Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Michael D. Mitchell on December 13, 2017 at 16:19

Dave, My two cents.....I Realize YOU Work for Money, NOT Always for Fun and You'd like the Money when Your work 

is Done.  There are Plenty of "Hard Use" Knives out there (Major, Big $Buck$ Co.'s). We need to Support our "Home Grown"

Makers.  ?If You already have a Following??, Your Higher end Folders, should do Well.

Personally,   Although I'd like to,  I am in No Position to $pend Thou$and$ of Dollars on a Knife.

Make what You gain Pleasure in Making!!!

Bozz Lady,  Keep On Keepin On,  "You do One Helluva Job"!!!!!!

Michael.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Fred Dennison on December 13, 2017 at 18:22

Hello Dave and fellow iKnife members. I thought maybe by being an entry level to middle of the road collector, I might be able offer some opinions on this from a slightly different perspective.
Personally, I buy my knives 2 ways, what I like and what I can afford, ideally trying to find both in one knife.
From what I am reading I think that since you have experience both in fixed and folding style blades, the first thing you can do is a bit of market research, just to see what is selling best in both styles then present one or two creations (or more, that is up to you) in each category, showing your own distinct style with each.
Each offering could be made of above average, but not quite high end materials, this way you are minimizing your production costs and giving yourself the ability to offer them at prices that much more appealing. This is especially important to you since you are essentially just now introducing your brand into the market. Take for instance the Bowie knife, it is a beloved blade that comes in varying lengths, styles, materials and usually sells very well at almost any price range. Create a couple different unique blades each with enough of personality to cause them to get a consumer "stare".
Once a stare is established, if it is affordable priced, the likelihood of a sale is very good! Same goes for the 2 to 3 blade whittlers and general folders.
All of these seem to be well within your wheelhouse and by offering these above average blades at average prices, people will take notice and thereby creating a nice initial sales base from which you can expand your offerings and start creating and offering those one of a kind Damascus and custom blades people dream about and you dream of making, and of course adjust the prices accordingly.
Again, I am not a long time or high-end collector, (yet) but these are the things I look at as a entry to middle of road collector/consumer, when I am looking at buying from a maker I am unfamiliar with. That being said, when I find a new maker whose products are affordable, good quality and pleasing to the eye, I have gone back to them time and time again.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tracy on December 14, 2017 at 1:07

I personally would not spend a huge amount of money on a knife made by a maker whose reputation I did not already know I have knives I collect, and knIves I use. If it were me, I’d start by making good quality, reasonably priced knives until I became established. Then make it known I’m willing to do high end customs. Plus, many of us are very leery of things such as Damascus from unknown makers.

• ▶ Reply

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Dave S. on December 14, 2017 at 10:15

Thank you to all who posted I read all and will take all advice as best I can...I do have 1 more question for you guys...how do you guys go about finding knife makers? I mean really I can put up all the websites I can and put up 1000 knives for sale but it wont do any good if no one knows its there. I have been talking with other makers I know and have heard everything from putting out you tube videos to spending TONS of money advertising in knife magazines. I am leaning toward the you tube videos at least at first mainly cause its free. If you guys did watch videos what would you like to see either almost like training videos talking about different aspects of knife making. Or would you rather see a knife maker take one of his knives and put it through its paces on video showing the quality of the knife and what it can do with cutting test's? or maybe a little of both?  Again thank you to ALL who posted. I was on the fence if putting up this topic would generate and interest or response but I am very happy with the results!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jake Cutting-Edge on December 14, 2017 at 10:39

Use the free social media.  YouTube, Facebook, forums etc.

Even consider sending knives to reviewers.  First ask them to give you their opinion of the knife, and IF they like it ask them if they would do a video.

Most reviewers, like me, are happy to simply borrow a knife and send it back to you once the review is done, so you could then send it on to another reviewer.  (give it a good once over to make sure it's in top shape before sending it out to the next guy).  Make sure to arrange beforehand an agreement regarding if you will allow the reviewer to put a new edge on the knife or take it apart, etc.

Jake 
Canadian Cutting Edge  (YouTube)

Dave S. said:

Thank you to all who posted I read all and will take all advice as best I can...I do have 1 more question for you guys...how do you guys go about finding knife makers? I mean really I can put up all the websites I can and put up 1000 knives for sale but it wont do any good if no one knows its there. I have been talking with other makers I know and have heard everything from putting out you tube videos to spending TONS of money advertising in knife magazines. I am leaning toward the you tube videos at least at first mainly cause its free. If you guys did watch videos what would you like to see either almost like training videos talking about different aspects of knife making. Or would you rather see a knife maker take one of his knives and put it through its paces on video showing the quality of the knife and what it can do with cutting test's? or maybe a little of both?  Again thank you to ALL who posted. I was on the fence if putting up this topic would generate and interest or response but I am very happy with the results!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jess Cobb on December 14, 2017 at 11:05

Get a table at The Blade Show in Atlanta in June.

• ▶ Reply

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Dave S. on December 14, 2017 at 11:24

yeh that would be great I just attened that show for the first time last year amazing show the one up here in NY is cool as well no where near as big tho....I asked a couple makers that do have tables there and most of them told me you have to buy a table almost a year in advance I don't think I will do it this coming year but the following year for sure. Going to try and convince another maker I work with some times to share the table with me

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ken Ulrich on December 14, 2017 at 11:29

You Tube videos...what to say? First of there are so many, finding yours w/o searching you out specifically is just random. Second, putting a knife through its paces...what does that mean. Some survival guys like to beat them with a stick and split logs, not what a knife is for but that is what they do. Magazine ads are expensive and marginally effective. If you have an interesting knife, a review in Blade or Knives Illustrated or Knife Magazine would go a long way towards your goal. I agree that a table at the Blade show would be your best bet starting out. Lost of exposure to knife buyers and those in the industry. Get out to the SHOT show if you can (industry only) and see whats out there. There will be factory and custom makers, material suppliers and lots of great contacts.

