Selling knives at GunShows?

Almost like taking a knife to a gun fight just replace the fight with show.

I have done a couple gun shows. I don't think most of the people are any weirder than those at knife shows. But, most of those that go to gun shows are thinking gun and when it comes time to decide where they are going to spend their money the gun usually wins over a knife. I will probably do some more because it gets my stuff in the public eye. I might make a couple sales and will get to meet some people. Then, I might also buy a gun. LOL.
 
Gary,

I'd say make a few and give it a try. Gun show crowds can try your patience concerning knives. But as others have said be polite and be ready to answer all kinds of questions, good and bad. It's best to stand and look people in the eye. Talk to everyone that walks by, man, woman or child. DO NOT eat behind the table. Keep a sharp eye on your knives, sometimes they can sprout legs and walk away. Good luck!
 
Yup!
It's probably a lot like our farmer's market- there's a steady market for under-$100 stuff if you have any interest in making things like that. I sell hundreds of small cooking knives and neck type knives in a season. People seem to really go for carbon steel, especially repurposed materials.
I see it as a niche market and exploit the heck out of it....some people see it as a waste of time *shrug*
People will cheerfully go higher once they get to know you, but in my experience sales over $150 are few and far between.
Not much of an outlet for most of what most of us make, but good experience all the same if you're just trying to pay the bills.
 
You never know who you will run into at a Gun Show. When I first started out, I had a stock of 30 knives. These were early knives I made, and I would consider them pretty crude by my current standards.
I was selling them for around $100.00, but wasn't selling very many at a time. At one gun show a fellow offered to buy all 30 knives for $50.00 apiece. I sold him all my knives, and with the $1500.00 bought equipment and supplies. My knives continued to improve, and with the better equipment I started selling a lot more.
At another show a Dr. came up and said, "I will send you a check for $100.00 each month, and here is a design for a knife. When I have paid enough money send me the knife. " This went on for years and years.
So, you won't know if you don't try.
 
I cant vouch as a knife maker at guns shows just as a customer. I really like going to gun shows and look at all kinds of things. Generally they all have a few knife guys and usually one sharpening station setup. The guy sharpening stuff usually always looks very very busy. Most guys that carry guns carry knives and lots of them will drop it to get sharpened if there isnt too much of a line.

When I go to a gun show I will take a certain amount of cash with me, maybe $300 or maybe $1000 depending on what I am looking for and how much disposable income I have. If I dont find any gun deals I will look at blades and other items. Generally when people go to these places they are going to spend money so thats a bonus.

There are different gun shows as well. I have been to gun shows in colorado, virginia, south carolina ( I think), washington. Maybe a couple more states but that is spread out over 13 years of service. In washington the gun show I went to up around my parts was more like a farmers market or swap meet. A decent amount of people but nothing special and the stuff available wasnt great. The one I went to in virginia had a line at every gun booth just to purchase a gun much less to look at one. The knive booths which I remember only seeing about 3 or so were relatively busy as well. The one I went to in virginia was in lamens terms a shopping madhouse extravaganza.

Just my experience.
 
I've been selling knives for over 30 years and never attended a "knife show" untill
about 13 years ago. Before that it was word of mouth and Gun shows- lots of them.
At today's price point I may sell 2-3 knives at a gun show, I've done as well as 6
or 7 at a show. Besides the crowd interested in cheap junk- its like taking your
pedigreed dog to a horse show or vise versa. The people not interested in cheap
junk are looking for guns not knives. That being said at your age I'd do everyone
I could make.
Ken.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
The typical gun show customer wants: knives made from files, railroad spikes, big flat pieces of steel with a 1/4" bevel ground on the edge, and knives made from saw blades- because they already KNOW those are the best knives. As Tom says, if you can keep from strangling people and can be nice while you don't strangle them, gun shows can produce sales and customers.
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That is all you will see at gun or knife shows here locally. The ones that call themselves "custom knife makers" only deal in the scrap steel and the only one that comes even close to heat treating anything is the one twisting spikes. Until I started frequenting BF and started looking around, that is all I knew of around here. I have recently found some hobbyist like myself that aspire to do more. I hope I get a chance in the new year to reach out to them and see if I can learn anything.

Merry Christmas,
Chris
 
Oh yeah- I forgot the ones that put crude handles on premade blades!
 
Bought two costume knives at gun shows,the first one was 1095 steel and osage orange handle,second was D2 steel with walnut burl handle,both with custom sheaths':rolleyes:
 
Oddly enough, while almost every "knife guy" is also a "gun guy", the reverse does not seem to be true. Every "gun guy" I know carries a $50 (at most) Wally World folder.
 
I've done gun shows for the last 10-11 years- They are hit or miss until folks know you, but they can work out.
Plus side is they're local and rarely more than $70 for a table. Much easier to cover that.
I've sold a lot of knives at gun shows, from $30 recycled L6 paring knives to $500 damascus gents bowies. Big shows are a much better bet.
 
Perhaps another interesting question would be, has anyone had any luck selling kitchen or sporting knives at home expos, fishing expos in the spring, etc?
 
james terrio said:
Perhaps another interesting question would be, has anyone had any luck selling kitchen or sporting knives at home expos, fishing expos in the spring, etc?
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I have seen a couple of makers at this show

http://www.torontosportshow.ca/

It's a huge show, lots of people

I saw some sales, - I imagine huge show fees.
but it's a way to intro yourself to a new market



Kitchen expos, you better have kitchen knives, sets, blocks,
fishing shows, you better have a table full of fillet and related knives.
 
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