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- Jan 10, 2007
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I like that social media can introduce new people to knives. With an expanding number of knifemakers an expanding group of knife enthusiasts is certainly something to be pursued.
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Social media: Forums, Websites, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.... Things have changed.
- Thread starter SharpByCoop
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2009
- Messages
- 4,421
I think that the more you use, the better you could do, to a point. People often ask me, when they are getting into business for the first time, "where should I advertise?" and I say do it all, or as much as you can.
People generally need three exposures to me before they buy a knife. Usually it involves having seen me in a magazine, at a knife show, in my store in Fairbanks or at my website. So, we take advantage of as many kinds of exposure as we can.
I call it exposure because to me that's what it is, as apposed to advertising. We have advertised (bought ads. in magazines) but have seen much fewer inquiries from that than from passive exposure like posting something somewhere or being in a magazine as a feature instead of an advertisement.
Some forms of exposure are better than other as you might expect. We post pictures of knives on Face Book, it's usually "liked" for half a day and then it is buried below all the other stuff like cute kittens or lasagna recipes. Someone will invariably post a two word question "How much?" (very rude) I never give a price to the general public, preferring to contact people personally to talk about prices. Someone will eventually post "He wants _____ for it" and then it's followed by "Oh, that's way too much" or "He's got to be kidding" Then the supporters will chime in with things like "That's a very reasonable price for hand made knife like that". It would be hard to know for sure if an inquiry didn't originate on Face Book and result in an order over the phone but we try to keep track and feel like Face Book exposure has never resulted in a sale for us.
Posting on Blade Forums is very much different. When we post there, the inquiries are polite, the questions are intelligent and sometimes they result in a sale. We have never posted a custom knife in the "Knives for Sale" sub-forum but we have put our semi-high-tech production 1911 Bowie on there. I don't think we have sold one as a result of posting it there. Our sales from Blade Forums have all been from posting a knife for discussion in one of the other sub-forums like "Hand made and Custom Knives"
The great majority of our sales are still done the old fashioned way, by personal contact at our store in Fairbanks or to a lesser extent at a knife show. These customers will have bumped into us somewhere else before, either at a prior show or one of the other forms of exposure.
We don't use any of the newer things like tweets and #'s, not sure if it would help, don't really have the time.
That's how things are in our world.
People generally need three exposures to me before they buy a knife. Usually it involves having seen me in a magazine, at a knife show, in my store in Fairbanks or at my website. So, we take advantage of as many kinds of exposure as we can.
I call it exposure because to me that's what it is, as apposed to advertising. We have advertised (bought ads. in magazines) but have seen much fewer inquiries from that than from passive exposure like posting something somewhere or being in a magazine as a feature instead of an advertisement.
Some forms of exposure are better than other as you might expect. We post pictures of knives on Face Book, it's usually "liked" for half a day and then it is buried below all the other stuff like cute kittens or lasagna recipes. Someone will invariably post a two word question "How much?" (very rude) I never give a price to the general public, preferring to contact people personally to talk about prices. Someone will eventually post "He wants _____ for it" and then it's followed by "Oh, that's way too much" or "He's got to be kidding" Then the supporters will chime in with things like "That's a very reasonable price for hand made knife like that". It would be hard to know for sure if an inquiry didn't originate on Face Book and result in an order over the phone but we try to keep track and feel like Face Book exposure has never resulted in a sale for us.
Posting on Blade Forums is very much different. When we post there, the inquiries are polite, the questions are intelligent and sometimes they result in a sale. We have never posted a custom knife in the "Knives for Sale" sub-forum but we have put our semi-high-tech production 1911 Bowie on there. I don't think we have sold one as a result of posting it there. Our sales from Blade Forums have all been from posting a knife for discussion in one of the other sub-forums like "Hand made and Custom Knives"
The great majority of our sales are still done the old fashioned way, by personal contact at our store in Fairbanks or to a lesser extent at a knife show. These customers will have bumped into us somewhere else before, either at a prior show or one of the other forms of exposure.
We don't use any of the newer things like tweets and #'s, not sure if it would help, don't really have the time.
That's how things are in our world.
It's hard for an old codger to keep up with the new trends in communication. Or so I've been told. 
