Taking orders

Bailey Knives

Bailey Knives

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2004
Messages
3,818
I have been considering stopping taking orders. I have been getting a little stressed trying to get orders completed, and this is supposed to be a side business at best. I have a list of orders that I am planning on finishing, but after that I might call it quits on the order end.

What do you guys do?
 
I don't take orders - same thing to much stress, took the fun out of it.

I would always worry IS the guy going like it when done?:rolleyes::confused:

And I do catch a lot of heck for not taking them.:(:rolleyes::)

But I sure like it that I do NOT take them. Does that make sence??? :confused::)

Todd



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I'm with you, no orders, I like being able to make what I want to make. Taking orders turns what should be fun into work. My day job is stressful enough, I sure don't need to the added pressures of HAVING to make knives.
 
Matt, I hope you know I'm a big fan of yours and wish I could order 100 knives from you right now.

Let me tell you, the worst thing an artist can experience in his career is burnout. And nothing brings on the burnout faster than feeling like you are over promising and under delivering. Once that happens, you stop feeling like an artist and start feeling like an assembly line worker.

I personally quit taking orders for my jewelry a couple of years ago and it was a great decision. I was free again to make decisions on my own, to try new twists on familiar ideas and even go in directions I never dreamed of.

If you feel like discontinuing orders and taking some time to have fun again, then that's what you should do. You might be surprised at how much untapped potential you have waiting for you to take a break and take notice.

:thumbup:
 
It's all about your perspective. Many full time makers would like at you like you're crazy for turning away a customer. For those of us who are hobby or side business makers, it really can ake the joy out of things. I stopped taking orders a while back, but somehow I still keep getting more orders on my to do list :D. Maybe I'm a sucker, but when a long time customer asks for another knife, I don't usually turn them down. I have started keeping a list of names and contact info. I tell the potential customer that I'm not taking orders, but that if they'd like to be contacted when i make something along the lines of what they are looking for, I'd be glad to do so. It also allows me to contact the customer if I do need to pick up a few specific orders.

--Nathan
 
How about when a customer who placed an order suddenly "disappears?" That really pisses me off! :grumpy: Especially after I've been working until 2am after work just to catch up and I'm only getting 5 hours of sleep each night ...
 
flatgrinder said:
How about when a customer who placed an order suddenly "disappears?" That really pisses me off! :grumpy: Especially after I've been working until 2am after work just to catch up and I'm only getting 5 hours of sleep each night ...
Click to expand...

Been there myself Marcus :grumpy:

It pissed me right off too :thumbdn:
At the time, I almost wanted to go on a manhunt ;)


Matt, fwiw, learning how to take, manage and complete orders has been a learned skill for me. And not nearly as simple as it would seem :o

I struggled for several years before I finally developed a system that worked. It is just now coming to frutation.

Hang in there buddy :)


Marcus, I don't think you'll have to worry about finding a buyer for anything you make. Ever :D










:cool:
 
i have had to stop taking orders but thats cause im backloged and have a standing contract on straight razors with classicshaving.com

i will reopen them again but not till im good and ready (and will not let the list get as big again )

so far as a order skipping out on me no real worries as i give then the chance to get in touch and make things right and if not i jsut post for sale
if i think i will have problems selling a knife if they would skip out i make sure to get a down payment

keeps me fairly well covered
 
I'm pretty much with the crowd on this one. If you're not counting on your shop time to put food on the table, make what you like and sell what you make. I've taken orders before and it can be a real hassle and make going into the shop a chore. That said, I take "suggestions" and have a mailing list that customers can sign up for that will let them know when new stuff is available.

My wife saw what orders were doing to me and pretty much put her foot down about my not taking them any more. She's a very smart woman and her keeping me in line on this has kept the hobby fun for me. Of course, pretty soon here I'll have an enforced "break" from working in the shop to spend some time on the Honey-Do list...but again, it's just her way of helping keep me focused on what's important.

-d
 
Deker, you have a good point... I have noticed that as my order list increases, bickering with my wife increases. I have also noticed that I sometimes feel guilty taking time out to take the kids swimming or to the playground because I have these orders hanging over my head. I know it is a balance thing, but my first job is being a father, then I am a teacher, and then a knifemaker. Sometimes I lose sight of the order of things. I do have a hard time saying "no" though.
 
I am in the same boat as well Matt. I think that after my list is complete I am not taking orders anymore either. I have been telling customers 5-7 months and am struggling to get knives done. I work a full time job have a 2 year old son and have another baby on the way. It is hard to say no to a customer but a mailing list like Deker's is what I am going to go to as well. I have a mailing list set up already but haven't had any knives to send out on the list because they are all for orders in house. I have a couple of feather damascus knives that are coming up in the rotation and I just had to totally gut my forge and rebuild which is going to push them back a bit. With all that is going on in life at the moment I find myself stressed out as well. -Burton
 
deker said:
I'm pretty much with the crowd on this one. If you're not counting on your shop time to put food on the table, make what you like and sell what you make. I've taken orders before and it can be a real hassle and make going into the shop a chore. That said, I take "suggestions" and have a mailing list that customers can sign up for that will let them know when new stuff is available.

