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@KAMON Knives a very fair and balanced rebuttal. For what it's worth, I do agree with a large portion of your points and understand where you're coming from. I did mention alternative approaches that I find more fit my own subjective judgement of fairness, but you said fairness wasn't a priority so they won't carry much water.

You're probably right that there's a shadow secondary market that isn't visible on BST, through DMs and such, since public BST pricing is basically equal to cost. I would argue that MSRP is also a matter of anchoring the perception of value. Even though people might say that a knife is cheap for what it is (Shindo?), it's rare that you see (though again, maybe in DMs?) someone asking for significantly more than that price.

But as I said, it's your choice, you just can't expect everyone to think it's virtuous to charge as much as possible as long as there's sufficient demand. I promise I'm not mad at you personally, or bitter that I'm priced out, or jealous, or any of the other overly easy explanations for someone being salty on the internet. I've just never been one to support overly conspicuous consumption, and my disagreements are mostly philosophical rather than specific to you as a maker or person.

Also, I do applaud you for the Gen3 project as well for making a more utilitarian product.
 
Thank you for sharing the logic and the background. I appreciate it.

The policy enacts a perfectly natural phenomenon:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preferential_attachment
also shows up, astonishingly, in the theory of Bose-Einstein condensation, via the Bianconi–Barabási model.

In the present setting, preferential attachment leads to a fascinating monopoly/oligopsony efficiency.

7412
 
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I did mention alternative approaches that I find more fit my own subjective judgement of fairness, but you said fairness wasn't a priority so they won't carry much water.

7413

Thx for understanding.

I just want to say real quick: I didn't mean to imply fairness wouldn't be a priority. It actually is for me. I just meant that there is no objective way to fairness. Everyone has a different understanding and perception of it. Some will tell you that it's fair to supply those who are willing to pay most. Others will say fair is a random draw. A bunch might think first come first serve. And so on. There would be many contradicting examples.
Fact is that you'll never be able to satisfy everyone.
 
7413

Thx for understanding.

I just want to say real quick: I didn't mean to imply fairness wouldn't be a priority. It actually is for me. I just meant that there is no objective way to fairness. Everyone has a different understanding and perception of it. Some will tell you that it's fair to supply those who are willing to pay most. Others will say fair is a random draw. A bunch might think first come first serve. And so on. There would be many contradicting examples.
Fact is that you'll never be able to satisfy everyone.
No good deed goes unpunished! And very much to your credit, you haven’t adopted the common practice in the wristwatch universe whereby customers are required to purchase less desirable items before purchasing more desirable items (i.e., requiring potential customers to buy their way into purchasing, rather than random draw!)

7414
 
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I did not want to stink up a BST thread with this. But when the title starts with Comet Honyaki … the stargazer in me clenches. Is there one I missed?

1737259568827.png
 
7416

More payment methods should be added to BST as an option. While I understand the ask to only list items with paypal G&S more options should be added. At the end of the day both buyer and seller should enter an agreement both feel comfortable with it, but why not be upfront about it?

A few things to consider:
  • With new tax regulation paypal and venmo will give you a 1099-k if you received more than $5k in G&S in 2024 and 2.5k in 2025. Goverment's end goal is a $600 limit in 2026 I believe. Paypal F&F and Zelle don't count.
  • a 1099-k will make tax season more complicated. All your sales will be reported as income and it's up to you if you want to declare any losses (which most of people in this hobby have)
  • Paypal has very stric policies for refunds and returns which puts seller's at a disadvantage (e.g. I have seen people in reddit complain because there is a scratch on their new knife).
 
7416

More payment methods should be added to BST as an option. While I understand the ask to only list items with paypal G&S more options should be added. At the end of the day both buyer and seller should enter an agreement both feel comfortable with it, but why not be upfront about it?

A few things to consider:
  • With new tax regulation paypal and venmo will give you a 1099-k if you received more than $5k in G&S in 2024 and 2.5k in 2025. Goverment's end goal is a $600 limit in 2026 I believe. Paypal F&F and Zelle don't count.
  • a 1099-k will make tax season more complicated. All your sales will be reported as income and it's up to you if you want to declare any losses (which most of people in this hobby have)
  • Paypal has very stric policies for refunds and returns which puts seller's at a disadvantage (e.g. I have seen people in reddit complain because there is a scratch on their new knife).