Dave S. said:

Thank you to all who posted I read all and will take all advice as best I can...I do have 1 more question for you guys...how do you guys go about finding knife makers? I mean really I can put up all the websites I can and put up 1000 knives for sale but it wont do any good if no one knows its there. I have been talking with other makers I know and have heard everything from putting out you tube videos to spending TONS of money advertising in knife magazines. I am leaning toward the you tube videos at least at first mainly cause its free. If you guys did watch videos what would you like to see either almost like training videos talking about different aspects of knife making. Or would you rather see a knife maker take one of his knives and put it through its paces on video showing the quality of the knife and what it can do with cutting test's? or maybe a little of both?  Again thank you to ALL who posted. I was on the fence if putting up this topic would generate and interest or response but I am very happy with the results!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jake Cutting-Edge on December 14, 2017 at 11:40

There is no end to reasons why something, anything, is a bad idea.
That is why a person has to invest a little time do some research.

Ask a few reviewers what their principle of testing is.  

There is no way to get away from expending some effort to get what you want.

I didn't want to promote myself but here goes anyway.
I am against destructive testing.
I promote preserving a knife as much as possible during use and even during testing.
For example, I am against the type of batonning that splits a 6 inch log in half.  There is no good purpose for that.  The risk to the knife is greater than it needs be.  I tell my viewers it is smarter to take off a 1.5 inch strip off the side of the piece of wood, and then split that down even more for kindling.  Keep taking strips off the side of the log and the END result is that you will have the same size pieces of wood in your wood pile than the guy who splits the log in half, and then in half again, and half again until he gets what he wants.  The difference?  My knife has gone through MUCH less stress and I have saved a lot of energy for other uses.  

Then there are guys who clearly abuse knives and think that is testing.  There are all kinds.  So the knife maker has to do some homework.  It will take time and effort.  The question is: how much time and effort is your knife making business worth to you - whatever the answer is, spend that much time and energy.

Ken Ulrich said:

You Tube videos...what to say? First of there are so many, finding yours w/o searching you out specifically is just random. Second, putting a knife through its paces...what does that mean. Some survival guys like to beat them with a stick and split logs, not what a knife is for but that is what they do. Magazine ads are expensive and marginally effective. If you have an interesting knife, a review in Blade or Knives Illustrated or Knife Magazine would go a long way towards your goal. I agree that a table at the Blade show would be your best bet starting out. Lost of exposure to knife buyers and those in the industry. Get out to the SHOT show if you can (industry only) and see whats out there. There will be factory and custom makers, material suppliers and lots of great contacts.

Dave S. said:

Thank you to all who posted I read all and will take all advice as best I can...I do have 1 more question for you guys...how do you guys go about finding knife makers? I mean really I can put up all the websites I can and put up 1000 knives for sale but it wont do any good if no one knows its there. I have been talking with other makers I know and have heard everything from putting out you tube videos to spending TONS of money advertising in knife magazines. I am leaning toward the you tube videos at least at first mainly cause its free. If you guys did watch videos what would you like to see either almost like training videos talking about different aspects of knife making. Or would you rather see a knife maker take one of his knives and put it through its paces on video showing the quality of the knife and what it can do with cutting test's? or maybe a little of both?  Again thank you to ALL who posted. I was on the fence if putting up this topic would generate and interest or response but I am very happy with the results!

• ▶ Reply

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Dave S. on December 14, 2017 at 11:49

I think a lot of this destructive testing is ridiculous....one thing that keeps coming up on one of the maker forums I participate in we have a test that we call the brass rod test it consist of holding the knive on a angle and pushing the edge into a brass rod until you see it slightly deform then roll the edge across if the edge chips your knife is to hard if it rolls and stays rolled too soft if it rolls but springs back its about right...problem is the show forged in fire did a test where they tried to batton a blade through a thick brass rod....I cant tell you how many new makers confuse this as the brass rod test...in my opinion if your trying to cut  a brass rod get a different tool! the ONLY time I do somewhat destructive testing is when I start to use a new steel and am experimenting with the heat treatment...in that case I do push it to see how far it can go but what I ment by putting a knife through its paces is doing normal cutting tasks (different with every style knife) and demonstrating how it holds it edge how easy or hard it is to sharpen normal use stuff

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Steve Scheuerman (Manx) on December 14, 2017 at 12:32

Find a few GOOD facebook knife pages. Get in on them and talk to people. Put your knives up on the pages, if you can. Find a couple reputable and trustworthy people to try your knives, get them to promote them. It can be a time consuming process, but worth the effort. Not sure about doing videos, personally, as there are soooo many people out there who are "experts" and trying to find something useful is a crap-shoot. That may be a better idea for when you are a bit more well-known. You can show your stuff here as well, and post your website on your My Page. Post pics and be sure to TAG THEM with your name and brand. I had one of our members send me some knives for testing that I also sent to some other members for their opinion. The only job you start at the top is ditch-digging. :-) Gotta start somewhere! Feel free to message or jump in Chat sometime. Never know what help you might get.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by John Kellogg on December 14, 2017 at 12:42

I think Jake Cutting Edge's comment was spot on. Make what you love to make.

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next ›
• Page