I use Facebook and Instagram but have yet to dive into Twitter or any others of these type medias. I would not say that I use social media to promote my knives exclusively although I do post most of my projects on them in one form or another. Sometimes a WIP, sometimes a finished knife. And I will keep up with family too as long as things are positive. I will NOT involve myself with subjects or trivia that I believe inappropriate for public discussion. When I see people carry on in public about things that are better not said or better not said in front of the public, it cant help but detract from my image of them. Is that old school? If so, then I think being old school is a good thing.
This forum has been a pleasure to watch and to be a part of. When I see STeven's words on the screen, I now hear his voice and see his face because I have gotten to know him over the years. Its the same with most of you. That familiarity is why I'm here, even though I might be away for spells from time to time. This is the place for checking the pulse of what is going on in the higher end of knife making. I also frequent other forums with interests that are similar but not knives. Bow Hunting for example. I have sold a lot of knives to people I've gotten to know there, plus have shared techniques with aspiring makers that have never heard of Bladeforums. So while I'm not here all the time, I am always working and always showing my work. Social media makes the world a smaller place. It's enabled me to meet fine people that I would otherwise never have known.
I also do not limit my visits to this sub forum. I post and read in a couple of other sub forums on this site.
I agree with Mark. Social media wont take the place of personal interaction between you and a friend or customer. But it can fill in the gaps.
Social media is just exactly like society itself. There is a lot ugliness out there, but if you don't ever go out into it, you sure miss out on the beauty. You can enjoy the roses, you just have to be careful of the thorns. Use it as a tool or to learn and beware of or ignore the useless distractions.
I use Facebook and Instagram but have yet to dive into Twitter or any others of these type medias. I would not say that I use social media to promote my knives exclusively although I do post most of my projects on them in one form or another. Sometimes a WIP, sometimes a finished knife. And I will keep up with family too as long as things are positive. I will NOT involve myself with subjects or trivia that I believe inappropriate for public discussion. When I see people carry on in public about things that are better not said or better not said in front of the public, it cant help but detract from my image of them. Is that old school? If so, then I think being old school is a good thing.
This forum has been a pleasure to watch and to be a part of. When I see STeven's words on the screen, I now hear his voice and see his face because I have gotten to know him over the years. Its the same with most of you. That familiarity is why I'm here, even though I might be away for spells from time to time. This is the place for checking the pulse of what is going on in the higher end of knife making. I also frequent other forums with interests that are similar but not knives. Bow Hunting for example. I have sold a lot of knives to people I've gotten to know there, plus have shared techniques with aspiring makers that have never heard of Bladeforums. So while I'm not here all the time, I am always working and always showing my work. Social media makes the world a smaller place. It's enabled me to meet fine people that I would otherwise never have known.
I also do not limit my visits to this sub forum. I post and read in a couple of other sub forums on this site.
I agree with Mark. Social media wont take the place of personal interaction between you and a friend or customer. But it can fill in the gaps.
Social media is just exactly like society itself. There is a lot ugliness out there, but if you don't ever go out into it, you sure miss out on the beauty. You can enjoy the roses, you just have to be careful of the thorns. Use it as a tool or to learn and beware of or ignore the useless distractions.
sheathmaker
Custom Leather Sheaths
- Joined
- May 18, 2005
- Messages
- 4,650
It seems like just a very short time ago, and then it seems like a long time ago. What I'm talking about is my entering into the knife community and then later specializing is just sheaths. It all started I think in late 2003 or early 2004 when Leon Treiber (RIP) asked me to take time out from my saddles and equine oriented products and build him some sheaths. Then several months later Carlton Evans contacted me to ask if I could do sheaths for him. Ha! customer number two! Then I ventured into the Blade show I think in 2005, totally unknown, and got my first big break woking for a known collector and a really top tier maker. Kevin Jones commissioned the sheaths for his Jerry Fisk Gambler set. My first work for the "big time". From there it's kind of a blur. Many Blade shows, hundreds of new and old Friends and customers, literally thousands of sheaths.
