The Knife or the Maker

SBranson

SBranson

Joined
Oct 29, 2006
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How much does a maker's personality or politics determine whether you purchase or collect their knives?

I was reading an article in K.I. about the pitfalls of a knifemaker's attempt to pursue the craft as a business and it mentioned personality. It suggested that most makers are warm and inviting except for D.E.Henry.

Before reading that though I had been following some makers' posts and without getting into details I've both been turned off by one maker's seeming intolerance and consequently the desire to purchase his knives but am warming to another maker's work as I see more of the person as displayed in their discussions.

As I am rather new to custom knives I haven't really developed the personal connections many here have but I wondered if this is a factor in collectors' choices.
 
This subject has ignited some heated discussions here in the past.

The maker is very important to me. It's not so much his personality or his polities that concern me but more that he is highly skilled, that he's a good businessman, promotes himself and the industry and I have to like him. I will not buy a knife from someone I don't care for or don't respect.

Now the "knife" is also very important to me. I don't go crazy over every knife a particular maker creates just because he/she made it. The knife has to appeal to me and be of high quality in regard to fit/finish/execution and performance.

You say the KI article was addressing the "pitfalls" of knifemaker's attempting to pursue the craft as a business? :confused:

I would say the biggest "pitfall" a maker faces is the result of NOT pursuing the craft as a business. Because unless he just does it for pleasure and has the money to pay for this pleasure, he's not going to be selling/making knives for long. ;)
 
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Your answer makes perfect sense.

I guess it's the respect thing. I've just never encountered it in knives where I have actually stopped enjoying the work of a maker solely because of the person.

On the other hand, I find it as interesting that I am really becoming drawn to the work of another maker because of the person.
 
Kevin Jones said:
You say the KI article was addressing the "pitfalls" of knifemaker's attempting to pursue the craft as a business? :confused:

I would say the biggest "pitfall" a maker faces is the result of NOT pursuing the craft as a business. Because unless he just does it for pleasure and has the money to pay for this pleasure, he's not going to be making knives for long. ;)
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That was essentially their point. If you don't treat it like a business then you will quickly be a hobbyist.
 
SBranson said:
Your answer makes perfect sense.

I guess it's the respect thing. I've just never encountered it in knives where I have actually stopped enjoying the work of a maker solely because of the person.

On the other hand, I find it as interesting that I am really becoming drawn to the work of another maker because of the person.
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I didn't say I don't enjoy or like knives from some makers who I don't care for or are poor businessmen, or don't promote their work, I just won't buy their knives.

I'm a collector/investor, so if I'm going to support a maker than he/she needs to do their part to help insure their knives will stay in demand.
 
Stick around long enough, and sooner or later a maker will do something to make you lose all respect for them. It saddens me to say that it's happened to me a couple of times.
 
I was too broad in my choice of words I guess. I've certainly seen the tragedies in the "Hall of Shame" but in this case it's not a question of improper acts or worse but what is to me narrow or poor thinking. I just don't agree with what the maker says and how he responds to thinking not in line with his own so I have lost some respect for that person as a person. I have also lost some interest in the work they do.

And to be positive, I am pleased that the exact opposite has happened too. :D

Thanks for the responses. They have broadened my perception and understanding.
 
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The quality of the maker's work and the quality of the maker as a human being are both very important to me. It is my personal opinion that there is no reason to purchase a knife from someone that makes the buying experience worse than getting a spinal tap.
 
Keith Montgomery said:
The quality of the maker's work and the quality of the maker as a human being are both very important to me. It is my personal opinion that there is no reason to purchase a knife from someone that makes the buying experience worse than getting a spinal tap.
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:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
I was a collector long before I became a maker so I have seen it from both sides of the table.

As a collector, the personality of the maker does play an important part. There are a couple of well known makers who will never see a penny of my money just because of their attitudes. On the other hand there are some who have earned my loyalty through thier excellent work and just being a good person to deal with.

As a maker, and just as a person in general, I try to treat everyone with respect and especially those who would spend their hard earned money with me.

