Are you a blacksmith interested in tapping into the bustling Etsy marketplace with your handmade kitchen knives?

This niche, revered for its blend of artistry and functionality, presents a unique opportunity for extra revenue.

Dive into the world of handcrafted kitchen knives on Etsy, where the melding of ancient craftsmanship and modern eCommerce creates a tantalizing scene for success.

Should you join the ranks of skilled artisans on this popular platform?

Let’s find out.

The size of the handcrafted kitchen knife market on Etsy

Although there are a range of available platforms where handmade kitchen knives can be purchased, Etsy is perhaps the best place to look.

Why?

The marketplace is popular for its unparalleled diversity when it comes to man-made, creative products.

For sellers, this screams opportunity.

But let’s see if market data supports this theory.

When analyzing the potential of a market, it’s essential to understand its size. This will help you determine whether the niche is large enough for you to compete in and whether there is buyer demand to satisfy.

A quick search on Etsy for “kitchen knives” displays a total of 114,298 products. Although not exceptionally high, this number indicates that the market is well-developed, with substantial competition.

Our search also exposed the variety in the segment. Some of the recommended search phrases Etsy’s algorithm suggests include “kitchen knife sets” and “kitchen knife holders”.

These searches create more space for creative products and portfolio diversification for artisans.

The buyer demand for kitchen knives

Once we established the existing market for kitchen knife products, we explored the consumer interest towards these items.

Using Sale Samurai, we found that the monthly search volume for the keyword “kitchen knives” is only 26. Put otherwise, only around 30 people search for this term monthly.

To make things even more challenging, the competition level of the keyword is 110,482.

Imagine entering a niche where 110,482 listings are competing to attract 26 shoppers. Especially for new entrants, this can be described as a mission impossible.

We researched the singular form “kitchen knife” to check if the results would be any different. Unfortunately, Sale Samurai reports 26 monthly searches for this keyword.

We also identified additional phrases that are popular in the niche. Some of them generate slightly higher search volumes than the seed keyword:

• Handmade knife kitchen – 17
• Japanese kitchen knife – 18
• Floral kitchen knives – 19
• Kitchen knives vintage – 19
• Kitchen knives dragon – 20
• Custom kitchen knife – 28
• Engraved kitchen knife – 29
• Forged kitchen knife – 50
• Cleaver kitchen knife – 212
• Damascus kitchen knife – 452

Next to each keyword is its monthly search volume.

What instantly becomes clear is the demand for personalized, custom-made products in this segment.

Furthermore, a few interesting sub-niches appear, including Japanese, floral, dragon, vintage, and Damascus knives.

However, the list demonstrates that even the most popular keywords only have a search volume of less than 500.

This creates uncertainties regarding the potential of this niche.

Popular tags used for listing optimization

Throughout our keyword research, we identified the trending tags that bestsellers use to improve rankings.

Unlike keywords, tags live in the back end of your listing. They are entirely responsible for informing the Etsy algorithm about the nature of your product. Via the use of adequate tags, you can reach the right audience.

The dominating tags for the keyword “kitchen knives” are:

• Handmade knife – 22
• Kitchen knife – 26
• Kitchen knives – 28
• Chef knife – 877
• Damascus knife – 1,033
• Birthday gift – 190,459
• Gift for her – 267,132
• Christmas gift – 271,091
• Anniversary gift – 271,387
• Gift for him – 271,606

This piece of information enables us to make several important conclusions.

First, kitchen knives are a popular gift and some of the leading occasions include Christmas, anniversaries, and birthdays.

Second, contrary to common belief, they’re more frequently bought for women as opposed to men (although there is only a slight difference between search volumes).

Third, it seems that while the main keyword “kitchen knives” doesn’t stand out with a high search volume, combining it with other phrases can take your listings to new heights.

The profitability in the niche

Your profitability as an Etsy seller is dictated by numerous factors, such as production investments, shipping expenses, and storage costs. This makes it difficult to forecast the profitability of other knife creators.

However, by knowing the minimum, maximum, and average prices in the market, you can project your own revenue.

According to Sale Samurai, these numbers in the kitchen knife space are:

• Minimum price – $0.96
• Maximum price – $556.96
• Average price – $131.06

For most new entrants, we strongly recommend pricing around the market average ($131).

This strategy will enable you to gain a competitive edge and quickly attract attention.

A sneak peek into the kitchen knife bestsellers

Now that we’ve laid the foundations, it’s time to explore how our findings fit reality.

What are some of the most successful Etsy shops doing to make their kitchen knives sell like hotcakes?

One of the items we dissect is the “16-Piece Japanese Knife Block Set, Natural Acacia Wood – Beautifully Engraved Chef Knife Set, Steak Knives, Kitchen Shears – Green Resin” listing.

This beautiful Japanese knife set sells for $168.74 (close to the average in the market but slightly higher).

The listing contains high-search keywords, such as “Japanese knife”, “knife block set”, “engraved chef knife”, “chef knife”, and “steak knives”. The title is extremely rich, presenting the type of product, the size, the style, and the target audience.

The images supporting this product are of high quality, presenting the knives in a realistic setting from different angles.

All of these tactics make this product relevant for a specific buyer group.

It’s sold by the SenkenKnives shop, which has a total of 73 products for sale and 1,164 reviews.

The entire product portfolio of SenkenKnives is centered around kitchen knives. This artisan offers Damascus chef knives, steak knife sets, cleaver knives, high-carbon chef knives, knife sharpeners, and more.

Prices range between $35.99 and $397.49, covering different target audiences and budgets.

Another listing that performs well is “10 inch Gyuto (Japanese Style) Chef Knife”. This item is priced at $130.74 ($1 less than the market average) and is sold by the ForgeToTable shop.

Similarly to the first example, the listing title contains the size of the knife (10 inches), the style (Japanese), and the target audience (chefs).

This confirms that a rich and diverse title is vital in the kitchen knife niche.

Altogether, the shop has received 1,090 reviews for a total of 37 products available for sale. Prices start at $4.80, where the most expensive knife set is $349.

The seller’s visual signature is positioning the knives next to food. This helps create the ideal real-life setting and captures attention in an instant.

Should you enter the handcrafted kitchen knife niche on Etsy?

At the start of our market exploration, we uncovered that not many shoppers browse for kitchen knives on the platform.

At the same time, when analyzing the bestsellers we identified that shops focusing entirely on kitchen knives receive more than 1,000 reviews, suggesting high sales volumes.

In addition, we unearthed various sub-niches, opening the doors to extra money-making opportunities.

Overall, insights reveal that kitchen knives can be a profitable venture, given that you enter the market with a reliable sales strategy.

Make sure to optimize your listing titles for keywords, describing your product’s type, style, size, and ideal audience. Price near the market average for competitiveness and support your listing with professional photos in diverse settings.

Conclusion

To turn your kitchen knife Etsy shop into a success story, you’ll need access to market data and powerful insights.

With Sale Samurai, you can research your competitors, discover high-search-volume keywords, and set the perfect prices.

Don’t forget to use this advanced tool throughout your journey and watch your performance improve over time.