Aloha,
I have a curious question about custom board prices. I live on Kauai and usually get my custom boards from smaller local shapers who just sell and work on the island here. I’ve been interested in trying out some of the bigger named shapers on Oahu, like Minami, Bushman, Pang, etc., and notice that it costs about $80 more to order a custom than to buy one off the rack or on websites. Why does it cost a shaper more to make a custom board than to make one for a rack, assuming the only difference is basic width, thickness, and height? At 6’4" 190lbs, finding one off the rack is a daunting task.
Also, some Oahu companies will ship boards for free to the mainland, but charge $40 to ship to neighbor islands. Could this be because there isn’t much of a market out here or what?
Just wondering,
Hohono
Quote:
Aloha,
Why does it cost a shaper more to make a custom board than to make one for a rack, assuming the only difference is basic width, thickness, and height? At 6’4" 190lbs, finding one off the rack is a daunting task.
I’m assuming that you would want to convey all of the specifications and nuances to the shaper at hand. Giving and receiving this information can be, and is time consuming. Being off of the line, work’s not getting done, so it’s easy to say it’s at least a couple hours of time.
Hmm, that makes sense as long as you take time away from the shaper. But what about when you send in dims? It seems like it would take the same time to make my 6’6x19x2.5 vs the 6’6x19.5x2.6 he’s making for the racks or whatever. Most of these bigger shapers don’t want to talk to you and want you to send them an order form only.
you have access to some of the worlds best shapers on Kauai at locals-only pricing so why would you want to downgrade elsewhere for a higher cost?
Alot of the off the racks are machine cut and ghost finished never seeing the hands of the named shaper which is why those are cheaper. Volume also makes things cheaper. Typically there’s alot of people involved in the process so a custom becomes custom to everyone involved and everyone gets a cut…
Actually most off the rack boards outside of the retail, blue crush and japanese mark-up markets are more expensive than getting a good board from a shaper you’ve spend some time developed a relationship with if you go direct. The problem is the wait…
It still a good way to go if you know what you want cause you can actually handle the end product before you decide to take it home.
Thanks Onuela,
I agree we have some great shapers here and I’m happy with the relationship I have with my shaper, but sometimes I just want a change just for fun. I am not interested in going towards the super mass marketed labels, but I am curious and interested in trying some of the Oahu shapers like Bushman.
Anyway, what you said about ghost shapers worries me because I know this happens a lot. I only thought that was a problem with big names like CI, JC, Rusty, etc, but I guess mid sized Hawaii guys could do that too and we would never know. Some labels will have the “ghost” sign the board sometimes, and sometimes not.
Do you think it’s wise to completely stay away from off the rack boards or these no contact custom orders because you really don’t know if that shaper even touched the board?
if you buy enough boards and know what you want does it really matter who made it?
the thing in the racks should scream your name and make you stop dead in your tracks when you see it.
the nice thing about off the rack is you can pull it out if they let you
caress and eyeball it’s curves and or imperfections if there’s any and make a decision if this the “the one”
some times just holding a board under your arm will tell you alot based on all the countless boards you’ve had in the past.
then it’s just a matter of whether it’s worth the cost or the heartache it’ll cause when you bring another home to join all the others… Sometimes its a no brainer most of the time it isn’t.
The odds are high of getting burned in one way or another by going custom with anyone doing volume who doesn’t know who the hell you are from a stone in the ground. You can tell the shaper that really wants you to be happy by the amount of time and personal contact they want to make with the customer before carving up the foam. When it’s from an anonymous order sheet you could probably could get samething from one their surftechboardworkssouthpointvietnam plugs. I know alot of shapers who won’t take an order unless they can talk to the client first.
Bottomline is if you really know what you want and can articulate it in a manner coherent to the shaper then it shouldn’t matter that they don’t know who you are.
Figure out how you approach this: Ride what you like. or… Like what you ride. Then you can think about how you order and use your boards.
It sounds like you use a lot of boards if you can get another board “just for fun”. Well if cost no issue and it’s “just for fun”, get several and make your decision thereafter.
Really, who gives a rat’s azz about whether the board was handshaped or machine shaped/hand finished? It’s what you get at the end that counts, and how well you ride it. What matter the process?
I lean toward the opinion that the machine, with its more exacting reporduciblity, is a good thing, and I expect an operation with any significant volume will use one. I don’t object to that. Getting your shorts in a twist about whether a board is machine- or hand-shaped is vanity. The phrase “this ain’t the mainland” comes to mind.
Custom prices :$100.00
$200.00 - if you want to watch.
$500.00 - if you want to help.
Your the man Herb…
…So true.
…LOL…
Takes 2x longer when the customer is watching…
And is 2x the amount of work if they want to help
…Ian…
Build your own,glass your own,
it will be …custom…
80 dollars per board for talking
endlessly to a custom er
who may or may not hear and comprehend wha?
is being said
because of
syntax or patois
ordering a board fromsome one geographicly
or within reach physicaly and or socialy
removes potential charisma fuel.
I.E.
far away mysterious magic man U facture
wow.
or same ol dave waiting for his dog to come back
from the vet after the car wrreck
custom airy shaper care free soul that he is
cant decide to shape or watch t.v.
free shipping to the mainland
is a ploy for business
attractie no?
maybe you could ship it for frreeee to your cousins house and pick it up when you go for christmas and bring it home /
many custom?
boards with deliniated dimension requests just dont work.
80$ might just be to cover returns hastles like even if there aint any returns accepted…
…ambrose…
just a thought
a board in the hand is worth two from oahu…
Check your PM. Info for you.