Question What gives you confidence in a Knifemaker and what doesn't?

Redmeadow Knives

Redmeadow Knives

John Conner
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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What do you look for in a Knifemaker? Custom, manufacturer or really any small business. What qualities and practices instill confidence? What doesn't?

Not just the quality of the knife/product itself but everything that goes along with it, things like communication, price, shipping, warranty, merchandise etc..

Which spokes in the wheel of a small business give you confidence and which drive you away?

I usually pass on aggressive marketing and big talk. If I get a bad feeling I'll walk. On the other side of that coin is if I get a good feeling they'll always be my go to.

Thought maybe this could be a productive conversation for Makers and buyers alike. Keep it civil but don't hesitate to be direct.

Open to the entire knife community and not at all meant to be a thread about Redmeadow Knives (though your welcome to complain about me!).
 
Redmeadow Knives said:
What do you look for in a Knifemaker? Custom, manufacturer or really any small business. What qualities and practices instill confidence? What doesn't?

Not just the quality of the knife/product itself but everything that goes along with it, things like communication, price, shipping, warranty, merchandise etc..

Which spokes in the wheel of a small business give you confidence and which drive you away?

I usually pass on aggressive marketing and big talk. If I get a bad feeling I'll walk. On the other side of that coin is if I get a good feeling they'll always be my go to.

Thought maybe this could be a productive conversation for Makers and buyers alike. Keep it civil but don't hesitate to be direct.

Open to the entire knife community and not at all meant to be a thread about Redmeadow Knives (though your welcome to complain about me!).
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Honestly, the fact that a maker would start a thread like this says a LOT about their character, and is someone I'd want to deal with. None of that holier than thou take it or leave it BS. Combine that with great communication, and offering a range of products from entry level to high end, and it's a home run. So far my experience with custom makers has been pretty limited, but it's also been all positive. I guess part of that is due to hanging back for awhile to get the lay of the land, rather than just diving in headfirst (my typical MO). But the reward for that patience is awesome dealings with you, Scott, David Mary, Colin Shannon, and CPK.
 
How someone handles a mistake is a big one for me. Things happen, if they step up, own it, and make it right that means a lot to me. It is easy when things go well. Now, if they start blathering on about what went wrong and giving excuses I get concerned.

Good communication and being real also mean a lot to me. If you were in the military cool, but please don't try to make that your entire credential. I couldn't make a knife if you paid me very well to do so (and I was in; great, doesn't make me a bladesmith).

I think the last thing is to be a stand up person. A custom knife is personal, I'm buying into the person who made it, if they later turn out to be shady it sort of taints the knife and (for me) pretty much eliminates my desire to keep or buy it. There are some makers who you could not give me a knife from because of who they are, not the knife. May sound petty, but that is part of a custom for me.
 
Honesty...
Simple Honesty...

Even prior to Covid...

Its the same excuse story...
Its like almost exact!

I got sick...
Wife sick...
Death in family...
e-mail trouble...
Material supply issues...

Just Honesty...

Hope Y'all have a great weekend!!

Randy
 
jlauffer said:
Honestly, the fact that a maker would start a thread like this says a LOT about their character, and is someone I'd want to deal with. None of that holier than thou take it or leave it BS. Combine that with great communication, and offering a range of products from entry level to high end, and it's a home run. So far my experience with custom makers has been pretty limited, but it's also been all positive. I guess part of that is due to hanging back for awhile to get the lay of the land, rather than just diving in headfirst (my typical MO). But the reward for that patience is awesome dealings with you, Scott, David Mary, Colin Shannon, and CPK.
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Yeah, ya gotta do your research. Sometimes it takes 5 seconds to figure out there's an issue.

ohen cepel said:
How someone handles a mistake is a big one for me. Things happen, if they step up, own it, and make it right that means a lot to me. It is easy when things go well. Now, if they start blathering on about what went wrong and giving excuses I get concerned.

Good communication and being real also mean a lot to me. If you were in the military cool, but please don't try to make that your entire credential. I couldn't make a knife if you paid me very well to do so (and I was in; great, doesn't make me a bladesmith).

I think the last thing is to be a stand up person. A custom knife is personal, I'm buying into the person who made it, if they later turn out to be shady it sort of taints the knife and (for me) pretty much eliminates my desire to keep or buy it. There are some makers who you could not give me a knife from because of who they are, not the knife. May sound petty, but that is part of a custom for me.
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Could not agree more with everything said there.

6850 said:
Honesty...
Simple Honesty...

Even prior to Covid...

Its the same excuse story...
Its like almost exact!

I got sick...
Wife sick...
Death in family...
e-mail trouble...
Material supply issues...

Just Honesty...

Hope Y'all have a great weekend!!

Randy
Click to expand...
Yup, neverending excuses are the worst. But that time that I said I couldn't deliver your knife because I was abducted by aliens when my dog was sick, the cat died, and the battery ran out on my phone while I was in the hospital getting a head transplant, that was all true👽😄
 
Any kneejerk appeal to belonging to the same tribe. "I'm a patriot. You're a patriot. Buy my knife." "Real men know a good knife when they see one." etc etc. I'll usually watch a maker interact with other customers before I buy from them. If a business seems to spend more time marketing than producing, I'll walk.
But at the end of the day, if I've put money down, whatever happens on the other end isn't my fault, or my worry. Sometimes that's the price of a lesson.
 
