Happy New Year from Fletcher Knives and an overview of 2011...

Fletcher Knives

STEEL BREATHING BLADE MAESTRO
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Aug 30, 2007
Messages
5,497
Happy New Year errybody!

First off, I'd like to thank everybody who supported and purchased Fletcher Knives in 2010! You guys rock the house. It was because of all of you that I was able to make to switch to full-time knifemaker in 2010. I learned a lot about the business and knifemaking itself in 2010 thanks to several people that helped me along the way, just to name a few, of course my main homie Andy Roy of Fiddleback Forge, Jeff Randall and Mike Perrin of ESEE, and Scott Gossman, Brian Griffin, Scott Davidson of Solid Rock, and all the guys in the Georgia Custom Knifemakers Guild. Out of all of them, the main one is Andy. He let me apprentice under him and he taught me all about his style of knifemaking and the business. If it weren't for Andy, I definitely would not have been able to live my personal dream as a full-time knifemaker.

Here are some things that happened in 2008/2009/2010:

October 2008: Met Andy. Got my first Fiddleback knife, a Bushcraft Sr. Made a new friend (that would end up being my best friend).

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December 2008: Decided to leave the Police selection process (which was taking over a year at this point. The police department I was applying for is one of the hardest to get into) and started having thoughts of knifemaking as a career. At the time I was working at an Italian Motorcycle shop.

December 2008: Started grinding on some file knives.

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January 2009: Scott Gossman gave me my first piece of O-1 and heat treated my first blade for me.



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April 2009: Started finishing "seconds" from Andy. They were blades that he had messed up, so he would give them to me and I would change them and finish them. Also finished up several more file knives. At the time, I thought this was all pretty cool and walked around Blade show that year showing them to anyone that would stand still long enough to look at them. Looking back, I wish I hadn't shown them to anybody. lol Shortly before Blade, Andy got laid off and went full time.

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May 2009: started working on the prototype for the Delta Foxtrot. Placed my first order for O-1 steel. Started helping Andy in his shop here and there, not regularly yet.

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September 2009: Ordered my first belt grinder, a 1x42 Kalamazoo.

December 2009: Got the Delta Foxtrot prototype dialed in and heat treated the first one. Also got blade blanks ready for the first batch of Fletcher Knives.

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February 2010: Ordered my KMG. Started taking extre days off work to help Andy in his shop and got serious about knifemaking as a career. Andy tells me to sweep up the shop floor for the first time = meaning Andy has decided to take me on as an apprentice.

02/24/2010: I got the Fortune Cookie that showed me the way. It said, "You will soon be changing your present line of work." That's when I knew what I had to do and started making plans. That fortune is actually taped to the arm of my KMG.

02/27/2010: My KMG arrives.

March 2010: Finished the Fletcher Tactigumbo (I have no idea why that name stuck) and the Hawkzula 3000 post giveaway knife. Still had not yet sold anything. Just hobby making.

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03/16/2010: Got a paycheck for $158, the smallest paycheck since my teenage years of part-time mall jobs. Gave my notice so that my boss had plenty of time to train my replacement. Also sketched out the design for the Hatchula.

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April Fools Day (No foolin' around): Heat treated the first "batch" of Fletcher Knives. In the batch were 3 Delta Foxtrots, 3 Peoples Knives, and 1 Hatchula.

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04/13/2010: The first ever Fletcher Knives sale happens. Michael Wiesner is the first Fletcher Knives customer. He bought the Hatchula before it was even finished.

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Late April 2010: The first batch of Fletcher Knives is finished. It consisted of 3 Delta Foxtrots and 3 Peoples Knives. Would have also had a Hatchula in there, but Michael Wisener snatched it up before anyone even knew about it.

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May 2010: The Fletcher Knives website is loaded onto the internet. I quit my job and start working in Andy's shop full-time.

05/27/2010: Blade Show batch is almost ready.

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June 2010: Blade Show! This is the first time I've gone to Blade Show as a knifemaker. I shared a little corner of Andy's table with him. Even though my corner was small, I sold just about every single knife I took with me. I had some big deals happen, one of which was selling my personal knife to Ethan Becker. He went nuts over it and had to have it so I sold it to him. It was really cool seeing him show it off to all his buddies over the whole weekend. Also, I did good enough in sales that I decided what the hell at the last minute and did a giveaway at Andy's table. For my first show as a knifemaker, I did pretty damn good.

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continued...
 
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06/25/2010: This is something that I bet not many people remember, or even knew about. This was when I finished my first stainless steel knives. They were made out of 440C. They currently reside in my personal collection.

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At this point, everything became a blur. Every since Blade, I've just been doing everything I can to expand, build, and get Fletcher Knives out there.

