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Ordering a custom knife frustrations

No matter the collectible; Knowledge-Patience-Luck on the part of the collector are key ingredients of a great collection.

Deep pockets of course help, however don't insure anything. The more of the three above reduces the need of such.

In the nut-shell, there's plenty of fine makers out there who will be thrilled to make you a knife, so if you don't hit it off with a maker early on then move on to another.
 
Don Hanson III said:
It is very disrespectful to NOT answer emails.
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Agreed!

Of course you have to actually receive the e-mail... for those of us who have had over a dozen e-mail accounts things get tricky, and don't forget your junk mail filters out a lot of stuff, including wedding invitations!

Those filters work both ways. Sometimes a customer e-mails me to my website account but I answer from my mobile and it gets filtered out as junk...
 
wnease said:
Agreed!

Of course you have to actually receive the e-mail... for those of us who have had over a dozen e-mail accounts things get tricky, and don't forget your junk mail filters out a lot of stuff, including wedding invitations!

Those filters work both ways. Sometimes a customer e-mails me to my website account but I answer from my mobile and it gets filtered out as junk...
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Yep, that's why I always send an other email after a couple of days and pick up the phone if I don't hear after two emails.

Marcel
 
as mentioned by Kevin -- 3 months for an order? (also mentioned it was for an email) but heck, I have had an order of 4 knives with a maker in SA for over 8 years and it is unlikely that I'll ever see the result particularly as many others have placed orders much later and have the product. I don't like orders for this and other reasons so my collection is rather small lol.

As far as prices on sold knives -- just provide both the price and the date of sale. Or alternatively, if the price is up drastically -- current production price for similar piece would be $xxxx (more or less x's depending upon price range for your knives). The idea is to give folks an idea and this will reduce time spent by those that can't "handle the truth" and your own time. Same concept holds at shows -- put prices on the product being offered for sale.
 
Interesting thread. I've always answered email inquiries about my knives. Not only is it bad manners, it's bad business! I do know it's a problem for some makers because I've been told that I seem to answer much more quickly than others do. I know of some makers who never answer their emails. Don't always know why.

People also should realize that making drawings takes time that isn't always directly related to making a living in the immediate time frame. So are giving prices quotes on a customer's design from his sketch. Eventually I get around to them, but between working in the shop, taking care of other business related things, taking care of my kid, and trying to get in a little recreational activity or just plain old crash time, sitting down and drawing a knife or three gets pushed to the back burner. (I'm behind in this department. I owe several people drawings, but I'm working on them!)

I have made my living filling orders. I've had good shows and bad shows, but have remained consistently back ordered for many months to a year and a half over the last 10-15 years. This is certainly much better than trying to speculate on what will sell and depending upon shows. I may turn down an order once every 5 years for one reason or another, but I do answer my emails.

David
 
We actually prefer e-mail to phone calls. Charlie and I check them several times a day and try to respond as soon as we can. Sometimes the answers take a little time and sometimes our spam blocker gets one. Both situations add to the time it takes to reply. The message in the subject is very important and can really get our attention. Don't put something like "Want price urgent all you knifes" if you want a response.

We have a record of our e-mails that we can refer back to when necessary. As we get older that seems to be more and more important. Being able to read them is also getting more and more important as our hearing gets worse with age.:o

Our business (it was going to be a hobby, but the Government wouldn't let it be one) has been built on custom orders and it will remain that way, I hope. We would like to be able to have some standard knives available for shows and people that visit the shop and are working on being able to do that without slowing down our custom orders. We also want to be able to work on the knives that we would like to make and time to do that is in the works too. If we can't work that last one out, then the lower end custom orders will likely be the ones that get cut. They take the most time/buck and the return just isn't there.

Customer service is paramount in any business. In knife making that means spending time with the customers whether on the phone, on the internet, e-mails or at shows. Much of that time is an investment in future sales and it will pay off. Sure we spend time working out a knife design with a customer and they never pull the trigger. I don't buy a car from every car salesman I talk to either. We never know how many other knife makers are talking with the same customer about the knife the customer wants. We just do our best and make the best price we can while still making some money.

Customer service is not only important to the business, but it is enjoyable and the second most important reason to get into this business to start with. You still have to like making knives as the first reason.
 
Don Hanson III said:
Lorien, nothing special, I just treat people the same why I'd like to be treated.
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Don, that IS special! It may be an underwhelming fact, but I feel that is the basis of everything that we are capable of which is good.
All too often the Golden Rule gets to ride in the back seat, while the $ rides shotgun!
 
Murray White said:
...

