Being a knife designer...

J

jeffj

Joined
Apr 8, 1999
Messages
439
Has anybody ever "become" a knife designer? I have several designs and no way to make them. Is it best to hold onto the designs until I can build them? Is it possible to find somebody interested in looking at designs? Just curious, since I have several designs but haven't found anybody that will talk to me. I realize that I have no known record, but nothing lost just to talk.

jj
 
I think you ought to try your hand at it, you'll be glad you did! You can make a knife using a few hand tools and a bit of time.

Spencer
 
Are you talking about having these knives made for yourself, or are you talking about having them put into production by a knife manufacturer? Do these designs incorporate a new and unique feature that could possibly be patented?

If you just want a knife made to spec, there are more than a few makers who will make whatever you want, provided it's not an inherently weak design that they feel would harm their reputations (and there are those who'll do it anyway...). Drop me an e-mail and I'll be glad to point you to someone who will make you anything you can dream up and put to paper.

WRT manufacturers, without a reputation to your name, or a patent on a particularly appealing feature, they are probably going to trust the money they've got invested in in-house designs and collaborations with "known commodities".

Keep in mind that these are the big money deals that makers dream of, and even with original, tested designs and popular, established reputations, most makers do not have a factory collaboration with their name on it.

If you do have a new feature, PATENT IT! Do this NOW! Turn off your computer and get your patent. Then you can sell your feature.


Good luck!
 
As far as a patent...unless you can patent a blade design or a handle design? I certainly have some unique handles and blades. The latest is called the Raven. It is a tactical knife, designed for piercing/slicing. It is like a tanto but not a tanto. It is like a drop point but not a drop point. You could use it as a camp knife and in a pince use it for skinning. Perhaps I should scan it and give it to the members at bladeforums?
 
Coming up with something really new is darned near impossible unless you come up with a mechanical system for folders.

Knives have been around for about 1 1/2 million years in some form or another so a new blade or handle shape is going to look like something that has been done before and will be unpatentable because it is in the public domain. Mechanical systems have been around for about 150 years so there is some possibility there.

You might have noticed the number of joint collaberations between factories and well known knifemakers. This takes place because the factories realize that there is a marketing advantage to being able to use the well known maker's name on one of their knives. Makers go along with the deal because of the advertising the deal brings them, not because the deals are very lucrative.

It has been said that custom knifemakers represent one of the best assets that the knife industry has today...They are seen as a very large UNPAID R&D department which develops new products, markets them and an astute mamufacturer can benefit by recognizing trends and jumping on the bandwagon.

If you want to see your designs in production the best route is to begin making knives yourself and hope that your designs start a new trend that is picked up by one of the manufacturers.

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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com

 
there are lots of knife designers out there... most of the guys with inovative designs....it can be just the way something looks....even if it was there before.... or something trick....if you have some good ideas you should get ahold of someone who will put them into reality.....blackie collins is probably the premier knife designer....but all the legendary knifemakers are designers.....

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http://www.mayoknives.com


 
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