Finally got my website up!

Phillip Patton · Sep 25, 2006

The reason I'm posting here is I'd like to welcome any of you who would like, to take a look and correct any mistakes.

Right now it's fairly simple, but I think it'll serve it's purpose for now.
Eventually I'd like to have tutorials and stuff.

Thanks,

Edited to add the address.

www.pattonblades.com

Wulf · Sep 25, 2006

Looks good. I like the layout, and its easy to navigate. There's some good content there - it's multi-dimensional, in the sense that it's not just a bunch of pictures of your knives. The site allows a visitor to learn not only about the knives you make but also about what goes into them.

Will you be adding descriptions and specs to the knives in your gallery and the tools in your shop? I think it would be worthwhile to do so. People want to know what they're looking at.

Oh - fix your link to the testing page (currently takes you to the shop tour). I'm glad that you have a testing page, by the way. It gives insight into your philosophy on performance, and also helps teach the uninitiated about what a knowledgeable knifemaker can do with a piece of steel. That page could use a picture or two, though. People like seeing pictures on websites.

On your links page, hyperlink the text so people can just click on it.

On your available page, if there's nothing available, post a comment saying as much so people at least know that the link worked.

Keep working on it, adding photos, descriptions, and comments, and you'll have a really solid website.

Phillip Patton · Sep 25, 2006

Thanks for the helpful comments, Wulf.

I know it needs work.
I do intend to put more pictures up, on most of the pages. The program we're using to build the site is a little difficult to work with sometimes...
I'll try to find time today to fix the things you mentioned.

axeldoomeyer · Sep 25, 2006

On your "Shop Tour" page, the thumbnails are small and hard to see them. I would make the thumbnails a little bigger and decrease the "dead space" in between them. Right now I can't make most of them out becuase they are too small. Granted when I click on them I get a larger view. But, if I were a customer interested in buying a knife from you and I looked at your shop tour I may only want to see thumbnails; therefore they should be a little bigger at least so that you can identify what is in the picture without clicking on it.

Looks good! Keep at it.

Phillip Patton · Sep 25, 2006

axeldoomeyer said:
On your "Shop Tour" page, the thumbnails are small and hard to see them. I would make the thumbnails a little bigger and decrease the "dead space" in between them. Right now I can't make most of them out becuase they are too small. Granted when I click on them I get a larger view. But, if I were a customer interested in buying a knife from you and I looked at your shop tour I may only want to see thumbnails; therefore they should be a little bigger at least so that you can identify what is in the picture without clicking on it.

Looks good! Keep at it.

Good idea about the thumbnails. How big do you think they should be? Right now they're 64X48.

mdoyle · Sep 25, 2006

Phillip,
A couple suggestions:
#1- I would like to see a caption with some detail under the knives in your gallery handle material, blade and bolster material etc. Many customers don't know what they are looking at even if they like it.
#2- On your home page you need to edit some of your wording. I truly believe how you speak is a direct reflection on yourself. You are speaking to your customer through your website so make sure your wording is correct. Your statement about testing "test in by the end of 2007" needs to be changed to either in 2007, or by the end of 2007. The next statement " I make all my knives myself with nothing farmed out to someone else" is also in need of help. Perhaps something like: I farm no work out to ANYONE else. Every knife is made entirely by myself with the customer in mind.??? At least change the "someone" to anyone.
#3-That sandblaster appears out of place in your shop. Please box it up and send it directly to me right away, so it does not clutter up anymore photos!

Matt

Phillip Patton · Sep 25, 2006

mdoyle said:
Phillip,
A couple suggestions:
#1- I would like to see a caption with some detail under the knives in your gallery handle material, blade and bolster material etc. Many customers don't know what they are looking at even if they like it.
#2- On your home page you need to edit some of your wording. I truly believe how you speak is a direct reflection on yourself. You are speaking to your customer through your website so make sure your wording is correct. Your statement about testing "test in by the end of 2007" needs to be changed to either in 2007, or by the end of 2007. The next statement " I make all my knives myself with nothing farmed out to someone else" is also in need of help. Perhaps something like: I farm no work out to ANYONE else. Every knife is made entirely by myself with the customer in mind.??? At least change the "someone" to anyone.
#3-That sandblaster appears out of place in your shop. Please box it up and send it directly to me right away, so it does not clutter up anymore photos!
Matt

#1 Yes, I'll be working on that.

#2 That's why I'm asking for your input; to cach al thesse speling mistackes. Thancks you for yore help.

I really don't think "someone" is bad English, but I changed the wording anyway.

#3 Sorry Matt, I don't think I have a box big enough. Besides, I think the blaster likes sitting where it is. This way it can see where all "the magic happens". LOL

Dan Pierson · Sep 25, 2006

The vertical spacing of the left side menu is messed up on my browser (Firefox). Some of the entries partially overlay each other.

Phillip Patton · Sep 25, 2006

dlpierson said:
The vertical spacing of the left side menu is messed up on my browser (Firefox). Some of the entries partially overlay each other.

Yeah, we noticed things are different with Internet Explorer vs. Firefox. The pictures originally had captions, but we couldn't get them to line up with the pictures, and have it work with both browsers.

So I deleted the captions.

waredbear · Sep 25, 2006

Did you make the belt grinder? Where so you get the wheels? I need to make one bad but I haven't been able to find wheels.

Thank
reid

Larrin · Sep 25, 2006

mdoyle said:
I farm no work out to ANYONE else.

I think that sentence is even worse.

I'm no English major or anything, but how about "I don't farm out any work, every aspect of the knife is made by me", or maybe its "..every aspect of the knife is made by myself"? Anyway, some maker's websites are ugly and hard to understand and they get by just fine, and Phillip here is off to a pretty good start.

Phillip Patton · Sep 25, 2006

waredbear said:
Did you make the belt grinder? Where so you get the wheels? I need to make one bad but I haven't been able to find wheels.

Thank
reid

Yep, I made the belt grinder. That's one of the tutorials I want to write.

I made the wheels myself, (except for the 10" wheel, which i got from Grizzly) but you might be better off buying them. Mine run fine, but they wear unevenly, and after awhile, they take on a cone shape. I just reversed them recently, and the belt tracks a lot better.

You can buy wheels from the knifemaker supply companies, but they cost an arm and a leg.

Phillip Patton · Sep 25, 2006

Larrin said:
I think that sentence is even worse. I'm no English major or anything, but how about "I don't farm out any work, every aspect of the knife is made by me", or maybe its "..every aspect of the knife is made by myself"? Anyway, some maker's websites are ugly and hard to understand and they get by just fine, and Phillip here is off to a pretty good start.

Thank you! In all honesty, I can't take all the credit, (blame?) my dad did most of the website construction. I wrote the text and took and edited the pictures.
I'm not sure what the best sentence structure is, so I totally rephrased it. :thumbup:

Phillip Patton · Sep 25, 2006

The links are fixed, although Firefox still does weird things with them.
Tomorrow I'll enlarge the thumbnails. I also need to add a photo of my hardness tester...