Need help Convincing the other half!

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I am a fledgling maker definetly new to this. Do you have any suggestions or stories on how to convince the wife that making knives full time is a good move. She has always countered with what if's and the more of those I have an answer for the better my chances! Help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Bob
 
Well Phezzer,
You really should take this one step at a time. Start out spare time, if you find you like it, move up to part time. Jumping whole hog into full time knifemaking is a REAL gamble.
First, find out if you are going to even like this work.
Knifemaking is some very hard, dirty and sometimes downright dangerous work.
It is not for everyone. It takes a ton of dedication and self motivation.
Perfection is the ultimate and unacheivable goal. A famous knifemaker once said "If you make the perfect knife, then you will be the first one".
Be prepared for long hours of work that might not show fruition for a long time.
Now that's the bad news.

The good news is the feeling of acheivement that you experience when you get knifemaking down pat is indescribable.
The feeling that comes when people start wanting your knives and word begins getting around that you know your stuff and your product is top notch will float your boat.
At this point you will start getting more orders than you can fill and you will begin enjoying some profit. Don't expect to get rich from knifemaking.
You will become famous on the Blade Forums. Oh Happy Days!

Some may disagree with this but thats my opinion on the subject and it is only MHO!
smile.gif



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Why do they sterilize needles used for lethal injections?




[This message has been edited by misque (edited 04 December 1999).]
 
Misque, I agree with you!! Phezzer, how long have you been making knives? I'm into my fourth year, and I'm just now getting the shop I've wanted. It takes alot of work and money to really get into knife making! As far as the wife, have you made her a nice butcher knife yet????????

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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
 
Oh yeah, where ya located Phezzer?? What mark are you using? I live in the Florida panhandle, and you're welcome to come to my shop anytime!

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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
 
Hey what's the problem???

Change wife, it must be easier to find a new wife that giving up one's dreams.

No, just kidding, i really hop that i didn't offend you in any way, if i did i apologize.

I wish you all the best, i do envy you that have gotten this far, maybe one day i'll be in the same position.
I think that starting part-time is the best idea, then you can try it out for a while, maybe it's the perfect way of relaxing from another and not overdoing ones hobby ??

Good luck and keep us Bladeforumites informed of your progress.

Take care and be well!/2Sharp aka Jonas

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"May all your detonations be expected"

 
Well Phezzer,
I see by your profile, that you are a Knife Dealer by profession. That's good, at least you know the finale out come of this business. Trying to sell your knives. If you are successful at that end, then you have the skills to promote and sell your own line of knives. You know, you will need an interesting logo, an out standing Web-site, and maybe even a color brochure, just to get started in selling. You'll have to provide all the material, for selling, that the
Factories now do for you.
Have you made any knives yet, that are good enough to give as gifts or to sell? How well equiped is your work shop, and do you have the room to expand for more equipment needs? I'd go part-time if I were you, putting your own knives out on your show tables, with the rest of your inventory of factory knives. See if they will sell. Get some orders, lots of orders, get backed-up enough to pay the incomming bills for six months or a year. Then go full time.
I've been at this part-time for over ten years. It's taken me that long to build up my equipment needs, my knife making skills, and my knife selling skills. Maybe you can cut some time off your "Dues" by visiting a near by custom knife maker, to learn the ins & outs, that most of us have spent years of trial and error learning. Perhaps you could rent the maker's shop space and equipment, during his off hours, for your own use. That would cut down on your immediate equipment
needs, if you donot have a fully equiped shop of your own. Take a weeks vacation and visit a "Hammer-In" knife forging school. These are great times with great guys, who know the industry, and have the skills to pass their knowledge on to students like you.

Lastly, I'd spend some time talking with knife makers, learn why and how they started in this business. What there goals were and now are. What pitfalls they encountered along the way, and if they find it rewarding enough to keep at it full-time.
Best of luck, you'll need it!
Happy Holidays,
Jay Maines
Sunrise River Custom Knives
www,sunrisecustomknives.com

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Thank you so much for the advice and encouragement. I am in the process of enlarging my scrap pile. That means I am still working on getting my grinding techniques down. I am somewhat computer literate, working on my web site and I am pricing out advertising in Blade and Knives Illus Mags. Todd Kopp a local knife maker has let me watch him work so that helps.
What is a bigger challenge creating a good knife design or selling it after you have made it?
Any of you who advertise, what kind of responce are you getting? Which Magazine is a good place to advertise?
Any of you who know D Holder (Featured in this months Knives Illus. Mag)he is recovering from a heart attack. We wish him the best and a speedy recovery!
 
Phezzere,

On advertising. I spent a small fortune printing up a color brochure, started with 500. I mailed out 4 copies to each of the 65 Knife Collecting Clubs, across the USA. I got one response, and it wasn't even an order. Next I take out a 1/12th ad space in the Blade Shoppe section, of Blade Magazine, for a whole year. It has my info and a picture of one of my knives, nicely done. Well, I figured I should get atleast 6-10 inquires a month for my color brochure. Based on the magazines circulation numbers. Let me tell you that I was lucky, if I got one request for a brochure, per month. At the end of a year I had recived one order for two knives, that just covered the cost of a years ads. So what does a knife maker do, if he doesn't have 5-6 weeks of vacation time built up, so he can travel around the country doing the big knife shows, and he's tryed advertizing in magazines. How does he reach his customers? My answer to my problem was a Web-site, and that isn't a sure thing either. I find it takes more work then when I was just running ads in knife magazines, and sending out brochures. With a Web-site you have to really work at it, to make it work for you. I'm constantly sending up-dates to my webmaster, infact I think I"M Bugging The Hell, out of him. I send him new knife pictures, new knife designs, new handle material lists, new forms to post and lots & lots of new link exchanges. Then I have to spend time signing up with the 1000's of search engines that are out there, in fact I just signed up last weekend with 35 of them. This weekend I'm E-mailing 27 knife Dealers, and 16 knife engravers to see about exchangeing links with them. This all takes time and commitment on my part, and keeps me away from my love of knife making. If you have any suggestions for me on getting my company name out there, to the knife customers, then let me know. I'm willing to try anything with in reason, and expense.
Best Regards & Happy Holidays,
Jay Maines
Sunrise River Custom Knives www.sunrisecustomknives.com

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Phezzer, I might just be blessed and living in a hand made knife poor area, but I find that when I make a nice feeling quality knife, it sells it's self. I just carry it around showing it to folks I encounter, and very seldom do I keep one for more than a couple weeks. Word of mouth is the best advertiser you can have. Put a couple knives on Ebay. You won't get the max price for them, but it will give you access to a huge market. You sell one or two, and the buyers show the knife off to their friends and then they want one. If you make quality knives and don't price them too high, you won't have any trouble selling them!! Take care! Michael

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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
 
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