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Bought Kaiju - $1,800

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captaincaed said:
I think there are two things going on here. There’s a subset of the forum, and some founding ethics that are cooks chefs craftsman and enthusiastic hobbyists. These people don’t care very much about the money, they care about the craft and looking for new horizons in it. And that could be the knives them selves or the cooking that they allow. That culture and history informs the public sales forum. In addition anything done in public is subject to scrutiny. I think it’s one of the reasons why you generally want as much communication, especially official communication, to be as public as possible. You can do a lot of shady things in back alleys. So the public versus private conversation debate is always a thing. I have paid way way too much for some items that I have sought out on my own, but nothing to the scale that you described. When you try to buy things that are not already for sale, there’s always that premium, but of course you knew that going in and were very open about it.

Second part is that some people just suck. Some people are just highly motivated by making a sale, getting a deal, and scaring people over. I work with a guy like that and I wish him know and the bad things and the rest of his life and Some people are just highly motivated by making a sale, getting a deal, and screwing people over, often for the satisfaction of just maximizing a transaction for its own sake. That's an attitude that I’ve never understood at all.

in other news I absolutely love the huge new board you posted recently. It’s such a beautiful use of wood grain, and pattern it’s just A+. Absolutely love it.
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Agree with all of that, and thank you very much! I’m super proud of that board. It’s the simplest design over ever done, while also being the most complicated build I’ve ever done. It’s on its way to France to Milan Gravier. Honoured to have him using one of my boards
 
OwlWoodworks said:
DM’s is a crazy place though
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DM’s is the freakin Wild West of this forum. A lot of people in DM’s have no etiquette. I once read that getting screwed on a BST deal is a rite of passage to the forum, lol. Never truer words…
OwlWoodworks said:
Not trying to say the forum or the people suck, it’s just that my initial impression has been very different than I expected.
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I’ve heard this sentiment by several newer members and it seems that it typically stems from a WTB/WTS post. When it comes to money, KKF is a whole different animal. Outside of this I have found it to be consistently helpful, collaborative and engaging. Sure there is the occasional battle of the wits or pissing contest on the philosophy of “sharp” or “knife performance” (which I always find funny) but In general, excluding creeps trying to hustle others on BST, it’s a super positive group of peeps who share their knowledge liberally.
 
On one hand I believe that a person can ask any price they want for their property. The buyer can chose to buy or not. These knives are not necessities and as such the whole thing is ok. On the other hand I find it distasteful when someone behaves differently in public and in private. Most people do to andegree of course, but specifically with selling and buying it would be nice if people acted as if they are in the public eye at all times. This forum in general comes down hard on the so called flippers and so to save themselves public ridicule they go to other platforms or at least to DMs to sell their stuff. I agree that it is the buyers that drive the price for some of these knives as they really want them and are willing to pay extreme prices to get them. Nothing wrong with that either...

I'd say get another knife or two, I haven't tried Kaiju, but it can't be worth these prices since you are planning on using it. If you planned to just collect it then that would be different.
 
Bico Doce said:
DM’s is the freakin Wild West of this forum. A lot of people in DM’s have no etiquette. I once read that getting screwed on a BST deal is a rite of passage to the forum, lol. Never truer words…

I’ve heard this sentiment by several newer members and it seems that it typically stems from a WTB/WTS post. When it comes to money, KKF is a whole different animal. Outside of this I have found it to be consistently helpful, collaborative and engaging. Sure there is the occasional battle of the wits or pissing contest on the philosophy of “sharp” or “knife performance” (which I always find funny) but In general, excluding creeps trying to hustle others on BST, it’s a super positive group of peeps who share their knowledge liberally.
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Interesting. I must be doing it wrong. Never had a bad buying or selling experience on here. Everything’s been quick, respectful and transparent. Probably done 25+ transactions? Idk.
 
Oh man, I’ve had so many interesting conversations with members off this thread and am feeling really enlightened.

My first and most important revelation, is that you can price your knife at whatever you want. Its your knife, so do what you want. It’s cool that people are willing to sell pieces for what they paid here, but eventually it will get into the hands of somebody who will sell it for market value. Unless you’re selling it to a friend privately, I support just selling it at whatever market value dictates. And it kind of sucks that people then get frowned upon for charging market value. This sounds contradictory to what I said above, but it wasn’t that I was pissed people were asking so much, I was just so confused by the valuation.

