Do awards influence your purchases?

Shing

Shing

Joined
Feb 2, 2003
Messages
2,261
As a beginner maker and collector, I would like to know if a knife that has won an award would make it more attractive to you as a buyer or collector and would a maker who has won a lot of awards make you more likely to buy from them?
 
A knife or maker winning an award wouldn't influence my decision to buy, but it would influence me to perhaps give that makers work a serious look.
 
No and yes. Award-winning knives tend to command a premium (at least when re-sold) that I am generally not willing to pay. If it was a $500 knife before it won an award, it's not an $800 knife after. Not for me, anyway.

But the award definitely does credit to the maker and I tend to pay attention to them in that respect - particularly when a major award is claimed by a maker that was previously not known to me.

Roger
 
Well, if I am already looking at a knife, and then it wins an award, it just seals the deal.
 
Awards can help influence a decision.

For exmaple, if I wanted to add a forged fighter to my collection, I would immediatley think of Joe Flournoy as he has won "best fighter" at shows numerous times. If a tomahawk was something I was searching for, JoeSzilaski comes to mind as he has won that category numerous times also.

It may not force me to make a purchase, but it certainly would influence me towards a certain maker.

In addition, knives that win awards like the Peck award, are heavily scrutinized and will at least put a maker on my permanent radar.

Award winners do tend to collect a premium that I think is probably warranted in many cases.
 
As many have mentioned it depends upon the award and who gives it. Too many show awards can be political instead of based on the merit of the work. (one is too many in my opinion.)

At the very least if it is someone I do not know, I am driven to find out more information.
 
I do not purchase pre-made knives, so the answe is no I don't purchase knives based on whether they won an award. To tell you the truth, I don't even consider awards when choosing a maker.
 
Awards are a bonus.
I feel most of us have our areas of interest and know what we like. Sometimes a commissioned knife ends up at a show, and if it were mine, I would sure hope it would be nice enough for the maker to enter it in its category. If it wins, it is a bonus for both of us.
If it is uncommissioned, and wins, that is a bonus for the maker, not neccessarily the future owner of the knife.
I would imagine that the show organizers like to see the award-winning makers back the next year, so I would think some incentive would be involved?
It doesn't influence my likes or decisions. But, it is a nice bonus.
 
No-- in fact, an award may actually deter me as I tend to like a sense of independence and outsider status. That's not to say award-winners don't deserve the award, but I figure by the time they've won it there must be some unknown out there just breaking through...and his stuff could be more interesting and edgy.
 
nope. just the work. Todd Davidson comes to mind. He makes the most gorgeous folders you ever saw. I just got one in Desert Ironwood and it floored me with the fit, finish,detail, and care in end product. It even came in a pouch that was lined in a softer leather!
 
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