7417

I can't be bothered to look it up, but my understanding was that if you are selling a good and using PayPal, it is a Paypal rule to specify G&S and the forum was just enforcing that.

As with everything, buyer and seller can agree to whatever method they choose - I've done G&S, F&F, Interac (Canadian direct bank transfers) and cash.

G&S is about the only protection a buyer has against fraud sales - account gets hacked, lists an item at a deal, collects money via F&F and is gone. Has happened here a number of times over the last couple of years. So as a standard the forum defaults to a method where the buyer has protection. I saw on a much bigger forum I'm on they went from allowing F&F to G&S for the exact same reason.
 
7416

More payment methods should be added to BST as an option. While I understand the ask to only list items with paypal G&S more options should be added. At the end of the day both buyer and seller should enter an agreement both feel comfortable with it, but why not be upfront about it?

A few things to consider:
  • With new tax regulation paypal and venmo will give you a 1099-k if you received more than $5k in G&S in 2024 and 2.5k in 2025. Goverment's end goal is a $600 limit in 2026 I believe. Paypal F&F and Zelle don't count.
  • a 1099-k will make tax season more complicated. All your sales will be reported as income and it's up to you if you want to declare any losses (which most of people in this hobby have)
  • Paypal has very stric policies for refunds and returns which puts seller's at a disadvantage (e.g. I have seen people in reddit complain because there is a scratch on their new knife).

7418

I pulled out of a sale because a pretty new member wanted me to send a PayPal invoice for a knife and use G&S, even though we're both inside the EU and bank transfers are fee-less.

It just seemed like tempting fate to go through with it and end up without any money or knife. He hasn't posted anything since then, so I feel like I maybe dodged a bullet? Whatever, sold it through KnifeMarket so it's moot now.
 
7416

More payment methods should be added to BST as an option. While I understand the ask to only list items with paypal G&S more options should be added. At the end of the day both buyer and seller should enter an agreement both feel comfortable with it, but why not be upfront about it?

A few things to consider:
  • With new tax regulation paypal and venmo will give you a 1099-k if you received more than $5k in G&S in 2024 and 2.5k in 2025. Goverment's end goal is a $600 limit in 2026 I believe. Paypal F&F and Zelle don't count.
  • a 1099-k will make tax season more complicated. All your sales will be reported as income and it's up to you if you want to declare any losses (which most of people in this hobby have)
  • Paypal has very stric policies for refunds and returns which puts seller's at a disadvantage (e.g. I have seen people in reddit complain because there is a scratch on their new knife).
7419

You can ask more options in DM, I did Wise, Venmo and Zelle, some people even do check, cash or indentured service
 
7421

For my next knife sale, maybe I'll post a $400 knife for $1000 and bump every day with a $5 price drop at a time to see how long before someone sends me a message.
I’ll patiently wait for the $1000 knife posted for $400.
7426

I put that shxt on everything!”

The ignore button is self care. Here, insta, Reddit, any and everywhere. Anything annoying, dumb, or I just plain ol don’t have time for. BYE.
With this context, I see that every Angry reaction from you is a signal honor. (touches brim of hat)

pantone-color-chip-7427-u.webp
 
#7434

Seeing a lot of news on incoming tariffs for Canada, Europe, China and Japan and vice versa for the US should they indeed happen.
Do you guys think knives or even in general hobbies that include buying globaly will take a hit?

Considering I see knives on BST regularly on very attractive price points for conus, for example stuff from Hitohira - but for EU those would instantly cost 150-200$ more because of VAT if purchased through a shop, which kind of pushes them into almost custom territory and make them way less desirable,
I am kind of wondering if that might kill off certain shops for the other side of the globe.
Same as Brexit kind of killed any reasonable purchase from the UK for EU people as an example.

Probably way to early to get worried, but do you guys think it might be possible the US get's a similiar big tax on imports?
 
