knifemaking lifestyle question

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sixth_sense

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Dec 29, 2005
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I have been making knives for the last 6 winters, mostly huners and slip joints, butr more recently some kitchen knives. I average 5-8 knives per year and really enjoy taking my time with them and doing them at my own pace. I made a rule early on that I would not sell them to anyone, but instead give them away as gifts as I finished them and keep a few for myself and that is exactly what I have done. The reason for this is that I already have a job that provides me with plenty of pressure and the last thing I need is pressure in hobby as well.

This year in particular there is a lot of interest from freinds and famly for orders for the hollidays and my wife is kind of jumping on the band wagon too encouraging me to sell some. I'm wondering if other guys have been in this situation and how they handled it and how they felt about it afterwards? Did you cross the line? Were you glad you did afterwards? Can you ever go back?

Thanks in advance for the advice.
 
I make 12 to 15 per year....Sell them very resonably....And usually don't take orders..... I control the output.....And give some away.........12 years and still loving it..................carl
 
I do the same, I've been making for 3 years now, maybe 4. I just recently started selling some of my knives. Mostly because knives were piling up around here, and I already gave a large number away to friends and family. To offset the rising cost of my hobby I decided to start selling a few. Every penny I have made goes right back into my hobby, either in supplies, purchasing or upgrading equipment. As I write this post I have one knife for sale, and six others that are in various stages of completion marked for Christmas gifts.
A very few times I have agreed to make a certain type or style knife for an individual but have never taken money in advance for a knife not made. I definitely don't need that type pressure either.
Like the poster above stated, you will have to control the output. Selling allows you to make more knives which can lead to your hobby becoming a job if your not careful.
I am glad I started selling though, having knives I made out there that people use and enjoy gives me great satisfaction. It also gives me a purpose for doing it.
Can I go back, no I don't think so, unless I quit making knives all together. I started out to make a knife for myself, and when that was done, family and friends. Now that has changed to others that might enjoy my work. When I make a knife for sell I post it, if someone likes it, and buys it I make another. If not I put it in the store display for sale, keep it or find a home for it close by, and make another one.
 
I couldn't cross the line as I had no idea how to make knives which are meant to be
used by somebody other than myself.
 
combs6136 said:
I make 12 to 15 per year....Sell them very resonably....And usually don't take orders..... I control the output.....And give some away.........12 years and still loving it..................carl
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I like the way this person operates!
 
I started out like you, making knives for fun and giving them away. Someone offered me money for one and I started sellng my knives (my former wife was all over another income stream that didn't involve her doing anything but going to the bank.) I started going to gun and knife shows and built up a good customer base, probably a year backlog but great customers. Wife left, she forgot to tell me she had cashed a bunch of customer's checks. Apparently she contacted my customers asking for pre-payment. I wound up with a year backorder, no house and no money to pay for materials to buy materials, oh yeah, was medicalled out of the Army and was unemployed for 7 months.

It's taken me 3 years to complete the back log of orders and I have been blessed with the most understanding customers on the planet. I will follow a different business model in the future.

You can make this fun or it can become hell depending on the stressors you (and your customers) place on yourself. I work a full time job and still spend nearly 40 more hours a week in the shop. I love crafting knives and improving my skills.

Hope my mea culpa helps you make an informed decision.
 
Let me just throw this thought out there:

There's a big difference in the level of pressure you'll be under between:

A) Making knives, finding somebody who wants them, and selling them
and
B) Receiving an order for a particular knife, telling the customer you're going to make it by such-and-such a date, and then making it, delivering it, and receiving the money.
 
sixth_sense said:
Wow am I glad I asked this question. The answer seems very clear. Thank you
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and that answer is?

I'm thinking that you're going to sell knives, but not take orders from customers. Did I assume correctly?

As for me, I take orders from time to time, but not very many. I travel about 130 nights a year on business, so I let customers know ahead of time that if I take an order, I usually won't give a delivery date. I've given delivery dates a few times, and only when I knew my schedule well in advance. For the most part though, I make what I want when I want to make it and offer most of them for sale. I currently make about 12 to 18 knives per year. I give about 4 to 5 away per year to charities as door prizes.

