Custom Work

I have done quite a bit of custom work throughout the years. If you have a special project in mind, I would love to hear from you!

Before you reach out, I have a few requirements that I’d like you to follow to the best of your ability.
A prepared customer makes for a happy blacksmith, so please read bellow and take a moment to ponder the details of your project.

Know what you want. I’m here to make the thing you need. Sometimes that a very specific item and other times the details don’t matter too much, giving me more room to put my own spin on the project. I appreciate both, but please consider what kind of project yours is.

If you need a very specific item, you should have a design, sketch or reference images ready. I will be helpful with adjusting and improving any design you may have, so you get the best end result.

Have a budget decided upon. I can’t give precise estimates on most projects and I refrain from it if I can. If you have a budget decided upon, it makes it much easier to estimate if the project can be done with the budget you have in mind.

Include your country of residence when asking for shipping prices. I can give you an idea of shipping costs if you provide me with your country of residence.

Be prepared for me to decline. I take a great deal of pride in my work and therefore you shouldn’t be surprised if I choose to say no to a project. I mainly do this for one of two reasons. Either I can’t do the job within your budget or the project is of a scope that doesn’t fit the nature of the work I can do.

When you are ready, please contact me through to contact form located through the main menu. It may take some time for me to get back to you and if it slips my mind, so not hesitate to send another email my way – I won’t mind.

Designing the project for you

If you wish for me to do the design work for the project from the ground up, and approve it based on your requirements, I will be happy to apply my expertise. The charge for a design is 250 Danish kroner an hour.

This extra cost will be paid at the same time as the deposit, and you will receive and keep the design, even if you choose not to go ahead with the project in the end.
In the price for the design is included brainstorming sessions, where you can follow the process in real time and give feedback and approval of the design, if you wish. These design sessions will commonly be done via voice call on Discord.

If you provide a design or the project doesn’t warrant an approved design, this of course isn’t relevant to you.

Deposit and pricing

Large custom projects require a non-refundable deposit equal to 10% of the agreed upon budget. The rest of the balance will be paid after the project is completed and approved by you.

The price of a custom project includes my hourly rate, materials, payment processing fees and shipping costs.

My hourly rate for custom projects is 250 Danish kroner. The material cost will be depending on the project and shipping based on your location. Both can be estimated before the project begins if we have a design available.

Helpful tips for deciding on a budget.

You only need a maximum budget. If the project ends up costing less than the maximum allotted budget, I will adjust the final payment accordingly. I’m not here to rip you off – If that was my intent I would be selling insurance instead.

Consider how many hours you’re willing to pay for, for me to put dedicated work into your project. If you want a hand forged sword, you’ll end up with a higher quality sword if the budget allows me to dedicate 100 hours as opposed to 50 hours. (The minimum budget for a sword is 12500DKK (Equal to 2000USD))

If your budget matches the price of a store-bought item of the same type, the budget is too low. Triple it. The project may be completed far cheaper than that, but I do not compete with mass production. You don’t order custom made to get something cheap – You do it to get something so high quality that your children will pass it unto to their own children.

Physical size isn’t necessarily a good indicator of cost. However, the level of complexity in a piece increases costs exponentially. Smaller items may require a large budget if the level of detail is high or they require a lot of fit and finish.

Estimates for common custom projects.

HEMA one-handed axe heads in mild steel: 450 DKK
HEMA one-handed spear tips in mild steel: 550 DKK
Carving axe head incl. sheath: 1000+ DKK
Axe handle in ash incl. hanging: 450 DKK
Knives: 1000+ DKK
Knife sheaths: 600+ DKK
Leather belts: 880+ DKK