Keep in mind, like Capt. said, you're not buying this stuff at Walmart.

Cheers.

[Boriqua]

1 hour ago, CaptQuirk said:

You can't buy a plumber at WalMart for $9.95. Apples and oranges? Maybe so. You can't buy a quality made cover like this at WallyWorld, but you can find cheap products that do the same job, made by cheap labor, cranking them out en masse. Not exactly the same thing, but a lot of folks will compare the final products by the price.

while I think we are pretty close to agreement on the price, I think your comparison to walmart is inaccurate in this discussion. They issue is that this is NOT available at walmart or anywhere else. There is no direct comparison to be made to anything commercially available and the only thing someone can garner is a point of reference for something that is LIKE what you are getting. "The hatchet cover for the Excalibur deathdealer hatchet is $50 so this should be about $50" Unfortunately it doesn't work if they don't make a hatchet cover for yours. The information about the other hatchet cover is worthless if there isnt one for yours. Then you have to pay someone to design one. Not a huge deal but a distinction.

Same I think with Custom knives. You cant compare it to something you can buy at Cabelas because a sheath made specifically to your needs and desires and custom patterned and developed specifically to your knife doesn't exist.

I looked up the hatchet

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Benchmade-172-Killian-Forged--15121

its a $350 hatchet and comes with a crappy thermoplastic molded cover. This gentleman bought it used and without cover. I dont know if you can buy the plastic one separately but he likes leather so he bought something that doesn't exist and has to come to someone like us to design and fabricate it. So long story but .. its more about the price difference that can be had among quality leatherworkers and I dont think in this instance can be priced comparing it to something commercially available .. since it isnt.

I did final finish work on the cover this morning and it looks pretty good. Now that I know its an expensive hatchet and I have invested time in the pattern .. I may make one or 2 on my next slow period and see if they sell. Right now ... slow period doesnt seem to be any time soon but who is complaining!

He has been a great regular customer. He got this from me .. cant really compare it to anything from a sports store an say a sheath there is $35 so this should be about the same

[bikermutt07]

3 hours ago, Boriqua said:

while I think we are pretty close to agreement on the price, I think your comparison to walmart is inaccurate in this discussion. They issue is that this is NOT available at walmart or anywhere else. There is no direct comparison to be made to anything commercially available and the only thing someone can garner is a point of reference for something that is LIKE what you are getting. "The hatchet cover for the Excalibur deathdealer hatchet is $50 so this should be about $50" Unfortunately it doesn't work if they don't make a hatchet cover for yours. The information about the other hatchet cover is worthless if there isnt one for yours. Then you have to pay someone to design one. Not a huge deal but a distinction.

Same I think with Custom knives. You cant compare it to something you can buy at Cabelas because a sheath made specifically to your needs and desires and custom patterned and developed specifically to your knife doesn't exist.

I looked up the hatchet

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Benchmade-172-Killian-Forged--15121

its a $350 hatchet and comes with a crappy thermoplastic molded cover. This gentleman bought it used and without cover. I dont know if you can buy the plastic one separately but he likes leather so he bought something that doesn't exist and has to come to someone like us to design and fabricate it. So long story but .. its more about the price difference that can be had among quality leatherworkers and I dont think in this instance can be priced comparing it to something commercially available .. since it isnt.

I did final finish work on the cover this morning and it looks pretty good. Now that I know its an expensive hatchet and I have invested time in the pattern .. I may make one or 2 on my next slow period and see if they sell. Right now ... slow period doesnt seem to be any time soon but who is complaining!

He has been a great regular customer. He got this from me .. cant really compare it to anything from a sports store an say a sheath there is $35 so this should be about the same

I think he was referring to uneducated customers expecting Walmart prices. 

