Founding Smith Program — Limited Spots Available | The World's Custom Blade Marketplace — Open 24/7
What You Get
10% custom / 15% BIN — the lowest commission rates BladeHubs offers, locked in permanently regardless of monthly volume.
Your rate never moves with the rolling 90-day window. Standard smiths advance and demote with volume — Founding Smiths sit outside that system entirely.
Take time off for shows, custom builds, or sheath catch-up without losing your tier. Slow months never cost you anything.
What you sign at is what you keep. If BladeHubs raises commission rates platform-wide later, Founding Smiths are grandfathered in for life.
If you ever leave the craft, you can transfer your Founding status to another smith. Details in the next section.
Secondary Market Value
Founding Smith status can be transferred to one non-Founding smith. The transferability is part of what makes Founding status valuable — it's a permanent rate that has secondary market value.
If a Founding Smith deactivates their account without transferring, the status is permanently forfeited.
Full terms in the Smith Platform Agreement, §12.7.
How It Works
Sender (current Founding Smith) initiates a transfer specifying the recipient’s email and an agreed price (which can be $0 — gifts are allowed).
Recipient has 7 calendar days to accept. The sender can withdraw the offer at any time before acceptance.
BladeHubs collects a $99 Transfer Fee per transfer. The agreed price (if any) routes to the original Founding Smith. Payment processing fees are charged to the recipient on top of both amounts — the sender always receives the full agreed price, BladeHubs always receives the full $99.
On acceptance: the original Founding Smith’s status is removed permanently and reverts to standard tier evaluation. The recipient gains lifetime Steel status and can subsequently transfer to another non-Founding smith under the same terms.
Compliance
All benefits subject to continued compliance with the Smith Platform Agreement.
Limited Availability
The first thirty approved smiths lock in a lifetime Steel rate. We'll notify you the moment applications open.