Good luck with whatever route you decide to take. Selling knives can be done without pressure, as long as you have a good plan in place and stick to that plan.
 
Will Leavitt said:
I started out like you, making knives for fun and giving them away. Someone offered me money for one and I started sellng my knives (my former wife was all over another income stream that didn't involve her doing anything but going to the bank.) I started going to gun and knife shows and built up a good customer base, probably a year backlog but great customers. Wife left, she forgot to tell me she had cashed a bunch of customer's checks. Apparently she contacted my customers asking for pre-payment. I wound up with a year backorder, no house and no money to pay for materials to buy materials, oh yeah, was medicalled out of the Army and was unemployed for 7 months.

It's taken me 3 years to complete the back log of orders and I have been blessed with the most understanding customers on the planet. I will follow a different business model in the future.

You can make this fun or it can become hell depending on the stressors you (and your customers) place on yourself. I work a full time job and still spend nearly 40 more hours a week in the shop. I love crafting knives and improving my skills.

Hope my mea culpa helps you make an informed decision.
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Well, you really got the shaft. I guess there isn't much you can do about it now but laugh. Ok, lightly chuckle with a hint of underlying resentment perhaps... :)

-------

In terms of turning a hobby in to a profession/semi profession, one must tread lightly, otherwise the flare you get out of knife making will disappear and it won't be fun anymore. That's when you'll start to ask yourself, 'why exactly am I doing this again?'

I don't sell my knives for profit. I have sold two, but the price was only to cover the cost of the materials, which actually left me in the hole a few dollars. He was a friend of a friend that I didn't like much, but kept bugging me to make something for him and his brother, so I charged him. Other than that, I give all my knives away to close hunting and fishing buddies. I personally don't enjoy asking for money for something that gives me peace.

Having said that, I can honestly say I understand how disappointing it can be when you try to turn your passion into a business. I was a religious climber for many years and decided to have a go at professional guiding, so I sold my house, quit my job, and started a full service international expedition company. After a few years, I was still broke, absolutely stressed out, and could not stand the thought of climbing. I had ruined what I believed to be a lifelong activity that drove every decision in my life for nearly ten years. Making climbing a business caused me to burn out, literally. I can see how becoming a professional knifemaker could cause the same problem. Luckily, I was due to get married, so I threw in the towel and decided to live a normal life with my wife. For some reason, however, I seem to feel normal...

BJ
 
Sell a couple and reinvest the money back into more materials. This way they are paying for you to make more without money coming out of your pocket.
 
I bear no ill will other than applying it as a lesson learned.

I parlayed selling knives I made on a craftsman hand held belt grinder that was chucked upside down in a bench vise into a better grinder that bought my Burr King.

My customers are great, they take me deer hunting, they stop or call socially (not to check on their knives) and they still eagerly await my knives. The best thing you can do as a craftsman is to be honest and forthright in all your dealings with people. Remember, people can buy knives from anyone and any place, they buy knives from you because of YOU. Your customers are the most important part of being in the "business" of selling knives, without customers you're stuck with a neat hobby and a lot of stuff to give away. I strive to improve my craft because it allows me to make a better knife for me and my customers.

There's nothing wrong with charging for a quality knife. There's nothing wrong with this become a profitable hobby or profitable business (if you're lucky.) There's also nothing wrong with making knives for the simple pleasure of making a knife, although you'll find that people do get tired of getting knives for gifts lol. The problems are when you lie to people about what you can do or will do no matter what price you charge or don't charge.

Good luck in your decision.
 
Anything I sell is on the understanding I make it how I want( the buyer gives the general jist of things) and in the time I want, this cuts down on the demand, and demanding customers, and keeps a lot of the selling pressure off.
This sounds a little harsh but can be presented in a friendly manner.
And yes I have a day job.
Cheers Ron.
 