In my case it all happened with word of mouth and postings on the internet by folks other than me. 2 became 4, 4 became 8 and so on. I certainly do post and discuss here on Blade Forums and another site or two but have never actively tried to sell, because my friends take care of that for me. I have never participated in Face Book, Twitter, Instagram or any of the other social media sites, nor have I ever gotten around to having a web site, yet I have been blessed with an abundance of work.
Knowing what I know now, I'm nearly 100% positive If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it the exact same way, because the face to face and hand shake relationships I have are far too important to relegate to social media so I guess I'm really old school as well as being really old!
In case I neglected to mention it, I don't count Blade Forums as social media ..it's my club house!
Paul
In my case it all happened with word of mouth and postings on the internet by folks other than me. 2 became 4, 4 became 8 and so on. I certainly do post and discuss here on Blade Forums and another site or two but have never actively tried to sell, because my friends take care of that for me. I have never participated in Face Book, Twitter, Instagram or any of the other social media sites, nor have I ever gotten around to having a web site, yet I have been blessed with an abundance of work.
Knowing what I know now, I'm nearly 100% positive If I had to do it all over again, I'd do it the exact same way, because the face to face and hand shake relationships I have are far too important to relegate to social media so I guess I'm really old school as well as being really old!
In case I neglected to mention it, I don't count Blade Forums as social media ..it's my club house!
Paul
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- Joined
- Oct 3, 2002
- Messages
- 12,297
^^^ This is good! Even though I can't really use the new stuff myself, it's nice to know new people are being exposed to custom knives...
- Joined
- Dec 10, 1998
- Messages
- 4,860
The thing about using social media is that it is almost instantaneous. People are glued to their phones and when I post a knife on IG or facebook I can get likes or interest in seconds, it's world wide. Customers don't have to miss out on knives that are available, they can see them as soon as they are posted. I'm shopping my knife to them, instead of them shopping for my knife.
People don't have to wait till they get home from work and get on their computer and go to a forum. On a forum you need to specifically go to the for sale area and actively look at what is for sale.
Facebook and IG are also ways to actively interact with other like minded people from all over the world.
If you are not on social media you are going to be out of sight and out of mind.
People don't have to wait till they get home from work and get on their computer and go to a forum. On a forum you need to specifically go to the for sale area and actively look at what is for sale.
Facebook and IG are also ways to actively interact with other like minded people from all over the world.
If you are not on social media you are going to be out of sight and out of mind.
- Joined
- Mar 31, 1999
- Messages
- 839
I have a web page and I do face book and I watch this forum and a few others as time permits. I control my social media to where it enhances what I do, it does not control my time.
It can be a good way to get your work out in front of more people for those that have time, but I give sticker shock enough in person without doing it all over the world. I get orders from all of the media that I participate in.
Interesting note, None, of my best clients do anything but email, phone call or face to face and some of them are in the social media business. That is just my top end clients, yours may vary. Though I realize it is old fashion to email they can do it as their time allows and that is the way that I prefer, I do not want to bombard them with notices, get to it when they can. I want them to enjoy the knife collecting as a hobby and learn as they go at their own time.
It can be a good way to get your work out in front of more people for those that have time, but I give sticker shock enough in person without doing it all over the world. I get orders from all of the media that I participate in.
Interesting note, None, of my best clients do anything but email, phone call or face to face and some of them are in the social media business. That is just my top end clients, yours may vary. Though I realize it is old fashion to email they can do it as their time allows and that is the way that I prefer, I do not want to bombard them with notices, get to it when they can. I want them to enjoy the knife collecting as a hobby and learn as they go at their own time.
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2002
- Messages
- 13,348
Old fashioned?
I remember writing you to inquire about your knives back in 89/90 and getting a hand-written response on this thing called paper, stuffed in this thing called an envelope, bearing this thing called a stamp. 
To my daughter's generation, that is the equivalent of a chisel and a stone tablet. To the thread subject, I am connected to many knife folk on Facebook and enjoy it for the most part. The only down side is most just want to engage in non-stop political rants - but it's easy enough to clear my page of that kind of stuff and just engage in knife talk and generally keep in touch with people.
BF will always be home for me for dedicated knife discussion. It's not perfect, but no place is.