[CaptQuirk]

2 hours ago, Boriqua said:

while I think we are pretty close to agreement on the price, I think your comparison to walmart is inaccurate in this discussion. They issue is that this is NOT available at walmart or anywhere else. There is no direct comparison to be made to anything commercially available and the only thing someone can garner is a point of reference for something that is LIKE what you are getting. "The hatchet cover for the Excalibur deathdealer hatchet is $50 so this should be about $50" Unfortunately it doesn't work if they don't make a hatchet cover for yours. The information about the other hatchet cover is worthless if there isnt one for yours. Then you have to pay someone to design one. Not a huge deal but a distinction.

 

Your point is very valid. You can't find a sheath for THIS hatchet at Walmart, but for $8, you can go to Home Depot and get a leather cover for a hatchet. Apples and oranges again, right? Yes and no (Life is rarely ever Black or White, is it?) Guy with a hatchet or hawk wants a cover. He sees the cheapo at HD and says "That looks really simple, and it's cheap!" He now has $8 on his mind, because "Hey! It's simple!" You and I both know that if it were really that simple, this guy would just make it himself, and leave us out of the picture. But, it really wasn't that hard to make, because you have the mindset to figure it out. Actual material cost? Chances are, it would cost you more to get lunch than what you have in it. Time? How much of that 4 hours was spent waiting for the dye to dry? So yeah, aside from figuring it out (Which is good for keeping the brain limber), there really isn't anything to it. Could he have done it? Possibly, but it wouldn't come out as nice, or nearly as quick. Is it really worth $100, or $200, or $500? Some folks wouldn't blink twice at charging that. I couldn't.The whole reason I started doing this, was because I needed a holster for a new gun, and didn't like the $30 cheapassed nylon ones that didn't fit right anyways.

[Boriqua]

4 hours ago, CaptQuirk said:

How much of that 4 hours was spent waiting for the dye to dry?

Ummmm... WTH man. I thought this was a somewhat valuable and civil discussion ... then you question my integrity and honesty. That would be no .. I did not include drying time in the 4 hours. I have enough orders to keep me busy for the next 2/3 months so I dont sit around waiting for something to dry and include it in a time estimate. I dye it and move on to another stage of something else Im working on. Not cool.

I am not especially sensitive but I am all about honor and honesty and don't appreciate implications that I am inflating numbers.

I did include .. Dying it .. then coming back to dye it again .. and then it still wasnt the black I was looking for so I dyed it again. All of that means going and getting the pieces, going out to my dying area outside, dying and bringing back to my drying area. Not a huge deal but ... You do it three times and tell me what it cost you in time. Could I run or trot .. sure, but things you dont think about take time and no I didnt include dry or cure time. Its actually still curing

The inside was burnished with glycerin and water and a glass slicker. I didnt feel after it dried that it was as smooth as I like so I did it again. I dont know if I am happy with it until it dries. While not including dry time .. I do have to get my materials and tools and do it.

Then after I burnish the interior I grind a second time to make sure my parts match up well and I like the contours. Of course all the edges are beveled and burnished but you have to burnish some edges before you assemble because you cant get to them to do a proper or even a "good" job once its assembled.

Of course the welt has to be skived and tapered at either end so you don't have a chunk of leather with no explanation or a giant gap that doesn't make sense. Then you grind it all down again to make sure your three pieces at the welt look seamless. Although you already beveled the edges with your edging tool it makes some funky corners that you cant live with so you take a piece of sand paper and by hand go over the edges to make sure when you round them they don't look as faceted.

I make sure to grind my Scovill (DOT)snap, Not tandy or other junk, studs so they only protrude about 1/16 of an inch before you go to compress them so you get the absolute best and longest lasting fit. Of course I could just grab a snap that is close to right from my bin but then it wouldnt be from a craftsman. So maybe I am crazy but it took about 20 minutes just to grind my snap studs, check fit, remove and grind them again until they were perfect. Why .. because if you leave the stud to long the snap gets loose feeling and doesnt secure the gear as well. Make it to short and the snap at some point just pulls off. I have successfully found the sweet spot where I get the best snap grab and longevity. It lives at about 1/16 of an inch or there about and given that even leather of the same sold thickness varies I always check my snap length.

