Well I'm going to agree in part - make knives and get good at at it, but you still need to market yourself. I have been doing my craft for over 40 years, but I also spent 17 years as a small business consultant so I have a good background to speak from.
1)Jerry Fisk has a booklet out on the business of custom knifemaking - get it - Jerry not only knows how to make knives but he knows how to market himself as well. There are also other books on the selling of one's crafts that are excellent resources.
2)Shows can be essential to getting your name known both near and far. There are successful knife makers who haven't done shows, but they are few and far between.
3)Get a website - but realize it is not a magic bullet. Still it is a major source of info for many prospective buyers. There are alternatives to "regular" websites - check out Chris Crawford's new
www.blademakers.com Post and Dan Gray (Graymaker) also offers a good alternative at his
www.knivesby.com - as a web designer as well as a craftsperson if you don't know how to do it then these much better alternatives than the "free sites" (I learned the hard way how to make a successful website, but I at leaast had a good background in computers and design)
4)Print advertising can be VERY expensive so it is one of those things you will need to work towards. But even a small classified ad can be very effective. In fact most advertising gurus will tell you it gives you the best bang for the buck and even if you get to the point of running bigger ads it's always good to keep a classified one running.
5)CKD Forums has a forum just for the Business of Knifemaking - some very good info there -
http://www.ckdforums.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=50 And remember it is a "business" if you are going to approach it as a full time operation and therefore must be run like one. Lots of good advice in this forum concerning local business resources that can help get you set up as a full-charge business and not a hobby class business (the IRS for instance has STRICT regulations concerning what is and what isn't a business). Yes I know there are many knifemakers out there who keep it fairly quiet and close to the chest, bu the big boys are businessmena as well as makers. Another point of fact is that things like home owner's insurance and such can get real sticky when you run the business from your home so be aware of the problems that can arise.
6)The Anvil also has a forum called Marketing Strategies 101
http://pub154.ezboard.com/btheanvil54554 - Amy Hinchman is the moderator and others such as Les Robertson and Jerry Fisk are offering their advice.
7)Join as a Knifemaker or a Gold Memember here on a Bladeforums so you can sell via those forums. CKD also offers a Makers Sales outlet. Others sell on Ebay with fairly good success.
My biggest piece of advice (and I make my entire living via my craft) besides make a good product and back it up - is to look beyond the obvious - seek out markets that are not necessarily part of the "knife world". For instance my largest market is the Cowboy Action Shooters and 19th century reenactors - these are specialized markets, but without them in conjunction with the knife collectors market I'd be out there working for somebody else. Where and how you sell depends a lot on what kind of knives you make - but again think out side the box when deciding how to market your self (and marketing YOUR SELF is 90% of any business)
I need some major help. I am an aspiring knife maker.I have taken two jobs in order to purchase equipment for my shop.I am dedicated to making a high quality product ie.(knives).My problem is I have no idea how to market myself or my product.Are magazine ads worth the money? What can I expect at a gun and knife show.Are web sites the way to go or maybe all three? I would greatly appreciate any feedback that anyone is willing to offer.
