Mixed Feelings about an upcoming local show -- UPDATE/RESULTS and pic.

If you decide to take orders, be prepared for some one who has placed a order to call up every week and change the handle material, etc. It can be a real pain.
Unless you take a deposit, be prepared for someone to decide they don't want the knife they ordered after it is made.
If you do take a deposit, make it your #1 priority to finish. There are sad stories of knifemakers who took deposits and spent the deposits, and never got around to finishing the knife.
I used to take orders, but no longer do so.
You never know who you will meet at a show. At one show I met a Doctor who said, "I'll send you $100.00 a month and some designs. When you finish a knife and feel I have paid for it, send me the knife." This went on for over 10 years.
I hope you will let us know how the show went for you.
 
Go for it. What's a table cost, 75 or 100 bucks? You can easily piss away that much money on a good meal with your wife at a restaurant, so you really have nothing to lose by spending a weekend at a local gun show and possibly turning a profit.

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Custom orders are a painful path you want to avoid as much as possible. It is the single thing that make many makers quit taking orders...and some quit doing shows altogether.

Even when you are well known and have thousands of customers and a full time business, blanks and wood on the table still would be a bad idea.
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^THAT. :thumbup:

Do NOT take orders or custom jobs unless you're seriously hungry and really need them to put beans on the table (been there, done that... I'm deeply grateful for earning the money to feed my kid, but it's not nearly as fun as it looks), or you're doing well already and can charge enough for them to put the "extra" cash aside for whatever you want.. not need.
 
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I was invited to a local first annual craft show and was set up next to a guy who made outdoor mobiles out of paint sticks. He almost sold out and I sold nuttin. I wanted to stab him, lol. Looking back most of the people attending the show were the artsy type interested in paintings and photography. The art council was disappointed in the turn out as well but they really didn't advertise properly. The first year was free but next year they're asking $100.00 a table.

GOOD LUCK
 
I wish I would have paid attention to knifemakers giving advice about taking custom orders! And more than 1 custom order at a time. It QUICKLY became a job and not fun anymore. By the time I finished I wanted the knife out of my sight forever.
 
One piece of advice for your first show... If you have any carbon steel blades out, right after the show be sure to clean all of the blades. You would be surprised at how much "spittle" gets on the blades just from people standing there talking to you. If you don't clean them and just put them away, when you take them out again later you will have spots all over them. I noticed this between the second and third day of Blade show last year.
 
So maybe it's not so bad. Several inquiries and hits on my fb page (Kelley Knife Works) since the show although no actual orders. :-)
 
Col Defender said:
So maybe it's not so bad. Several inquiries and hits on my fb page (Kelley Knife Works) since the show although no actual orders. :-)
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That is nearly identical to my first 2 shows. I did sell enough little key chain trinkets to cover my table expenses, not food, travel, or other various expenses, but at least my table cost was covered. I look at it as paying my dues and doing all I can to expand the knowledge of handmade knives to the public.
I get to try my hand at another show, weekend after next. I'm hoping the craft fair pays off better for me than the little local gun shows. A few things show promise in this show. It is more of a regional show than just local and normally draws 10-12k people(easily 10x the size of the community). Everything at this show is 100% handmade and people coming are more expecting of handmade prices. Only time will tell though.

Glad to see you came out of your experience with a positive attitude!
Chris
 
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