New collectors and others unfamiliar with custom knives often ask, “Why are Rockstead Knives so expensive?

For those who wince when paying $50 or $100 for a well-known brand of knife, the market price for a custom, hand-assembled Rockstead Knife may seem exorbitant. This is due to common flaws in how the public at large view handmade goods.

Residents of the United States who are accustomed to free market capitalism have grown accustomed to certain realities that shape our thinking. These realities were spawned in the early booming days of consumerism that predate World War II and came to full fruition during the 1970s and 1980s. Our society was weaned away from slow, methodical craftsmanship and introduced to new industrial processes that promised we could “have it now” and “have it cheap.”

Comparing Apples to Oranges

Early America was similar to other countries in that practically everything was manufactured by hand by some specialist or other, from wagons, to bricks to radios to – knives. Practically everyone was a craftsman of some sort and most people lived at about the same economic level. It was not uncommon for payments to be made between “specialists” by trading goods in-kind:

  • Legal work for produce
  • Lumber for labor
  • Forged metal goods for other handmade goods

With the Industrial Revolution came mechanized processes for manufacturing, the assembly line, and mass production of goods. Good jobs meant that the public had more money to spend. The craftsman who made 50 knives every month was outperformed by a mechanical assembly line that saw five people produce 500 knives per day. Suddenly, goods of every kind were available in plentiful quantities. Although they were of only mediocre quality, they lasted for a while. If and when it broke or wore out, many more were available cheaply.

Those asking “Why are Rockstead Knives so expensive?” are accustomed to enjoying a wide variety of goods, including knives, available at any number of stores and all of usable quality, for affordable prices. It is the same as comparing apples to oranges. Both are fruit; but that is where the similarity ends. Rockstead Knives and other mass-produced brands are both knives – and that is where the similarity ends.

Why Are Rockstead Knives So Expensive? A Heritage of Craftsmanship and Quality

The truest answer to “Why are Rockstead Knives so expensive?” is because they are an investment in superior craftsmanship and quality that has impressed the world for hundreds of years. Built on the unmatched heritage of Japanese-made cutlery, Rockstead Knives are premium products that are each hand-crafted by a master craftsman using ancient principles and modern technology.

Rockstead (the English translation of the company founder’s name) is built on a solid foundation of manufacturing edged implements for utilitarian purposes, and that foundation is still at the core of their products – superior cutting tools. A small team of Rockstead master craftsmen each perform a certain role in the manufacturing process of every knife produced. The roles overlap to guarantee superior quality control.

Why are Rockstead Knives so expensive?

  • Superior hardened and mirror-polished steel blades
  • Proprietary hand-manufacturing processes that produce only small batches of 10-25 knives at a time
  • Unique shaping and design for every model of knife produced
  • Every model is tailored for the human hand for superior utility and ease of use

Your investment in any model of Rockstead Knife purchases hundreds of years of superior knife-making technology and know-how. How do you calculate a price for that? How do you enumerate the value of a world-renowned knife-making heritage? Rockstead Knives are priced accordingly to reflect their quality, uniqueness, and the fact that you have purchased a piece of history that will last.

Fort Henry Custom Knives in Kingsport, TN is your authorized, direct dealer for Rockstead Knives. Visit our online store to view our current Rockstead Knives collection and sign up to receive notifications of new shipments when they arrive.