Club Armourer prices

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!


If your club armourer does repairs for personal weapons of club members, what does it cost?

Case 1: You hand in a dead epee to the club armourer (CA). He takes it apart, salvages what can be reused, cleans and rewires the blade, and finally puts it back together.

Case 2: You hand in a bare epee blade to the CA, who rewires it and fixes the tip.

In both cases, it is assumed that the parts cost extra - price is only for work. Remember to cast two votes, if your CA does both cases.


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

[Purple Fencer]

I charge $7 plus parts for rewires. I tend not to charge for a single screw replacement, check the weapon, or repairing a broken body cord...I get more return customers that way...or I get a tip far in excess of what I would've charged for the work.

Same applies when I'm at an event.

[KD5MDK]

Whereas I know an armorer who charges something like $10 per end for a body cord, because he thinks the fencers ought to fix it themselves.

[epeeisky]

My club does not have an armorer. There are about three or four people in our club that knows how to fix a weapon, and will help others. I do not charge to help out a clubmate with a weapon problem. All that I ask is that they pay for their parts. Sometimes I get some very nice cookies out of the deal.

[Beowulfman6]

I don't charge clubmates to fix things: I subscribe to the "teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime" philosophy, so I 'help them fix it themselves' rather than just fixing it for them.

[larkmaj]

Originally Posted by Beowulfman6

I don't charge clubmates to fix things: I subscribe to the "teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime" philosophy, so I 'help them fix it themselves' rather than just fixing it for them.

I work basically the same way. Since it's a college club we really shouldn't charge for repairs anyway. The only thing we charge is for parts beyond screws. If somebody comes in with a personal weapon that needs fixing, they will usually end up fixing it themselves with an armorer over their shoulder if need be. This is a technically minded school so the fencers usually don't have too much trouble in figuring out how to fix their own equipment.

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!


When I write this, there have been 17 voters, and there are 14 votes for each case. Therefore, there should have been 11 voters who have voted for both cases, and 3 who have only voted for case 1, and 3 who have only voted for case 2.

Case 1 seems to have a median of about 5$, a little less than I had expected.
Case 2 shows a strange bimodal distrubution - either it is for free, or costs a lot.


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

[yeoldearmourer]

I changre more then most club armourers but I have 30 years of expenice to back up my prices.

[fencerbill]

Please also remember that when Tim or anyone else fixes equipment at NACs that they also have to pay for travel, hotel, meals, sometimes booth fees, etc. Even vendors like Blue Gauntlet; if he is fixing equipment he has had to hire another person to work in the booth while he fixes things. There is no free lunch.

[Joe biebel]

I charge $40.00 to $60.00 per hour. I have the the heavier tools (grinders, cutters, etc.) for working tangs etc., that allow me to do a lot of work in that hour. I prefer to have our club people learn how to fix, set-up, and alter their gear. We will be doing more armoring clinics soon, and; I will always be happy to have the customer watch the work being done. In fact, I prefer it. Some will watch, some won't, some have more money than sense and just want their stuff working perfectly. The only problem with that is, stuff happens. Four perfect weapons can "go down" during a meet for one reason or another. That's why simple repairs are important to know how to do. Also, you don't want to be paying someone $60.00 an hour just to adjust tips and tape things that you could easily learn and do.

[yeoldearmourer]

My standerd chagre is 40.00 to 60.00 dollars and hr but it depend on what and how fast I can get back up. I have seen prefect weapons go bad on the time on strip. this is were my knowledge is worth the price to pay. But like most armourer I welcome people to come and watch and ask questions at no charge I even had a self help area setup at NAC for those who what to do themseleve with free advice

[penguin_2000]

I charge ~$15 to rewire a blade... but not because my time is worth that... I just want to discourage people from asking me to rewire their blades.

[jjefferies]

Originally Posted by penguin_2000

I charge ~$15 to rewire a blade... but not because my time is worth that... I just want to discourage people from asking me to rewire their blades.

Likewise I charge USD $15.00 to rewire a blade. Considering that I have to maintain a supply of acetone to clean it, use wire brushes, etc to clean off rust etc that many fencers can't be bothered with, as well as getting spare parts it's probably a bargain. Especially here in the SF Bay Area. And like several others here I'm trying to force fencers to learn to take care of their own blades. I'm sure Mr. Loomis has his stories. But I've rewired old blades and then had the fencers complain that the blade broke in the first tournament they used it in. Likewise I have one blade at the moment that I rewired but the bloke didn't return to the salle for a month or more. So I got tired of schlepping it around. If he can be bothered to call and let me know he's coming I'll bring it. Otherwise after some period I'll figure it's mine. Also I am offering to help fencers learn how to maintain their own weapons becuase 1.) I figure all warriors should know how to maintain their own weapons though there's lots of evidence this has never been a universal belief. 2.) It really does eat into my time especially just before tournaments when I want to focus on my own weapons. I remain the club aromorer because I believe it's in my own best interest that reels and scoring machines work and I hate fencing with questionable or intermittently working hardware.

[yeoldearmourer]

On my repair tickets I have a statements that items left more then 30 days I retain the right to sell the the item. I was having a hugh number of blades to rewire at NACs so I raise the price to 20.00 for rewire and the number of rewires increase go firque. But there are people that justed can't fixs weapons they dont understand how they work. I do want I called a tune up for 10.00 adjust the springs replace the tip and screw and clean the barrell and just make sure everything work. There are some National ranked armourers that think you should repaired fencers weapons for free and not even Charge for parts.

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by yeoldearmourer

On my repair tickets I have a statements that items left more then 30 days I retain the right to sell the the item. I was having a hugh number of blades to rewire at NACs so I raise the price to 20.00 for rewire and the number of rewires increase go firque. But there are people that justed can't fixs weapons they dont understand how they work. I do want I called a tune up for 10.00 adjust the springs replace the tip and screw and clean the barrell and just make sure everything work. There are some National ranked armourers that think you should repaired fencers weapons for free and not even Charge for parts.

New tip included?

A bargain, specially for German.

[yeoldearmourer]

2.00 extra for german tip

[Go? Fencing?]

I give the person three choices- either they stay and help me fix it and therefore learn how to do it, they just have me do it and I'll charge them (this has never happened so I don't actually have a price), or they can find someone else to do it. Most people choose the first option.

[fencerbill]

Originally Posted by yeoldearmourer

2.00 extra for german tip

Still a bargain, specially at a NAC.

[Purple Fencer]

Armor prices aren't only dicated by the work performed or by a desire to encourage people do tape their own blades.

I tend to do my vendoring at the same venues every year, so I tend to see the same people a lot. Does me no good to charge them a higher rate for repairs...that would drive them to another vendor when they actually need to buy something.

The lower rate -- including not charging for some work -- brings 'em back when they HAVE to pull the credit card out.