stories from behind the table

D lisch

D lisch

Joined
Aug 27, 2007
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We have all heard someone tell a story about someone walking up to a makers table and something funny taking place or being said. I remember one I heard about a young man walking up to a makers table seeing a knife ask how much, the maker said $2500 young man said, '2500 I could buy a car with that kind of money' the maker said, 'son these knives our for people who already have cars.' I think the maker in the story was Jerry Fisk, not sure . if you have or have heard a story I would love to hear it.
 
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At East Coast Show a couple of weeks ago I was outside having a smoke. I was joined by a new young maker who inquired how the show was going for me. I told him that I had only one knife, which had sold.
He was very sympathetic, told me that if I do more shows and get more exposure, sales will likely improve. I should not be discouraged, I will do better in time. I agreed, shows are important to give my work exposure.:D
Wolfgang
 
D lisch said:
I remember one I heard about a young man walking up to a makers table seeing a knife ask how much, the maker said $2500 young man said, '2500 I could buy a car with that kind of money' the maker said, 'son these knives our for people who already have cars.' I think the maker in the story was Jerry Fisk, not sure . if you have or have heard a story I would love to hear it.
Click to expand...

It was Harvey Dean, I know that because I interviewed him at Santa Barbara for the CKCA two years ago, and he told me that story.

Ed Wormser came up to my table(High Hat Knives) at the OKCA years ago, before anyone knew who he was. He was interested in purchasing a knife we had for sale, a Rod Chappel Hunting Leopard handled with interior walrus ivory, the largest one that Rod had made to that point. The blade was about 16" long, and the guard was about 10"-12" across, it weighed about 4 lbs, the price was thousands of dollars and in my opinion at the time, it was the most likely to be the last knife sold of any knife on the floor.

Ed wanted to dicker over the price, and my business partner Peter who owned the knife found something about Ed that was off putting, he had no interest in dealing......so I told him to go soak his head and not come back to the table until business was concluded. Ed handed over bundles of hundred dollar bills stapled together in $1,000 portions....and as he was doing so, he ran his hand over the back edge of the knife. Rod does this sort of polished convex ground edge, and it cuts like a straight razor, but you don't feel any resistance, and Ed bled like a stuck pig all over that stack of money.

I gave him a Bandaid, he apologized for bleeding all over the money, wondering the whole time how THAT had happened, took his knife and wandered off. When Peter came back, and I handed him the bloodied bundles of cash and explained what happened he nearly went apoplectic...but he was pretty happy.....we deposited the money in an ATM later that day.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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A couple of years ago at the Shenandoah valley knife show I had a young couple come up to my table to look at my knives. They picked up a couple and compared them and then asked the price of the one they liked the best. I said sixteen, they handed me a $20. They were a little embarrassed when I said it's $1600.00, I handed them back their $20.
 
At the Fall NYCKS show, I was in the show hall. I did not have a large poster showing who I was or what we do. I'm thinking it's self-explanatory: Diffuser tent, flash, examples on a table, etc....

More than one attendee saw my table full of backgrounds and asked "What are they for, and how much?" People are willing to spend money on anything. :)

I ALWAYS get some cranky 'ol buzzard who comes in regaling film, venomous about digital, and longing for the good old days, as his Leica is strapped to his neck. Then proceeds to start chatting specs and tossing in cameras and films models, like I know what he's talking about.... :confused: :rolleyes:

It never ends well. I have to chase him away cuz I'm busy working, and then he stomps off in a huff. :thumbdn: I'm not a good ambassador to film photography, sorry. :D

Coop
 
Outstanding Thanks for sharing your stories.

I like Wolfgangs story- I wonder how he kept a straight face through it all.
 
I love this one - A big man walks up to a table, he has on dirty coveralls muddy boots looks like he just got done milking his cows and he may have. He looks at a very nice knife and asks the maker how much for this knife. the maker, tired of all the tire kickers, says if you have to ask you cannot afford it. the man slowly stepped to the table to his right said to the maker behind the table, I will take all these and pointed at all the work on his table without asking the price, then he walked over to the table to the left of the maker with the smart words pointed at his knives and said, I will take all these and bought all of that makers work without asking a single price. he walked away, came back with a roll of hundreds that could chock a horse, paid for his knives then and walked away never looking at the middle table again. I think he made his point. just goes to show you never judge a man by the clothes he has on . not sure who the maker was but I doubt he will want us to know. now thats funny.
 
great thread, Dave- I appreciate it especially since I haven't had a chance to go to a show yet. That last story is awesome.
 
I have two makers who witnessed this at Blade last year.
I had a guy come up to my table and wanted to buy 4 throwing knives at $100 each. After trying to negotiate with me, he then looked at me and with my two buddies sitting behind me at their table, and looked at me with a serious look and said that he could not swing the deal today because he was saving up to by a jet. He said that with the down economy, he was looking to buy a personal jet for pennies on the dollar. He said that you could get a 15 million dollar jet for about 5 million.
I looked him dead in the eye with my buddies looking on with their jaws dropped and told him that he made a good decision by not buying my knives for $400.00. I told him that I did not want to see him get his ass whipped by his wife after she found out that he came up $400.00 short and had to pass on the deal to buy his 5 million dollar jet because he bought 4 throwing knives from me. He seemed to take it all in stride and was a good sport with us ribbing him, but I do think he was serious. I may see him again this year and I will ask him did he buy his jet.
 
