A Question for the Makers/Knifeshows?

Sorry to go off topic here for a minute.

Bob T.,
Since you dont post your email address for obvious reasons(like you'd get 50000 emails)-I had posted in another thread that I was bringing something to the NY Show for you from the Daily news. I decided it would be too much trouble for you to travel with so it was mailed on Friday, probably take a week or so.
See you in NY!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled topic :D

Dave
 
If I dont have any knives for sale, my table is empty. If I sell one and the customer wants me to keep it for him till I leave, I put it under the table and lock it up. I dont try to display knives that arent available, that way if I happen to be sold out I can wander the show a bit and not worry about guarding an empty table.
 
I agree with Bob. I don't display knives that are sold unless the customer requests it to be displayed, then it is in a case and marked sold.I have overheard a lot of collectors complain about not being told a knife was being held for someone else to see first untill they had became interested in it. The best way I found to avoid this is to not show the knife to anyone untill the intended customer looks at it.

JW Smith
 
Originally posted by Big Tex
Do you exhibit knives that are sold or are promised to someone on your table?
Click to expand...

Yes, I show the knives that are sold. Each one is clearly marked sold. I figure that the person on the other side of the table still wants to see what I've made. I've taken orders that way.:D

Stay Safe,
A.T.
 
Most folks who attend knife shows don't buy knives. They are there to see, handle and enjoy the knives of makers whose work they may have only seen in photos, and may never be able to afford. Frankly, I think they deserve to get value for their price of admission, so leaving sold knives on the table allows them to experience those knives they wouldn't otherwise get to see. Heck, the only way you will ever see knives from some makers is if they leave a few sold knives on the table. I remember a few years back when Buster Warenski displayed his King Tut Dagger at the Blade Show. That knife was sold long before it was made, but I certainly deemed it a pleasure to be able to see it and admire the amazing craftsmanship that created it.

And seeing is only half the fun. Holding a fine knife in your hand is the ONLY way you can come to appreciate what isn't in the pix. Balance and ergonomics are not visible in pix, so getting your hand around one is how you can best come to appreciate what can never be experienced outside of a good custom knife.

Finally, having an array of my work on the table allows me to gauge what I'm doing right or wrong. If one knife gets ignored and another attracts a lot of attention, guess what I'm likely to build more of? I view my grasp of user interests to be an important part of my design efforts. Since I don't make any two knives exactly the same, I need this feedback to keep me moving in a useful direction. If a new design disappears off my table in the first hour I have no way of knowing if the design was good or the buyer just had unusual tastes.

I can't think of a better way for knifemaking to advance both in quality of makers and quantity of buyers than to expose the maximum number of people to the maximum number of custom knives. A knife show is both a commercial undertaking and a museum, to be enjoyed by rich and poor alike. It is also how new knifemakers learn what they might want to emulate in their own work. How can I answer the often asked, "how did you do that" question if the knife isn't there? Since that is fully half the fun for me in a knifeshow, I'd surely miss it.

That's my take anyway...
 
Originally posted by Jerry Hossom
Most folks who attend knife shows don't buy knives. They are there to see, handle and enjoy the knives of makers whose work they may have only seen in photos, and may never be able to afford.

I can't think of a better way for knifemaking to advance both in quality of makers and quantity of buyers than to expose the maximum number of people to the maximum number of custom knives.

That's my take anyway...
Click to expand...

Excellent Jerry, excellent.

Stay Safe,
A.T.
 
Well put Jerry!
Some of the most enjoyable moments I have had in knifedom have been handling work that is out of the realm of affordablility in my dreams :D.

When a maker sells out quickly (or if a specific model does) it sure is great to be able to see their work even if it not for sale.
 
I think Jerry puts the point well. I for one, always think it's a knife SHOW first. It's not called a knife store.

I want people to see knives, not empty tables. That seems to be the way the organizers think too. That's why they don't like makers to pack up early.

Still, I think you have to mark the unavailable blades in order to reduce irritation.
 
When I went down to the Eugene show last year, there was this guy... I can't remember his name, and he doesn't even make knives... but I stood and talked to him for the longest time.

He had a huge case full of knives from his personal collection, none were for sale. He had old Randall's, custom pieces from makers I've never heard of. He had a big Stan Fujisaka fixed blade (hell, I ain't never heard of one) that was simply beautiful. He took piece after piece out of the case and he talked about each one while I played happily with everything he handed me. He was a genuine pleasure to BS with.

You know, I knew that there was no way of ever getting one of those pieces. There was no way to order one. There was nothing I could do but stand there and admire his collection, and we both enjoyed the time doing so. Well worth the price of admission to me.

I'm not going to buy everything I see there. Heck, I might not have a dime on me. But if I am able to pick up a knife and say "Hey, could you build one of these with shark intestine wrapped handle?" and the maker say "Sure thing!".... well then I had me a good show.

You makers bring what ya got, sold or not, and I'll thank you for doing so.
 
Thanks for the note peter. It took me five minutes to figure out what "btw" means! Computer jargon is still alien to me. Who knows what I'll have left after the show. Some doomsayers claim sales will be dreadful , some optimists like me are looking forward to a good show. We'll see, best of luck, BOB
 
Do you ever display any of your work locally (in New Mexico or Colorado) or attend any shows around here?

I've been to Santa Fe a few times, and I'd make a point to visit any shops that might have some of your work.

Thanks,

Mike
 
Thanks Lifter, got it today. Note to you by snail mail is on the way.E-Mail is too impersonal sometimes.
The NEW YORK SHOW: Note to all.....I have heard rumors and grumblings about difficult air travel, Hotel bookings, fear etc. ad nauseum. The SONS OF SOWS have not won over us and I for one will not let them think so for an instant. Although our part in this war may be small, it is not insignificant and defiance against pure evil does not go unnoticed.
The show will go on and I will be at my table come Hell or Arabs. I look forward to greeting all of my friends there. BOB
 
Michael: I don't display my knives in NM because I can't keep the damn things in stock. You're welcome to visit my shop though when in town. Give a call, I'm in the phone book. Best to you all BOB
 
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