Now I have to sew it but because of its awkward dims I have to do some weird stuff at one end and then at the sharp edge of the hawk ,make a reasonably nice stitch through three pieces of 8 oz. Then I have to grind again. When you glue the three pieces and grind they look great but I find that after you sew even if they were glued the pieces move some and compress. Could be 1/32 off but when I go to burnish it will be seen from the moon so I glue, grind, sew and then grind again. I grind with a 60 grit and then a 125 grit and then a 220 .. then I burnish with saddle soap and water until I am happy. Then .. check when dry and see if I need to burnish again .. and often I do a light burnish with a little more saddle soap and water.

Now I spray with 50/50 resolene. First the front then the back and in all the crevices and I go from front to back and slowly build it up from the first super absorbent and sucks into the leather pass to a more built up and offers a sheen pass. The first 2/3 passes only gets sucked right into the leather but I have people that have had holsters from me for 10 yrs plus that say they wound up 4 wheeling through mud and were able to wipe off the dried mud from my gear and it looked great so its a practice I stick with. The later passes is about my eyeball and I kinda know when I have built it up so it looks good but wont crack.

Not done yet .. when the edges that I slicked with saddle soap and water are where I am pleased with my work I dye them .. then I buff them with a clean cloth and pass 2 - 3 coats of super sheen with a small paint brush cut about 25 water to super sheen.

Then .. I buff it.

Now if it is a piece I have done before and I know the steps ahead of time and I was in some sort of time contest I am sure I could get my time down. I work in several smaller areas on multiple projects so I cant have everything out I need for every project at once. But .. I am a craftsman .. and I look critically at every step and have made at this point a thousand projects or more and still not one of them left and I didnt look at it and say .. shit if I had only done "X" I might have loved it. Everyone who gets my stuff thinks its the awesome but .. I always think I could have done one or two more things better.

The hatchet cover .. your right .. pretty simple affair and I look to charge what I honestly think I would pay for something. I am interested in selling my stuff not looking at it on a shelf so I don't let false pride get in the way and look to charge $ 300 knowing I personally would never have paid $300. Awesome I priced it at $300 but if it sits here for 2 years its not worth anything.

You may not acknowledge all the steps above because you are just kind of working and going with the flow .. but .. they all take a considerable amount of time.

Or not .. and you are making something else and not sweating the details. I do some of that too. Below is one of a couple of hatchet/ax covers I did where it was all about just make a useful case. Its not dyed, just oiled, edges are edged but not burnished, inside is left raw and the stitching .. well lets not even talk about it. There are different levels of finished .. and some people .. and most obviously the people who have become my loyal customers ..understand the difference. In the end though .. its a freagin black hatchet case! 

If you truly believe that you can take a one off sharp object that you have never handled, that someone dropped off, and do all the steps outlined above in 2 hours .. you are, I guess, just a better leather worker than I.

 

Edited April 9, 2017 by Boriqua

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

This thread brings up a memory of a guy that came in a couple years ago with a knife he "Just couldn't find a sheath for".  After about a half hour of discussion about how he wanted it made, and how unique his knife was and how he just had to carry it all the time, he asked how much I thought it would be. I don't remember exactly what I told him, under a hundred but more than fifty, he was astonished that it would be that much.  Years ago, I would have done one of two things, depending on what mood I was in on that given day. I would have either lowered my price until he was happy (and it doesn't take much of that before you start to hate your job) or I would have gotten pissed off and told him to leave.  But, the years have taught me a few things, so I asked him calmly what HE thought it should be worth. He said "Well, I'd think $25 would be plenty."  I proceeded to explain to him the time involved in pattern development before construction even begins, and that the time to make up the pattern and possibly a mock up would exceed $25. This guy wasn't poor either.  Like I've said for years, at least half my job is customer education. The guy left (didn't want to spend more than $25 on a sheath for this one-of-a-kind super-special knife) and I was fine with it. My only mistake was that I didn't ask him right off the bat what he wanted to spend.