As far as dealing goes, I look for easy to deal with and at least cordial. The more there is there, the more willing I am to support the venture.

BUT, when it comes to knives specifically, I’m mainly driven by what past and current owners say about the actual product. Almost 100%. I want to hear that what I’m about to buy kicks ass. Point blank, that’s it.

Doesn’t matter if Jesus himself made it if it sucks.
 
Redmeadow Knives said:
Yeah, ya gotta do your research. Sometimes it takes 5 seconds to figure out there's an issue.


Could not agree more with everything said there.


Yup, neverending excuses are the worst. But that time that I said I couldn't deliver your knife because I was abducted by aliens when my dog was sick, the cat died, and the battery ran out on my phone while I was in the hospital getting a head transplant, that was all true👽😄
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The difference is John, is that you are an honest man!
If you told me those things, I would just say, oh no, you too?
 
Someone who wants to tell you about their work, not criticise or denigrate others.

Someone who knows and understands best heat treatment practice and shows you proof of it.

Someone who is not afraid to invite you into their shop and show you their process and where they source materials.
Very, very little is proprietary today. A knifemaker who will not reveal how he does things and where he sources materials is probably hiding it for a good (as in nefarious) reason.

Someone who is humble and confident. If I smell narcissist I run.

Payment upfront has already been mentioned but that is almost always a dealbreaker for me. (CPK is the only exception)
 
Yep, smack talkers, secret recipes and those that refuse to reveal sources/processes are all good reasons to be suspect.
 
I've been buying knives to use and collect for many years, mainly purchase production knives and probably dealt with about 12 different custom fixed and folder knife makers directly or through a dealer. No matter what I buy I research and if I read good post and reviews on websites like BladeForum not just any website it gets my attention. If a maker has fair market price, honest, communicates well, delivers a quality product and standby their work they are doing the right thing. I think having your own forum is a bonus because it really tells a lot about you the maker. Since I've been hanging out in your forum you're a down to earth honest man John who make a great knife that's all the marketing you need.
 
Thanks Frank, I appreciate that my friend.

When I realized knifemaking could be a reality I started researching failed makers and examples of what not to do. I found a pretty common theme that fortunately contradicted with my beliefs.

When I started to write this thread I wrote that I didn't like arrogance and that I liked to see 'confidence combined with enough humility for balance', similar to what Steven65 Steven65 said above. I cut it out along with a bunch of other ramblings because I didn't want to steer the thread too much. Anyways, interesting how it came up naturally. That is a big one for me though, the most skilled, accomplished, or dangerous people in their fields that I've known also top the list for the most humble. The ones that run their mouths are usually phonies or have a poor state of mind in general. Two types I steer clear of.

I haven't met many knifemakers but 9.9 out of 10 of them are stand up guys that would give you the shirt off their back.
 
Redmeadow Knives said:
That's one I've heard a lot over the years. I have to fight people to NOT send payment until I'm ready to ship, a side effect of having good clients.
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I would suggest it also speaks to integrity you have shown. It’s a good place to be.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen the opposite.
 
I like transparency and honesty in a maker. You let us know what is going on during the builds in great detail. You keep everyone informed on time line. You give everyone a heads up on dibs. When you have a presence on a forum of some kind and talk with your customers like you do, it really goes a long way in my opinion.

It doesn't hurt too that you like Ray Wylie Hubbard and REK.

O.... your knives are awesome too 😎
 
James River said:
SI like transparency and honesty in a maker. You let us know what is going on during the builds in great detail. You keep everyone informed on time line. You give everyone a heads up on dibs. When you have a presence on a forum of some kind and talk with your customers like you do, it really goes a long way in my opinion.

It doesn't hurt too that you like Ray Wylie Hubbard and REK.

O.... your knives are awesome too 😎
Click to expand...
Thanks man. Golden rule is the best way. I don't like to be bullshat (🤔 past tense of bullshit? 😄) so I try to be as direct as possible.

Besides gotta treat anybody good that knows who guys like Ray Wylie, Robert Earl, John Prine and TVZ are!
 
  1. Active on social media, newsletter, etc. This shows maker is active, takes their work serious and proud of it to share with others. This can take maker away from making knives but doesn’t need to be lengthy. Anything fast and easy just to let people know maker is still active and involved.
  2. Good communication. Reply backs within 24 hr at latest. Maybe has FAQ, basic pricing, wait time, taking orders, etc. That reduces basic questions. Also quick updates on existing orders. Just fast to let customer know all is good or if delays.
  3. Quality vs Value. Not to take advantage of maker or cheat, but to have a knife that seems great quality for price. Anyone will appreciate anything they buy where they feel they are getting something of great quality for their money. Makers that sell defective knives at a discount show they are willing to sacrifice quality for short term gains.
  4. Beware of makers that say their knives are meant to be used. This is usually code to excuse lack of workmanship because maker doesn’t have skill or want to spend time and energy to detail knife. The assumption is if you use the knife it doesn’t have to be good quality. Doesn’t make sense. At this level all knives should be meant to be used. It has to cut and look good doing it.
 
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