- Joined
- Feb 22, 1999
- Messages
- 465
To Les,
You have listed several good comments regarding trends in your original post however I just don't agree with your ideas regarding factory collaborations. I seems my response has hit a sore spot which was not my intention. It is clear you are biased towards production knives and have no interest in this category whatsover. It is also clear that you make your living on custom knives. I on the other hand have a love for both custom and production knives and yes, I make my living on production knives. Also for the record I get out plenty.
I am not hiding the fact that collaborations are popular and it's true that everyone wants to get in on the action. My point is not everyone can do it successfully. If a factory is truly interested in collaborations they should go to the Guild Show to meet more makers and see more designs however very few do. Probably because they don't have enough insight to know what to look for. Again my point is just because a custom maker designed it and it's tactical does not mean it will sell for a factory. Since today's consumer has so many good knives to choose from, if the factory-custom design is not made well and marketed correctly it will fail. The fact that everyone wants to get in on this trend is a "Me Too" business approach. "Me Too's" that enter the market late finish late.
Your earlier comments point that you feel collaborations are bad for makers in the long run. I have yet to meet a maker that has done a collaboration with a reputable factory and regrets it. In fact I have met a few makers with current collaborations that want to do another one.
The main focus for custom makers is to create new and exciting designs and mechanisms that are very best they can achieve for their skill level. Production companies on the other hand tend to focus their attention on manufacturing, marketing and distribution. It is therefore only natural for production companies to incorporate custom maker designs and innovations into their products and to compensate the maker for their contributions. If this is handled in a fair businesslike manner the maker, the production company and the consumer all benefit.
No hard feelings Les. You are entitled to your opinions just as I am entitled to mine.
------------------
Sincerely,
Outdoor Edge Cutlery Corp.
David Bloch,
President
Visit our new web site at http://www.outdooredge.com
[This message has been edited by David Bloch (edited 14 August 1999).]
You have listed several good comments regarding trends in your original post however I just don't agree with your ideas regarding factory collaborations. I seems my response has hit a sore spot which was not my intention. It is clear you are biased towards production knives and have no interest in this category whatsover. It is also clear that you make your living on custom knives. I on the other hand have a love for both custom and production knives and yes, I make my living on production knives. Also for the record I get out plenty.
I am not hiding the fact that collaborations are popular and it's true that everyone wants to get in on the action. My point is not everyone can do it successfully. If a factory is truly interested in collaborations they should go to the Guild Show to meet more makers and see more designs however very few do. Probably because they don't have enough insight to know what to look for. Again my point is just because a custom maker designed it and it's tactical does not mean it will sell for a factory. Since today's consumer has so many good knives to choose from, if the factory-custom design is not made well and marketed correctly it will fail. The fact that everyone wants to get in on this trend is a "Me Too" business approach. "Me Too's" that enter the market late finish late.
Your earlier comments point that you feel collaborations are bad for makers in the long run. I have yet to meet a maker that has done a collaboration with a reputable factory and regrets it. In fact I have met a few makers with current collaborations that want to do another one.
The main focus for custom makers is to create new and exciting designs and mechanisms that are very best they can achieve for their skill level. Production companies on the other hand tend to focus their attention on manufacturing, marketing and distribution. It is therefore only natural for production companies to incorporate custom maker designs and innovations into their products and to compensate the maker for their contributions. If this is handled in a fair businesslike manner the maker, the production company and the consumer all benefit.
No hard feelings Les. You are entitled to your opinions just as I am entitled to mine.
------------------
Sincerely,
Outdoor Edge Cutlery Corp.
David Bloch,
President
Visit our new web site at http://www.outdooredge.com
[This message has been edited by David Bloch (edited 14 August 1999).]