Protecting knife designs?

Dartanyon,

Do you have this product made? What is it's function and does it perform? Do you have the CAD either 2D or 3D(ideal would be ProE, to computer stimulate stress testing.)
Since you said the Shape was so unique the item may not get picked up because of difficulty to manufacture that it produces high costs. As you stated and Inventor doesn't think about money but a Manufacturer sure does.
Even if you Invent the Greatest thing that ever was but can't afford to get it made it is simply the Greatest Idea that NEVER was.

BTW, there are a few forums in Australia that have guys that can do small runs on waterjet and grinding and heat treating...
 
dartanyon said:
apsilon, thanks ... that link doesn't work on my PC ... I'm keen to check it out though :)
When I said "forums like this" I was referring to wilderness survival and the member post volume. I still think bladeforums is one of the biggest and best. Do you need a drink?
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Whoops :o That should've been www.laventrix.com

Agree that there's a lot of wilderness and survival talk here but our friends across the pond do a few things differently than we do and of course there's different environmental points as well. That said I do spend most of my time here lurking in W&SS. I like to see peoples hike and gear photos particularly.
 
Redscorpion, yes good points thankyou. I have only made the proto's and yes I have autodesk. ProE looks interesting. I hope this isnt a never was.

Apsilon cool I'll check it out. I like hiking too especially ultra light :) and lurking around here sure is stimulating. I am constantly inspired to engineer. I consider myself a bit of a bush engineer making do with whatever I have at hand and making the knives I can't afford ;)
 
http://bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=741

That is the General Knife Making Discussion Forum- you should habve no problem accessing it. I posted there once as a non-paying member to get advice as to whether a knife I had was defective- and I thought makers would know best. Their good folks- and they could probably help you better than anyone here in W&S.
 
Yep I started a thread to get advice and perhaps refine my prototype. Thankyou for directions.

I have found mostly everyone here very helpful weather comments be positive or negative, I learn from both.

My approach to my survival blade is to get expressions of interest from existing manufacturers combined with some sort of confidantiality agreement if possible.

This is wobbly stuff for me ... basically I want a properly constructed version of my design for nothing ... not much to ask.

I'll be researching Australian manufacturers first but if they blow me off then I'll be approaching guys I've seen in here.
 
dartanyon said:
This is wobbly stuff for me ... basically I want a properly constructed version of my design for nothing ... not much to ask.
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Actually if you're asking for companies set up for mass production to produce a one off you're actually asking for a lot. Depending upon design, construction method and materials there could be a very significant set up cost for them. eg a die for molding a part could easily be a 5 figure sum. Asking them to make that sort of investment with no reputation or guarantee of business or profit is a big ask IMO.

IMO you'd be better off approaching a custom maker and having a one off produced that you'd pay for. Obviosuly you'd want to enter into a contract and non disclosure agreement with them in your case. You can then use that prototype to evaluate your design as well as having something to physically show potential mass producers.
 
Perhaps I wasnt really clear on that. This whole adventure is not just to make me a knife ... I already have that ... I would go for royalties ... and a manufacturer, well that depends on some sort of agreement. This is not to pay off my home, just help fund another development. As far as wanted ... I recon there's a lot of people out there who will want one, I do ;)

Boil all this down ... do I sound like a dreamer?
 
If you are lookinhg at going into business with anyone, check with the guys at Randell Adventure Training. I would buy stocks in that company if they sold them.
 
dartanyon said:
Boil all this down ... do I sound like a dreamer?
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No, but I think you need to do more research and planning before you approach anyone. In my experience (and I've worked in manufacturing for the past 10 years) it's very unlikely you're going to find anyone willing to manufacture a product for you without you covering the set up costs up front.

I don't know of any manufactures in Aust that would mass produce a knife (what sort of volume are you thinking?). My advice is to contact Keith Spencer of AKC (www.knivesaustralia.com.au) and see if he knows of any. If not then your only option will be to go OS.

