Tips on selling knives?

2knife

2knife

Joined
Mar 13, 2002
Messages
2,125
What advice would you offer to a new maker who is trying to carve out some success?


Please offer "words of wisdom" and insights into the business of selling knives, helpful tips and/or pitfalls to avoid- esp. from the veterans among us.. For the benefit of new makers.

Many thanks,
David
 
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Know your market, put adequate thought into your designs, make every knife to the best of your ability and treat your customers the same way you would expect to be treated if you were the customer.
 
2knife said:
What advice would you offer to a new maker who is trying to carve out some success?

David
Click to expand...

Great Topic..
It seems that as the economy worsens and unemployment rises there are more and more new knifemakers.
The best advice I can give is they need to get ready to start making lots of money and living the rock star lifestyle..
Hot groupie chicks outside the motel room. Eating King Crab in Las Vegas.. Rolex and Diamonds on your wrist..
Flat Screen Tv in the shop. Six figure contracts with large knife companies. $40 hair cut every week..
Women sending you nekid pictures and emails.. Its a tough lifestyle and certainly not for everyone..
I am very grateful and say my prayers every day...
I am living the American Dream...
Much Respect from Texas...
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If you'll be selling knives and communicating with collectors online, learn to take decent pictures. You don't necessarily need anything more than a point-and-shoot and some practice.

Maintain good business practices and communication. I stopped placing custom orders years ago when a number of very well-regarded custom makers broke their promises to me. I never lost any money except with that schmuck Allen Blade, but it's frustrating as hell to find out, say, a knife maker hurt his wrist and cancelled his waitlist through a forum instead of him shooting you an email or phone call. When this kind of thing happens on 50% of your custom orders...you stop placing them.
 
Besides what has been mentioned by Kevin , Burke and Mike

You have to be able to promote your prouduct. If you can't do it yourself then ya better find someone to do it for you. Here is the tricky part the wrong person can wreck ya the right person can make ya
 
JParanee said:
Besides what has been mentioned by Kevin , Burke and Mike

You have to be able to promote your prouduct. If you can't do it yourself then ya better find someone to do it for you. Here is the tricky part the wrong person can wreck ya the right person can make ya
Click to expand...

Real Talk..
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This video from a year and a half ago still has some good advice for knifemakers new and old. :D


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Thanks guys, keep the suggestions rolling. Collaborations, for those who do them, certainly add another dimension to the market. And I know there are many who have profited from this, it may be an entirely different business model..?

Getting back to square one, more comments to advise new makers?. Equipment costs, knife pricing structures, affiliations, policies, etc..
Thanks,
David
 
Well I have a full time job,and have slowly started into making a website and actually coming up with what I want to do as a maker, I do not see myself doing this full time, in fact I have started the process of applying to be a Border Patrol Agent, so as to just doing knives for a living, I may not be able to offer any advise. Here is what I did.
One thing I focused on was a nitch, I make knives with no powertools (there are some early ones made with powertools) and my handles are home made Micarta based on Yarn, which I dubbed Yarncarta. I offer handles in every color under the sun, and even patterns like camo, yes there are some early ones with bone or wood too. I came up with two shapes I really like, a modified drop point and a modified wharncliff. I offer those in 2" to 8" out of a very forgiving steel (15n20) and do a simple 20-30 degree scandi grind. And provide leather sheaths. I didn't do a whole lot, just found what I enjoyed, what seemed economical, and offered it at a value, prices start at $100 shipped in the Continental US. Oh, and I beat the living snot out of them to make sure my knives were up to snuff. I hit up godaddy.com as it seemed cheap and built my small sight which still needs work, but its www.zachtateknives.com maybe thereis something for you to gleen from that. As for equipment, I got a used propane forge, a 8" vise, steel and diamond files, sand paper, three different types of sanding blocks, tongs, gloves, and a hacksaw, and drill press and the most important part diamond sharpening stones and a set of hardness testing files. And a very heavy work bench. Total cost of tools sitting at $1000 give or take few bucks. But spent about $500 finding my niche making knives, and then another $200 just making and destroying knives. And as always, I am still learning, and thats the big thing, you need to be open, once you get too cocky,thats when you go stagnant. I wish I could get taken under Snody's wing, but I carved my own place, and my life is running its own course, best wishes to all the newbies (like me) and the guys runnin the game.
 
Kevin Jones said:
Know your market, put adequate thought into your designs, make every knife to the best of your ability and treat your customers the same way you would expect to be treated if you were the customer.
Click to expand...

+1. I would add to spend the time & money for exposure to the potential customers. Do as many quality shows as possible. (No advertising is more effective than first hand exposure.)

Gary
 
Can you imagine if there were two equally pretty girls (read: makers) and were auditioning for a spot at a prestigious modeling agency (read: your potential clients)?

Would you show them a photo of you sitting unprepared with a cup of coffee and no makeup?

Or would you dress up, have good lighting, and show yourself in a flattering pose?

