What are your goals as a knifemaker?

I am not trying to run a business and I keep most of my knives. Thus my goal is to slow down and not fill my shelves with mediocre knives. I think the most important thing is design. I should take more time on the complete concept before starting. I'm guilty right now of winging it on the guard and handle after completing a blade. I also want to be able to execute the design to increasing standards. For me the answer isn't buying lasers, or mills, or surface grinders, it's taking my time and making sure each part is right.
 
Richard338 said:
I am not trying to run a business and I keep most of my knives. Thus my goal is to slow down and not fill my shelves with mediocre knives. I think the most important thing is design. I should take more time on the complete concept before starting. I'm guilty right now of winging it on the guard and handle after completing a blade. I also want to be able to execute the design to increasing standards. For me the answer isn't buying lasers, or mills, or surface grinders, it's taking my time and making sure each part is right.
Click to expand...
if you ever want or need a brain to bounce design ideas off of, don't hesitate to drop me a line bud!
 
My wife asked me the other day when I was gonna retire from knifemaking, now that we are retired ranchers (Ranchers Emeritus as a friend says). I told her when I can't push my grinding bench (with the four grinders on it) back up the incline into the shop. I do all my grinding outside on a concrete pad in front of the shop. Outside of that keep on keeping on. Maybe another IPA this evening, tend to keep it simple.
 
I'll be happy if every knife I make, is at least a little bit better than the previous. And if it ever gets to the point that I "have to" make a knife, rather than "want to" make a knife......then I'll be done with it. For now, it's so new, and there's so much to learn, that I'm having a ball doing it.
 
haven't been able to shake this question, there are so many individual goals that I want to achieve.
But there is one over arching goal that I have that encompasses all others, and that is for my work to hold its value over time, and be worth more/sell for more than I charge for it now.
All the other things I do, processes, equipment purchases, learning, etc are tied to that pursuit.
 
Full time here since 2018,
goal .-To be in demand such that I sell every knife I make for the price I want

Secondary goal - test and pass ABS JS rank
 
So the questions nag at my "Grey Cells" daily:
Quality?
Design?
Materials?
Marketing (Name recognition)?
All of the above?
What are your thoughts?
 
Hankins said:
So the questions nag at my "Grey Cells" daily:
Quality?
Design?
Materials?
Marketing (Name recognition)?
All of the above?
What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...


To answer your question..... QUALITY.
That is really everything. And as long as the maker can do that effectively/efficiently.


Design represents quality. Putting unnecessary features to "Sell" a model, just to make it look different. Is the opposite of quality.
Using inferior techniques is a lack of quality.
Wrongly placed materials for Use, is lack of quality.

Marketing is inversely related to quality....
You need More stickers, fancy packaging, and YouTube influencers shilling your wares..... In order to get noticed.


If your product is Honest, of good design, (and You have integrity), the buyers will beat your door down looking for more!

:D
 
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