Anyway, the quality of your work warrants you asking a fair price for your time and materials. As mentioned above, you do very clean and professional looking work.  I wouldn't make it for $50.  But, whatever price you are happy with is the right price I guess. Best of luck to you, and very nice job on your sheaths!

[Boriqua]

Big Sioux ..  at this point I sell almost everything I make cold. I don't have to take nor do I want to take any more custom orders. I have a few people who have bought from me over the years and bought from me years ago when I was starting out again after retirement and I feel somewhat obligated to take care of them and genuinely enjoyed their patronage and who they were after I got to know them and like to take care of them but I could and would be very happy not to receive another "one off" order again ever.

I spent a lifetime in my real life negotiating payment and terms and drawing up or reading contracts. Now .. I like to make cool shit and see if someone likes it enough to buy it.

But .. I have a couple of loyal fans and I enjoy and want to take care of them.

Back in the early 90's I had a real job but still couldn't keep up with the amount of motorcycle saddle bags and tool rolls I was asked for. I am still happy people enjoy my work.

 

Edited April 9, 2017 by Boriqua

[CaptQuirk]

@Boriqua- I really didn't mean to insult you. And yes, I know there is a lot that goes into ANY project. Sometimes I get distracted and say stupid stuff, this being one of those times. It really wasn't meant as an attack of any kind.

[bikermutt07]

4 hours ago, Boriqua said:

Ummmm... WTH man. I thought this was a somewhat valuable and civil discussion ... then you question my integrity and honesty. That would be no .. I did not include drying time in the 4 hours. I have enough orders to keep me busy for the next 2/3 months so I dont sit around waiting for something to dry and include it in a time estimate. I dye it and move on to another stage of something else Im working on. Not cool.

I am not especially sensitive but I am all about honor and honesty and don't appreciate implications that I am inflating numbers.

I did include .. Dying it .. then coming back to dye it again .. and then it still wasnt the black I was looking for so I dyed it again. All of that means going and getting the pieces, going out to my dying area outside, dying and bringing back to my drying area. Not a huge deal but ... You do it three times and tell me what it cost you in time. Could I run or trot .. sure, but things you dont think about take time and no I didnt include dry or cure time. Its actually still curing

The inside was burnished with glycerin and water and a glass slicker. I didnt feel after it dried that it was as smooth as I like so I did it again. I dont know if I am happy with it until it dries. While not including dry time .. I do have to get my materials and tools and do it.

Then after I burnish the interior I grind a second time to make sure my parts match up well and I like the contours. Of course all the edges are beveled and burnished but you have to burnish some edges before you assemble because you cant get to them to do a proper or even a "good" job once its assembled.

Of course the welt has to be skived and tapered at either end so you don't have a chunk of leather with no explanation or a giant gap that doesn't make sense. Then you grind it all down again to make sure your three pieces at the welt look seamless. Although you already beveled the edges with your edging tool it makes some funky corners that you cant live with so you take a piece of sand paper and by hand go over the edges to make sure when you round them they don't look as faceted.

I make sure to grind my Scovill (DOT)snap, Not tandy or other junk, studs so they only protrude about 1/16 of an inch before you go to compress them so you get the absolute best and longest lasting fit. Of course I could just grab a snap that is close to right from my bin but then it wouldnt be from a craftsman. So maybe I am crazy but it took about 20 minutes just to grind my snap studs, check fit, remove and grind them again until they were perfect. Why .. because if you leave the stud to long the snap gets loose feeling and doesnt secure the gear as well. Make it to short and the snap at some point just pulls off. I have successfully found the sweet spot where I get the best snap grab and longevity. It lives at about 1/16 of an inch or there about and given that even leather of the same sold thickness varies I always check my snap length.

