Custom tooling economics — when bespoke pays off

Custom tooling (mold, die, jig) is one-time cost amortized over production run. Setup costs: simple injection mold $2-5K, complex 4-cavity mold $15-50K, leather custom die $300-800, embossing die $200-500, custom packaging die $500-2K. Break-even: amortize tooling over 500-2000 units typically. Below 500: stick with stock catalog + branding. 500-2000: tooling pays off only if differentiation matters. 2000+: always custom (unit cost drops). Example: $5K mold / 500 units = $10/unit added cost; / 5000 units = $1/unit. ROI clear at scale.