Listings, categories & the marketplace

• Name, description, price (optional, leave blank for "Inquire").
• Steel type and handle material (free text).
• Status: available, sold, in progress, or commission.
• A category and any tags (see below).
• Up to 5 images (max 4 MB each; you can upload several at once).
• Optional sheath/scabbard info, including the materials.

These do different jobs. Category is a single curated knife type; tags are free-form keywords.

• Category (pick one): Chef / Kitchen, Hunting & Outdoor, EDC / Folder, Bowie, Cleaver, Tactical, Sword, Axe / Hatchet, Utility, Razor, Art / Display, or Other. Powers reliable browse filters and the per-category landing pages.
• Tags (as many as fit, up to 12): anything you like, such as damascus, full tang, san mai, or forge finish. As you type, BladeOS suggests a curated starter list plus tags other makers already use, so spellings stay consistent. Tags are lowercased and de-duplicated automatically.

• The marketplace (/marketplace) searches across every smith. Buyers can filter by category, click a tag to narrow down, sort by newest or price, and page through results.
• Category pages (e.g. /marketplace/hunting) are browseable, search-friendly landing pages for each knife type.
• Your storefront (/bladesmiths/your-slug) shows your own catalog with the same category and tag chips.
• Product pages show the full piece with a gallery and a "You might also like" row of related work (pieces sharing a tag or category, from any smith).

When a piece is available and has a price, its product page shows a Buy now button. Buying creates a tracked order so both sides have a shared record, and no money ever flows through BladeOS, you pay the smith directly.

1. You must be signed in to buy. Guests are prompted to sign in first, and a smith cannot buy their own listing.
2. Tapping Buy now opens an order and reserves the piece. Its status flips to in progress so it cannot be sold twice.
3. The order works like a commission with a single payment stage for the full price. You see the smith’s payment methods, pay them directly, then tap "I’ve sent payment."
4. The smith confirms receipt, and the piece is marked sold.

If an order is cancelled before payment is confirmed, the piece returns to available. Payment is direct to the smith, exactly like a commission, so see How payments work.

• Pick the most specific category that fits, which drives the cleanest filters.
• Add a few honest tags (steel, construction, finish). They power search and the related-products row.
• Use clear photos; the first image is the one shown on cards.
• Set a price when you can, since priced pieces sort into price-based browsing.

Listing requires a verified account, so see Getting verified.