Mike Obenauf To Stop Making Knives?

striper28 said:
This is also a result of the economy. Knives are luxury items and when people tighten their budgets, luxury items are the first to go.
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How true is that

I just emailed him and let him know i don't care to know the detail's but if its supplies he needs he is welcome to anything i have for free, hopefully that will help him some, and get a few orders out so no one is hurt.

I have way too much of this stuff anyways.
 
fastcamo said:
How true is that

I just emailed him and let him know i don't care to know the detail's but if its supplies he needs he is welcome to anything i have for free, hopefully that will help him some, and get a few orders out so no one is hurt.

I have way too much of this stuff anyways.
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That is a wonderfully generous offer. Good on ya.
 
Kevin Jones said:
It's very unfortunate to lose another maker. I'm afraid we will see more and more of this as it seems the industry is moving towards more makers and fewer collectors.
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I added the bold in the quote.

What leads you to believe the number of collectors is decreasing?
 
Fastcamo,

Very nice offer!

Striper,

The core market of $250 to $800 will see little if any interruptions. As generally those hit by a "recession" are those will less disposable income who don't normally buy custom knives.

About this time last year, every body was talking about what a negative affect on custom knife sales.

Perhaps the "Stimulus" Package (if they can get it passed) will result in a huge increase in custom knife sales.

My experience has shown me that people who are custom knife buyers, don't stop buying. They may just opt for a less expensive knife or instead of a Damascus and Ivory knife they may go with stainless or carbon steel and pearl or Desert Ironwood.

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
 
Les,
I'm not sure I agree. The collector who spends $250-$800 will have second thought when it comes to that next purchase. These are not the big collectors with deep pockets. These guys are the everyday folks with little disposable income who save all year for the blade show as an example.

I agree that custom knife buyers won't stop buying they will tend to buy lower priced knives but what does the maker who only makes expensive knives do? Start making cheaper knives?

With interest rates being cut, gas and home heating oil prices continuing to rise and people losing their homes due to mortgage rates increasing I think buying knives will not be a top priority. People are even resorting to arson to get out of their mortgages.

I too hope that the "stimulus" package will help?
 
Chuck Bybee said:
I added the bold in the quote.

What leads you to believe the number of collectors is decreasing?
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Hi Chuck.
I was posting in a hurry before running out of the house and didn't mean to imply that the quantity of collectors is necessarily decreasing, however that many believe including myself that with the increasing number of makers coming on to the scene is creating an unfavorable maker to collector ratio.

One well known maker recently put it very eloquently in saying "too many makers are feeding at the same trough".
 
BlazenGem said:
hes not a thief.
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I do find it a little strange that nobody seems to care that, by his own admission, he's been taking money from good trusting customers and spending it for some time while not delivering the promised knives. He's admitted that he doesn't have the money to buy the materials needed and said he's done making knives, so it would appear that the customers won't see their knives. Sure, he's promised to pay everyone back, but we've seen that before too. Traditionally, this sort of behavior is seriously frowned upon here.

seems like thievery to me.
 
If he doesn't pay the money back in a reasonable time, my opinion of him will be negatively affected. At this time I am more inclined to think that he will do the best he can to make things as right as possible with those he took money from.
 
Hi Striper,

First, just a marketing thing....a custom knife maker should never use the word "Cheaper". Less expensive or more affordable are better phrases.

For makers who make more expensive knives. There is nothing wrong with making a similar knife from less expensive materials in order to offer a more affordable knife.

The quality of the work should remain the same. This has the additional opportunity to introduce to a marketing segment that the maker may not have been in before. Perfect example of this are the tactical folders from John W. Smith.

From a business perspective makers should always be looking for markets to expand in to.

Actually the buyers in the $250 - $800 market are very active in the after market and seem to be constantly turning over their collection at fairly regularly. Which allows them to recycle most of the money.

Plus, there are more people with $500 in their pocket than $1,000.

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
 
severedthumbs said:
another thief gone.
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I would never call Mike a thief. I'm sure he will make things right with the people to whom he owes money.

Kevin,
IMO I think there are more knife collectors everyday. More people have been exposed to high quality factory knives (Kershaw Shun etc) than ever before. The attraction of quality factory knives will bring some of these people into custom knives.
 
Chuck Bybee said:
I would never call Mike a thief. I'm sure he will make things right with the people to whom he owes money.

Kevin,
IMO I think there are more knife collectors everyday. More people have been exposed to high quality factory knives (Kershaw Shun etc) than ever before. The attraction of quality factory knives will bring some of these people into custom knives.
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Chuck, I know next to nothing about factory knives, but considering the new custom makers entering the market and the increasing quantity of customs knives, I'm not sure that "some" will be enough. IMO, custom makers and collectors can do more to bring in new customs collectors and help educate our existing customs collectors.
This will be a main focus of the new CKCA.
 
I was talking to one of my hermenuetics and biblical interpretation profs while I was in college a few years ago and he said something to me that I've never forgotten:

"You determine a man's character not by his words, but by his actions. Any man can do what is easy, but a man of character will show himself when he has to do something hard."

I don't know the man at all, but he has done the hard thing and faced up to his mistakes. Give him the benefit of the doubt and let time determine what he's made of.

Nathan
 
He announced apology publicly and gonna working it out. For me, he is "man" enough to admit and realize his mistakes ... I do not know him personally ... but sometimes shit just happened ..... just give him a break to make it right, will ya. Life is tough. Making a living from knifemaking ... is very very hard. I hope Mike can get through with his difficulties ...
 
antonanton said:
He announced apology publicly and gonna working it out. For me, he is "man" enough to admit and realize his mistakes ... I do not know him personally ... but sometimes shit just happened ..... just give him a break to make it right, will ya. Life is tough. Making a living from knifemaking ... is very very hard. I hope Mike can get through with his difficulties ...
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I agree with what antonanton said.
 
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