I do have one question. You want them to make one knife for you. Why? You say you already have a prototype. What are you try to achieve by getting them to make one? See what their work is like? You should be able to judge that by their reputation and past work. My honest opinion, because I've seen it time and time again, is that if you approach someone and ask them to produce you one XYZ and not want to pay anything and have no plan to present you're going to come across as a time waster and they won't be interested. Approach them with a proper business plan and willing to cover the costs and you're in business.

I'm not trying to discourage you, I want to do the opposite, but I can only give very generic advice as I have no details to work with.
 
apsilon said:
No, but I think you need to do more research and planning before you approach anyone. In my experience (and I've worked in manufacturing for the past 10 years) it's very unlikely you're going to find anyone willing to manufacture a product for you without you covering the set up costs up front.
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Well, depends how good is the *mysterious design* is.
Sometimes, even a simple drawing would be enough to know your product is good.
Sometimes, it would take quite a lot of effort to prove your design if the benefit isn't obvious.

As stated earlier, you can't prevent copies.
The only way would be make your design public only when your business/production plan is advanced enough, or else competition might have their product ready before you.

The manufacturer you meet might also be the one that cheats you, so before you go meet someone, you'd better keep some datable proof you were the one who created the knife in the first place.

You should also balance carefully your agreement with the company, you might sign away all your rights on the design, and possibly the use of even your own name (see the RAT case), so be careful about the share you get, the duration of the agreement, what happens after that etc.
 
If it's as unusal as Ron Hood's 'hand ax/knife rig' then it should be interesting,but Rh's rig is about the limits of an unusal and practical 'knife' concept that I tend towards. No dragon slayer crap for me.
 
Sooooo... what happens if you develop this knife, only to find out the design has been made before and then you get sued?
 
Soooo ........ I search the IP database and register my design, is good enough protection.

Yep ... not only the horse but all the rigging too :)

The funny thing about all this is I somehow thought I would publish pictures here thereby shouting out to the world that its mine ... then the reality kicked in and that would be that I couldn't run round like a headless chook till it was on the market, and I mean the properly made version. I've already got one and I gotta hide it :(

BTW this is a knife ... no fancy bull ... just thinking without blinkers on ... has it been designed before ... I doubt it because of its adaptation by necisity ... and thats due to our demands now, not in the past.
 
Generally speaking from what i have heard you can copy a design as long as its 10% different. That 10% covers the different artistic view. Meaning after you change something 10% it has been made into a new thing and new piece of art. Look at clothes you see this a lot, and knives and cars and flashlights and tents and backpacks and guns and um well you get the idea.

If you think you can protect what you own look at my friends company. They run a pool quipment company in the USA. When one day they found out that a company in Chine had copyed them 100%. All there products, logos, website and even name. Image there surprise! They solved by going over to that company and saying hay lets not fight but work together.

So any idea you have of keeping a knife you make for the public secret and private should go out the window. Sorry.

Saying that post a pic!!!
 
I'm rather skeptical of this design, I think you might be over hyping it. Something new *and* practical? But, I’ve been wrong before. :thumbup:

When will you be showing pics?
 
I've accepted the fact that if a good design is marketed then someone will copy it.

To register my design will cost $200 AU to start off with and thats going to slow me down a little but then it means I can approach a larger manufacturer who will be wearing the armour ... its comming.

As for skeptics ... I'm a skeptic myself ... improvements are made from criticisms.

The pics will come as quick as I can because for some reason the opinions of this forum mean the most to me ... We follow an interest with passion and choose to be here ;)
 
dartanyon said:
To register my design will cost $200 AU to start off with and thats going to slow me down a little
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Actually it doesn't seem so much for a solid proof of anteriority.
Anyway, there are many news designs that come out everywhere (look at what CRKT sells) and people apparently does feel the urge to rush into copying them, so you probably overstate the problem, (but who knows, maybe your design is actually that good).
 
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