I think the part that had me so confused was my perceived inconsistency in value. I was seeing Kaiju’s being valued at 2-4x the work of some of the best western makers around. But I cant imagine anybody trading one of those pieces for a kaiju. Let alone 4 of them! Maybe that’s just me, but I think what I was seeing was inconsistency in what the market value is of these pieces.

Anyways, I don’t have a dramatic conclusion or big “today I learned” statement. It’s all been very interesting and I’m really enjoying all the opinions and perspectives.
 
It really all comes down to rarity and being able to pick up another. I have this situation with 2 togo reigo tanakas I have. I have been offered double what I paid for and it's not something I would ever really consider. Could I buy a knife that performs as good or better with that money and put some money in the bank? For sure. But these are unique and I know if I sell them, it will be really really hard to buy them again. Same thing with the Kaiju. By the way, prices definitely will not be dropping/people will not be putting them up when the massdrop comes out. It may have a similar height/grind, but the main allure of the kaiju is the natural stone finish, which the massdrop knife will not have (that being said the massdrop knife might be just as coveted anyway but because of the wrought iron). Regardless I don't expect them to influence each other.

Anyway the hype is insane of course, but it does feel like posturing when you say you are going to lower the price you are willing to buy one for. Just admit you are giving up on trying to buy one lol.
 
jedy617 said:
Anyway the hype is insane of course, but it does feel like posturing when you say you are going to lower the price you are willing to buy one for. Just admit you are giving up on trying to buy one lol.
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I’m actually gonna lean into trading for it more now. A huge rookie mistake a made years ago when I got into purchasing knives was thinking that everything can be bought. Some people have lots of money and don’t need more. They want the next exciting knife. So I’m being genuine when I say my new offer is $1800 (also because I just purchased a B1 fujiyama so I’m happy to finally have a Konosuke in my collection). However I’m also going to try trading as opposed to outright buying.
 
OwlWoodworks said:
I’m actually gonna lean into trading for it more now. A huge rookie mistake a made years ago when I got into purchasing knives was thinking that everything can be bought. Some people have lots of money and don’t need more. They want the next exciting knife. So I’m being genuine when I say my new offer is $1800 (also because I just purchased a B1 fujiyama so I’m happy to finally have a Konosuke in my collection). However I’m also going to try trading as opposed to outright buying.
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Honestly I would use that money, buy a couple of nice natural stones and learn how to polish, but that's just me. Buy a cheap gyuto and go to town practicing techniques, and then make your own kaiju with the FM. I am learning half the fun in the hobby is doing work on your own knives to make them how you like. It will make it more personal as well. After I get a lot more use out of my vintage carbon FM I plan on doing a natural stone polish on it someday.
 
ian said:
Interesting. I must be doing it wrong. Never had a bad buying or selling experience on here. Everything’s been quick, respectful and transparent. Probably done 25+ transactions? Idk.
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I've had fewer than 25 bst interactions, but I've only ever had really good experiences; maybe I'm just interested in the weird stuff though...
 
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deltaplex said:
I've had fewer than 25 bst interactions, but I've only every had really good experiences; maybe I'm just interested in the weird stuff though...
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ian said:
Interesting. I must be doing it wrong. Never had a bad buying or selling experience on here. Everything’s been quick, respectful and transparent. Probably done 25+ transactions? Idk.
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Tbh, for me the majority of the weird stuff happens with WTT posts. Almost more trouble than it is worth but as mentioned before money can only take you so far when you're looking for rare knives. With that said, I've made some good friends by engaging in conversations over a WTT/WTS post
 
jedy617 said:
It really all comes down to rarity and being able to pick up another. I have this situation with 2 togo reigo tanakas I have. I have been offered double what I paid for and it's not something I would ever really consider. Could I buy a knife that performs as good or better with that money and put some money in the bank? For sure. But these are unique and I know if I sell them, it will be really really hard to buy them again. Same thing with the Kaiju. By the way, prices definitely will not be dropping/people will not be putting them up when the massdrop comes out. It may have a similar height/grind, but the main allure of the kaiju is the natural stone finish, which the massdrop knife will not have (that being said the massdrop knife might be just as coveted anyway but because of the wrought iron). Regardless I don't expect them to influence each other.

