Real money making/selling custom knives?

One thing to note is that all of the people being quoted as doing what they love or not really thinking of it as "work" are successful people. So, what we can gather here is that some people who are successful in creating a business out of something they loved were/are happy, there's still a pretty large group of people who were either successful and unhappy or just not successful. Just because Bill Gates was able to build a successful software giant that I'm sure he loves working for doesn't mean that the majority of computer programmers who start their own business are happy or successful, let alone happy and successful.

I know several quite successful knifemakers. I've also known more than one or two who were not able to make full-time making work. I'm not saying the OP or anyone else can't go full-time, I'm not saying they can't go full-time and enjoy their jobs, I'm not even saying he won't get filthy rich doing it. I am saying that the likelyhood of all three is pretty slim and two isn't necessarily a given.

As the OP has already said that he's willing to lose his love of knifemaking if it's a requisite to a successful business, I guess it's not really a problem in this case.
 
The problem with making a go of knifemaking and not loving it is that it's a pretty damn suck business to be in....... :p The cuts, burns, muscle fatigue, cuts and burns..... burns and cuts.... the love of the blade, my peers and my customers are what keep me in the shop trying to improve.
 
AcridSaint said:
As the OP has already said that he's willing to lose his love of knifemaking if it's a requisite to a successful business, I guess it's not really a problem in this case.
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Exactly. I've had jobs I liked, hated, and tolerate. I made the most money at one of the jobs I liked the least, and the least money at the one I liked the most. Right now I tolerate my work (don't really love it or hate it). If knife making pans out and makes a decent (enough) living, it can't be any worse than its been before.
 
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This is an old thread, but I thought I'd put in my two cents. I've been making knives as a hobby for over 20 years. I've been able to pay for all of my supplies and equipment by selling my knives, but not much more than that. I've done it for the enjoyment. Now I've just retired from 30 years in the computer software industry, and am making knives full time.

My opinion is that the first step is finding a niche for your knives. You can just make your style of knives like everyone else does, but if you specialize in something, like making hunting/skinning knives, or survival knives, kitchen knives, small knives, or some unique style of knife that nobody else is making, that will help to make you memorable. Just being another good knifemaker may not be enough. Think of some way to make your knives unique.

Next, learn how to work in an organized, mass-production fashion so you can maximize your product output. Don't make one knife all the way through, then start on another one. Get your blanks cut in mass quantities by laser or waterjet, to save you time in cutting out your knives. That means investing some money up front, but find a good vendor that will cut and laser etch your logo on each blank, and cut the pin holes so you don't have to do the drilling. Set up a kind of "assembly line" in your shop. Grind a bunch of blades, then move on to the heat treating (if you do your own) and do a whole batch of knives at once. Cut out a bunch of handle materials ahead of time, to the right thickness and size for your knives so you can just pick some knife scales and they're ready to shape. Do all of the like tasks in "batches", and you will be able to make knives much faster.

Now you have to become "known". You can set up a website, but you won't draw enough customers just by hanging out your electronic shingle and opening a knife making business. You have to attend shows and expose your wares to the public, and get your name out there. If you have a good product, and start to network with other knifemakers, suppliers, resellers of handmade knives, etc., you will start to be known in the knife community. But this takes time. You really need to hit the big Blade show in Atlanta once a year. Everybody who is anybody in knives goes to that. It's the Comdex of knives. Okay, wait--I'm showing my age here. It's the ComicCon of knives! Bring your absolute best work, and set up a nice looking display table, and have business cards and literature to hand out with pictures of your knives and references to your website. Also attend local gun and outdoor shows--any chance to actually show your knives to interested parties and make connections. Don't wait for business to come to you. Once you're good enough and people know who you are, you may find yourself turning away work or putting people on a waiting list. Everyone should be so lucky!

Above all, have fun! If putting in a 12 or 14 hour day to make it profitable becomes drudgery to you, you won't last long. I can't wait to get up each day and head for the shop, even though I'm worn out at the end of every day. Be prepared to invest time and money to get your knife business off the ground, and most of all have patience. Being an artisan and making a living is hard work. You have to love it and be driven to get your work out there. If it's your "thing", like it has always been for me, I would never think of giving up! Just keep at it and you will be as successful as you deserve to be.
 
I had my own restaurant for 17 years. Getting over the hump meant volume. I've recently wondered the same about smithing myself. When a custom knife costs say $300 and takes weeks or months to make how do you make a living producing one knife at a time? Tough business I'd guess.
 
