What do you think about knife catalogs?

What would you like to see in a Knife Catalog?

  • Knife pics!!

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • "In Use" pics

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Outdoor settings with gear

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Guys

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Girls

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Pets

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • "Making Of" process pics

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other (specify in your post)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
Messages
20,978
I've been toying with the idea of making a catalog available of my knives.

I hate it when I want to see products, etc. of someone else's and I have to pay to get a catalog in the mail...(having to pay to not get instant gratification...*grrrrr*)

So, I'm thinking of making one up and posting it online (I have 'unlimited' storage and a fairly large bandwidth)...for people to view and print on their own if they want. I would also make it available to buy from someplace preprinted for cheap. (that way you wouldn't have to wait for me to put it together).

I do all my own photography work....so the pictures would be high-resolution, quality imagery...well-composed with good lighting, setting, etc.

What do you guys think about this?

Would you rather see customer images? or maybe both? (in 2 separate sections)

This is, of course, a pipe dream for now because I have yet to update my website....:foot:

But I figured maybe I could be working on both at the same time.


Anyway, the benefit of a catalog over a website is that folks can take it home, show friends, pass it around, leave it on a bookshelf/counter, etc.

Last but not least, I need to know if you'd like some people in the pics. ;)

I have connections and can make this happen.


Looking for input - thanks!

Dan

p.s. the poll allows for multiple votes
 
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Great comments so far, guys...and I appreciate the voting.

texastonydobbs - if I could get pics that didn't obstruct the knife much but were still "in use" would that work? These would also be secondary to a straight-on view of the knife.

Would go like this

...
Page 8 = Bushcraft - pic of the knife by itself, showing a few handle varieties
Page 9 = Bushcraft - several "in use" pics...traps...fuzzsticks...drilling...etc
Page 10 = Bushcraft - ***


*** this is where "Making Of"...or "Outdoor Setting" pics would go....customer pics...and so on. I'm just wondering how much of this to include?


Also, I'm not going to include pics of every knife I've ever made....:eek: :eek: :eek:....but rather the current models and maybe a couple pages of prototypes still in design, retired designs, etc.


How's that sound?
 
Hi Dan,
I would suggest a catalog page with pictures of all your knives. Click on a picture and that takes you to a page about that knife with a larger picture of the knife and sheath, specifications, and options. This would be the place for a small pic or two of the knife in use.

I would also like a page that is updated weekly with order status so customers can see approximately how long it will be until they get their knife.

Don't forget to add an airgun page to hook these guys on our other hobby. Link it to www.yellowforum.com .
 
If you have a catalog, I'd love one. Like someone else mentioned, something that shows your knives and relative prices. I love your work!
 
I like when the dimensions of the blade and the overall length is listed consistantly. I hate trying to figure out how big a knife is. I also like a picture that helps show the scale...like a pic of the knife next to some common object. I like pictures of it both opened and closed if it's a folder.
 
Thanks, guys!

What would be an example of a common object that would do it for you, Stelth?
 
Would this catalog be a higher priority than the website? If so, I'll do it first (vs. doing them both at the same time)

Dan
 
A gun like a 1911 is something most guys are familiar with, and a good way to gauge a knife's size. If it's a smaller knife coins in a picture are a helpful comparison.


For example:
DSCN0519.jpg
 
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I like to browse catalogs. Sometimes I even buy things from catalogs, especially if I can get enough information about an item to feel comfortable with the purchase fitting me and my "needs." ;) The "catalog" should just be a part of your web site, perhaps even a large part. Keep the archival gallery of all the pretty blades no longer in production; we love to drool over nice pictures, especially when they have awards associated.

Pictures, of course.

Pictures in a hand suggests "in-use" pictures to show relative size and angles. As TTD mentioned, the in-use pictures should not obscure the knife too much.

Some of my favorite threads are knife making WIPs. If your catalog included links to mini-WIPs it would add some interest and maybe some information that would make it easier to decide which knife I want.

As for "Other," I really like Stelth's comment about pictures with common items to give a sense of the size of each knife. The hands in "in-use" pictures will satisfy part of that, but some hands are bigger than others. On the other hand (I'll take a pun any time I can get one) a quarter is the same size as every other quarter; a 1911 Colt is the same size as every other 1911 Colt; etc. A ruler is also acceptable, but I think commonly used items of interest to people who use knives will be more interesting and make it easier to get a feel for the size of each knife.

Hope that helps,
Steve
 
I'm old enough to remember sitting around for hours thumbing through the massive Sears catalog and imagining owning this or that...or getting a better angle of the young lovely wearing nothing but the latest style of bra.
I love catalogs!
The latest A.G. Russell catalog gets worn thin after it arrives here. I also like browsing the online catalogs of Russell and other makers/sellers.
You do great work and I'd very much like to see your past and present offerings...the extra enticement to pull the trigger a and buy that a catalog offers would be worth your efforts IMO.
Thanks for asking.
CP
 
Great comments, guys.


I got a few "catalog worthy" shots today. Along with the several I have already, I think I can get this started pretty soon. :thumbup:





I have a questions about the "Girls" part of the poll....:D.....


Do you want just pretty faces? or do you want to see our ladyfolk actually using the knives? I can see both sides of the argument - need to hear from you guys.

Dan
 
Daniel Koster said:
Would this catalog be a higher priority than the website? If so, I'll do it first (vs. doing them both at the same time)

Dan
Click to expand...

No. A much more polished web presence would be more beneficial then a catalogue in my opinion.
 
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