Hey David this guy is a fulltime sheath maker and anyone that gets interested in Busse has the right to. What if when you got interested in doing sheaths for busse's someone said no offense but we don't want you around. You made an uncool post you could have come on and said hey my top selling sheaths are so and so good luck but you did not. I buy alot of sheaths from alot of different people in fact I have bought from you. If he can make a good prouduct than I am interested and I think alot of other people might be also.
Hey JP, I agree that David's post came across as a bit harsh. I think it's awesome for us that a new sheathmaker is getting interested in Busse knives. I, for one, like to experience different products, and everyone makes a slightly different kind of sheath. Although there is variation, like Mike said, there's plenty of room to make sheaths for the most common configurations.
One thing I've been wanting to see from sheathmakers, but haven't yet, is that when a new model comes out (or when he gets a new knife he can make sheaths for, even if its an old model), that the sheathmaker let us know they have a new mold, and offer a few different configurations of a sheath for that knife. People like options. I've seen some sheathmakers post that they have 20 in a particular config, or that they can make some in a particular kind of style, but rarely have I seen "I have this new knife in this config and these are three kinds of sheaths I can make for it with 5 different options per sheath. That would give each person some room for customization, while still allowing for some continuity of work and materials for the maker. If you take it a level further, and offer a variety of embossed designs/logos, that personalizes sheaths even more.
In fact, I would love to see our current sheathmakers post a list of all the knives or molds they currently have and can make sheaths for, as well as the range of options recommended for each style.
I know that someone can always find a sheathmakers website (in some cases it's hard!), and try to determine what options they like, then email the maker to see if they have a mold for their knife, but it's so much easier when the maker posts here and provides info up front. Sometimes, I don't want to email 5 different sheathmakers to find out who has a mold for a particular config I just bought. Also, it's nice if there is a discount for current models, if the sheathmaker is making volume orders. Let's say a custom sheath by a current maker is usually $85. It would be nice to see them post "Hey, I have a HOG SFNO and I'd like to make at least a few sheaths in each of these three styles for a one time price of $65 per sheath. You can choose from three options per each design, and from 10 different embossed patterns to customize your sheath."
Something like that would be a service and a convenience to those of us who buy knives, and don't always do the work to hunt down a sheathmaker with a mold, then understand the options available.
For example, I really like Mike's work, but looking at all the sheaths on his site, the options seem endless and overwhelming sometimes. So the last time I emailed him I just asked him to recommend the best kind of sheath for the model. I like being presented with options I can choose from though, as it makes thinking about it and ordering a sheath easier. Also, then I know I don't need to send my knife in up front, without any extra effort on my part to contact makers.
I look forward to seeing your friend's work. If he's an internet type of guy, you might encourage him to log on, get an account, and say "hi" to all the folks here. Introducing himself, and building a rapport with the Busse fan base, would certainly help business,
and good will.
