How do you all get your names out there?

B

Blue Collar Steel

Joined
May 16, 2016
Messages
13
Hey there. So I've been having some issues with getting my name out there and selling my knives. I have sold plenty to people I know and even references from them but that only lasts so long. I have an Instagram but to be honest that has been a big pain. From what I understand Instagram has a new algorithm and it's more difficult for people to see your posts. I'm leaning towards making a Facebook account but that's one more thing I have to manage. My question is how did you all begin getting your names out there for people to see your products? I'm trying to sell more of my knives (and I'm sure you all are trying to do the same) but I'm struggling here. Any advice would be of great help. Thank you very much!
 
First off, although knifemakers as a rule are quite willing to share ideas and tell how they make their knives, selling knives is a very competitive business. It seems like almost everyone is making knives these days. That is good and bad. It creates interest in handmade knives, but consumers also have more choices.
I started selling to friends, they told friends, etc.
Next I started going to knife and gun shows. To be successful at gun and knife shows you need a good product and a lot of patience and a friendly attitude toward potential customers. You also need to regularly attend the shows. If people see you over and over again at a show they will be more likely to buy from you. Have business cards to hand out.
After several years of experience at "knife and gun" shows, I went to the Atlanta Blade show. By that time my product was pretty good and I had learned how to deal with customers from my "gun show" experience. I went to the Blade show for ten years, sold a lot of knives and had some repeat customers. If you go the Blade show, they give out free passes. I would send a free pass to everyone who bought a knife from me at blade the year before.
I was one of those people who couldn't sell umbrellas in the rain. I bought a "Salesmanship for dummies" book. It had some good suggestions in it.
Take pictures of your work or have a expert take pictures and send them in to the yearly knives annual and the knife magazines.
See if a local business will carry your knives. Today I no longer need to attend shows, a local business sells all I make.
Good luck!
 
Wow that's a lot of very good information. I've thought about gun shows but I just don't have the inventory to go to a gun show right now. But maybe I just need to keep producing more and try to go to one sometime. I did talk to a kiosk at the mall and he said he would sell some of my knives. Maybe I'll go back and talk with him. Thanks for all the help. Very good advice!
 
Knife shows are a good way. Get a bunch of business card and put them on the table and hand them to everyone. Talk to everybody that walks by. Also, give some away as door prizes at fishing tournaments, archery tournaments etc... You can also go to art festivals or craft shows. If your product is good and reasonably priced business will pick up.

The first show I went to I took 10 knives and sold 5 and had 2 orders. The table was 65 bucks so you can do the math. I also handed out 100 business cards. You don't need a ton of knives just get 8-10 made up and hold them back until the show.
 
I'm curious if this is a full time thing for you or part -time?
How man can you make a month and how many do you want to sell a month?

What the pain in using IG? It's much easier than FB and yields more IMO.
FB will start to cost you, IG is still "free"

What's your competitive advantage compared to the other maker(s)?
How are you different or better?

I also think it takes time to figure out what sells and what doesn't and why it doesn't.
This is a fun part-time thing for me, I'm happy to make a knife or two at my leisure and sell it.

Sales have come from BF and IG and ebay, and I got lucky with one user customer who loves the sharpness of the edge I make and he keeps buying my stuff.
 
Blue Collar Steel said:
Hey there. So I've been having some issues with getting my name out there and selling my knives. I have sold plenty to people I know and even references from them but that only lasts so long. I have an Instagram but to be honest that has been a big pain. From what I understand Instagram has a new algorithm and it's more difficult for people to see your posts. I'm leaning towards making a Facebook account but that's one more thing I have to manage. My question is how did you all begin getting your names out there for people to see your products? I'm trying to sell more of my knives (and I'm sure you all are trying to do the same) but I'm struggling here. Any advice would be of great help. Thank you very much!
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What is your name? This would be a start.
 
Marketing is as important as a quality product. If your knives are of appropriate quality for the market you are trying to sell in, then you just need to figure out the best way to tap into that market and then never let up.

My best advice is to commit to doing one marketing task every day for a month. At the end of one month, bump it up to two marketing tasks per day...EVERY DAY! Make a list of the different ways you can market your work and keep track of what gets the most saturation.

Instagram is slow when you are getting started. It takes time to determine what hashtags work best for you. Like most marketing you have to stick with it. I've actually seen my followers rate increase since they changed the algorithms.

I do a few knife specific shows (Blade, ICCE) but I know the gun show crowd is not who I'm selling to so I don't waste the time. Your sales model also plays a part here; do you make knives and then try to sell them or do you make to the customers order? I totally feel making a knife to the customers order adds value and helps sell the knife. Of course, you can't disappoint. The nice thing about selling a knife off the table is that the buyer knows what they are getting.

I've been told by several world renowned makers that if you make a great knive, people will figure out who you are. There are a lot of great makers out there today so, I don't know if that is as true as it once was. I do believe that adding some consistent marketing along with a great knife will get you there.

Just to make a point, I don't see any of your knives in this post; it doesn't have to be obvious to be marketing. How many people will read this thread?

Bob
 
I am going to let this thread run, but will caution the OP about any future threads or discussions about selling. That is a privilege of a knifemaker membership.
 
Its not exactly a secret, but make a good product, sell it at a fair price and stand behind it. I mostly sell wood these days, and people on the forum and Instagram know me because I have a good quality product, I sell it for a fair price and Im always willing to help if there are issues or answer any questions.

