Waiting Times & Price Increases

So, here's my situation . . . I got on a maker's list for a custom piece three years ago, and was quoted a price (and was originally told the wait was about 10 months). Had occasional check-ins, and did my best to be patient with delays. Today I found out my knife was finished (three years later), but was quoted a higher price than expected. Not hugely higher, but I roughly 15%, higher, and not on an inexpensive knife. When I inquired, I was told that prices increased last year (this is the first I've heard of it). I'll also note that the asked for price is higher than the price that is currently on the maker's website/order page.

So, what to do?

I will add that: 1) I asked the maker to use a piece of wood I purchased especially for this knife. Which was a splurge for me, about $100 for the wood alone. 2) the reality is that this is a maker in VERY high demand, and I'm sure that there are quite a few people that would be happy to snatch this knife up at the maker's requested price, meaning that I have very little real power in this situation.

Still, it bothers me that a maker would repeatedly delay, and then quote a higher price when the knife was finished. It seems to me that since the delays were on the maker's end, he should honor the price quoted.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts, questions, and suggestions on dealing with this situation.

You could sell the knife and cover your increase in price. Let's see it.

If you and the maker agreed on a price 3 years ago it should be honored.

If the price was given as an estimate and the knife was more work than anticipated (your piece if wood presenting unique challenges, etc.) you gotta roll with it.

If the maker can command a higher price now than 3 years ago when you made your order, you are a part if that success, and it would feel to me like I was taken advantage of. I wouldn't like that at all.

A price increase 2+ years after your quoted delivery date is not your concern.

Im with dwalker

Personally I think the maker should honor the price, if anything he should be very apologetic given the delay. Unfortunately, like you pointed out by not getting the knife you won’t really teach him a lesson. Your best option is to buy the knife at a new, increased price, use it and sell it later if you don’t like it or still have a bad feel over this situation. It is unfortunate that some makers let their fame or popularity go to their heads.

Flame him on the forums :knife: :bat: but in all seriousness the maker should honor his originally quoted price, if im quoted XXXX on a knife, I expect that to be the agreed upon price bar something out of his control. Unfortunatly you may be forced into buying it at this point... theres really nothing you can do to stop him from charging you more unless you had pre paid for the knife.

I had a knife made last year by a sought after maker as well. He was supposed to deliver in October but had a delay. He didn't deliver until January but not only kept the quoted price he made me a beautiful matching paring knife for the delay.

You could refuse the knife and demand your wood back in it's original condition, or offer to sell it to the maker. 3 years ago the price was ~$100. Prices went up last year, now it's $300.

A conundrum, but I believe a contract was entered into when the maker accepted your commission. Did you get something in writing 3 years ago? Was a deposit made? Does the small print say that prices are not firm until the knife is ready for delivery? We need more info. But based on what you state I would be miffed, especially after a 3 year wait.

I will say that the maker has sincerely apologized for the delay multiple times.
There was no formal "contract" with any fine print. But there was a simple agreement, which is clear from emails.
I've tried to, as much as possible, objectively report the facts of the situation. In all honesty, I would say I've thought about this upcoming knife far more days over the past three years than I haven't thought about it.
The only other thing I'll add, is that today I got an email that said the knife was finished, and gave me a total price. It seemed high, so I asked for a breakdown, and that's when I was told that prices increased last year.
It just seems that most makers honor prices quoted at the time work is accepted--it doesn't seem right that the maker delayed way beyond the initial timeframe, and then benefits from a price increase (though I don't think that was his intent at all).
Let me add that a price increase after two years, particularly from a highly sought after maker, doesn't seem unreasonable. But finding out about it on the day my knife is finished, after delivery has been delayed over two years, isn't sitting well with me.

How is he even delayed by two years? I would be enraged. I would offer the price agreed upon and that's it.

When you say the total price "seemed high" - does that mean the total price had not been established at the time of the agreement?

that's what you get for wanting a frou frou knife, gotta pay to play with that crowd!!

Maybe after 3 years he has forgotten the price you both agreed upon. Have you discussed the discrepancy. Maybe send him a copy of the emails where you discussed the price. If prices increased last year it was incumbent on him to inform you. He's not going to sell the knife from under you since he used your wood blanks. I would have a friendly chat and see what he suggests.

I really think he has to honor the price!

In my opinion if you pay a deposit it should lock in the price, if not then the price can fluctuate, the makers costs may have increased in that same time.

Ahh poor dream knife. His website might not have updated pricing and his costs might have gone up. I know as someone running a business 15% over three years isn’t a lot. I do understand your side in this but I think all you can do is be honest with the maker too bc you don’t want to be left with a sour taste in your mouth. He might make it right or tell you take it or leave it. My experience it’s just easier to communicate with the party involved bc this group can only affirm or dissuade your feelings.

Just walk away from the situation if the price makes you uncomfortable. Use the wood for another handle with a different maker.
Hypothetically speaking here-maybe the maker is well aware that the knife could fetch a much higher price today than a few years ago and is adjusting his prices accordingly. I imagine it might suck to make knives for people who could potentially resale them for significant profit.

labor of love said:

Just walk away from the situation if the price makes you uncomfortable. Use the wood for another handle with a different maker.
Hypothetically speaking here-maybe the maker is well aware that the knife could fetch a much higher price today than a few years ago and is adjusting his prices accordingly. I imagine it might suck to make knives for people who could potentially resale them for significant profit.

