Kailash Blades
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2015
- Messages
- 536
We recently made one of our knucklebusters, this time with a very cool acid wash and with a micarta handle. This D guard khukuri has been in our catalogue since day one.
However it's never been much of a seller.
This could be explained via multiple means. Khukuris are niche blades by themselves and to a degree so are all our modern khukuris. For that blade to also be a broad,hefty chopper AND a D guard blade might just be pushing the blade into too small a corner. From a business point of view our product lineup page is hot real estate. For a blade to earn that spot there it should be able to earn it.
At the same time though we do a lot of customs with a guard like this, so it clearly acts as inspiration or a drawcard to a certain kind of buyer. Maybe if we didn't have this so visible in our product lineup we'd miss out on those opportunities?
Maybe instead what it needs is a redesign? it's quite a simple, clean design that lets the scale and features of the blade do the talking. Maybe if it had a bit more flair and sizzle people would opt for it over a scourge anniversary or a tin chirra.
We're commonly told that something customers love about us is the ability to have so many options. However as someone who has worked in online, physical retail and design sectors I feel like choice is a double edged sword. While choice can be liberating and free up options and pathways you didn't previously know were available it can also be paralysing. Having a wide range of options creates a more complex situation for a buyer to overcome when picking a knife. As that barrier rises higher some customers won't be able to get over it and will lose interest, delay the decision and get distracted and be lost. As said previously our product lineup page is hot real estate. Maybe not having it at all creates a more focused and streamlined experience for a visitor.
This is further complicated by our custom capabilities. When all is running well, there are so many other options and blades and styles available through there just out of reach. Removing it from our catalogue wouldn't necessarily restrict the options available, just make it a bit less... prominent?
What do you guys think? As a consumer what would you prefer? What about if you were in my shoes calling the shots?
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash
However it's never been much of a seller.
This could be explained via multiple means. Khukuris are niche blades by themselves and to a degree so are all our modern khukuris. For that blade to also be a broad,hefty chopper AND a D guard blade might just be pushing the blade into too small a corner. From a business point of view our product lineup page is hot real estate. For a blade to earn that spot there it should be able to earn it.
At the same time though we do a lot of customs with a guard like this, so it clearly acts as inspiration or a drawcard to a certain kind of buyer. Maybe if we didn't have this so visible in our product lineup we'd miss out on those opportunities?
Maybe instead what it needs is a redesign? it's quite a simple, clean design that lets the scale and features of the blade do the talking. Maybe if it had a bit more flair and sizzle people would opt for it over a scourge anniversary or a tin chirra.
We're commonly told that something customers love about us is the ability to have so many options. However as someone who has worked in online, physical retail and design sectors I feel like choice is a double edged sword. While choice can be liberating and free up options and pathways you didn't previously know were available it can also be paralysing. Having a wide range of options creates a more complex situation for a buyer to overcome when picking a knife. As that barrier rises higher some customers won't be able to get over it and will lose interest, delay the decision and get distracted and be lost. As said previously our product lineup page is hot real estate. Maybe not having it at all creates a more focused and streamlined experience for a visitor.
This is further complicated by our custom capabilities. When all is running well, there are so many other options and blades and styles available through there just out of reach. Removing it from our catalogue wouldn't necessarily restrict the options available, just make it a bit less... prominent?
What do you guys think? As a consumer what would you prefer? What about if you were in my shoes calling the shots?
Take care,
Andrew and the team at Kailash
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