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- Dec 5, 2005
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- 27,966
sorry bout that, Roger
Anyone using Ello? I have an account there and it's pretty great.
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- Oct 8, 2001
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- 12,340
I created and started an Instagram 'SharpByCoop' account. It's underutilized.
Instagram is wonderful for 'crappy cell phone pics' LOL! (This said, cell phone images CAN be outstanding!)
For me to show my work, I have to upload FROM my computer TO my cell phone (bluetooth file transfer is easiest). THEN I use another program which adds a black canvas border around my images to create the SQUARE photo format, which is all that Instagram allows.
In the end the image is fairly small. A bit disappointing. However, I've got 26 followers somehow with only four posts!
I regularly read and hear about makers (like Chuck and Ben RT) who have BIG success showing (selling?) through this media.
A year ago, I asked my friend and local knifemaker Mace Vitale about posting his work on the forums. He said he rarely came here because HIS action happened on Facebook. (Forums are 'outdated' he remarked!)
Les Robertson also remarked well over a year ago about his success selling through FB.
And then Mark Knapp relates how it simply hasn't worked so swift for him. It's certainly hit or miss, isn't it?
I have a good following on FB and I post images often. I do NOT do more than that. No politics or views or recipes...
Hey, I'm cozy and comfortable here. :thumbup: This topic CAN make us uncomfortable because it's about change (which always involves some loss).
I'm certain the newer tactical buying crowd is all over this. Is it the tech stocks of the early 2000's? Or is it a large wave of transition which needs to be noted.
Probably both.
Instagram is wonderful for 'crappy cell phone pics' LOL! (This said, cell phone images CAN be outstanding!)
For me to show my work, I have to upload FROM my computer TO my cell phone (bluetooth file transfer is easiest). THEN I use another program which adds a black canvas border around my images to create the SQUARE photo format, which is all that Instagram allows.
In the end the image is fairly small. A bit disappointing. However, I've got 26 followers somehow with only four posts!
I regularly read and hear about makers (like Chuck and Ben RT) who have BIG success showing (selling?) through this media.
A year ago, I asked my friend and local knifemaker Mace Vitale about posting his work on the forums. He said he rarely came here because HIS action happened on Facebook. (Forums are 'outdated' he remarked!)
Les Robertson also remarked well over a year ago about his success selling through FB.
And then Mark Knapp relates how it simply hasn't worked so swift for him. It's certainly hit or miss, isn't it?
I have a good following on FB and I post images often. I do NOT do more than that. No politics or views or recipes...
Hey, I'm cozy and comfortable here. :thumbup: This topic CAN make us uncomfortable because it's about change (which always involves some loss).
I'm certain the newer tactical buying crowd is all over this. Is it the tech stocks of the early 2000's? Or is it a large wave of transition which needs to be noted.
Probably both.
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2013
- Messages
- 3,809
I do the square format in the computer - so I have more control over the crop and the borders - then send that to my phone to upload to insta... it is annoying that they don't allow a direct from computer upload.
- Joined
- Dec 10, 1998
- Messages
- 4,860
I think that part of this pertains to the style and type of knives that are being sold via instagram and facebook. All of the tactical folder makers that I know are on these social media sites. These knives are being bought by the generation that uses their phone for everything other than actually making phone calls.
You also need to be diligent about being involved in social media, if you don't actively post your pages are not going to update themselves. I understand that these things take time but posting one picture a day, either a WIP or finished knife pic can go a long way, and with IG it takes less than a minute.
You also need to be diligent about being involved in social media, if you don't actively post your pages are not going to update themselves. I understand that these things take time but posting one picture a day, either a WIP or finished knife pic can go a long way, and with IG it takes less than a minute.
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2006
- Messages
- 13,363
Paul, I remember that moment like it was yesterday. Commissioning, working with Jerry, receiving the Bowies, then receiving your matched sheaths are among the top highlights of my knife collecting years. I was so excited with the knives and didn't want to let them out of my site, so you pulled out a couple sheets of paper and traced the outline of the Bowies right there on top of Jerry's Blade Show table. Needless to say, they came out perfect and I received them in less than a week. Heck, I had been used to waiting 6 weeks or more for custom sheaths. Yep, since then you have really changed the world of custom sheaths.
