What do you do? Customer requests and design features.

[Drew Riley]

I recently had a customer ask me about a knife I had made for my father-in-law. The knife in question was my first knife design, and since making it, I've gotten "tired" of it, and don't much care for it as much as I initially did. Like you, I also perceived a couple of "flaws" that I've since improved upon in my general designing.

Realizing that this was the only work that the customer had ever seen from me, I sent my father-in-law some pictures of some of my latest neck knife designs, and the customer picked one that he liked better, and that I enjoyed making more.

Now what would I have done if the customer had pushed the issue and HAD to have a similar knife? I suppose I probably would have made it, but I would have done my absolute best on it.

In general though, if I have a model or design that I'm tired of, or that I see flaws in, I typically try to design and build a better one that I think anyone would prefer.

By the way, both knives pictured above very nice to me.

 

[scout_77]

There is a lot of good advice listed here, I just wanted to add I was hunting with my wife's uncle last year and he got his deer. Of course he forgot his knife I made him in the pick-up a 3" drop point cause that's what he wanted. He is the guy that helps everyone cutting up game so the knife gets a lot of use. I handed him my knife a 4" Nessmuk ish knife. He used it but didn't care for the point. I have sold the same knife to a guy who raises rabbits for meat and is cutting up 30 a month with the same knife and loves it, personal taste is a big thing. But in the end I have to add I have turned down builds cause I don't believe in making what they are asking for.