I do. The promise has been for unilateral tariffs from the US and the feds up here at both levels are promising to match any tariffs dollar per dollar.

Personally, my business would not survive a 25% tariff. 98% of my business is to the U.S, and the biggest reason I have almost none in Europe is their 27%+ VAT. That said, I'm not folding if it happens. Folks are just going to be receiving underinsured/uninsured packages and I'm going to have to accept the hit if they get lost.

Also this is edging into political territory and I realize I'm no mod, but if this is going to be discussed at all and without being deleted/locked I think it's best if any personal feelings and opinions about the tariffs and associated administration be kept out of the discussion.
 
As a Canadian buyer, this will likely only hit stuff that I might buy from a US source.

As it is though, I approach any purchases outside the country with a certain amount of caution. With exchange and taxes, my last US purchase was approximately 1.4x the US price. Last euro purchase was 1.7x once I got it to my door. It takes a knife that wasn't too bad on its original currency and makes it very expensive in mine.

7436
 
I do. The promise has been for unilateral tariffs from the US and the feds up here at both levels are promising to match any tariffs dollar per dollar.

Personally, my business would not survive a 25% tariff. 98% of my business is to the U.S, and the biggest reason I have almost none in Europe is their 27%+ VAT. That said, I'm not folding if it happens. Folks are just going to be receiving underinsured/uninsured packages and I'm going to have to accept the hit if they get lost.

Also this is edging into political territory and I realize I'm no mod, but if this is going to be discussed at all and without being deleted/locked I think it's best if any personal feelings and opinions about the tariffs and associated administration be kept out of the discussion.
Can personally say as well that the VAT factor makes your blades, which are otherwise very fairly priced, IMO, just not really worth the risk that it won't be a keeper...

$400, after VAT, customs and shipping is more like $600+, which is a pretty different price category.

7437
 
#7438

but if this is going to be discussed at all and without being deleted/locked I think it's best if any personal feelings and opinions about the tariffs and associated administration be kept out of the discussion.
Agreed, that is also not my intention. I simply don't know where else to put this thematic.

It is mostly curiosity - for example since we recently have had a lot of awesome collabs from different people from different countries I wonder what will happen to those.
If a shop or even if KKF has an idea for a collab but it consists of the knife going through potentially 3 different zones with tariffs before it ends with the final customer - that does sound super uncool to put it slightly...
 
Can personally say as well that the VAT factor makes your blades, which are otherwise very fairly priced, IMO, just not really worth the risk that it won't be a keeper...

$400, after VAT, customs and shipping is more like $600+, which is a pretty different price category.

7437
Yeah, and I really do sympathise with that. I think it would take working with a European retailer buying batches of knives for me to be able to drop my prices enough to compensate for the VAT.

#7438


Agreed, that is also not my intention. I simply don't know where else to put this thematic.

It is mostly curiosity - for example since we recently have had a lot of awesome collabs from different people from different countries I wonder what will happen to those.
If a shop or even if KKF has an idea for a collab but it consists of the knife going through potentially 3 different zones with tariffs before it ends with the final customer - that does sound super uncool to put it slightly...
Oh I understand that wasn't what you're doing, but best to try an head it off lest it come from someone else.

And yeahhh it certainly does.
 
I do. The promise has been for unilateral tariffs from the US and the feds up here at both levels are promising to match any tariffs dollar per dollar.

Personally, my business would not survive a 25% tariff. 98% of my business is to the U.S, and the biggest reason I have almost none in Europe is their 27%+ VAT. That said, I'm not folding if it happens. Folks are just going to be receiving underinsured/uninsured packages and I'm going to have to accept the hit if they get lost.

Also this is edging into political territory and I realize I'm no mod, but if this is going to be discussed at all and without being deleted/locked I think it's best if any personal feelings and opinions about the tariffs and associated administration be kept out of the discussion.
To be fair, the price difference for Europeans isn't just because of the VAT. It's also because transatlantic also adds significant cost. And then the VAT gets calculated on the price of the item + the cost of shipping... So the added expense really starts adding up. It's far less problematic for stuff ordered from for example Japan where, even if you get hit for taxes the shipping charge is often a trivially low amount.
 
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