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Has the economy hurt knife makers?
- Thread starter OD-SnG
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yep slow here my work is taking a beating,next is the cold steel natchez.........
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- Feb 13, 2006
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I have not bought a knife since the company I used to work for gave us sixty day notices last November. I have been out-of-work since January 3. So there are no plans to buy anything unnecessary until I land a job. And that does not look to be happening anytime soon, let me tell ya.
Not one of the local staffing agencies has a job for anyone, NOT ONE!
There are no "Job Fairs" going on at all, most are being cancelled because
none of the companies scheduled for the fairs have any jobs.
Local Sunday edition of the Daily Oklahoman usually has 12 to 13 pages of jobs. Lately it has been three to four.
Sorry for the long post, I am kind of ranting here. I am on extended benefits and only have 16 more weeks to go until they are exhausted. I am worried and a wee bit scared at this point. I have never in over 30 years of working been out of work for this long. And the longer you are out, the more companies use it to justify not hiring you.
So just from the standpoint that I usually buy three to four $100.00 plus knives every year, one or two $200 plus, they have lost my business. I am sure I am not the only one, since unemployment is at 26 year highs. Last I read there are 14 million unemployed, 33 million under-employed, and working week average is now down to 33 hours, lowest it has been since they started keeping records on this stuff. So when things turn around, long before any company hires new staff, they will raise the work week up for their existing employees.
Unemployment is a lagging indicator, and stays low after a recession "recovers". Hence since this "recession" (I call it depression, as do a lot of economists) has a few more years to go, unemployment is going to be around for a lot more years. Most of us who got layed off will not ever be going back to our old line of work, it is gone for good. I built railcars, railcar freight is at record lows, Union Pacific has cars stored that if lined up would stretch from Seattle to Albuquerque. They have a railyard in Fontana that has locomotives stored on one rail over two miles long. And that is just UP. What about BNSF, CSX, etc.
I suspect it will be a long time before I see a new knife.
Although the picture and video below are from February, it has gotten worse, not better. If you doubt it
just go to Railfax and see every single entry for rail freight is in red in parentheses, meaning negative. Railcar freight is down an average of over 20% as compared to 2007, or 2008. The shipment of containers overseas is going to see 27 million less containers shipped this year at years end. Over 5,000 trucking companies have gone out of business since the high fuel prices last July. US Express and Covenant Transport are currently laying off drivers, managers and office staff as I type.
Anyone seeing them "GREEN SHOOTS" for real? All I see is yellow weeds, turning to brown turds.
Video of below picture from moving car.
Not one of the local staffing agencies has a job for anyone, NOT ONE!
There are no "Job Fairs" going on at all, most are being cancelled because
none of the companies scheduled for the fairs have any jobs.
Local Sunday edition of the Daily Oklahoman usually has 12 to 13 pages of jobs. Lately it has been three to four.
Sorry for the long post, I am kind of ranting here. I am on extended benefits and only have 16 more weeks to go until they are exhausted. I am worried and a wee bit scared at this point. I have never in over 30 years of working been out of work for this long. And the longer you are out, the more companies use it to justify not hiring you.
So just from the standpoint that I usually buy three to four $100.00 plus knives every year, one or two $200 plus, they have lost my business. I am sure I am not the only one, since unemployment is at 26 year highs. Last I read there are 14 million unemployed, 33 million under-employed, and working week average is now down to 33 hours, lowest it has been since they started keeping records on this stuff. So when things turn around, long before any company hires new staff, they will raise the work week up for their existing employees.
Unemployment is a lagging indicator, and stays low after a recession "recovers". Hence since this "recession" (I call it depression, as do a lot of economists) has a few more years to go, unemployment is going to be around for a lot more years. Most of us who got layed off will not ever be going back to our old line of work, it is gone for good. I built railcars, railcar freight is at record lows, Union Pacific has cars stored that if lined up would stretch from Seattle to Albuquerque. They have a railyard in Fontana that has locomotives stored on one rail over two miles long. And that is just UP. What about BNSF, CSX, etc.
I suspect it will be a long time before I see a new knife.
Although the picture and video below are from February, it has gotten worse, not better. If you doubt it
just go to Railfax and see every single entry for rail freight is in red in parentheses, meaning negative. Railcar freight is down an average of over 20% as compared to 2007, or 2008. The shipment of containers overseas is going to see 27 million less containers shipped this year at years end. Over 5,000 trucking companies have gone out of business since the high fuel prices last July. US Express and Covenant Transport are currently laying off drivers, managers and office staff as I type.
Anyone seeing them "GREEN SHOOTS" for real? All I see is yellow weeds, turning to brown turds.
Video of below picture from moving car.
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- Joined
- Feb 21, 2005
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I finally got a new job after about six months of no work. But right now, I'm not buying anything untill I can get a bit more financially sound.
I'm hoping by Christmas, I'll be comfortable enough to buy something that I don't really need (probably a Paramilitary). But I won't be jumpstarting the American economy until I've fully jumpstarted my economy.
