Handing out freebies; good for developing a rep or not?

N

Ninja Blacksmith

Joined
Aug 26, 2012
Messages
136
Lately I've been considering giving out a couple of "freebie" knives, though I haven't officially sold any yet (still building up an inventory of my better blades for that). The idea is to give away a couple of plain O1 drop point knives and then hear back from the recipients about how their freebie knife is holding up, hoping they are satisfied with the quality and that I could develop a bit of local reputation as a good maker. I won't be doing anything over the top and I'm not using any steel I don't know how to heat treat. Is this something a lot of new makers do, and do seasoned makers recommend it?
 
I believe most folks will tell you not to sell yourself short. If the work is good, you should be able to sell it
 
Handing out freebies to build a local reputation? That depends on how much local business you think you'll get...and how much you might impact your market there by giving away your wares. (Not everybody buys more when they've got a perfectly good one in their hand)

If you plan on selling online (ie - here), doing a pass around or two will put your knives in a number of hands while giving away less of your time and money. I've seen some that don't result in much feedback; so I would recommend putting that stipulation out front if you go that route.
 
I'm not a knife maker but I do believe in giving. But the catch is I have to feel good about giving and being of service to others. When i do this the universe says how can I give, or serve you.

I'm running a promo on Angie's list right now for my business. The money I make covers my gas insurance and tools.
But sometimes people see the great work I do and ask for additional services, or tell other family members, friends, neighbors. Plus the repetition of my company name being put out there over and over will generate business in the long run.
 
I would not give unless these are family members. What I suggest is to sell but at a lower price than they are valued at. In other words try to recover your material costs plus a few bucks. Check the forums here for similar knives and quality for a price range. As well you should have a sheath to go with any working straight knives. If you can't do it, learn some about the leather work or find someone who will make them for you. Frank
 
A few samples to end users is not a bad thing for both word of mouth quality and some independent feedback for your products. If I hear " my brother makes great knives." I take that with a grain of salt. if I hear " I just got this knife from a new maker thought id give it a try and it works amazing." I am more likely to listen.
When I was a kid my parents said my macaroni art was the best thing ever..... I learned now they lied to me. ;)
 
Don't do it. Most people that be jumping all over anything free would not buy anything anyway. If they are decent knives sell them. Quality knives at a fair price sell themselves.
 
I have about 20 "freebies" out there. The first few were truly free, but I sold several at cost to local hunters and fishermen. The word of mouth has really paid off, and the feedback has provided a world of good information on the geometry, steel, and profile the locals like. Every one of the end users said the knife is the best they have ever used. I get two types of calls now: 1. I want a knife like "so and so's," what would that cost me? and they are quite OK with it. 2. The second group says I want a knife like so and so's. Since I can buy one from the store for $X.XX, yours are cheaper right? I am getting a lot more of the first type of call now. I have also given away kiridashis for the office gift exchange, and give knives for birthday presents, Christmas presents. I sometimes throw in a paring knife or other small kitchen knife with an order, and it exposes the customer's wife to custom knives. I make 3 or 4 kitchen knives for every hinter/skinner now. Getting your product into the hands of people is good exposure. Underpricing is bad for your reputation. People assume something is wrong if you price way too low. Your name has value, very little when starting out, and with good products and good customer service, your value increases. Price appropriately rather than giving away once you get going.
 
I think I'll start a knife certification service. All makers should just send me free knives and I will certify them, put pictures of them on the certification web site (with links back to the maker's web site). Then, of course, I'll sell the free knife to cover the cost of this highly valuable service!!! :)

On second thought, I'm far too lazy to do this. Better send the freebies to someone else.
 
People wanting free things from artists to give them exposure is something I hear about in a very negative light from my artist friends, the problem is that it gets people to think they can get you to work for them for free. Conversely reviewers copies is a long tradition in many industries.

There is no right answer. Promotions can work, and they can seriously backfire too.
 
I am a hobby maker who has been doing this hobby for about 2 years but my output is very low. Strictly a hobby. I have given away a small handful of knives as gifts to people who have helped me out here at work or who are friends of mine with the stipulation that they use the hell out of them so I can learn as much as possible about my heat treat, geometry, blade shape, handle ergonomics, durability, etc. So I give knives away more for field testing and research than anything with the hopes of someday being able to provide my friends, family and a few customers (once I have some) with the best possible knife I can make. Someday I hope to make enough $$ to retire, fat dumb and happy on my island made of cash that I made making knives....NOT! Maybe enough to buy supplies and an occasional mountain bike or mountain bike part!
 
First off, we should not be discussing sales related things with a registered user. Since this is a general topic of some worth to the group here, I'll let it sit for now. BUT, please no discussion of selling....just about freebies and testing.


As a person with nearly half a century of retail experience, I can tell you a few things;
1) NEVER call anything a freebie. The name in itself says the item is worthless. Call it a sample, call it a test knife, call it a proto-type...buy not a freebie.

2) Making and distributing a limited number of filed test proto-types ( sounds a lot better, doesn't it) is a good thing. Make the number reasonably small, as you still want a market when the field testing is done. Choose the recipients wisely. It should be people who regularly use the knife type you are testing. Giving a drop point hunter to an office worker, or a chefs blade to a mechanic is not going to get any usefull feedback. Make up a sheet with critiques on the knife for the recipients, otherwise, they will just say, :"It was OK.". Tell them to be brutally honest. The critique should cover looks, feel, balance, hand friendliness, cutting ability, edge retention, suitability for the design task, and other comments. it should have a suggestion space at the bottom. It should NOT have a place for their name.
Choosing recipients who do not personally know you directly is a really good method. many folks do that through a pass-around on the forums. You can make a few knives and send them out for testing and use by different groups, and when done get the knives back. This way you can observe how the knives held up, and haven't lost the knives. A pass around among knife people will get you the most honest and useful suggestions and reviews.

