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

Lots of great advice here! :)


A buddy of mine, that originally came to me as a student in 2005, asked me something similar. I told him, "Friends and relatives will hear you're making knives (of course they have no idea what that entails) and ask/tell you to make them a knife. Just about everybody gets excited about getting knives out, so you'll promise them all one..... DON'T DO IT. A couple here and there for a brother, father, mother, etc. is fine... but beyond that, sell them if you are confident you did your best work (at the time) on it."

The guys/gals getting free knives almost never have an appreciation for what they're given, and won't be coming back to buy one. They make a pretty horrible sales rep for you as well, because how are they going to explain to their friends that your knife is worth $120, or $250, or $1500... when the one they got didn't cost a dime?


My buddy didn't take my advice, and he promised knives to just about everybody in his family and buddies at work. I think he finally delivered one of the last promised knives about a year ago. :eek: :eek: :eek:


A pass-around--- especially through the forum, is a totally different story. Then you're getting your work into the hands of folks that actually appreciate it, and might actually come back to purchase one or recommend you to a friend/friends.



At this point, I only give knives to people that are very dear to me, and it's a gesture of my appreciation for having them in my life. I think it's best if you handle it that way right from the start!!! :)
 
You all have given me a LOT to think about - luckily I'm not in a rush to do this. The pass around sounds like a decent way of getting feedback, and if I should happen to give it to a family member, I know I'll stay on them about it until they can tell me at least one thing they DIDN'T like.

If I decide that I'm truly ready for this and choose to eventually do the pass around on the forum, there is something that I think anyone interested in testing a knife of mine should know. I confess to dabbling in a little bit of knifemaking sacrilege...I add the bevels of my blades with an angle grinder.

Also, my apologies, Stacey, if I crossed a line or two with this thread. And yes, filed tested proto-types does sound better.
 
I just gave a knife to a cousine because I appreciate what she does. I gave one as a "thank you" to somebody and am making one for my neighbor who helped me out several times. That last one MIGHT be some good advertising but the main reason is to give something back.
I plan on making one or two to be raffeled off for a good cause here in town when I am confident enought I can take orders.
(I could now, but want some more experience)
 
I give away knives all the time. Honestly, if anyone I know wants one they have only to ask. I don't generally make that fact known, but I don't exactly try to hide it either. Money isn't why I do this thing.
 
"First off, we should not be discussing sales related things with a registered user."

Absurd is the word.
 
Random user: "I have a few questions about possibly selling a knife or two that I made"

Mod: "YOU GOTTA PAY THE TOLL!"

What's the logic behind this?

Oh heaven's we can't share our wealths of knowledge about... revenue less cost of goods sold equaling profit! It's a trade secret!
 
I empathize with your frustration, but we all agreed to the rules when we signed up. This has been discussed ad nauseum and there is no reason to go on with this. This thread wasn't closed so I'm unsure why this is so upsetting to you.
 
Think about using it as a barter item rather than giving it away. You may make more on it than if you had sold it outright, and if it isn't any good, and he thinks he got the short end of the deal, you will get some real feedback. That will give you a chance to work on your customer service.
 
RangerBobTX said:
Pretty sure you are a writer so I hope this doesn't offend.

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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No, I'm not offended at all. I've only written for magazines freelance, never been an editor or had any real direct employed experience. Bad politics and sketchy behavior are well documented in the industry which is sad. Kinda reminds me of the radio industry years ago with payola and all that.

I'm sure the op appreciates your input. From his perspective it's far more relevant.

As far as membership level goes, are we still talking about this? I mean, why are we still talking about this? It's so simple. Probably should have been this way from the start, but it doesn't matter. This is a privately owned forum. Only the owners rules really matter. In other words, we don't have a right to free speech. Spark could ban anyone who says the word "the", or "I", or whatever he wants if he were so inclined. Simple as that.
 
I think Stacey is one of the best and most knowledgeable forum mods I've ever known. He has to and will inforce the Blade Forums rules. I support this forum and those rules wholeheartedly. I make a living here and this place tought me the skills. Lets not get an informative thread shut down because of complaining about a mod doing his job. Especially not this mod in this forum.
 
Fiddleback said:
I think Stacey is one of the best and most knowledgeable forum mods I've ever known. He has to and will inforce the Blade Forums rules. I support this forum and those rules wholeheartedly. I make a living here and this place tought me the skills. Lets not get an informative thread shut down because of complaining about a mod doing his job. Especially not this mod in this forum.
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Honestly, I agree with Fiddleback - Though certain forum policies may seem a little over the top, it's still his job to make sure they stay in effect, also most of the time chiming in with solid advice. Had this thread been shut down earlier, it would've been a bummer for me but I still would understand why it was done- then shrug my shoulders and just try looking for older threads on the topic. Plus, I can't say anything about by-the-book-no-nonsense people (and often like them), since I am the same way when I'm at work.
 
I've noticed that there are people on the forums that when they speak I pay close attention to. Stacey is definitely one of them. Rules are rules and everyone here agreed to them when they signed up. As far as the op goes I don't have anything I can contribute, but I am glad this question was asked as I also learned a lot from it.
 
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