Click to expand...

Point is the knife is over 26 months late. It should have taken only 10 months to finish. Its irrelevant whether or not the maker thinks his blades are worth more today, 3 years later. The honorable thing to do is honor the agreed price when the order was placed.

Corradobrit1 said:

Point is the knife is over 26 months late. It should have taken only 10 months to finish. Its irrelevant whether or not the maker thinks his blades are worth more today, 3 years later. The honorable thing to do is honor the agreed price when the order was placed.

Click to expand...

No, it’s relevant. And if that makes the buyer uncomfortable he should just walk away. It’s just business.

Von blewitt said:

In my opinion if you pay a deposit it should lock in the price, if not then the price can fluctuate, the makers costs may have increased in that same time.

Click to expand...

+1

also can offer to split the 'suprise'
if its a good faith disagreement.

Von blewitt said:

In my opinion if you pay a deposit it should lock in the price, if not then the price can fluctuate, the makers costs may have increased in that same time.

Click to expand...

Exactly. And this is exactly why makers should not take deposits. It leads to the entitled behavior displayed in this very thread and only causes problems for irate customers and craftsman working on slim margins.

Corradobrit1 said:

Point is the knife is over 26 months late. It should have taken only 10 months to finish. Its irrelevant whether or not the maker thinks his blades are worth more today, 3 years later. The honorable thing to do is honor the agreed price when the order was placed.

Click to expand...

Nah. Upfront cost and time frame are estimates. No deposits, no contract. It's not "late". You get general info and then your name goes on the list. When it's called, you're up. He could have communicated better in this case and gone over pricing again before starting work on the knife, this is true. A mistake certainly, but not an overly egregious one.

And I do not believe this to be a case of "he thinks he can get more for them today" as if that were the case, he could have raised his prices up 50%.

It might be some sticker shock expecting one price and seeing another. But it is also a craftsman hopefully fairly valuing his own work. He's not getting rich off that extra 10-15%.

If it’s a Japanese steel and you didn’t know prices increased, then you’ve been under a rock and not reading these forums.

I agree with all the others who say to pay.

Funny world, this knifething. You can pretty much guess/know the maker given the info in first post, but nobody wants to say it out loud. Okay, there might be few options, but still.

Imo, deal is a deal. He gives you price, and thats it. Especially if its 2 years late.

dwalker said:

If you and the maker agreed on a price 3 years ago it should be honored.

If the price was given as an estimate and the knife was more work than anticipated (your piece if wood presenting unique challenges, etc.) you gotta roll with it.

If the maker can command a higher price now than 3 years ago when you made your order, you are a part if that success, and it would feel to me like I was taken advantage of. I wouldn't like that at all.

A price increase 2+ years after your quoted delivery date is not your concern.

Click to expand...

Agreed 100% but in the end, do you want the knife or not... ya, it feels like you got screwed, but in this instance, there is enough nebulous info here (no deposit, no written contract that stipulates things, etc), to have a major difference of an opinion.

Pay it, and inform said maker of your feelings towards the higher price. Hope they do the right thing. If not, find a different maker to patronize the next time.

All high end customs where I have supplied the handle wood, that price has been subtracted from the original quoted price OR the maker has a standard mark down for client supplied wood in the $50-75 range. Regardless of what has happened to the makers costs, he should have informed you of the elevated price BEFORE the build began, and IF the build ran into problems that needed a price increase it should have been verified by you before the knife was taken any further.

This is a good point. Supplying materials can be viewed as a deposit, especially if the material was used and can’t be used for something else, which in this case it can’t. This whole talk of there not being a contract etc seems odd, you don’t need a deposit for there to be a contract. In any case that is irrelevant since you are not going to court over this. Unfortunately, when you are dealing with customs, this sometimes happens since there are no good substitutes for what you ordered and if the maker is popular he can get away with it. It is wrong, but you have no recourse, unless the maker does the right thing.

labor of love said:

No, it’s relevant. And if that makes the buyer uncomfortable he should just walk away. It’s just business.

Click to expand...

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree how a business should be run.
The maker had many opportunities to inform customer of any general price increase because he was in constant contact during the 3 years. Best to talk to the maker and try an reach a compromise that works for both parties.

Eventually the name of the maker will drop through and this is not a good advetisement for the maker.

If I were the maker I would do the following:

1) honour the price I have quoted, or try very gently to work with the buyer as to why it would be nice if he/she should be paying more - on top of very delayed delivery date. If I see that the person is already pissed by the long delay I would not dare to throw a price hike in their face. Even if the knife is 'perfect' from the buyer's point of view, this kind of hassle is going to take a lot of that joy and fun away - and that is what the people spend their money on these luxury items (because if they want just a performance, than ka $200 gyuto from Japan will deliver about the same).

2) take is as a lesson learned and only quote approximate price for a knife for the future and warn the customer that there might be a slight price increase coming because, well, everything gets more expensive over time and 3 years is a long time.

3) reconsider my business strategy, because apparently it yields unhappy customers.

If I were the buyer - I would - in a polite and as-objective-as-possible manner share the information with the rest of the comunity. Including the maker's name.