Anyway the hype is insane of course, but it does feel like posturing when you say you are going to lower the price you are willing to buy one for. Just admit you are giving up on trying to buy one lol.
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Link me to this massdrop business please
 
Really don't know why some get their knickers in a twist about the OP asking $1800 for a Kaiju on the secondary market. Prices on the secondary market are always market driven, sellers typically sell for what they can get; buyers spend what's in their comfort zone for knives.

Kitchen knives on the secondary market is worth whatever a buyer is willing to spend. Most sniffing around KKF BST are savvy enough to know what they're buying.

Sure one can always argue better buys for the money—but why should the OP consider them if he/she is zeroed in on a Kaiju? I can totally see the logic of jumping the queue by offering a premium price to fill a burning void in the knife roll. Similar to how it's perfectly reasonable paying over the odds for a denka from Epic Edge, versus the dice roll, wait, and communication gaps of ordering direct from TF.

Some comments seem to feel that perceived, excessive prices on the secondary market somehow skews the knife market, and has a negative effect. I love seeing lofty secondary market prices for kitchen knives as a good thing—it suggests that the market for higher end kitchen knives is healthy, expanding, allowing knife makers and vendors to charge more and make a decent living. The higher the price of top shelf kitchen knives, the more incentive there is for young talent taking up knife making—thus more work for vendors and sharpeners, etc.

There will always be good, plentiful, cheaper knives available. There will also always be knives that because of price or rarity, be out of reach of most people—as it should be, ...I've put in a lot of time and effort acquiring the knives I have.

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Personally, I tend not to get hung up on money, ...well, I do and I don't. With primary market buying, yeah, I often shop around for the the best price from trusted vendors, get excited about 20% sales. However, on the secondary market I either buy because of a bargain, or pay a high price for something I really want but is otherwise near impossible to find.

Admittedly, I've paid $100 over on BST retail rather than wait for vendors to restock; I've also a pile of knives (about 2k worth) for an $800 knife I wanted, ...reason was being too lazy to post on BST, and it was to a very nice seller who would give some of the knives to local chefs. Secondary market create its own logic.

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In the grand scheme of things, kitchen knives is a relatively cheap form of collecting—compared to art, cameras, and other stuff I'm into. Thank god I'm not into guns, folding knives, watches, cars, etc.
 
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Like most here, I think people should be able to buy and sell at whatever prices they see fit. I also agree with @DitmasPork that appreciating prices and general demand are good for the knife market as a whole as it guarantees another generation of craftsman and hopefully results in a better standard of living for makers in the long term.

I’m fine with people listing items for the general market value rather than purchase price. I’d never expect someone who bought a Shig or Kato in 2010 to sell for significantly less than current retail. Likewise if someone has something very in demand I’m okay with them asking a small premium if they want. Heck, the saving up, thrill of the hunt, and final acquisition of a lot of these rare birds is a big part of the fun of this hobby.

There is an odious brand of flipper that sometimes pops it’s head up here that I don’t appreciate though. That’s the person who’s interest in knives is only the money they think they can make. For example, the guy who reached out to me on another platform to offer up one of his 6 jiro nakiris for almost double retail…

Just as these scum are allowed to ask the prices they want, we’re allowed to detest them for offering nothing to the community / hobby and call them out. On the flip side, I do wonder if the flipper witch-hunt sometimes goes too far.

That said, a pushy sale on a $8k Kaiju is just absurd…
 
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DitmasPork said:
.

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In the grand scheme of things, kitchen knives is a relatively cheap form of collecting—compared to art, cameras, and other stuff I'm into. Thank god I'm not into guns, folding knives, watches, cars, etc.
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This is the same exact excuse i tell myself(and my SO) so i can indulge:p
 
EricEricEric said:
Super not worth it, there are far more interesting knives available for that amount
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Gona have to strongly disagree. A non kurouchi gyuto shaped and finished on stones with the intent of allowing the owner to enjoy polishing with a world class fit and finish is most definitely worth over 2k. Belt ground katos are pushing similar numbers. I can't think of a clad knife that's had more time and consideration put into it than a kaiju.
 
zizirex said:
well, i don't know what's your preference. maybe I saw a ****** Kato.
the one that I saw also has small delamination.
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Almost every kato single bevel I've seen has delam on the ura
 
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