As far as prices on sold knives -- just provide both the price and the date of sale. Or alternatively, if the price is up drastically -- current production price for similar piece would be $xxxx (more or less x's depending upon price range for your knives). The idea is to give folks an idea and this will reduce time spent by those that can't "handle the truth" and your own time. Same concept holds at shows -- put prices on the product being offered for sale.
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Murry says it well. If a maker has a website and wants to reduce time spent on e-mails, it doesn't hurt to post current price for a like piece in photo galleries. It provides prospective customers with an estimate of what the maker would charge for the knife the prospective customer has in mind. It is then up to the prospective customer to decide if he/she wants to communicate further with that maker.

I also agree with Murray's last statement. I don't understand why more makers at shows do not put prices on the pieces they have for sale. Most prospective customers do not have open pockets that they can spend on knives. Most operate with set budgets. At shows, a maker's table can get crowded or the maker may be away temporarily from his table. I can't tell you how much time I have spent waiting to discuss a knife with a particular maker only to find out when I finally can talk to him that the price is far outside of my budget. This is time I could have spent better with another maker whose posted prices were within my budget.

Why don't all makers post prices with the knives they have for sale?

Paul
 
I don't think I'd get too upset about not being able to get an order in. It's always nice to get a polite refusal or an "I'll let you know when I make one like that." but I do think it's unfair to believe every maker we admire can make something, or rather would be happy making something, to our specs.

As far as waits go, in the custom world years is the norm. The ONLY problem I have waiting is when it's longer than the maker's current backlog. In that case I'd prefer not to be on the "list" than see orders placed much later than mine being fulfilled and enjoyed by other collectors.

Murray, have you contacted the maker again to remind him, is it possible your order got lost in the cracks?
 
blad5 said:
Murry says it well. If a maker has a website and wants to reduce time spent on e-mails, it doesn't hurt to post current price for a like piece in photo galleries. It provides prospective customers with an estimate of what the maker would charge for the knife the prospective customer has in mind. It is then up to the prospective customer to decide if he/she wants to communicate further with that maker.

I also agree with Murray's last statement. I don't understand why more makers at shows do not put prices on the pieces they have for sale. Most prospective customers do not have open pockets that they can spend on knives. Most operate with set budgets. At shows, a maker's table can get crowded or the maker may be away temporarily from his table. I can't tell you how much time I have spent waiting to discuss a knife with a particular maker only to find out when I finally can talk to him that the price is far outside of my budget. This is time I could have spent better with another maker whose posted prices were within my budget.

Why don't all makers post prices with the knives they have for sale?

Paul
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I think you've answered you're own question. As much as I hate to admit it, as an amateur knife maker myself, there are lots of excellent knife smiths who are real jackasses. For instance, the Moderators of knifeforums.com. I was recently banned for pointing out how hypocritical it was of them to insult my work when their own rules prohibit such comments. i didn't expect them to say, "Ooohhhhh, that's a great knife", but they didn't have to call it a piece of crap. Point is, just because a person is good at what they do, doesn't mean they are a good person.:rolleyes:

Now, so far, my experience with bladeforums.com has been nothing but positive. I suggest that anybody who wants a custom knife order should work with the people who are here and not some hack who doesn't want to get to know you and your needs.

As someone who's worked in customer services, I can tell you, the most important part of any business is customer relations. Even more important than product. you can have an AWESOME product, but if the customer doesn't want to talk with you, there is no way in hell you'll get a sale. But if you have a decent product and a great customer relationship, you'll be making sales left and right.

From what I can tell however, the problem is too many orders. if you want to get a knife quick, you may want to go with a lesser experienced, but still talented maker. They'll have less on they're plates and will charge less to boot.
 
If you are buying your first knife , buy one that is fore sale NOW.
Go to a knife show, or look at pictures of what sells for about what prices on the secondary market.I usually buy something that is made.
When I know a maker, and he knows what I like and will be back, it becomes easy. Some buy knives to use, I do that, some buy knives because it just really turns them on, I do that, and some buy knives to keep but never to use, I do that also.
'Luck is the result of superior planning"

Floyd
 
I have contacted the maker and he wrote back once but when reminded of exactly what he agreed to make and the price the conversation ended. At one time I was going to make a project of having quite a few of his pieces but that obviously has gone by the wayside even though if I was contacted and told the knives were on the way, I'd be thrilled.
 
Buffalohump said:
Anyway, I just wondered if anyone else here has had similar experiences.
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Can't say I have. Maybe I've been lucky so far, but all contacts with knifemakers have been positive.

I'm dealing mostly with European knifemakers.

Kind regards,

Jos
 
"Location: Durban, South Africa"

That's definitely working against you.

You have no idea the volume of email begging for, or attempting to steal our $ that comes from there.

I believe that many or most USA makers would drop the conversation on that alone...
...the phrase "CONUS only" frustrates many
 
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