Who's getting the call? It's a stark and real example.

How many times I see a maker who has created a GREAT knife, lose that 'first impression' by posting in exuberance a mediocre photo with an apology as a qualifier. Too late.

And, you don't need ME. I've laid out the steps for you to do things on your own. Practice FIRST.

Coop
 
More real talk from Coop.....with all of your help Coop, none of us have any excuses for a bad photo. First impressions are everything as much as perception is reality.

[youtube]AhjxFKxJ3u4[/youtube]
 
zachtateknives said:
Well I have a full time job,and have slowly started into making a website and actually coming up with what I want to do as a maker, I do not see myself doing this full time, in fact I have started the process of applying to be a Border Patrol Agent, so as to just doing knives for a living, I may not be able to offer any advise. Here is what I did.
One thing I focused on was a nitch, I make knives with no powertools (there are some early ones made with powertools) and my handles are home made Micarta based on Yarn, which I dubbed Yarncarta. I offer handles in every color under the sun, and even patterns like camo, yes there are some early ones with bone or wood too. I came up with two shapes I really like, a modified drop point and a modified wharncliff. I offer those in 2" to 8" out of a very forgiving steel (15n20) and do a simple 20-30 degree scandi grind. And provide leather sheaths. I didn't do a whole lot, just found what I enjoyed, what seemed economical, and offered it at a value, prices start at $100 shipped in the Continental US. Oh, and I beat the living snot out of them to make sure my knives were up to snuff. I hit up godaddy.com as it seemed cheap and built my small sight which still needs work, but its www.zachtateknives.com maybe thereis something for you to gleen from that. As for equipment, I got a used propane forge, a 8" vise, steel and diamond files, sand paper, three different types of sanding blocks, tongs, gloves, and a hacksaw, and drill press and the most important part diamond sharpening stones and a set of hardness testing files. And a very heavy work bench. Total cost of tools sitting at $1000 give or take few bucks. But spent about $500 finding my niche making knives, and then another $200 just making and destroying knives. And as always, I am still learning, and thats the big thing, you need to be open, once you get too cocky,thats when you go stagnant. I wish I could get taken under Snody's wing, but I carved my own place, and my life is running its own course, best wishes to all the newbies (like me) and the guys runnin the game.
Click to expand...

You will do great my friend..
I like your attitude.
We are looking for another guy in the shop right now, if you ever decide to make a move
We just set up a new work area outside with two grinders and I need someone who is willing to really work hard..
Base pay will cover your expenses, rent, etc.. and then you can also make your own knives on the weekends with the support of my full shop.
We will help you sell your knives and introduce you to the key players in the game while promoting your product line.. I just need someone who is tough and wants to be successful.
Thanks for showing me some respect..
Get at me anytime..

[youtube]xscMxspOuZE[/youtube]
 
Shawn B. said:
That knife does something to me way down deep.
Click to expand...

Thanks Friend.
I have a package headed your way this week with a couple of surprises
Have a great day!!
Respect from your boy in Texas..
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to be honest with you.....<<<<<<RE READ THAT!!!!!<<<<<< the one thing that i think turns off so many about custom knives is the abosolut copious amount of bovine fecal matter that floats around ....a good friend of mine late Larry Bailey told me when i was starting out that there is too much of that going on and after a few years i found out exactly what he was talking about. so my sliver of advise don't try and BS any one stay honest and make a good knife....as for your niche youll figure it out on the way. its a hell of a ride, and one im grateful to have been blessed with the talent to do what i do every day and another thing on the forums use your real name
 
Justin King said:
Hey Snody, does the job come with a gold chain?:)
Click to expand...

You already know how we roll
Your Choice.. Gold Grill or Gold Chain..
We got Johnny Dang on speed dial.
Two of my guys have driven to Houston and had Johnny mold their teeth on the spot..
Nothing like custom teeth especially if you use them for your job, like crimping foil packages.. Then its a tax deduction..
We got you covered.
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Snody said:
Nothing like custom teeth especially if you use them for your job, like crimping foil packages.. Then its a tax deduction.
Click to expand...

Now that is a business mind hard at work.:D Great idea.:thumbup: We need all the deductions we can get.

Respect sent your way.

Robert
 
Lon Humphrey said:
to be honest with you.....<<<<<<RE READ THAT!!!!!<<<<<< the one thing that i think turns off so many about custom knives is the abosolut copious amount of bovine fecal matter that floats around ....a good friend of mine late Larry Bailey told me when i was starting out that there is too much of that going on and after a few years i found out exactly what he was talking about. so my sliver of advise don't try and BS any one stay honest and make a good knife....as for your niche youll figure it out on the way. its a hell of a ride, and one im grateful to have been blessed with the talent to do what i do every day and another thing on the forums use your real name
Click to expand...

Maybe your hanging around with the wrong crowd, you should try to find some friends who like custom knives and get away from the naysayers..
The people you describe sound very negative..
We are really enjoying your videos..
Respect from Texas..
 
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