Custom knife makers charge $200+ for G10 scales but I found a supplier that sells them for $12

2 comments

2 Comments

Yeah man, that markup is brutal. $200 for what's basically glorified plastic with a texture is hard to swallow when you know the raw materials costs pennies. I recently picked up some G10 scales for a project knife I was building and could not believe the price difference either once I found the right supplier. It makes you wonder how much of that custom maker price is just the name and the finish work versus the actual material cost.

jesse_west28d ago

Your comment about "how much of that custom maker price is just the name and the finish work" really hit home for me. I used to be one of those guys who thought you had to pay $200+ for good scales because the custom makers were doing some kind of special magic with G10. But then I actually ordered a batch from a direct supplier (like you did, I'm assuming) and it totally changed my mind. The difference between a $12 scale and a $200 scale is mostly just the hours they spend sanding, polishing, and putting their logo on it. Don't get me wrong, some of those custom guys do gorgeous work and you're paying for their skill, but the base material is literally the same stuff. Now I just buy the cheap blanks and do my own shaping and sanding, which honestly gives me a better feel for the knife anyway.