The way I look at it is, the country can wait, I need food now. I love my country, but when it comes to America or food, food wins every time.
But like I said, once I get six months of paychecks under my belt, I'll buy a new knife or ten.
I'm hoping by Christmas, I'll be comfortable enough to buy something that I don't really need (probably a Paramilitary). But I won't be jumpstarting the American economy until I've fully jumpstarted my economy.
The way I look at it is, the country can wait, I need food now. I love my country, but when it comes to America or food, food wins every time.
But like I said, once I get six months of paychecks under my belt, I'll buy a new knife or ten.
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Great post cbxer55- good luck to you in your job search. As a US Xpress employee, I've seen 4 rounds of layoffs/terminations since December, and so far am still working, although all office staff got a 5% pay cut at the first of the year instead of a 3% pay increase. Believe me, I haven't complained, I'm just happy I'm still working. When trucking companies (which traditionally have well over 100% driver turnover per year) are laying off drivers, you know things are bad.
Like many, I'm concentrating on paying down debt instead of making many extra purchases- especially knives. Although I did manage to drop about $500 at the Blade Show last month, it was something I had been planning for a while, and would have most probably spent a lot more if the economic outlook was stronger.
Like many, I'm concentrating on paying down debt instead of making many extra purchases- especially knives. Although I did manage to drop about $500 at the Blade Show last month, it was something I had been planning for a while, and would have most probably spent a lot more if the economic outlook was stronger.
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That is nothing, I have written longer. Go here to see some. Don't know if you can get in though, may have to sign up. It is a good site with an exceptional leader / moderator. It is economy, energy based, so it may not interest you all. It does me, I have taken a high interest in this thing of ours since the high fuel prices last year. I am also a moderator there, one of two.
For instance, in addition to what I posted above, did you know there are now 33.8 million people receiving food stamps, a RECORD HIGH. There will be over 20 million empty, or abondoned homes in the US by the end of this year. Renters are at an all time low. Where are all these people going? Moving in with family, friends is where. In another site I read it is recommended that families try and make room so more can move in, for financial stability. It appears to be happening. Office or commercial real estate in trouble doubled so far this year to 108 billion, there are over 5000 commercial buildings that could possibly be foreclosed before this year is out.
I'll tell you, the STATE RUN MEDIA is trying their darndest to make us think everything is alright. But it is not, and some of us are more aware of that than others. But every month another 400,000 or so find out. I read at Mish's site some time ago, that in our country, with it's current population, we need to be adding over 100,000 jobs a month to keep a stable employment level. As long as we see negative every month, I do not care how many, we are in trouble. Here is another exceptional site for current layoff announcements. Note it only covers those that announce, or have done mass layoffs. This does not cover small business, who are not counted in the unemployed ranks, and cannot get unemployment benefits.
When is it going to end? Most economists worth their salt are saying sometime in 2010 or 11.
Hang on tight, its going to be a rough ride.
Oh yeah, I have a Commercial Drivers License, class A and have not been able to get a driving job either.
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Fortunately my wife and I only have a house payment, and the usual utility bills. No vehicle payments, no credit cards, bills for furniture or anything else. We have cancelled the cable and land line phone.
Watch for this, DEFLATION. Deflation is when the prices of things are going down, and you still cannot afford them. When gasoline is cheaper than it was last year, and you hate to buy it when you need the dough for something else. Folks not buying things causes the price to go down, yet no one buys them even then because they are out of work. We experienced a credit bubble the last two decades. Now credit is being pulled, so a lot of folks cannot afford to buy things anymore. Thus Deflation: The contraction of money and credit in relation to the goods and services available. Uncle Ben can print all the money he wants, the banks are hoarding it to pay down their debt, not releasing it to the public as it was intended. Once that money hits the economy, if it does, we will experience Inflation: The expansion of money and credit in relation to the goods and services available. Then TSHTF. Excellent article on deflation / inflation
Coming to a theatre near you.
MODS might want to move this thread to whine and cheese. Sorry if I got off topic here. This economic stuff is my current hot topic, I read and study it everyday on many different sites. Its a horribly interesting subject.
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You are absoultely correct sir. If we do not learn how to make things again, we are all screwed. As it stands right now, we are a service economy. I sell something to you, you sell something to me. Manufacturing has gone abroad, due to the cheap non-union labor there.
I am not going to expand on this because I am kind of tipsy, wrong time of the night to go on a rant.
You get my drift from my previous posts herein.
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From the looks of this forum it appears as though people arent buying nearly as many knives. The Look what the UPS man brought me! posts, have gone way down. People arent chatting about their new toys to the extent that they used to.
Im not in debt up to my eyeballs, so I personally have been able to buy several very nice knives this year
I can see that the economy has hurt private sellers as well.
I bought a near mint Busse this year from a private source.
It came with a very nice sheath.
