Statement on the prices of Xerxes Knives.

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parbaked said:
I've only named one of my knives and it is "The Predator".
It's an easy mod. I'll PM you link to my video tutorial....
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That’s very kind of you but I think something this game-changing deserves its own thread. This is bigger than Shig transformation imho and I know I, along with others here would follow that closely #kanjeezy
 
Good post. It’s kinda of sad that you even felt the need to have to defend your pricing. I think we all know custom knife makers that are charging too little. I had a conversation with one the other day who was becoming discouraged and had decided to close his books and think things over. If he ends up quitting we all lose, very talented maker.

I’ve had two Xerxes knives, both were well worth the price I paid, one was new and one was used. Both sold very fast when I let them go which speaks highly of your work. I regret letting those blades go actually.

As far as pricing goes I like your approach, very fair. I hope you continue your craft for a long time, your an asset to the community, your talent and experience show.

We are all spoiled at this point. So many outstanding knife makers out in this big world we live in. The Choices are many, only the good ones will stay. Enjoy!
 
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valdim said:
@ptolemy @alterwisser Guys, dont you think these posts about the PhD are spamming the theme?
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hmmm.... they might be OT, but spam?

i mean, what about you discussing your countries average salaries? Is that totally on topic?

Up to the mods to decide, but I don’t care either way, happy to have them deleted. @Matus... your choice. Hope you’re not biased.... having a PhD and all 😜🤭
 
Geigs said:
Nobody needs a Xerxes. Or an Ashi Honyaki, Shig, Kato, TF etc. But lots of people want them. This forum exists because all you knife nerds obsess about things a normal person has never heard of. Nobody needs a Monet or a Caravaggio but I sure as hell want one. Xerxes knives are as much art as function and reflect years spent learning and perfecting a craft to the point he's mastered it. You're paying for the decades of experience as well as all the costs outlined in the OP. I spent a decade in school and got a PhD and made pennies, lived on instant noodles. I loved what I did, and had no family, no house, no expenses. People have to make an income that makes sense for their situation- I do well enough now, and if I was making knives they would be a whole lot more than Xerxes based on hourly incomes.
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Nicely put!

ExistentialHero said:
Making more money with a PhD 😂😂😭😭😭
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:LOL:

Geigs said:
Ha, thanks. Specialized myself into a niche with few jobs. Yay academia! Genetics of mesoderm specification and skeletal development, made decent money in Nth America working in biotech before moving back to Australia where there is zero biotech industry basically.
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Ahh yes... I use the 'clever country'... just like the 'lucky country'. While the latter was coined in irony, the former is supposed to be an aspiration. I am sorry to hear your travels. I have a friend with a post-PhD career that is very similar to yours. Spun their wheels in Australia (and to some extent internationally) for a third of their working life. Gave up academia and joined biotech in America.


Corradobrit1 said:
And as Geigs says the renumeration for PhD's in NA is unparalleled. I laugh and commiserate when I see how the UK values its PhD level scientists. No wonder there's a brain drain.
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It depends on the area. There are definitely some 'hot' qualifications. Others not at all. Before you even get there, American PhD stipends and postdoc positions are woefully paid compared to parts of the EU and even Australia. To be fair, in some small university towns, this is compensated for by super low living costs.



Education is a decent way of ensuring you have a good shot of securing a job that pays a living wage or better. But I wouldn't be surprised if the top echelons of education were negatively correlated with the top echelons of income.
 
Luftmensch said:
It depends on the area. There are definitely some 'hot' qualifications. Others not at all. Before you even get there, American PhD stipends and postdoc positions are woefully paid compared to parts of the EU and even Australia. To be fair, in some small university towns, this is compensated for by super low living costs.
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Probably right. I was fortunate in that I managed to navigate around the Post-Doc slave economy, by working in industry for 5 years and then transitioning into a faculty position in academia. I know some who were trapped in post-doc Purgatory for decades. Their PI's sabotaging advancement.
 
AFKitchenknivesguy said:
Not that I have any interest in getting my PhD or getting into academia, but I have a lot of respect for those who do. My wife thinks I'm crazy for getting my second masters, let alone the work a PhD would ensue.
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I'd think twice about doing a PhD in the US. Can take 5-6 years if lucky, whilst in Europe its 3 years max. I'd completed my further education by 24.
 
Corradobrit1 said:
I know some who were trapped in post-doc Purgatory for decades. Their PI's sabotaging advancement.
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Great phrase: Post-doc purgatory!

I reckon it has to be the highest qualified 'gig economy' around. They are hired from insecure contract to insecure contract, picking up loose ends of research. While academia pulls a decent middle class income, increasingly universities are happy to abuse temporary and part-time contracts. CoVID has made this painfully clear (in Australia) - universities are happy to string staff along on temporary contracts (potentially for decades) and drop them like a stone when it suits them.

For an institution that has one of the highest force multipliers for generating GDP, its industrial relations are rather ugly. I would say that lack of permanency is accepted as a norm - more than in industry or the private sector. Whilst most academics are happy to forego higher incomes, they would likely tell you they would like to sleep comfortably at night knowing they will have a job next year to pay off their mortgages.



