How do you handle it when you know customers are going to ....

Sando

Sando

Knife Maker
Joined
Jul 4, 2002
Messages
1,148
<I'm just venting. There is no solution.>

It's heart breaking! I don't know if I can deal with it.

You spend years refining your skills. You take care in the design of your knives. You agonize over every scratch and spend hours removing them and perfecting the finish.

But when you deliver your babies the customer says, "Wow! That's beautiful!" Then they throw it in a drawer with the Victorinox and won't even spend 20 minutes learning how to care for or even use their expensive purchase.

I just delivered these:

Kitchen Knives.png

The customer was all excited, but when I tried to explain how to use or hone she was too busy to listen. I also gave a few pages of important information on safety, use and care. But I know she's not going to read it. These edges are like super thin and sharpened to 13 degrees. We're talking micro surgery to put your fingers back on. But no, "I have to get going."

The only response I got back was "I'll just have you sharpen them." Somehow I know I'll get a few abused blades back every year to try and repair.

Maybe there is some logic in Henckels: Use a soft steel and keep it thick. The customer is just going to chop bones on the granite counter anyway.

Other than bourbon, how to you deal with it?
 
Well I would make care videos of the knives for the customers to view prior to pickup and if they're doing it in person set aside some time for a hands on cutting and care session. Charge $350 for the session or free with any custom order.
 
Meh... it is what it is. I make knives because I enjoy making knives. It's nice to admire the end product, but once the customer pays for it, it's theirs to do as they please. If they destroy it, I'll make and sell them another. ;) I'm too busy thinking about the next knife to worry about knives I've already made.

I do get it to an extent though. Once had to (and by had to, I mean I was kind enough to) refinish a knife for a friend/customer who decided to use it to scrape out the shitter tank on his RV, then proceeded to soak the high carbon steel knife in a cup of bleach overnight.

I also once got one back for refinishing that looked like they tried to sharpen it on a sidewalk. 🤷‍♂️ What can you do?
 
Maybe look into partnering or shipping with a few months or uses of a sharpening service free? With purchase? I cant sharpen convex grinds perfectly and in the field i cant at all. I use a local guy to sharpen them, but there are mail in services now. Food for thought
 
believe it or not, the knives that we collectors and makers think of as 'babies' are just another product that most people with enough money to afford to buy, do. People spend all kinds of money on stuff they don't need, because they have that money and want to turn it into things which impress their friends. You cannot expect anyone to care as much about your work as you do. Collectors are different, but most of the people buying custom knives- especially kitchen cutlery- are not that.

edge your knives accordingly. It's not a problem to create a sharp kitchen knife which is durable enough for most people. It's cool watching a knife cut a free hanging paper towel, but seriously...that's theatre. Those who understand knives well enough to know what an edge is capable of and what it isn't are in the minority. And that's a good thing, because it means that custom knives are gaining mass appeal.
 
Before making a knife for someone I have asked the question "What knives do you currently use and how do you sharpen them"?
If the answer is " Some random mostly broken stuff from Kmart and my one good Trident chefs knife, that I use a butchers steel to sharpen" then they get mid range stainless, thicker edge than I like and some pretty handle material that might survive a few trips through the dishwasher, on a profile of thier choice.
If the answer involves stones, hones, or even a sharpening guide or service, sensible storage and cleaning solutions and reasonable quality knives that they like or dont like for specific tasks or reasons. Then we can talk higher rockwell, alloys, thin edges, and less durable handle material.
Sometimes you can charge the same!? I find its usually the hours, as a hobby maker that cost me more than materials, until you get into really high end stuff.
I know I shouldnt care, I've met Mastersmiths who couln't care less if you take thier $800 knife and dig holes, throw it, and clean it with bleach an 80grit. But I get it some of us put a lot of research, time, and effort, into making a nice knife, its a bit dissapointing when other people dont, "Get" what they've got.
 
Maybe they are not the right kind of knives for this lady.
You made a very fast but delicate race car but she wants a luxury SUV. Good chance is she doesn't understand her needs.
So probobaly there is nothing wrong with your craftmanship but there is a mismatch between the way she'll use the knives and what you made.
 
Lovely knives, Steve. You're in Cali, still? I'd have some herb to go with that bourbon (Pappy?) and call it a completed sale. :D
 
Maybe cushion the angst by taking a leaf from the book of aerospace engineering; sell the knives for X, but annual maintenance is 35% of X? Actually, if it was aerospace, you would sell for X and then charge 150%+ for maintenance! This will have one of two effects, either you will double your money in a short time, or you will never be forced to see and repair what they have done to your knives, out of sight, out of mind.

Maybe offer some kind of trade-in for when the knives stop cutting, they return the knives for recycling and can buy brand new ones for X% off. For a little refurbishing, you can sell the old knives all over again:cool:
 
C_Claycomb C_Claycomb - Man! You have lots of ways to make money.

Hengelo_77 Hengelo_77 Lorien Lorien & E elasmonut Dang you guys are right! It's my fault for not 'interviewing' customers better and considering their side of things. Seriously, I'm always thinking about making the best ever and what I want. I need to consider the customer first - sometimes I do, but mostly I forget.

Thanks for the wake up call! But now I'll feel really miserable if someone gets hurt.
 
Maybe these knives will be learner knives for her.....
And she's going to be eventually your best representative.
Buying More, and telling all her friends
 
Sando said:
C_Claycomb C_Claycomb - Man! You have lots of ways to make money.

Hengelo_77 Hengelo_77 Lorien Lorien & E elasmonut Dang you guys are right! It's my fault for not 'interviewing' customers better and considering their side of things. Seriously, I'm always thinking about making the best ever and what I want. I need to consider the customer first - sometimes I do, but mostly I forget.

Thanks for the wake up call! But now I'll feel really miserable if someone gets hurt.
Click to expand...
we all need customers who want what we want 😁
 
When taking an order, I ask a few questions.

What is your budget?
Do you need stainless steel?
What are you going to use the knife for? (What are you cutting, and how do you cut things?)
Do you ever damage your existing knives, and if so, how?
Do you have a good end grain cutting board? (For kitchen knives.)

I have a discussion with the client, and help them figure out what they need. Saves a lot of headaches later.
 
Those are some gorgeous knives and I'm sorry to hear they're about to be needlessly beat to crap.

Though I desperately want a custom chef knife for both the utility and my own appreciation, I believe I'm doomed to a Zwillig, because I have people in my life who don't know how to care for knives like I do.

One day though... One day I'll try and get me a fancy knife like you make.
Then I'm going to make a sheath for it, and it's never going to leave my side.

Bourbon helps ease the pain, my friend.
 
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Ya can pick:

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Light up the fire pit, pour a glass, have dinner and watch the sunset light up the clouds over the desert:

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