I paid LESS than retail for the whole setup. What a concept.
I knew if I waited long enough during this economic mess that these ridiculous asking prices would re-adjust. It wouldnt surprise me if what I bought goes for half what I paid by this time next year. I wont care, Im not re-selling it. I use my knives.
Inflated used knife prices are no different than inflated used house prices. They all go down sooner or later.
Im not in debt up to my eyeballs, so I personally have been able to buy several very nice knives this year
I can see that the economy has hurt private sellers as well.
I bought a near mint Busse this year from a private source.
It came with a very nice sheath.
I paid LESS than retail for the whole setup. What a concept.
I knew if I waited long enough during this economic mess that these ridiculous asking prices would re-adjust. It wouldnt surprise me if what I bought goes for half what I paid by this time next year. I wont care, Im not re-selling it. I use my knives.
Inflated used knife prices are no different than inflated used house prices. They all go down sooner or later.
Yeah, the economy is Europe is not much better. We are just about to face the first big wave of lay-offs in Holland. Historically, Dutch economy is getting hit about 1 to 2 years after the decrease in the US and recovers 1 to 2 years later when compared with the US. So bad times are heading our way too.
I am working in the accounting sector and it is quite shocking to see all those figures of big companies losing millions and millions of Euros per month. Don't be fooled: the crisis just beginning!
Our tariffs have been lowerd by more than 30% so I am expecting the first round of 'reorganization' in our firm between now and two months.
I am working in the accounting sector and it is quite shocking to see all those figures of big companies losing millions and millions of Euros per month. Don't be fooled: the crisis just beginning!
Our tariffs have been lowerd by more than 30% so I am expecting the first round of 'reorganization' in our firm between now and two months.
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- Oct 22, 2005
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I'm working but can barely afford the extra $20 for a box of ammo now and then--if you can find it-----put off getting one of those nice little Weber gas grills ($150) and got one of those little Weber charcoal grills ($30) for the summertime.
No knives at all.
No knives at all.
Its all good. . .
I think charcoal grilled food tastes better and have no plans to use a gas grill again. I use Kingsford mesquite or hickory charcoal and a "Charcoal Starter" which ignites the charcoal with newspaper or all those spam, junk mail flyers ; ) Also a small fire place shovel is handy for removing the ash.
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An excellent, but way long article on the cause of this econoic disaster.
It is more charts and graphs than words. But sometimes they tell a better story.
Cause For Depression.
It is more charts and graphs than words. But sometimes they tell a better story.
Cause For Depression.
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I own my own business and we have lost money the last 4 months.. The good news is things are picking up and our backlog is at a all time high.. So there is hope.. I plan on hiring at least one person in 2-3 months.. Most jobs are filled thru networking not online or the newspaper..So I strongly suggest talking to as many friends to see who may be hiring in the future.. I would hire and friend of a friend before I hired anyone online..As long as they were qualified..
I am selling and rearranging my steel addiction as I type.. Most of the custom makers are feeling it.. If you want an Ingram, Dozier, May knife and you call them they have 4-6 knives laying around that people have ordered and cannot afford.. things are super tight and if your living paycheck to paycheck your doing good these days..
I just pray we can pull out of this..Good luck to everyone..
I am selling and rearranging my steel addiction as I type.. Most of the custom makers are feeling it.. If you want an Ingram, Dozier, May knife and you call them they have 4-6 knives laying around that people have ordered and cannot afford.. things are super tight and if your living paycheck to paycheck your doing good these days..
I just pray we can pull out of this..Good luck to everyone..
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About this "networking", a little story.
I was in the unemployment office a two months ago for a Job Search Workshop. During this class, we were told that the average time for someone under 50 to find a job was now nine to twelve months. Over 50, 12 to 18 months. I am 48, so raised my hand and said "since I am 48, I may as well be 50", to which she replied "correct".
Anyways she brings up this network thing, and shows a chart on the board about who to connect with. So I, being the PITA I am, raised my hand again. "All my friends are people I worked with the last four years, they are all still layed off, looking for work. All my relatives are either retired or out of work, looking for work, and that includes my wife. My non-work related friends are retired, not looking for work, and not planning on it. I have no friends that work at any other company in this state. I know no one who works at any other company in this state. Who should I network with?"
I got a big "Here-Here" from many other people in the class that day. The teach, she just shrugged her shoulders and said "good luck to you all, class dismissed".
Anyway since that time I keep in touch with all of my ex co-workers. Every one of them is still unemployed, still telling me the same things I already know, as posted up above. No one is hiring, no staffing agencies have any jobs, no job fairs at the present time, everyone we network with is out of work.
This aint your normal garden variety recession. The talk from even our great goobermint officials is that this will be a "jobless recovery". How there can be a recovery without jobs is beyond me, but they still say it. Great governmint we have.
See Unemployment claims: How bad are the real numbers? for further elaboration. Especially poignant are the last two paragraphs.
Any other suggestions on "Networking?"
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