Bounce an idea off you guys

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Aug 20, 2004
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I have several projects in various stages of write up for tutorials. Without a web site to store them on there is some difficulty posting and linking them.
A friend suggested producing DVDs and selling them. That would require more work and equipment,too.

I have the projects in fairly good format with lots of detailed close up photography. I have much of the text stored and formatted. I am thinking about self publishing them in book form ,and selling them at a very reasonable price. Each book would have complete ,step-by-step instructions and photos. There could be one large ,or two small projects in each book. There would be chapters on metallurgy, safety, and shop practices,too. Supplier info, booklists, etc.
I think there is a small but good market for such books. I am not planning on getting rich, but as long as it makes enough to cover the costs of publication, project materials, and buy a bottle of Mcallan 25 year....that will be fine with me. I figure that selling 100 copies should be doable without difficulty.If this gets good response, maybe more over several years. I'm not trying to bump Wayne's "$50 Knife Shop" out of the ring, but feel that some more modern and technically correct books have a good chance.

The first one might be on making a classic Scottish Sgian Dubh and matching Dirk.
Other topics might be:
Making a two-stage, temperature controlled forge. Heat treatment metallurgy.
Temperature Controlled quench tanks, quenching metallurgy,and quenchant choices.
Salt pots for tempering, nitre bluing, and marquenching.
Using shop tools the modern way ( variable speed, grit choices, belt types,dust extraction, spark traps,etc.)

I've produced a lot of booklets and training manuals in the past, so teaching in print comes easy for me.

What do you guys/gals think about this?

Stacy
 
Stacy,

The thirst for knowledge is out there; look at the amount of viewers on shop talk and the questions being asked.

Knife making is a very specific undertaking with the topics that relate to blade manufacture not available or covered under other headings.
I do believe that publishing the material in digital format would be a more acceptable mode of delivery {the Boston Globe is closing this week] than in print form. I read novels and Blade in print form; but like my technical information in a pdf file, so I can print out what I am working with.

Fred
 
Great idea! I'd be a customer for sure. I think that DVD is a good option as well because they can hold so much more information than a regular CD. Keep us posted as far as availability. :thumbup:
 
Stacy,
I'm always amazed at the time you spend answering questions and helping folks out here on the forums. Some up to date info would be fantastic especially comming from someone so qualified to write this type of work.

I would lean heavily toward a printed copy of this material and with print on demand publishing as sunshadow suggested you'ld most likely have your material in digital format for the printing house so you'ld aready be set-up for an e-book type of deal also.

perhaps a deal could be struck between you and a fine purveyor such as Tracy Mickley to offer your publication through USAknifemakers.

Just thinking out loud here but I'd love to see you follow this idea into a reality :D

-Josh
 
I'd definitely be interested in a volume on cutlery-specific heat-treating and metallurgy. You might be able to move 100 copies on this forum alone; who knows what kind of response you might get if you got it reviewed in one of the big magazines. Off the top of my hat, I think it's a very viable idea. Maybe not New York Times Best-seller list viable, but break-even-plus-a-little-for-your-time viable for sure.

Will forum members get their copies autographed? :)
 
I think the demand is there for the sort of stuff you write. There seems to be a definite split in preference between digital and print forms here. I'm in the print camp. As several folks have said: print on demand technologies are getting pretty good. They might be just what you need but I don't know how well they support color.
 
I am one who likes a printed copy, too. I make notes on the pages, highlight the things I need to remember, and can set it on a table where I am working. Those are not as easy to do with digital.
The other truth is that few people will bother to copy a book, but I would be willing to bet that for every ten DVD copies, or e-books, there will be 50 linked or pirated copies.

Color isn't really a big problem with build it projects in steel.
Stacy
 
I really think print is the way to go, it (as mentioned) cuts down on the intellectual property theft (pirating) but more importantly it is, once printed, technology independant for "playback"
a lot of the webkids on this forum aren't old enough to remember Betamax, 8-track, Videodisk, Laserdisk, heck many probably do not remember seeing 12 inch vinyl in the record stores, so they are used to computers that read CD and DVD because they have always been there, I have seen multiple media formats die, and their "readers" if you will go away with them. I call this the "Betamax effect" in the book we wrote (my father had several thousand betamax tapes, so when they stopped producing them he bought 5 players so that he would be able to enjoy his movies when whichever machine he was using died. Of course his spare players didn't survive Hurricaine Katrina in New Orleans but that's an epilogue.
A printed book will not short out from steel dust, takes a lot to be made unreadable and with approriate care even survive a fall in the quench bucket.

-Page
 
I would be very interested (particularly in the sgian dubh and dirk one!) I too love mine in print format. I like stuff that's available digitally, and infact have the entierty of Sonn's 1920s series on american wrought iron in PDF format, but when it gets down to it, i like to hold a book in my hands.
 
I'd love just about any topic you mentioned. I do have a few liability concerns specifically with salt pots and ht ovens that you'd need to get a lawyer to address to protect yourself.

Well? Hurry up with those books! :D
 
Will,
One of the reasons I only mentioned low temperature salt pots, is exactly that.

The good thing about books on hobbies like ours is that the disclaimer and safty info in the begining ( and throughout) is usually quite sufficient to shield the writer.

My favorite safety lable was the Dr. Pepper cap of several many years ago, which said ( on a plastic twist-top bottle), " Open carefully. Do not point at yourself or others. Serious injury may result."

The first section of any training manual or instruction book is always the safety, cautions, and safe use guidelines. You have to write it like an idiot was going to be the one reading it.

Stacy
 
Excellent, Stacy! I look forward with great interest to anything you'd offer in print and would buy copies as soon as they were available to order.

--nathan
 
bladsmth said:
The first section of any training manual or instruction book is always the safety, cautions, and safe use guidelines. You have to write it like an idiot was going to be the one reading it.
Stacy
Click to expand...

You may have written that tongue-in-cheek, but it's a "cliche`" for a reason. Shop safety is definitely the first thing newbies need to learn. I prefer not to think of myself as an idiot :) but there are some things that even a smart guy doesn't think about until they're shown to him.
 
Yes, James,
The phrase was out of the old Government days ,when we said we had to write the field changes so a monkey could do it.

I agree that the first thing to do with any shop lesson, instruction session, or book, is to sit the student down and explain what is going on and what can go wrong. My motto has always been:
"FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED"
Stacy
 
To me the printed and digital formats both have pros and cons. I to love a printed book and I like them in hard back, there is just something that does not feel right with a paper back book. But then with the digital format if you have the one about low temp salts you can print out the wiring diagram and not worry about messing up your book. I believe now with all of the downloadable books that there is technology available to keep pirating down to a minnium. I might not get the one on the Sgian Dubh snce I do not think I am anywhere close to being ready for that, but the ones about all of the different shop tools and equipment would be very high on my list to buy. Can'twait to see them.
 
Wade,
Your thoughts shows the problem.
If you can print out the diagrams, you can email them to someone...or post them on the BF.
I am not really interested in trying to keep the information a secret unless you buy it from me, but if Joe buys a copy on DVD and burn one for Fred ( his best bud) and Fred puts it on " The anti-establishment knife and sword forum"...well, I think a lot of the books will sit in the box.

Yes there is some technology available to copy protect any electronic media...but IIRC, that did little to stop copping video movies for later viewing or loaning to a friend. That technology is expensive too, and has to be constantly monitored. I don't want to become a multi-million seller ( but it would be nice to sell 1000).

Justin, I may get you to do the test read and critique.
Stacy
 
Point well taken Stacey. I guess I was just not thinking it all the way through. I still want to be on the list to get some of them.
 
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