How do you guys usually price your decorative wraps? I never do them for my tournament bass guys, but I had a request for a chevron fade (red to black) about 3" long.

Email me if you don't mind sharing but don't want to post it publicly. Thanks.

What is your time worth per hour?
Multiply your hours time time the number of hours to do the wrap.

Take care
REW

Alex

When I first started doing decorative wraps it took me forever to do a simple chevron now it takes about fifteen minutes. If I charged by the hour my wraps would have gone from extremely expensive and low quality to low cost and high quality. Early on I decided that the only fair way would be to charge by the inch and the complexity. I start out at $8.00 and inch for simple chevrons and diamond wraps and add $2.00 an inch per level of complexity. A three inch chevron would come out to be $8.00 an inch, double chevron would be $10.00 and inch, a simple closed wrap would be $12.00 an inch, and so on as the complexity increases.

Thomas F. Thornhill

My price for a rod includes a buttwrap, whether I do one or not. But if I didn't, for a simple fading chevron, I can't imagine charging much more than maybe 20 - 30 bucks.

I've noticed over the years that a majority of people want/enjoy buttwraps. But they don't like to pay a lot of cash for decoration. I like to think of it this way: I would never pay extra for leather seats in a new car. But if the car I wanted happened to come with leather seats standard, which is part of what commanded the price, I'll happily take them and not insist on cloth, especially if the price doesn't change. A fine shotgun doesn't shoot any better with engraving.... it doesn't shoot any worse either. The folks who don't like engraving, generally just don't want to pay a guy like Ray Cover for his work. But they durn sure well covet it!

It is rather amazing how many fishermen lose the "I want function, not looks" thought process, when they find out that they can have both with no cost difference. The exceptions are always bass pros or bass fishermen who fancy themselves as pros. It always saddens me a little how they look at fishing rods as no more than disposable tools. Maybe I'm just a bit sentimental when it comes to things like guns and rods.

Thomas' formula is similar to what we use. We start at $10/in.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

Mick,
The reason that you stated is exactly why a builder should not get too attached to his/her work.

After all - for a fisherman (not a collector), a rod is exactly that - a disposable tool.

A rod is for one reason only - catch fish.
Of course some rods are built for decoration, are never used and spend their life on a wall or in a closet somewhere.

But, if you are honest with yourself, a rod is nothing more; nor nothing less than a tool to be used to catch fish.

Is a custom rod pretty to some folks - you bet. Is a custom rod better to catch fish - you bet: for some fisherman.

So, a rod, is a rod, is a rod.
Having said that, I will never go back to using a production rod for my fishing, and the bulk of my clients won't either.

Take care
Roger

I'm with Mick on this one. Generally the saltwater guys I build for want a butt wrap, so my price includes a basic chevron or diamond wrap (my choice) whether it is done or not.

It is not very often that they want more than this either, just something down there really. They are not fancy butt wraps by any means and only 2 axis, but it has that added value if they wish to ever sell it to someone else.

Thanks. I do only bass rods and wraps are definitely the exception. Mick - remember, these guys have 15 rods sitting in the boat and they are money making tools. They may have a favorite, but chances are the favorite rod matches the favorite technique. It's also seen as added weight,. They (or the ones I deal with) want straight up black. In the words of Bill Stevens... STEALTH. They actually say "I don't want any colors on it."

Coming from a shooting background, I agree. I've seen guys easily drop $15k in a shotgun - exhibition grade wood, engraving, etc. Sometimes it's more a work of art and it is highly admired. I even had some engraving etc done on my competition gun. But my personal tournament fishing rods? Pretty much all black.

I do appreciate the help though. Not meant to offend, I just think bass rods are a different market.