Should I be ticked or happy?

[Tracker0721]

A dude I know is doing the whole "living primitively" thing and selling off primitive stuff at a local festival, looked in his booth and he has a really high dollar price tag on a obsidian knife I made him as a friendship kinda thing. I like to see that he values my work but he's selling it as his own making and it's something I made him as a gift... how would ya'll take this?

[penderbender]

Don't sound very cool! I would probably be ticked. Cheers- brendan

[Sparrow]

A gift belongs to the person you gave it to.  Not good form to re-sell as your own work ... prolly means your work is better than his own ... Means your a better knapper ... Means he admires your work and puts a high price on it .... Think I would have picked it up and said  "Really , Yours  ? "    It is a left handed compliment of sorts    Good to give gifts   "  Frank

[Dakota Kid]

Was it the kind of high price tag that would probably prohibit it's sale rather than make him one? If it seems like it's too much to pay it may be more of a display type item that he would rather not sell, but felt like it should have a price on it. Typically I use a NFS(not for sale) tag in such situations, but perhaps it helped to make his other items seem more reasonably priced. In the future when presenting a gift, put more emphasis on the fact that " I made this for YOU." and offer to take it back if he ever decides he no longer has a use for it. Just out of curiosity, did he give you a dime after you presented him a knife as a gift? It's an old tradition/superstition that ensures the knife in question won't sever the friendship.

If it were me I would definitely have a new opinion of "my friends" moral character, but getting angry is a waste of your time and more likely to have a negative effect on your life rather than his. You learned something about his value system and it only cost you a a nice knife. I'd choose to
look at it like a blade that broke while notching it and write it off as collateral damage, being thankful his greed didn't cause you more of a loss before you noticed it.

I've known a few "weasel totem" individuals here and there. Not how I choose to see things or behave, but a weasel makes a lousy wolf. He is what he is and oddly enough is usually okay with it that way.

[Dakota Kid]

If you see it on his table in the future, perhaps inquire what kind of commission your getting when he sells it. If it's a good one make him another to sell for you.

[bjrogg]

Tracker this is a bit of a though one. I certainly can understand how you would feel ticked. It is very possible that like Dakota said it's really not for sale but it is for sale if you get my drift. I had something similar happen to me years ago. I was told by a friend, when you give something to someone it's not yours anymore and they can do whatever they please with it. That's one thing that makes givers so very special. My guess is that he does value your work more than his and really doesn't want to sell it unless he gets a very high price for it. I can only guess though. None of us know but him. It might be worth a very open and honest discussion. When you find out what he's thinking you can let him know what your thinking. From there you can decide how to handle this friendship in the future. However it turns out good or bad I'd try to use it as a lesson. I'd try not to let it eat me up, it's just not worth it. Just know that your the better man.
Bjrogg

[jaxenro]

Could be he needs the money, lost his job, kids need to eat, rents due. Hard to judge from here he may not want to sell but sometimes circumstances dictate what we do.

If you enjoyed making it and giving it to him keep that enjoyment. Nothing he does can take that from you unless you let him.

He shouldn't sell it as his own work that's unethical but I'd say let it go. If he is unethical as a practice it will catch up to him it could be if someone asks about it he tells them how he acquired it.

I tend to view hand made items as works of art. I remember having this discussion with someone about a antique percussion muzzle loading shotgun I owned. Technically it was mine I could do with it what I wanted, from cutting the barrels to throwing it in a fire. But I tend to look at it more as a conservatorship than an ownership. Altering a fine original, even though within my legal rights, was morally wrong. Kind of like how someone owning certain historical property are legally limited from the changes they can make although there were no legal impediments in this case. I view gifts of handmade items the same way, legally they are mine but morally I have an obligation to respect them. And if due to circumstances I needed to sell them I would contact the giver and tell him why.

[Knapper]

Lots of great comments here. I may have also took the moment to offer to buy it back. I love trading and collecting hand made item, take them home put them on the shelf and enjoy the fact that someone with skill took the moments out of their life to make it. I would never sell one of those treasures ever. But when I die y'all may want to get it touch with my kids .... I'm sure it will all be sold. 
Knapper