Are you willing to go the extra mile for your customers? The thing about knife makers is that we need to justify our existence. I can go on amazon and buy a knife for 15 dollars. And it will cut stuff. Why should someone come to you and pay 150-300 dollars for a knife? You have to make a product that is worth paying for.
 
A very good rule which stated above is have a plan based on your production, even with local word of mouth is it very easy to be swamped. If you want to branch out to a national level, again as said before it's a jungle out there with notable seemingly everywhere. If you wish to grow your business at a reasonable pace an option is to find a style you are comfortable with and make some sample knives and approach someone of knowledge in a corresponding field. Many ways to get the word out but IMHO the best way is knowing your client base by being a customer yourself. People connect much faster when you are on their level, but that's my 2 bits.
 
Right now we know very little about you, and most specifically not your name. You are in the army, in NC, you make a knife a week. Not very much - and we know more than the general public. Your first post a month ago should have been, "Hi there, first post, I am Joe D. Knifemaler, from Feyatteville, NC. Glad to be here. I have a question about water jet cutting ...." At the minimum, you should sign your posts, "Joe" ( or whatever name you go by). 4dRight now we can't even address your question by name.

1) Use your name:
Start here - Not knowing your name will make it hard for people to consider your knives as potential purchases. Changing your user name to your real name is an important part of being a professional. People do searches on a person's name when considering their knives. I regularly have a person say, "I saw the great knives you make, I looked you up on the internet."
Purchasing a knifemaker membership will allow you to talk about sales, and post photos in the Knifemaker Gallery. Posting photos of your knives and projects in Shop Talk lets people see what you do and how the quality is. That alone will get your name out there to some degree.

2) Tell people your name:
Silly as it sounds, say your name if you want people to know it. When you shake hands with a new person, look them in the eye and say, "Doug Smith. Glad to meet you!"


3) Take your name out to the people:
Go to a small knife or gun show and set up a table. It is best the first time to do it with a friend or acquaintance knifemaker who has done that show before. Put out four to ten knives ... pick your best ones. Be attentive and talk to everyone who looks. Have business cards that are simple and clear - the card should have a photo of one of your favorite knives you made, your name, and your contact info. When someone stops and looks and talks to you, hand them a card.
Don't clutter your part of the table with too much more than the knives for sale. A simple 3X3 foot green felt cloth for a base is sufficient to start with. If you make military style in-field knives, use a piece of camo cloth. If you make hunters, a deerskin or other hide is nice.
Go back to that show the next time it is held, get a table, and take a few more knives. NC has a fair number of knife shows.

These are the beginning of how to get your name out there.

Another suggestion is to go to a place that makes shirts and clothing for industry. They are everywhere. If you don't know where these businesses are, just search "Port Authority Shirts in Feyetteville, NC ( e.g.)". You will find lots of places that do custom shirts. Get a dark color you like ( black and dark green seem to be the standard for knifemakers), an have them put your name and a basic logo over the left pocket. Mine has gold embroidered lettering that says, "Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith" over a simple drop point hunter knife image, and "Custom Knives" below the knife. I wear these shirts on the weekend, and of course, at all knife events.
 
There is something else to consider when you use your name. That product is now directly tied to you.

If you buy a knife from Super dragon dark shadow katana forge online, its a little unclear who that is. But when you buy a knife and the guy selling it has his name right there, that product his tied to HIS reputation. Not his company or his mark or his screen name. To him.

I go by Greenberg woods because I feel like the material I cut and sell is wood I am proud to tell people came from my shop. Don Hanson and Stacy Aplet And Don Nguyen and Tom Lewis. These are people proud to stamp their name on their work and willing to make a product that they have no fear attaching their name to.
 
One word. Giveaways.

Sucks, but honestly, the best way to get your name out there and have people give you a look is to throw down and stick it out there for all to see. Boldly stand behind your product as well. Offer the lifetime guarantee. Offer the no questions customer service. And be willing to take a loss for quite a while before you start to see the up side. It sucks, but nothing in life is free. Nobody ever made themselves a household name within a month of starting out unless they failed hugely, tragically, and very publicly....

Oh, and advice given to me by many well established business owners and knife makers, Stacy has said it, and has Nick and too many others here to mention. 'Whatever you make, widgets, knives, pogo sticks. Set out to make the next one better than the last. Every single time.'

-Eric
Overmountain Knife and Tool
Overmountain.us.com
 
Make lots of knives and document your work online.

Go by your name unless you are a knife factory... and maybe then too!

I'd get a Knifemaker membership here and start posting work in progress and other interesting content. Facebook is excellent too and I've built up my IG account quickly but do not sell there.
 
WOW thanks for all the advice everyone! seems like I got about 100 new things I can try out. I know I have just started and I just recently became a member on these forums but you all have been extremely helpful and generous. Thanks a lot once again.
 
Blue Collar Steel said:
WOW thanks for all the advice everyone! seems like I got about 100 new things I can try out. I know I have just started and I just recently became a member on these forums but you all have been extremely helpful and generous. Thanks a lot once again.
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sure are a lot of good tips on here, but I feel they have fallen on deaf ears my friend... don't just hear the comments, but listen to them. conversations are a two way street and when some very well respected people answer your questions and ask you one simple one in return... oh I don't know, such as "what's your name?" and you don't respond in kind, it doesn't bode well for your future as a salesman.

just my two cents

Royce
 
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