A lesson I learned in business a long time ago is that the little guy you don't have time for today might be the big guy who doesn't have time for you tomorrow.
 
Agree the statements by Kevin Jones, Mike Carter, and Keith Montgomery.

The core values of a maker are critical in my collecting decisions. Don't care how nice a knife is, if I've observed the maker demonstrate behaviors that are not in alignment with principles that I live by then I won't buy their work, period.

On the other hand, when I have the pleasure and honor of interacting with makers who have respect for others, care about the craft, and have a sence of business acumen it makes the experience great. I enjoy owning their work because beyond the knife itself there is a fond memory of acquiring it and that is added value for me personally.

Side note; I always find it disturbing to see a collector trying to beat down a maker on price. A bit o' negotiating is cool but some behaviors on the collector side of the table can be outright rude and disrespectful. If ya don't like the price or don't have the coin don't be a #$&@, move on. Values and behaviors count on both sides of the show table.
 
Keith Montgomery said:
The quality of the maker's work and the quality of the maker as a human being are both very important to me. It is my personal opinion that there is no reason to purchase a knife from someone that makes the buying experience worse than getting a spinal tap.
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I want to "ditto" this all the way. I would only add that when one loses ALL respect for a maker, over a very short period of time, there are always reasons, and im my case, they went to the human element of the man. I immediately stopped buying his knives and started selling off all of the ones I had.

Funny, I always go back to the same quote that the same guy once told me, "I collector the maker, not the knives".
 
Danbo said:
Stick around long enough, and sooner or later a maker will do something to make you lose all respect for them. It saddens me to say that it's happened to me a couple of times.
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+1.....took the words right outof my mouth......ryan
 
I won't buy a knife that otherwise didn't meet my purchase criteria because I liked the maker or thought he had a good personality.

But I would (and have) pass on a knife that otherwise met my purchase criteria because the maker was a ^%$*%ing %$#^&@!

Such occasions have been thankfully VERY few and far between, but I wouldn't ever consider endorsing bad attitude or bad business practices with MY hard earned dollars. I am not exactly lacking for choice in quality custom knives.

Roger
 
The maker is also VERY important to me. If I don't like the maker for a variety of reasons, I won't go any where near his/her knives. Their reputation is of paramount importance to me.
 
This has been very informative.

The idea seems to be much along the lines of the "I collect the maker, not the knives."
It makes good sense that a respected and liked maker should have greater longevity assuming the quality is in his work; and with this a better and safer investment.
As I have yet to build the relationships many here have and am only the position of holding a few knives at any one time, my approach has been quite different than that of a collector.

My approach has been much more visceral as I learn what I like and what is good. I am beginning to appreciate the investment side of knives now.
 
From a maker's perspective, I think Roger's post sums up the way I'd look at it, quite succinctly.

Hope I'm not the narrow minded a-hole. ;) :) I'd much prefer to think of myself as the open minded a-hole. :p ;)
 
RogerP said:
I won't buy a knife that otherwise didn't meet my purchase criteria because I liked the maker or thought he had a good personality.

But I would (and have) pass on a knife that otherwise met my purchase criteria because the maker was a ^%$*%ing %$#^&@!

Such occasions have been thankfully VERY few and far between, but I wouldn't ever consider endorsing bad attitude or bad business practices with MY hard earned dollars. I am not exactly lacking for choice in quality custom knives.

Roger
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I agree with what Roger says 100%.
 
Mike Carter Custom Knives said:
As a collector, the personality of the maker does play an important part. There are a couple of well known makers who will never see a penny of my money just because of their attitudes. On the other hand there are some who have earned my loyalty through thier excellent work and just being a good person to deal with.

As a maker, and just as a person in general, I try to treat everyone with respect and especially those who would spend their hard earned money with me.

A lesson I learned in business a long time ago is that the little guy you don't have time for today might be the big guy who doesn't have time for you tomorrow.
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Mike, that is good stuff there:thumbup:

I can't really think of any absolute way to answer this post. It all depends. I do know how I'd like things to be in a perfect world, but it isn't a perfect world, and we humans are far from perfect.
 
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