August 2010: The Ulysses knife, Tango, and Bush Operator are born. The B&G Fighter already existed, but this is the first time they have offered for sale. I'm inducted into the Georgia Custom Knifemakers Guild. (Interesting side point... All of the knives I had judged at the Guild meeting were actually from my first batch but one. So, that means that they voted me in based on the first knives I ever made. That's pretty awesome.) At this point, it gets harder to keep up with because a lot of my sales start going by the email list so there aren't as many threads on the forums with dates. The Ulysses marks the first of the "High-end" Fletcher Knives customs, and is immediately followed by the Bowen Custom.

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September: The Delta-4 is born. Fletcher Knives makes an appearance at the Usual Suspects Network Show out in Las Vegas.

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October 2010: The Fletcher Knives production knife is designed and the prototype is shipped off to the necessary people.

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November: The Esteban and the Hatchula II are born. The November Batch shows some noticeable improvement from where I started. Fletcher Knives gets its own forum on Bladeforums and Jerzeedevil.com. I make my first leather sheath. In the Fletcher Knives tradition, I swung for the fence. The first Esteban is another installment in the "High-end" Fletcher customs.

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December: The Xmas Batch is the last of the completed batches for the year and consists ONLY of Hatchulas. Also, Another addition to the "High-end" Fletcher Customs, I made my father a set of throwing knives.

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So that marks the end of the year and the rise of Fletcher Knives so far. It's really hard to believe that only 8 months ago, I had a regular job and knifemaking was only a hobby that I was starting into. For some reason it seems like it has been a lot longer and I've just been making knives forever. The quality of my knives came along very quickly thanks to having a great teacher. Now, looking to the next year, it's time to take it beyond the "beginning knifemaker" company and on to staking my claim in the knife world.

Here are some things you guys (and I) can look forward to in 2011:

  • More high-end one off knives for the collector market
  • The introduction of the Fletcher Knives production knife line
  • bigger batches
  • Fletcher Knives big ass table at Blade Show
  • Lots of giveaways
  • Fletcher Knives apparel
  • Fletcher Knives and Fiddleback Forge collaborations
  • and much more...

I've got some huge plans for the whole year and they're starting this month. Stay tuned...
 
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I knew you were busy ... and successful. Just didn't know how busy.

Impressive!:thumbup:

Wishing you more of the same for 2011 (although, better would also be OK).:D

I remember stopping by Andy's table and seeing your work, and I was just as impressed as everyone else.
 
I hope your New Year is profitable and safe,it will not be my last Fletcher knife that I will buy.I am glad I was your first customer to make a little money in profession that you love.Knife making is a learning process and I think Andy has helped to speed up your learning curve.He tells me often that you are better than he was in the beginning of knife making.
Thanks,
Michael
 
It was really cool to read through your time line for the year. Congrats on living your dream and doing your own thing! I hadn't really paid that much attention and didn't realize that you were getting started just this year! Great job!

I really love your designs and appreciate you sharing some of your history. One day I hope to be a proud owner of a Fletcher Knife
 
I think 2011 is going to be one kick-ass year. Congrats on your success and a new year's drink to more of it.

Dennis
 
I'm proud to call the first Esteban mine. I carry it every single day. I want a bush operator and a hatchula. Looking forward to this year!
 
Great story Dylan and I wish you even more success this year. My Hatchula was in the Christmas batch and I can't tell you how cool and versatile this blade is. It's awesome. I don't know if it's just me, but you have the most comfortable handle of any knife I have ever held.
 
Thanks for the chronology, it's great to have been able to follow your progression and to admire your work right here on Bladeforums!

Congrats on a great first year, and here's to a productive and successful 2011, and I hope to see you at Blade (again)!


Rob

(now get to work on those Bush Operator XLs! :thumbup:)



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Way to Hustle..
Happy New Year Bro..
Respect..
 
Dylan , Good way to start the new year . Reviewing everything lets you see your progress and see just how far you have come . I have enjoyed following you on the forum . Happy New year
 
Show off,HaHa just kidding man.
You are one lucky dude,being able to live your dream.
And what better dream than making knives for a living?
Congrats Dylan,I hope 2011 is even better for you.
I'll try & do my part.
 
It hurts to see how quickly you've learned everything I know about knives. LOL.

Happy New Year. Belated, of course.
 
What an awesome journey! I wish that I had a talented maker like Andy to take me under their wings :thumbup:
 
Hey bro enjoyed the pictures and the history. Good luck with the coming year.
 
Just goes to show there'll always be demand for high quality products backed by great customer service. Congrats.

Now bring on that Bushy XL!
 
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