A grit quote is a price sheet for a paddle whose face carries bonded ceramic particles. Two quotes for a similar paddle often differ in what they include rather than in what they charge.
The unit price is the number most buyers read first. It is also the least comparable number on the page. Tooling, sample credit, MOQ and the grit spec each move the total.
For a buyer, the goal is one landed number per paddle at your own order size. That number ranks two quotes that look completely different, and it shows which factory is cheaper for your build.
Short answer: turn both quotes into that one number, then compare the totals rather than the unit prices.
Two grit quotes often differ by structure, not price
One factory quotes a unit price and folds the tooling into the first order. Another quotes a lower unit price and bills the mold as a separate line.
Both quotes can describe the same paddle. The difference sits in where the factory puts its setup cost rather than in the work itself.
A third quote may leave the tooling off the page altogether. That quote is the one to treat with care, because a hidden line usually reappears later as a change order.
One number makes two quotes comparable
The method is to multiply the unit price by your order size. The one-time fees are then added to that subtotal, and the sum is divided by the same quantity.
Quote line | Quote A | Quote B |
Unit price | USD 26.00 | USD 24.00 |
Order size | 500 pieces | 500 pieces |
Subtotal | USD 13,000.00 | USD 12,000.00 |
Tooling | Included | USD 4,000.00 |
Sample fee | USD 300.00, credited | USD 0.00 |
Total per paddle | USD 26.60 | USD 32.00 |
The two unit prices differ by USD 2.00 per paddle. The two totals differ by USD 5.40 per paddle in the other direction. That gap comes from structure rather than from the paddle.
The same math at 2,000 pieces can flip the order. The lower unit price wins on a large run, and the included tooling wins on a small one.
Six lines a grit quote has to itemize
A grit quote can stay short and still be complete. Six lines cover the grit side of the build.
- The face material and the ply count per side.
- The grit mesh grade and the texture depth.
- The bond film weight per side.
- The texture tooling, its price and its owner.
- The sample fee, and whether it credits against the order.
- The test data that ships with the batch.
Approval is separate from all six, because the per-model approval fee is billed per model rather than per order.
A tooling fee lands up front or inside the unit price
A textured face takes its texture from the mold plate. A new texture therefore needs a plate before the first paddle exists.
Some factories bill the plate as its own line. Others raise the unit price and absorb the plate. That route hides the point where the factory recovers its money.
The owner of the plate is worth confirming after the order. A plate that belongs to the factory cannot travel to a second supplier. The ownership line therefore matters more than the fee.
The sample fee is a credit, not a cost
A sample run carries the full setup, so it costs more than a production paddle does. Many factories credit that fee against the first bulk order.
The credit clause is worth reading before you sign. A fee of USD 300.00 that credits against the order works like a deposit. The same fee without a credit is a cost you carry twice.
MOQ sets the price band before anything else does
Our published bands each carry a minimum order quantity, and that quantity decides which band a build can land in.
Band | Build | Minimum order |
Entry | Fiberglass face, | 500 pieces |
Mid | 3K carbon face, | 300 pieces |
High | 12K or 18K face, multi-layer core | 200 pieces |
Flagship | Fused grit, built to spec | 100 pieces |
A quote that lands below the minimum for its band is worth a second look. Either the spec is thinner than it reads, or the factory is buying the order.
What a grit quote leaves out says more than what it says
A quote is a short document, and every factory decides what to put on it. The gaps show you where the risk sits.
A grit quote without a mesh grade leaves the face texture undefined. A quote without a weight tolerance leaves the batch undefined. A quote without a test line leaves the claim undefined.
The mesh grade decides how long a texture lasts, and what keeps grit on the face covers that chain.
None of those gaps make the factory wrong. They make the spec incomplete, and an incomplete spec turns into a dispute after the carton ships.
Four red flags inside a grit quote
Four patterns are worth a direct question before you compare anything.
- A single unit price with no line detail.
- A tooling fee with no stated owner.
- A sample fee with no credit clause.
- A grit line described only as a texture.
Each one hides a number that appears later in the project. The question belongs in writing, and the answer belongs with the quote.
Where our numbers stop
We quote our own work, so we can price a grit build line by line and show where each dollar sits. The face on the quote is the face we mold in our own plant. The grit face we build and quote shows how it is made.
We cannot tell you which of two quotes is cheaper without both spec sheets in hand. The face material and the core decide most of the number. A quote without a spec is a guess in both directions.
We also stay out of ranking other factories. The proof a quote should point to is covered in the evidence behind a grit claim. You can ask any supplier for that proof, and the answer separates a claim from a document. The sample run comes next, and what a grit sample has to prove settles the build before a bulk order.
FAQ
Why do two factories quote different prices for the same paddle?
Three reasons cover most cases. The spec differs in a line the buyer cannot see, the tooling sits in a different place, or the order size falls below one factory’s minimum.
Should I compare unit prices or total cost?
Compare total cost at your own order size. A unit price ignores tooling and the sample fee, and both can outweigh the difference between two unit prices.
What is a tooling fee, and who pays it?
It is the cost of the mold plate that carries the face texture. The buyer pays it directly as a line item, or indirectly inside a higher unit price.
Is the sample fee refundable?
At many factories the sample fee credits against the first bulk order. The credit is a clause in the quote rather than a default, so confirm it in writing.
Is a lower MOQ always better?
A low minimum adds flexibility and removes the tooling share you would gain at volume. For a first order the trade is usually worth it, and for a repeat order it usually is not.
What if a quote has no grit mesh grade?
Ask for the grade before you compare. Mesh grade sets the particle size, and it changes both the feel of the face and how long the texture lasts.
How do I compare two quotes with different order sizes?
Normalize both to the smaller quantity, then to the larger one. A quote for 2,000 pieces and a quote for 500 pieces answer two different questions.
What should a grit quote include at a minimum?
A unit price, the grit mesh grade, the texture depth, the tooling line with an owner, the sample fee and its credit rule, plus the test data that ships with the batch.
Final Checklist: What to Collect From Every Quote
- Unit price, and the order quantity it applies to
- Grit mesh grade, texture depth and bond film weight per side
- Face material and ply count per side
- Core type and density in g per litre
- Tooling: the fee, the owner and whether it repeats on a reorder
- Sample fee, and the credit clause in writing
- Test lines: per batch, per model, and the method behind each
- Weight tolerance, packaging and the trade term
- Total per paddle, computed at your own order size
Our engineering team will price one spec at your quantity and mark every line, so two quotes can be read side by side.