Several years ago at the OKCA Oregon show I had a forged bowie and custom rattle snake inlaid sheath for sale at only $75. One gentleman walked up and asked to look at it, liked it allot and said "I'll take it" and paid me. I put the knife in the sheath and handed it to him, he took the knife out of the sheath and handed me the knife back. He said the sheath is worth more than the knife and walked away. Ouch. Thanks for the memories Dave Lisch
 
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There was a collector at the Blade show a couple of years ago who walked around the show barefoot. He was dressed similar to the man in David's story. He was picking up a $25K piece form Virgil England for his daughter's 10th birthday. Apparently he also owns a few $25K+ Engraved Loveless big bears and other Virgil England pieces.
 
I had a gentleman stand over my display of knives for some time before saying anything. Finally after pointing to the hunters asked, "What do people use these for?". I replied that the majority that buy that style take them to deer camp. He immediately replied, "REALLY! I didn't know that you could hunt deer with a knife."

:)How do you reply to something like that?



I had another come into my shop. He silently watched me working on a rather large Bowie before asking, "Do you make knives?" to which I politely answered that I was working on one at the time. He then asked, "What do you make them out of......steel?
I wanted badly to say that the bronze age was over thousands of years ago but restained myself.
 
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I did have a young man going into the military try to buy from me a knife that he wanted to able to chip concrete and cut consentina wire, in case he was captured he could escape. I looked him in the eye and said, "Son if you are captured they are going to take the knife"
Lots of other stories over the years.
 
Butch Winter told me a story about a collector who used to go around buying nice knives at shows and he would throw on the sheaths in the trash on his way out the door......

I am sure this was at one of the Guild Shows in Kansas City and probably some of you could elaborate.


I sure miss that guy..........used to go over to his house whenever I would visit my Dad. He had LOTS of cool stuff........and knew more about guns and knives that anyone I have ever met!

My favorite Butch Winter quote: "I'd like to see those Yankees come down here and take our guns!!!!!"

another one was: "I dont need no gun permit, hell, I know every cop from here to Memphis!"
 
In 30 years behind the table I've had dozens of people not understand the prices, and I learned to not say 12 but twelve hundred, saves a lot of time. I even have stickers on the knives, and as late as last weekend a well dressed gentleman came up and pointed to a carved ivory knife with a $300 sticker. "I want to buy that knife." As I was opening the box I saw he was extending a $5.00 bill.
"Sir, the knife is $300.00," trying to be courteous. Maybe it was the huff that he exploded with and his stomping away as if I had insulted him that made me add, "You going to walk away on that? It's only $297.00 more!". He didn't come back.

Dealer Paul Davis once had a customer who made a counter offer about 50% off the prize Paul quoted. "That's ok," Paul said, "I'll just keep it till someone comes along with money."
When the man stopped gasping for air he shot back, "I have money!" before he walked away.

Dealer Lynn Watkins got the the point at a show with a countless parade of "I'll be back" dismissals that he started assigning numbers. When a show guest would say, "I'll be back," Lynn would answer, "Your be-back number is 23, please remember it so when you come back I can mark you off the list."

My favorite comes from Bob Loveless, who told me of a guy walking up to his table and asking, "What's that knife worth."
Bob, always quick the the blunt truth, said, "About $300.00".
The man was already reaching for his wallet and had it half out when Bob continued, "It is worth about $300 as a user, but I sell them for $1800.00." (Yes, it is an old story).

The one that always annoys me is the guy that says "Is that the best you can do?" so you quote the price, and he offers less. I never come off that price once he has asked that.
"You asked for my best price, you didn't want me to lie to you about that did you?"
"Well...." and they usually repeat the lowball.
I always smile and answer, "Thank you, but my integrity is worth more than that."
 
This is way better then I thought thank you all for some very good stories, Gary that one about the deer got me laughing I could see someone saying that.
 
Heres one from a number of years ago. I had a table at a show, one of those medieval things, and I had a small tanto. A man approached and asked if he could pick it up. I thanked him for asking and said go ahead. He looked it up and down and then asked if it was sharp. He then proceeded to draw the edge across the meat of his palm. My comment was I guess that answers your question. He left in a hurry with a paper towel covering his palm and me thinking I should have charged him a stupid tax and blade cleaning fee.
And one from this years Arkansas show. It involves Jerry Fisk and myself. I walked up to Jerry and asked where Little Jerry was. His little mannequin he sometimes had in front of his table. Jerry said he did not know but the milk carton should be out in a couple of weeks. Needless to say it had me rolling. I can always count on Jerry for quick comments which usually make me laugh.
Brion
 
I love when people wave there hands over the table and say "how much are these" like everything is the same price.
 
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