Scaling up production on your own design.

E

EdgyK

Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
4
Like so many of you, I've had the knife bug for years...decades. I've left too many stores with another knife that I did not need simply because it was a cool and it felt good. So for the past two years I've been working with(4 prototypes) a local knife maker on a unique design that makes me happy in the woods. Damn fun.

I had a couple questions for the experts:
1.) Any suggestions on how to ramp up production so I can start selling them on my survival School website?

2.) Has anyone had any luck licensing a knife design to a manufacturer? Is that a fair question? Or any advice on how to attempt such?

I tried searching the forums, because I don't like hijacking forums from seasoned professionals when I'm a noob. but I did not have much luck. If anyone knows of a good thread, I'd be just as happy to have a link.

Peace to all,
Ed
 
Depends on how you want to do things. You can simply have them made for you overseas or at a factory here, like Rowen.

You can order laser cut blanks from a steel supply house, have them delivered to a heat treater then shipped to you for grinding and finishing. (I've heard this is how Survive! does things.)

You can take your design to CRKT, who seems to license this kind of thing all the time, and get paid for them to sell "your" knife as part of their line.

Create a small cottage industry in your home town.


Off the top of my head, those are the "easy" ways to ramp up at lower cost. Larger production opens other possibilities.
 
I would contact Mistwalker here as he has done this with Schrade. You can usually find him in the Wilderness forum.

I don't know about CRKT and their manufacture of folk's designs as to whether they contact you are vice versa. But manufacture over seas of knife maker's designs is their thing. They give you royalties on sales. SOG and ESEE has done this as well.
 
What is your current capacity to make these knives and where do you want it to be? That would determine what steps you should take to get production where you want it to be. I would suggest looking at finding a shop that can waterjet your blanks, that would help you a lot.

I wouldn't know about licensing your design but I would guess if your design has few sales and you aren't an established knife designer, it would be hard to do.
 
Right here in "manufactures forum" is White River Knives that has done considerable work as a third part contractor for others.....contact them with your questions.
As far as licensing opportunities time to knock on doors is the best way and don't forget the knife maker who provided you with the prototypes for he/she will also be looking for $$$$$$
 
Whoa! Great advice. Lots of directions to investigate. THANK YOU!
I currently have my final prototype. I just needed to get started on arranging someone to produce them so that when they go up on the website I actually can fill orders, on-time, etc. This is a great start. I'll post my findings!

Does anyone know of a thread on the forum where you've discussed copyright/patent issues. from what I know of intellectual property/copyright etc. I suspect knives would be hard to get protection on. since the designs are millions of basic variations on a timeless theme(a sharp edge). unless one's idea is freakishly unique, anyone can just alter a tad and circumvent a patent, etc. I'm sure it's been discussed, it's a very interesting conversation.

Thanks to all,
Ed
 
Oh yeah! I've been working with Jason Holbert. He's a hard working steel mill worker who loves knife making in his free time. We've been having fun with my ideas. he just showed me a tomahawk/camp axe he made that felt perfect in my hand. made me want to leave my knife at home. you knife makers have a damn cool art. jealous.
~Ed
 
EdgyK said:
Whoa! Great advice. Lots of directions to investigate. THANK YOU!
I currently have my final prototype. I just needed to get started on arranging someone to produce them so that when they go up on the website I actually can fill orders, on-time, etc. This is a great start. I'll post my findings!

Does anyone know of a thread on the forum where you've discussed copyright/patent issues. from what I know of intellectual property/copyright etc. I suspect knives would be hard to get protection on. since the designs are millions of basic variations on a timeless theme(a sharp edge). unless one's idea is freakishly unique, anyone can just alter a tad and circumvent a patent, etc. I'm sure it's been discussed, it's a very interesting conversation.

Thanks to all,
Ed
Click to expand...

Years ago I contacted CRKT to see what their process is, but I was thinking of selling a type of mechanism. CRKT does a lot of knives with oddball mechs, like the Rollock. They said (and I thought too) that I should at least file a provisional patent.


But you can't patent a knife shape, grind or style. Spyderco managed to trademark the little hole, and they still can't quite enforce it because it is so simple.

If you have a nice, finished design that doesn't have any protection, CRKT will still license or buy it. That was the story with the Tuition model, which was designed by a college age knifemaker. It is just a stylized liner lock flipper, but he got paid for the way it looks and works.
 
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