Welcome Home...THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY

iKnife Collector

The online community of knife collectors, A Knife Family Forged in Steel

HELP! Fellow iKC members. I need your help.

My fellow edged devices lovers. I need the iKC's help. I am doing a little research for Knives Illustrated which is a bimonthly magazine about knives of all kinds, tomahawks, swords etc. As a potential reader about firearms, knives, camping and other outdoor related subjects, what would a magazine cover have to have in order to attract you attention to pick it up. Once the magazine is in your hands, what articles listed on the cover would cause you to open it up and look inside. What subject matter would cause you to buy this magazine.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated. All impute will be reviewed. My thanks goes out to you all.

Clint

7 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on February 4, 2012 at 15:26

Perry....

Thanks for the input of which I will pass on to Bruce.

perry coleman said:

I would like to see an article showing some of the SFOs being made today and why they have had a new beginning in the market. Or maybe even a story on the history of older patterns of knives that don't get much press or attention. You would definitely get some new readers!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on February 4, 2012 at 15:27

Ben...

I hear ya brother as one who has been writing about tactical type knives for the last 11 years. Thanks Ben.

Ben Rawls said:

I'm really full up with "tactical" these days. More articles about the history of knife patterns, cutlery companies and their unique place in history,etc.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Howard Maines on February 4, 2012 at 21:48

Clint, Thanks for asking for my opnion on how to increase Knives Illustrated sales. I am an impulsive buyer and when I see one of the knives I own on the cover I will purchase it. I like to read about knives I use and have an intrest in. I'm also intrested in stories that discuss how easily different types of steel sharpen, hold there edge, and what types of steels and stones work best. I would also enjoy more stories on blade edge angles. and what they are best for. Thank you for asking. Howard Maines

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on February 4, 2012 at 22:10

H0ward...

Thanks for your input. I am also interested in edges and how to sharpen them. I like to know which blades are a mid range in hardness but still flexible. I will pass this on to Bruce. Thanks again Howard.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sue OldsWidow on February 8, 2012 at 21:19

Just the old fashioned red white and blue American Made...draws my attention...the cover knives are insignificant at that point but i will open and look to see what the magazine has to offer...I tend to go for the antique folders..but interest in custom,hunters and bold knives is always there.

Made in the USA ....makes me look twice..

Thanks for allowing me to comment

Sue

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sean Walker on February 9, 2012 at 2:01

I would like to see content about good old made in USA factory made knives. Articles covering the types steels for blades. - their advantages, disadvantages and Rockwell hardness would be very useful.
I think it would also be interesting to randomly pick less known of custom knife builders and let the knife collecting community know more about these folks and their fantastic work.
Lastly, an itinerary of upcoming knife shows events if possible.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on February 9, 2012 at 8:23

Sue....

I am with you on the knives made in the USA. I submitted my outline of the article I will write this year and one is made in the USA. Several of the major brands have some of their knives made in China or all of their knives. Taylor Brand is one. Now don't get me wrong, their knives are well made for a $20 knife.

Last fall I was in need of a pair of leather gloves. I had decided to not accept anything less than "Made In The USA". Three weeks later and many hours of shopping, I found a pair in a farm supply in Wellington, Kansas. The Wal Mart brand sold for around $12 but I paid $24 for these. I am serious about buying produce made in the USA. Thanks Sue!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on February 9, 2012 at 8:25

Sean....

Thanks for your input. You and Sue need to hang out. I will forward your input to Bruce. Thanks again.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on February 9, 2012 at 8:33

Clint,

It sure would be great to be able to kick-start American companies again. I'd hate to see any more go under.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Terry Waldele on February 9, 2012 at 19:03

I'm sure glad to see that I'm not the only one who prefers to "Buy American" and by that I mean "Made in the USA". I understand the harsh realities of competing in the global marketplace, and as I have said in a previous discussion I started, I believe our government should enact more stringent laws and disincentives for the import of products made in countries that don't have the humanitarian and environmental restrictions and corporate tax loads that our domestic manufacturers have. What are the odds? : (

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tobias Gibson on February 9, 2012 at 22:13

Terry I think you go it a little wrong. The Government doesn't need to enact more stringent rules about importing stuff. The last thing you want the government to do is enact more regulations. The reasons so many American Companies went under and why so many other American Companies moved production off shore is because Local, State and Federal regulations and taxes made it impossible to produce goods here and compete on a global scale.

What needs to be done is a reduction of regulations and taxes within this country to entice American companies to come home and allow them to compete on a global market. This will also attract foreign investors to consider making things here. To make more stringent import laws will just add one more layer to the mess American Companies already have to deal with and lead us one step closer to a new world order of global socialism.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Terry Waldele on February 10, 2012 at 0:39

Hi Tobias,

OMG! I just spent about 20 minutes writing a response to your comment and suddenly it just disappeared! Oh well, here goes again. While I do sympathize with your viewpoint on this issue, but I just can't agree with you.

In my 45-year professional career as a civil/environmental engineer in both the public and private sectors, I've seen the view from both sides, and have read widely on this subject. I've been a regulator, a public works engineer and a transportation engineer in the public sector, and a design, construction and consulting engineer in the private sector working with builders, manufacturers and utilities. IMHO, it's not Local, State and Federal regulations and taxes that are the problem. Even though they are indeed burdensome on virtually all kinds of public and private business activities and practices, they are there to ensure the standard of living that we Americans enjoy, and for the most part, they do that well.

Unfortunately, in the global marketplace, our businesses have to compete with foreign companies that abuse their workers, their resources, their environments, and their global environmental responsibilities. Their abusive, inhumane, irresponsible business practices make it impossible for our businesses to compete with them economically. In my view, de-regulation of our businesses isn't the answer. One of the answers is for the U.S. to cut back on military spending, which produces no goods and services for U.S. citizens and only increases the tax load on American families and businesses. Another solution is the one I've already suggested: regulation of foreign manufacturers' product imports plus another one, the regulation of the export of American manufacturing jobs.

Again, that's only my opinion, but I do respect yours and would hope there is some middle ground that we could both agree on. Thanks for listening to my venting.