Mungo Park said:
Anything I sell is on the understanding I make it how I want( the buyer gives the general jist of things) and in the time I want, this cuts down on the demand, and demanding customers, and keeps a lot of the selling pressure off.
This sounds a little harsh but can be presented in a friendly manner.
And yes I have a day job.
Cheers Ron.
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I do the same thing as Ron. I don't let the customer rule what I want to make in my valuable spare time, that way it stays fun and it stays a hobby. I tell them that it's my way or they don't get a knife. It is probably anti professional but it keeps me sane.
To do this you have to get good at saying no because there will be plenty of people who just want a "little change" here and there on a knife. Saying no is the hardest part to learn, but it's worth it, imo.
God bless,
Iz
 
when i finally got some steel and a belt sander i started making several knives, and selling them. it was exciting and fun.

then i had people asking me if i wanted to take orders, and asking for me to make this or that, or emailing asking about things. this quickly took the fun out of the hobby.

now i make a few, as i like, and take my time and enjoy it. when i have some that i don't have a use for, i sell them.

i have decided to build what i like to build, when i want to, and if there is someone that is interested in it then that's fine.

i do some work for friends that is not necessarily what i would normally do, but i take my time and enjoy that too...

sharpening is something that i enjoy almost anytime, and it is a great way for me to handle a whole lot of blades, so i gladly do that for almost anyone.
 
I started making some for me. Then I started selling a few to buy more supplies and feed the addition. I did make one on order but as a few others have already pointed out, that kinda took the fun out of it. I might do another order in the future but for now I think I'm just going to do my stuff.
 
I started making knives part time and gave some away, then started selling some and putting the money back into more supplies and equipment. A few years ago I poured alot of time into making knives, selling at festival,shows and orders.
As my son got older (13 now) I started cutting back and spending time with him and wife. I have found that at times you need to take time out to do something different to kept from getting burnt out.
I'm more of a spare time maker now, haven't finished a knife this year, but have a few in process. I have a full time job, but have to work every other weekend which limits me on some shows. If everthing goes good I will be able to retire in 14 years. My goal is that when I retire I can make knives full time (If I want) and attend shows and not worry about having to sell to have a income and enjoy myself.
 
kdcknives said:
I started making some for me. Then I started selling a few to buy more supplies and feed the addition. I did make one on order but as a few others have already pointed out, that kinda took the fun out of it. I might do another order in the future but for now I think I'm just going to do my stuff.
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Pretty much the same story here. But I started out modifying productions , parlayed that cash into a better grinder and some other tools.
Just wanted to see if I could make anything decent . Whatever I make on knife sales goes right back into the shop for materials.

I have taken maybe 3 orders , but they were just a " How bout something in a drop point with a certain type of scales " , I like making what I want , it allows me to change the design in midstream if I want.

I took 6 months off from the shop ( to enjoy stuff with my 3 sons ) , just now getting back to it , this weekend I finished a few ,and also made one for myself. It's fun and enjoyable again. No stress , just making stuff.

:D
 
I haven't sold a darn thing yet and have thrown away more than I've given away ;). But when I get good enough to offer some for sale, I believe I will just make what I feel works best, to the best of my abilities, and run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.
Like others, I want to keep it fun and follow my own simple vision.
I used to play guitar in various bar bands and I can tell you, it's a LOT more work than you might think. The couple hours a week you spend playing rockstar onstage is earned by dozens of hours of practice, finagling with club owners, arguing with band members, trying to get bandmates' girlfriends to keep out of practice sessions and meetings, maintaining instruments... you get the idea. And all this while working full-time to support myself, cuz if you think there's any $$$ in playing clubs and bars, I've got a slightly-used PA to sell ya!
I got so burned out on the whole mess that I haven't played a "real" gig in years, and seldom even turn on my amp anymore. But I do keep the music in my life by jamming with friends, sitting in on open mike nights occasionaly, and so forth. Now music is fun again.
If I wanted to make my living off music, I would start a DJ/karaoke company, do the bookings and let someone else do the work.
Sorry to ramble, I'm like that... anyway, that's just my 2cents on the issue.
 
I have finished over 250 knives with stone scales this year and I do expect to drop below 200 a year now as I was learning how to do what I want this year and I needed a lot of practice and figuring out how to correct problems that often seem to drop out of the blue. I am retired so at one knife a day I still had about 100 days that I did not spend in the shop. I still look forward to getting up and out to the shop every day but I have only been retired for a year now.

I do take some custom orders but I feel a lot of pressure when I do them and I enjoy making and selling ones that I wanted to do rather than what someone expected me to do.....
 
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