Well back to the topic at hand;
While I recognize and appreciate the attention and notoriety social media has brought to custom knives, I just haven't gotten into it much. I do frequent this custom & handmades forum and the CKCA forum practically every day.
My youngest daughter created me a Facebook page about a month ago to insure I saw all the photos posted of my grandchildren. Since then, I've spent some time on the CKCA FB and noticed how fine a job Mary and Ryan Hays are doing promoting custom knives, custom knife makers and the CKCA.
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- Joined
- Apr 18, 2011
- Messages
- 4,925
Coop, if you just go to your website on your phone and take a screen shot of the image, you can the just post it directly to IG. That's what I do if I want to post an image from my camera/computer.
Didn't know you had an account. I just shared your page on mine, you might get a couple more followers. : )
Didn't know you had an account. I just shared your page on mine, you might get a couple more followers. : )
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2007
- Messages
- 1,924
Now you guys have gone and inspired me to update my BF signature.
Bailey Knives
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2004
- Messages
- 3,775
I started taking instagram seriously at a knife show a while ago. The show was a little slow and I was talking to Andrew Demko. A couple guys were standing around his table chatting about instagram. I mentioned to them that I never really got into the instagram. One of the guys there looked at me and said "watch this". He took one of Andrew's expensive folders off the table, took a picture of it with the price and posted it on his instagram account. Two minutes later, it was sold. Needless to say I was a bit astounded. It seems to me, unless you have a huge backlog, technology is an adapt or disappear kind of thing.
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2002
- Messages
- 12,297
Cool story Matt! It got my attention.
BTW yesterday, Joe Richardson showed me one of yours knives he just got. I was 'instantly' attracted to it...
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2006
- Messages
- 15,019
I'm not a maker or really involved in the knife industry other than I love the steel and the people in it
The few projects I do are to help with design and get pieces out by makers that are very hard to acquire pieces from. It's just something that is fun and thus far has been very well received
I do work a few larger shows a year for my dear friend Matt of DISKIN USA
In the archery world
I am a sponsored Bowhunter and I get all of my equipment at a substantial discount etc
To promote my friends in Cutlery and Archery I use the forums and YouTube
I believe YouTube is the greatest tool out there
I launched a new bow design for Border Archery out of Scotland on YouTube and it has garnered many hits making it I believe the most successful release of any bow in their long history
Again I only do things for friends and products I believe in
It is a passion and love of friends and my hobbies that drives me so I have a different outlook
I do not have or will I ever have a Facebook account
If I were a maker I would probale look more into different forms of social media ........... Or I'd find someone like me to talk about my stuff
I do not tweet or anything else
I also do not receive tweets or any kind of instagrams
I am very busy in my real job and I do not have time to tell people where I am eating at
So for me the forums and YouTube is where I hang my hat and thus far it's all the attention I want or need
I get handfuls of emails a day from both the cutlery world and archery world asking questions etc I also receive a lot of products to report on and try out
I only use and comment on things I like and believe in
The few projects I do are to help with design and get pieces out by makers that are very hard to acquire pieces from. It's just something that is fun and thus far has been very well received
I do work a few larger shows a year for my dear friend Matt of DISKIN USA
In the archery world
I am a sponsored Bowhunter and I get all of my equipment at a substantial discount etc
To promote my friends in Cutlery and Archery I use the forums and YouTube
I believe YouTube is the greatest tool out there
I launched a new bow design for Border Archery out of Scotland on YouTube and it has garnered many hits making it I believe the most successful release of any bow in their long history
Again I only do things for friends and products I believe in
It is a passion and love of friends and my hobbies that drives me so I have a different outlook
I do not have or will I ever have a Facebook account
If I were a maker I would probale look more into different forms of social media ........... Or I'd find someone like me to talk about my stuff
I do not tweet or anything else
I also do not receive tweets or any kind of instagrams
I am very busy in my real job and I do not have time to tell people where I am eating at
So for me the forums and YouTube is where I hang my hat and thus far it's all the attention I want or need
I get handfuls of emails a day from both the cutlery world and archery world asking questions etc I also receive a lot of products to report on and try out
I only use and comment on things I like and believe in
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