My wife saw what orders were doing to me and pretty much put her foot down about my not taking them any more. She's a very smart woman and her keeping me in line on this has kept the hobby fun for me. Of course, pretty soon here I'll have an enforced "break" from working in the shop to spend some time on the Honey-Do list...but again, it's just her way of helping keep me focused on what's important.

-d
Click to expand...

Guys I do this full time, have for the last 6 -7 years. It can be done, if that's what you want to do?

It's just my way that I do it, not bragging and not being a know it all.

I wish all of you the best, which ever way you do go, you can make it work.

Take care,

Todd



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I really dislike orders, but I take them anyway. In this economy often orders aren't taken at the time the knife is done. Folks can't eat knives, and they sell anyway, so I put up with this. I don't take deposits, and won't, so sometimes this is hard for my family. I've considered dropping orders again and again. They're expensive to offer. I spend a lot of time with order-customers e-mails and correspondences. There are also a lot of logistics involved with having the materials together when the time comes. And its just not as fun making what someone else wants rather than what I want.

But also, often those orderers are the most enthusiastic knife customers. I find that a guy who is this excited about the knife is usually an active forum poster, and will post a lot of opinions and pictures about your knives. And, in addition to that, the extra contact with the customers is a good way to judge the marketplace.

Plus, this economy really does suck. Its nice to think as I make a knife that I don't have to sell this one. Its sold. Cool.
 
I had to stop. Got really backlogged. When I get caught up in 2012 if were still here. I'm gonna take some time and make what I want to for a while. This wasn't meant to be stressful.
 
I've only recently started making knives after a few years of sheathmaking.
When I started making knives, Jason Knight told me to just make what I want and then sell it. I keep thinking that's the best advice.

Well, I did take an order recently from a long time customer of my sheaths. It was almost done, had a nice hamon but when he saw it, he asked for a few changes. I knew I should've just started over but I was so close... Well his changes wrecked the "flow" so trying to correct the "flow" I wrecked the knife. It was ready for handles and now it's in the junk pile.

I think I am going to go back to Jason Knight's advice and forget about this order thing. :mad:
 
I've been doing this for a living for a couple of years and I don't take orders... I take requests. Someone drops me an email asking for a certain model, I put them down on a list and when I get around to making one of those, I move down the list. I have a backlog of at least 4-6 months right now. I still make what I want, when I want and how I want.

The way I see it, folks request my work because they like my work... so I don't take custom orders, per se... I make my own interpretation of any given design. You have to be happy doing what you do, or it will reflect in your final product and general attitude. When I started out I was barely breaking even and working my ass off..... its all bad. I decided to be truthful to myself, my customers and my craft. I priced my pieces at what I needed to make, in order to keep doing what I was doing and didn't budge. I pour myself into every knife and fully expect to get paid for my effort. At first, sales dropped. I took a chance and spent even more money on shows, materials and education. I kicked up the quality, tried to be unique and then my target market shifted. I'm on a good path now.

Don't drive yourself crazy trying to fill orders. What is your "regular" job? Maybe you should quit and go fulltime maker.(I quit my 70G/yr job of 14yrs, for this.) You have always been an inspiration for me, Matthew.

I have to admit that knives aren't the only thing I do. I get a lot of leather work as well... sheaths, bags, pouches, etc... I also intend on spreading out further with wilderness skills and teaching. In a nutshell, I intend to make a living out of LIVING.

Rick
 
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I appreciate the comments Rick. I am a special education teacher for my regular job, and I actually love it, so I have no real desire to quit. I love making knives too, and have been fortunate enough to find a group of people who like my knives. I have pretty much decided to finish up this particular list of orders, then stop taking orders after that. Thanks for all the input guys. Love this forum.
 
I'll say I agree with Rick here Matt. When I fisrt started I saw how you had your own style, and tried to immulate that recognizable quality with my work.
 
David Wesner said:
Been there myself Marcus :grumpy:

It pissed me right off too :thumbdn:
At the time, I almost wanted to go on a manhunt ;)


Matt, fwiw, learning how to take, manage and complete orders has been a learned skill for me. And not nearly as simple as it would seem :o

I struggled for several years before I finally developed a system that worked. It is just now coming to frutation.

Hang in there buddy :)


Marcus, I don't think you'll have to worry about finding a buyer for anything you make. Ever :D










:cool:
Click to expand...

Thanks David! :thumbup:
 
BTW, if any of you don't have one of Matt's knives, you're missing out; they're really nice.

Heck, if I quit my day job, I'd be starved to death in a month :D. I'd have to sell my equipment just to have food on the table. I think what I'm saying is, I'm ENTIRELY too slow and unproductive when it comes to making knives. :)

And Matt, I completely understand how you feel about loving your job. If you're meant to be an educator, there is a satisfaction there that's hard to find elsewhere. I know I love my job and won't be quitting anytime soon.

--nathan
 
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