Fiddleback sneak peak. Good idea or not so good.

Sneak peeks (both shop provided and Bud's / Brian's pics) are great opportunities to see what is in the pipeline and to build some excitement about upcoming releases -- up to this point, there have never been any issues within the community surrounding these posts. While I do sympathize with first time sharks frustrations about not getting the exact knife that they want, please do not complain / ruin something the rest of us enjoy.

As Duder stated, there are tons of great ways to get your first fiddleback; give them a try until you get the hang of the Friday feeding frenzy.
 
I actually really like the sneak peak posts and really enjoy seeing the knives take shape. Bud, Brian, and several others go way out of their way to give us a different view of the artistry and I really aporeciate it. To me the knives follow trends and if you can buy slightly off of the trend you'll have better luck. I do all my FBF buying from my phone and have no chance on the top pick but have scored quite a few awesome ones just by looking further. Knives move around a lot in the circle of this forum and the other guys have always been more than accommodating and offer help to those who help themselves. I hope things follow along as they have with the minor adjustments made as the need arises. Thanks again for the work that goes into the sneak peaks guys.
 
For:
-educating and entertaining your customers. Personally, I love seeing the different stages and potentially spotting something I want. This happened recently.
+ a sneak peek pic came up that really got me excited, a couple of weeks later it's up for sale, and it should be shipped soon! That's pretty cool and I really appreciate the access Andy is providing and the effort in taking and uploading all the pictures.

Regarding the sharking methods, I was frustrated at first but eventually got the hang of it...too good in fact $
Don't discount the market, I recently bought something that came up, in shock that someone would sell it. It's my favorite to date and never saw a peek :)

My only suggestion would be to include more angled shots to help determine handle shape, rather than all 2D views.
In closing, Thank you Fiddleback for creating and sharing this art, I'm really impressed by your output and your ability to sell a week's work in a matter of minutes.
I would suggest that those of you who have collections, take a few to your next gathering of family / friends. Sounds strange, but I'm really happy to share this stuff with others. They are always a hit at the parties, especially with artists and craftsmen.
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Hmmm. I learned a lot reading all of your posts. I am new to this and not very computer savvy. But I would like to clear up a few things, since some have read more in my post than was there. And I like the sneak peak as well.
First. Some have said I was complaining about the rules. Not true. I was concerned about the rules changing to needing the full description.
Bamboo, Well...it's Friday page 93: "At this time we are still not requiring that you post the full description - we may move to doing that in the future but we're not there yet." My concern was that the previews may fuel this decision. However, I have since changed my mind seeing the way many of you shark. More on that later.
Second. I never stated I had any trouble getting a Fiddleback. I got my first FB in Aug. and I am up to 12. Including 4 successful Friday sharks.
That's an average of one a month, which is all I ought to be buying. My second post (third one down)should have made this clear.
I do fine Gentleman, but thanks for the concern.
Third. I never mentioned anything about fair or unfair. But now I will.
Seems to me needing the full description would make it fair and even. Everyone would have to wait and go through the same motions.
Did not know many were shooting blind "scandi bushfinger please" what blade stock? "I don't know but I saw the pic and I know they have one"
On advantages and disadvantages. Not surprising the person most threatened by my post,resorting to ridicule, has a clear advantage.
They get to see the knives. They get to check stock thickness. Heck, they may be able to see what feels good in hand.They know the exact knife they are sharking.
We don't,Till we get the description.Those who have the advantage are never concerned about fairness.
Cheers Gents, See you on Friday.
 
LavaWood said:
I could argue for and against it.


Against:
-potentially distracting a Jedi and causing an error or accident.
Click to expand...

One reason all of the photos I took were from a bit of a distance, the last thing I wanted to do was cause an injury, the next to the last thing I wanted to do was cause a mistake...
 
So you're point was to complain about the rules set by a seller? smh.
 
So, I've thought about this for some time... Like many have said, the sneak peek gives me something to look forward to, to chase, to get excited about. But also, it shows the process, it shows the dedication of the craftspeople that work there, it shows the skill and knowledge it takes to turn a piece of bar stock steel into something that is a family heirloom, an EDC knife, or backpack dwelling beater.
Like most in this community, I don't have a background in making tools. It gives me a better appreciation for the knife, be it a safe queen or a wood eating beast.
One thing I really enjoy, seeing a knife in different stages. Then seeing it finished and for sale. How the handle changes when it's shaped then cleaned and polished. How the convex vs scandi grind looks at different stages. How they grind the knife blanks from bar stock. How they glue up the handles. How one knife won't make it for sale cause it turned out to be a dud.
So, I've rambled enough. Brian, keep walking in the mist. Bud, yea come on. Just remember your cameras, SD cards, and full batteries.
Just a few thoughts. Y'all have a good one.

Preston
 
No complaints here. I'm fine with the way things are now, and I will be fine if they changed. But would you be.
 
Johnny, I think we're getting off on the wrong foot. You should go gold, I'd like to PM you. I can paypal you $10 towards your gold membership.
 
Hi folks,

I'm a little late to the discussion but wanted to clarify a few things from our perspective.

The sneak peeks are something we talked about doing but could never find the time to do. Then Bud showed up on the scene and started doing it all on his own and we were thrilled. It is our hope that he'll continue to do so because it's a great addition to the Forum as well as to the shop.

Similarly, but on a larger scale, Mistwalker's documenting of the overall process and turning those photos into the "Road to Friday" thread helps us share how and what we do here.

I'll also add that both Mistwalker and Bonafide are excellent shop photographers. Never in the way or at risk of causing an injury. We take care of those all on our own. ;-)

Regarding rules on the Friday threads - please keep in mind there are many different opinions as to how things should run. It is not unusual for me to get a PM that says "don't change a thing!" The next PM says "you guys need to make some changes." So... what to do? Our thought is to make minor course correction changes here and there, give them time to settle in, & then continue to adjust from there. Adding the 3 knife limit per post rule was new last week, as was the 'required description' for the Karda. Both seemed to work quite well and most of the opinions I read were supportive of them.

Fun and fair was mentioned previously and we agree completely. That is our goal and we hope that we are walking that line most of the time.

Thanks,
Ken
 
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Also, it is not unusual for us to be working from 4-5 knife caddies during the week. So don't be surprised if you see something in the Sneak Peek thread that doesn't show up on Friday. It may still be in the works, or could have gotten set aside for a show, guild meeting, holiday weeks, etc.
 
Joe Duder said:
Johnny, I think we're getting off on the wrong foot. You should go gold, I'd like to PM you. I can paypal you $10 towards your gold membership.
Click to expand...

Thanks Duder, It's cool. I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers, but it seems I touched a nerve.
The thread could have died once Vayu made me aware of the fokti page, Rendering my thread pointless. Thanks for the direction Vayu. That is the reason I am here on this forum. To learn.
I'll think about the gold membership once I have enough fiddles to consider trading.

J.R.
 
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