Now I have to sew it but because of its awkward dims I have to do some weird stuff at one end and then at the sharp edge of the hawk ,make a reasonably nice stitch through three pieces of 8 oz. Then I have to grind again. When you glue the three pieces and grind they look great but I find that after you sew even if they were glued the pieces move some and compress. Could be 1/32 off but when I go to burnish it will be seen from the moon so I glue, grind, sew and then grind again. I grind with a 60 grit and then a 125 grit and then a 220 .. then I burnish with saddle soap and water until I am happy. Then .. check when dry and see if I need to burnish again .. and often I do a light burnish with a little more saddle soap and water.

Now I spray with 50/50 resolene. First the front then the back and in all the crevices and I go from front to back and slowly build it up from the first super absorbent and sucks into the leather pass to a more built up and offers a sheen pass. The first 2/3 passes only gets sucked right into the leather but I have people that have had holsters from me for 10 yrs plus that say they wound up 4 wheeling through mud and were able to wipe off the dried mud from my gear and it looked great so its a practice I stick with. The later passes is about my eyeball and I kinda know when I have built it up so it looks good but wont crack.

Not done yet .. when the edges that I slicked with saddle soap and water are where I am pleased with my work I dye them .. then I buff them with a clean cloth and pass 2 - 3 coats of super sheen with a small paint brush cut about 25 water to super sheen.

Then .. I buff it.

Now if it is a piece I have done before and I know the steps ahead of time and I was in some sort of time contest I am sure I could get my time down. I work in several smaller areas on multiple projects so I cant have everything out I need for every project at once. But .. I am a craftsman .. and I look critically at every step and have made at this point a thousand projects or more and still not one of them left and I didnt look at it and say .. shit if I had only done "X" I might have loved it. Everyone who gets my stuff thinks its the awesome but .. I always think I could have done one or two more things better.

The hatchet cover .. your right .. pretty simple affair and I look to charge what I honestly think I would pay for something. I am interested in selling my stuff not looking at it on a shelf so I don't let false pride get in the way and look to charge $ 300 knowing I personally would never have paid $300. Awesome I priced it at $300 but if it sits here for 2 years its not worth anything.

You may not acknowledge all the steps above because you are just kind of working and going with the flow .. but .. they all take a considerable amount of time.

Or not .. and you are making something else and not sweating the details. I do some of that too. Below is one of a couple of hatchet/ax covers I did where it was all about just make a useful case. Its not dyed, just oiled, edges are edged but not burnished, inside is left raw and the stitching .. well lets not even talk about it. There are different levels of finished .. and some people .. and most obviously the people who have become my loyal customers ..understand the difference. In the end though .. its a freagin black hatchet case! 

If you truly believe that you can take a one off sharp object that you have never handled, that someone dropped off, and do all the steps outlined above in 2 hours .. you are, I guess, just a better leather worker than I.

 

Geez Louise, it would take me a month to do all those steps. No wonder my stuff doesn't look any better than it does.

Maybe you should be charging at least half of what the custom one off product costs.

300.00 hatchet = 150.00 sheath

[Josh Ashman]

I think your price was fair. I recently built the hatchet case below, and like you I really wondered what I should charge for it. My situation was a little different, in that the guy ordering it was getting it for his 8 year old sons birthday. I don't know them all that well, it's a friend of a friend deal, however I did spend a little time around the dad and his kid and both are very likable. The guy has a great job and no shortage of money but all the same, when he asked what he owed I told him to pick me up a 12 pack of beer next time he came by and we'd be even. He brought me a case of beer and a $20 bill and we were both happy with the transaction.

I struggle to find a decent price for small "one off" items so if possible I try to think of a trade, if it's an order I want to take. If I don't want to take the order I've learned to explain it away similar to Big Sioux's example above. 

Nice job on the case!