AFKitchenknivesguy said:
My wife thinks I'm crazy for getting my second masters, let alone the work a PhD would ensue.
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Good for you! There is zero problem with seeking higher education. This economy is pretty cut-throat. Doing whatever you can to stay ahead is a smart move. You just have to be crystal clear about what opportunities further education will provide. Rarely it will require a PhD... Masters are actually a really good option for further specialised knowledge!

There is also nothing wrong with doing a PhD simply for the joy of pursuing knowledge. Again, you just have to be crystal clear about what the implications of that choice are.
 
Luftmensch said:
Great phrase: Post-doc purgatory!

I reckon it has to be the highest qualified 'gig economy' around. They are hired from insecure contract to insecure contract, picking up loose ends of research. While academia pulls a decent middle class income, increasingly universities are happy to abuse temporary and part-time contracts. CoVID has made this painfully clear (in Australia) - universities are happy to string staff along on temporary contracts (potentially for decades) and drop them like a stone when it suits them.

For an institution that has one of the highest force multipliers for generating GDP, its industrial relations are rather ugly. I would say that lack of permanency is accepted as a norm - more than in industry or the private sector. Whilst most academics are happy to forego higher incomes, they would likely tell you they would like to sleep comfortably at night knowing they will have a job next year to pay off their mortgages.





Good for you! There is zero problem with seeking higher education. This economy is pretty cut-throat. Doing whatever you can to stay ahead is a smart move. You just have to be crystal clear about what opportunities further education will provide. Rarely it will require a PhD... Masters are actually a really good option for further specialised knowledge!

There is also nothing wrong with doing a PhD simply for the joy of pursuing knowledge. Again, you just have to be crystal clear about what the implications of that choice are.
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I agree with your assessment. I think you're in Australia, but in the US for military veterans, we have a GI Bill that, within reason, covers the cost of education and as a bonus give us a housing allowance. I was laid off of my last job (long story, feel free to email me to get the details), so I decided to go back to school instead of find another job. Hence, my focus on education. It should be a bonus, I'm getting an MBA from a top school, whereas my last was a MA.
 
AFKitchenknivesguy said:
I think you're in Australia
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Yes sir :)

AFKitchenknivesguy said:
we have a GI Bill that, within reason, covers the cost of education and as a bonus give us a housing allowance. I was laid off of my last job (long story, feel free to email me to get the details), so I decided to go back to school instead of find another job. Hence, my focus on education. It should be a bonus, I'm getting an MBA from a top school, whereas my last was a MA.
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Definitely! Like I say; the economy is cut throat. If you want the most options in the job market, you have to pull all available levers to accrue saleable skills. Whether that be benefits due to service, opportunities for minorities... or extra accreditation through work. Use all available options to you!!

Broadly speaking, rather than seeking work in a febrile job market, gathering more qualifications might be a better long term strategy (and use of free time). You might have to sacrifice a little now, but you could be better positioned when things start to pick up. Of course this decision depends on whether this luxury is possible/available!

For what it is worth... without knowing the specifics of your situation, it sounds like you are making a good long term decision ;)
 
Luftmensch said:
You might have to sacrifice a little now, but you could be better positioned when things start to pick up
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i think the Problem, that this “promise” of a better life/career prospects with continued education has been eroded for quite some time now.

often it’s now a minimum requirement to get any decent job, and in countries like the US the debt you take on for a decent education now often doesn’t give you job prospects to make up for them.

in general, I think our education systems are broken. We cherish degrees instead of skills and we teach our children stuff they don’t need and with outdated methods to boost.

sorry for the OT
 
alterwisser said:
in general, I think our education systems are broken
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Agreed!

alterwisser said:
but but but .... isn’t that .... socialism??? 🤷🏼‍♂️🤭
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I am not missing the humour in your statement! Not at all... But this is why education is broken!

Degrees still have a lot of value. It is just that the future benefit of undertaking a degree is becoming harder to justify from a financial point of view. This is result of treating education as a user-pays privilege rather than a public good. Is this really where we want to go? If we are sincere about equality of opportunity, there have to be minimal barriers to education... otherwise, where is the social mobility?

I am not ignoring vocational education. We have made a mess of vocational training in Australia. I see vocational and professional education as one and the same. Everybody should have an opportunity to pursue some skill after school.
 
alterwisser said:
i think the Problem, that this “promise” of a better life/career prospects with continued education has been eroded for quite some time now.

often it’s now a minimum requirement to get any decent job, and in countries like the US the debt you take on for a decent education now often doesn’t give you job prospects to make up for them.

in general, I think our education systems are broken. We cherish degrees instead of skills and we teach our children stuff they don’t need and with outdated methods to boost.

sorry for the OT
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I was fortunate to be in the UK education system when degrees were essentially State funded bar the living expenses. And they paid me to study for a PhD which I supplemented by taking part-time locum jobs as a pharmacist, earning $30/hr, which back in late 80's was a sizable sum. After 6 years of formal education I had zero debt. Things have changed somewhat now.
In before the relegation to OT.
 
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AFKitchenknivesguy said:
Not really I earned it, served 21 years with low pay.

PS i get your humor, not really the right context :)
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Glad you are getting an MBA from a top school - it can help open up job doors in the US.
I got mine from a decent school a while back and it helped - in the US, in EU not sure how much value it adds. But it was a fantastic experience for me - learned a a lot and made great friends
 
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