A good, hard-working knife repairman/maker can make $100,000 a year.
Being good not only means doing good work PROPERLY, it means knowing the product you are working on. It requires study, a good book library, and it helps if you have a good collection of the knives you repair. Making knives is easy after all that!
 
marchone said:
When a custom knife costs say $300 and takes weeks or months to make how do you make a living producing one knife at a time?.
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I'm just a beginner (and barely even that) but I can tell you that you already know the answer. Volume. I'm betting these guys don't make one knife at a time any more than your chef would cut one slice off a tomato for a burger. You prep 2 dozen tomatoes, they cut 2 dozen profiles.
 
AcridSaint said:
I read something in a hobby magazine when I was a teenager. The guy was an owner of a hobby shop and he said "if you love something, don't turn it into a job". I liked working on computers, so I turned that into a job. Took me 12 years to find a computer job I actually liked and I still don't do computer "stuff" for enjoyment anymore. Maybe I should have listened to the guy in the article...
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I got into building drums (think rock and roll drum kits) because I liked woodwork and playing drums. It was creative and I could make custom drums for myself that cost me waaaay less $$ than buying them. Being in the garage was zen time so the fact it took me many hours to complete a drum didn't matter. Then people wanted me to make drums for them. I could sell a drum for $500 but it took me 25 hrs to make it....$16/hr after paying materials. After a while I had many orders which forced me to work more than I wanted. It wasn't fun any more. I filled my orders and quit. I still have a half finished kit for myself.

7 years ago I learned to make Native American flutes as a hobby. I've made about 60 of them, given 50 away. I'm told I make nice enough flutes that I could sell them. But I don't. I only build when i want to feel filled up. That is my plan for knife making too. Make them because it fills a creative side to me. I won't sell them. Make them as gifts, have fun, make when I want. Then it can't become work.
 
Some great comments here
I'm lucky to have a wage coming in from a job that takes up only few hours a week but I hate it
On the plus side I can work full time at my knives here even tho I haven't sold one yet
So I can't comment on the financial side of the business other than to say that getting up every day to forge and make knives orodo any job that you love so much is absolutely priceless
It's not a job but more like a calling
If I can get to a point of not starving and do solely this I will be a success IMO.
 
Well, back in 1991-92, when you could sell that same $300 custom knife for, oh, $300, you could probably make a living at it ;)
marchone said:
I had my own restaurant for 17 years. Getting over the hump meant volume. I've recently wondered the same about smithing myself. When a custom knife costs say $300 and takes weeks or months to make how do you make a living producing one knife at a time? Tough business I'd guess.
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Yep volume works for me. Last batch before Christmas. Waiting to have the handles hand sanded here.

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A couple three from this batch finished:

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Between the first week of Oct and the first week of Dec I made about 150. They are all gone. Making 10 right now (thats like being on vacation) with another 60 odd at Peters. Like B BluesHarp said, if this is what ya want to do be prepared to work. But ya got to have your head on right too. What seems to work for me is to keep it cyclic. Work stupid hard for a few days on a batch and then kick it doing misc leather orders. Then stupid hard on knives and then kick it. Works for me. At all times I try to have a batch back from ht that I'm working on, a batch at ht and prepping a batch going to ht. This also keeps it fresh for me. After thousands its still fun.
 
I am at the selling hobby stage. It would be amazing to leave the day job and be in the shop full time, but I am just happy I can supplement my income at this time, and pay for some of the expenses related to the hobby. I have always been busy with hobbies my entire life. But, knife making is the first one where I can make a little money while I have fun.

I agree with the batch processes and volume. But as a new maker, you won't have that volume yet. You really need to make a name for yourself. Find your niche. Find your audience. And then hopefully the volume will be there.
 
A guy came to visit me the other day, he’s been making knives for about a year. He uses cheap materials with cheap equipment. He made five knives, took them to work and sold two of them to a coworker for around $150 each. He told me he has this whole thing of making and selling knives figured out.

You go girl!

Hoss
 
Man, this is a really encouraging thread. How many knife makers quite after reading all this?
I can make a pretty decent knife, but I've yet to figure out how to get paid for the work. I don't know if my standards are too high or what.
I'm thinking about belt finishes now. I don't know.
It is discouraging, but I love designing and making knives. :)
 
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