Thread: Honing cost inflation.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Speaking of a reality check. I saw a video on youtube about making a bowstring jig for $40-$60. It was dated 2012. I bought most of the parts recently & no change from $300 so far. That's enough steel to make 2 so you can halve the price but it still represents a big price hike over 3 years.

I am lost!

Bruce

So true 32T you cant sell a Ferrari on Skid Row unless your willing to accept a half eaten sandwich.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I am lost!

Bruce

Oh crap, was this not the off topic anonymous thread? Silly me.

Originally Posted by Razorfaust

So true 32T you cant sell a Ferrari on Skid Row unless your willing to accept a half eaten sandwich.

Precisely why the closed sign never gets turned to open around here!

Ok ill straighten this out. So in light of local economic forces and Chinese currency devaluation practices. I think 30 bucks for a really awesome pro edge is totally doable.

Speaking of signs of the times ............

Originally Posted by Razorfaust

So reality check is how much is one willing to pay to get a razor sharp obviously if it was too little there wouldn't be anyone doing it. Too much and either every one would get into the game driving cost down or folks would just buy a three year supply of DE's and forget the whole silly venture.

Yes and yes.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I am lost!

Bruce

Maybe a bit off topic but just trying to point out rising prices are not limited to honing razors.

Not only that, but let's look at the numbers. I am a registered business owner, which means I pay income tax and ss on anything I make as profit. I can hone my own razors fresh from the belt sanders in about 15 minutes because the bevels will be thin and the geometry correct. Some of the things people post here would take 2 hours to hone, plus the time of having to email back and forth and going to the post office.

So let's say I charge 25$, that is 10$ per hour, before taxes. For me, that is a no. My time is more valuable than that. Whether I would charge a fixed fee or not, on average the amount will boil down to a given amount per hour, and 10$ is not cutting it by a long shot.

And then of course there is the fact that items might get damaged or lost or the customer is unhappy and I have to re-do it. And that is why I don't hone razors for other people at all. The solution is simple: if you think 35$ is too much, buy the stones and do it yourself

It also helps if you think like this: "cost of the stones and the necessary skill aside, would I take this razor and spend 2 hours going back and forth across these bloody stones if someone paid me 20$". If you would not do that yourself, don't expect others to.

Then again, if you do think this is a great deal, buy an entry level set of stones, go into business with that as a model and make a killing doing a mindnumbingly boring job for less than minimum wage.

Maybe pure speculation but I doubt many in this biz rely on it as a single source of income. I tend to see it as something that fills spare time. But feel free to tell me I am wrong.