3) Don't do this if you have a thin skin. Anyone who wants to help you will tell you the truth. The truth hurts a lot, especially when just learning the basic skills.

4) Don't be in a rush to start selling knives. Only start when the bugs are worked out and people who know knives think they are good. As a general rule, I never met a new maker who didn't think his third knife was super good. The same folks a year later would be embarrassed if that same knife was ever sold with their name on it.
 
Ummm... maybe hosting a giveaway of your "Field Test Proto-types" with the winners having to give a good review of the knife on the forums? Just a thought.
 
In addition to the other good advice given above I had another thought. This was something I was going to do myself. After you reach a point where you are confident in the fit, finish and HT of your knives perhaps you could donate one to a local "friends of the NRA" banquet or sportsmen's club type fundraising dinner. The knife would be auctioned off to raise funds but you will get some good advertising with sportsmen and women in your area and it should generate some interest.
 
Sometimes when I look up a makers knife for reviews I see that their work has been submitted to websites that cover the topic of the knifes use for editorial review. Generally I see it done with Bushcraft type knives, but I'm sure other instances exist. I'm not sure how it is usually worked, meaning the editor may or may not keep the knife, but I like researching knives this way.

Depending on the type of knife, and on their policies, you could try contacting a magazine. That's a good way to get your work in front of the eyes of enthusiasts.

Still, I think getting a knifemakers membership here and promoting by way of pass-around, or even getting your own hosted forum, is the best way to develop your rep.

Good luck!
 
I have had bad luck giving away knives. Its usually the last time I hear from that person. Passarounds are a great way to build fellowship here on the forums, and get the knives into the hands of folks that are actually going to post about knives and spread the word.

I have not found a local market for my work other than word of mouth here and again, but that is only a couple a year. We had some knives sit in a gun store for months without selling one. I could have sold those right away on the forums.

My advice to new makers is to participate on the forums and build fellowship through them. If you come here only to sell knives, and don't have the connections it seems like a dead fish. I hear that a lot talking with makers in the real world. At the end of the passaround, clean up and sell the knife. Generally by the end you've built up quite a bit of interest in the piece.

I don't give knives to reviewers in exchange for their review either. If they fall in love with the knife, I sell it to them. I had bad luck with that too.
 
Well, giving a freebie to me would be a good way to build up your rep! I'll be happy to give you a good review, if the knife is good. Seriously, as mentioned, a pass around sounds like a much better idea. Tell people you are looking for honest feedback, and members who have been here for a while will generally look after you.
 
Giving away junk will quickly mark you as a person who makes junk. Giving away great stuff will quickly lower the value of what you're doing.

Feedback is always good. But if you don't understand/have confidence in your product before sending it out, you really shouldn't send it out to anyone. Never put anything in front of the public until you're totally confident in it, based on your own testing.

GAW's are bad business, unless you already have a solid client base. Then, GAWs can help keep those folks interested. Maybe. Frankly, that's more of an advertising/tax write-off thing.

Pass-Arounds are very good business, if your product is excellent. I've never gotten a knife back from a PA... every one has been kept and paid-for by one of the testers and has generated more orders.
 
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Strigamort said:
Sometimes when I look up a makers knife for reviews I see that their work has been submitted to websites that cover the topic of the knifes use for editorial review. Generally I see it done with Bushcraft type knives, but I'm sure other instances exist. I'm not sure how it is usually worked, meaning the editor may or may not keep the knife, but I like researching knives this way.

Depending on the type of knife, and on their policies, you could try contacting a magazine. That's a good way to get your work in front of the eyes of enthusiasts.

Still, I think getting a knifemakers membership here and promoting by way of pass-around, or even getting your own hosted forum, is the best way to develop your rep.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Pretty sure you are a writer so I hope this doesn't offend. This is a complete scam by the magazines. I just exited the custom motorcycle industry and in my experience it works like this. You have a small, struggling startup with some good products. You meet an editor at a show, take him and the executive publisher out to dinner and the bar afterward and pick up all the tabs. You discuss doing some new product announcements and they say "Yeah, send us some photos and a press release and we'll put them in the mag". You send said photos and accompanying copy and they reply with "Those are awesome! Could you send us a few sets for a how-to article?" Despite the fact that you can't afford to be giving away hundreds of dollars in product, you send a few sets because you know that the exposure is going to be worth it. Six months later, you've heard nothing so you shoot off an email asking when they think your product might get mentioned in their magazine. They suggest that you talk to one of their sales guys because they are about to do a whole article on your super-cool part and if you had some advertising in the magazine it would present a much more solid image of a stable company. You agree to a six month contract of advertising at $600 per month for a 1/6th page ad and then pay a graphic designer to put the ad together. Your ad runs for six months, the magazine never mentions your parts in any section of their rag, your out well over $5k in advertising, artwork, parts and entertaining, and to top it all off, you don't get a single call about your tiny little 1/6th page ad.

But, I'm not bitter. I learned a lot from the experience and now I get to pass it along.

Bob
 
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