No website knifemakers

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
Messages
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How does a knife knut get to know of these knifemakers?

If they don't "get around" too often and keep to their part of the woods, not many people are going to hear of them.

And if they don't really care for the world of computers, knowledge of their existence will be quite limited.

I am sure some of these people are also not too keen about making big bucks. They just love their craft. They make enough to make do and the world can go on its merry way, that would be fine with them.

But people like us, how do we find out about these people?
 
A short answer - shows, friends, books, periodicals and forums. (With shows and knife nut friends having the upper hand.)
 
You really have to get out to shows.

I just attended the NKCA show in Springfield, MO and met a maker named Henry Parker. His slipjoints are TO DIE FOR...... They are fantastic. His prices are as reasonable as it comes. I never heard of him. He doesn't have a website and hasn't dealt much with dealers. I would never have seen his work if I didn't attend that show.

You really need to get out. It is very enjoyable, you get to see the work first hand and it works.

You can take the word of others, but ain't nothing like a show.....
 
Bob -- what day were you there? I live in Springfield and was there. Danbo was there too, and if you know him you probably saw me standing next to him (but slightly shorter :D ). Did you have a booth, or just checking it out?

Back on the subject, I was able to see some local knifemakers that I'd never heard of that make fantastic stuff -- including Muller Forge which makes great damascus knives at good prices.
 
I wouldn't think the internet is the major sales point for custom knifemakers ....... yet.

I don't believe Bob Loveless or Bill Moran have websites ..... and some people have heard of one or the other ;)

Roger
 
Originally posted by Roger Gregory
.

I don't believe Bob Loveless or Bill Moran have websites ..... and some people have heard of one or the other ;)

Roger
Click to expand...

Ditto for Brend and Terzuola!

RL
 
The above makers are big names and don't need web sites to help them get their name out. For new makers or makers that would like be seen by more people, I would think that a web site would be a great way to achieve this.

Getting out to shows is a great idea, but it isn't easy when the closest decent sized show is a two day drive or a $400 round trip ticket from where you live.
 
Good question and in this post I offer a couple of VERY nice knives by makers with no internet sites or presence. One (Dugdale) doesn't even have an email.

Like all of you folks, I would love to see them aspire, and the net is the best tool. But they both seemed quite happy to 'keep on keepin' on' by going to small shows.

These are the little guys, the unrewarded backbone of our craft. It sure makes knife show visits that much more rewarding to see what I might have missed peeking into my computer...:rolleyes:

Coop
 
I beleive most part time makers like myself have enough work just by word of mouth and have a day job that puts the bread on the table and builds the pension. I've had folks and family ask me why I don't put knives on the internet.Why not? I have more work than I can keep up with now. I don't want to work 2 full time jobs, which would make both too much to handle. Not being the youngster I was a long time ago, I'm not ambitious enough nor have the energy to be a full time maker untill my day job retirement in a few years. Wearing a badge and gun on the day job isn't hard labor, nor is knife making, but I still get tired. Yep, I think most part timer makers don't look for more work because we are contented with where we are at, and can make knives with leasure and enjoy the labor. Also, I firmly beleive makers are the most laid back bunch on our planet, which is a pretty good reason for most makers not to activly seek business outside our regions.
 
For me the website and internet accelerated things dramatically. I am quite technophobic and only got email in September 2002. Living and making knives in Australia, the "clientele" was becoming quite thin once I'd "used up" all my family members and friends at work. I admit that my marketting strategy was aimed at knife buyers and users living in the USA, Europe etc. hence the use of a website. Not being able to travel, can't get to many shows etc.

Also not to forget, I've only been making knives for 20months. Whatever my preconceived ideas about websites and the ??? business it would give me, it has done a couple of VERY positive things.

1) Having the access to the internet which I hadn't had before, the exposure to all the great work put out by makers all around the globe - amazing stuff, eye candy, inspiration and all that...

2) With the international orders, it basically forced me to take a hard good look at my work practises and fit and finish, quality, performance - EVERYTHING !! I think it has been the #1 outside influence for improvements in my work that are obvious even to me.

Thats perhaps priorities in the wrong order, but the website has been an amazing boon for me. Very few Australian knifemakers have websites. My mentor, Shawn McIntyre, and another local Peter DelRaso, don't have websites but they sell every knife they make. Shawn is full-time. The word of mouth, and makers doing their selling the good old fashioned way, is not to be sneezed at. Without a website, it helps to be extremely GOOD !!! :D :D Jason.
 
I don't have a knife orientated website yet, but am working on it. Been on the net for only a couple of months but have really increased the interest in my knives via forums such as these. I believe that for 'unknown' makers based outside the US that the web will prove a great tool if used properly. The population base in places like Australia is too small to accomodate the number of knifemakers we have. If aussie makers can use the web and have a good product they will have an advantage given the lower value of the OZdollar.
 
Go to knife shows or gun/knife shows. There are a host of knife makers of varying ability that have no internet presence nor a need for it. Keeping up a website and taking orders from strangers is both time consuming and risky. Selling a knife at a table to someone who gives you cash is rewarding and less risky. If you can sell your output w/o a website, you wouldn't need a website unless you have dreams of expanding into sometime of production shop. There's a lot of knifemakers with piss poor websites that are hardly ever updated.

I go to as many shows as I can. You can always drive and stay in a cheap motel and take sandwich fixings in the cooler. The hard part is resisting the temptation and saving your money for the show. Sometimes you can go to a dud show, especially the gun/knife shows, but if it's a knife only show, you'll have fun.
 
Of course if you live in Malaysia, it's a helluva drive to the BAKCA or Blade west....................To say nothing of Blade. That said, you frequent the forums and read the magazines and sometimes you get lucky. I met a maker today named Brian Forrest. I needed a sheath for a knife and asked at my favorite knife shop, Wright knives and sporting goods in San Diego(if you must know). Dennis Wright gave me Brian's number and said ask him. I called and he was out of town about 45 miles but I had to be out that way on business so I dropped by. Here is a full time knifemaker making some very cool Bowies and western style Tanto knives but he's got folders and kerambits and other specialty items. He does a lot of work with ferrier files that his neighbors give him. The thing that really struck me is that his hollow grinds are really good maybe Hossom good. I'd never heard of him. I asked what shows he goes to, He said that his best show is the Bay Area Knife Collectors assoc. So.. I'm making a plan to go.


Cheers
 
Another way to find some of these knives is to put sort of feature into your search engine, such as steel type. I put "L6" into google and found makers of the types of small, fixed blades I fancy at a price I can almost afford. Sure, there will be several others who are missed in this fashion, but it's a treasure hunt nonetheless.
 
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