What makes some knifemakers rise to popularity, while others don't?

AdamFuzzyballs

AdamFuzzyballs

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While this may sound like a common sense question, I really am asking why some knifemakers are able to grow their brand so widely, while others (of equal caliber, skill-wise) never really become well known. Surely it is a combination of their product, their hard work, and their ability to satisfy their customers, but what else? Is it just time that they put in? Why is it that two equally adept makers can make almost identical products with the same steel and one will seem to be more popular? Again, im not being stupid, I just cannot understand how some makers eventually go on to own large companies while others stay forever small scale
 
Well, it's a proven fact that you can unashamedly and unrepentently lie your ass off about your super secret squirrel warrior knife designing background as a key to success.
 
If everything else is equal it must be things like marketing, personality, brand image, location or luck.
Just like in any other business.

Just imagine the most skilled maker on the planet is not in the net and his shop is hidden in some remote valley. Not many people will come to know about him and buy his stuff. Add an abrasive personality or some strange branding and he will sell less than the worst maker who is all over the net, nice to customers and saves the dolphins.

Not really likely to have such extremes. They where just to make it easier to show how important things other than skill are.
Of course depending on customer and degree, some factors can outweigh others.
 
Some of what I see in the knife world now, is a lot of hype. And that has a lot to do with internet being developed.

It's not all hype, a lot has to do with the maker too.:)

That's a good honest question.
 
I think this happens in lots of areas of business?

I think in the area of knifemakers, it is hard work, promotion, word of mouth, internet traffic, etc. Potential buyers can have a hard time knowing how one knifemaker ranks. They look at pictures, read forums, look at websites, consider prices, maybe even read magazines. Then they have to make up their own minds, fairly or unfairly.

When I was first buying custom knives I got the impression that D'Holder was one of the best. I was reading A.G. Russel, looking at photos, etc. All of this went into my evaluation. I also thought Dusty Moulton was one of the top makers. 10 or 15 years later and I don't hear that much about them. There were other makers I was watching back then that made good products but I don't hear much about them either. There are lots of newer makers I read about that weren't on the scene back then.

Just based on my observations it seems to me that a maker must produce a good product, and enough of it to get spread around. A maker must get around enough for lots of people to know his name, i.e. get media exposure. Go to the big shows such as Blade, get lots of photos on the internet, get into magazines, etc. If lots of people associate the name with quality then the person will be perceived as a popular maker. Of course the person's designs and skill must be up to the task.
 
Sometimes it has to do with skill, customer service, quality, and precision. For example, Chris Reeve. No sales gimmicks or anything, the Sebenza is popular because it's simply an amazing piece of workmanship.

Sometimes a knifemaker provides good price-to-performance ratio. Tough knives that work well for a good price; like ESEE, Opinel, Kershaw.

And sometimes, a knifemaker is popular because they create hype - a Navy SEAL bought one of their knives once, so now their knife is a "Navy SEAL knife" or they have a zombie line or something ridiculous like that. And of course, most customers are too ignorant to know any better. Not that they're stupid, they just don't know what a really well-made knife feels like.
 
AdamFuzzyballs said:
While this may sound like a common sense question, I really am asking why some knifemakers are able to grow their brand so widely, while others (of equal caliber, skill-wise) never really become well known. Surely it is a combination of their product, their hard work, and their ability to satisfy their customers, but what else? Is it just time that they put in? Why is it that two equally adept makers can make almost identical products with the same steel and one will seem to be more popular? Again, im not being stupid, I just cannot understand how some makers eventually go on to own large companies while others stay forever small scale
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One factor is the ability to run a business. There has to be an ability to stay organized and meet delivery and price commitments while still making a profit. We've seen a lot of talented knife makers get into trouble because they lack that.
 
Not all knife makers aspire to become a "big" brand. To be honest, I actually favor the knife makers that seem to prefer their small business.
 
knarfeng said:
One factor is the ability to run a business. There has to be an ability to stay organized and meet delivery and price commitments while still making a profit. We've seen a lot of talented knife makers get into trouble because they lack that.
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I agree. It's very much like it is in any other business. If you provide a service and consistently deliver a quality product, have a good marketing strategy (advertising or word of mouth), and know what your time is worth then success becomes more feasible. The most important component is not to let up on the consistency, as soon as people start taking a coasting or resting on their newly found laurels then someone else takes their place. Successful people usually follow a very simple formula and they are consistent and never stop pedaling.
 
knarfeng said:
One factor is the ability to run a business. There has to be an ability to stay organized and meet delivery and price commitments while still making a profit. We've seen a lot of talented knife makers get into trouble because they lack that.
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This statement says it all. There is a lot to be said for having good business sense and knowing where to put your efforts and time. A lot of makers think just because they have a fantastic product that people will pay high prices. Sometimes you have to start on a lower level and work your way up over time.
 
It is all about marketing and getting your product out there. It is one thing to be a great knife maker and another to be a good Business person and good maker. I think it takes a minimum of two people in order for a knife business to bloom. 1 full time on the business aspect and the other crushing the shop. There is just no time for one person to properly do both.
 
There was a time when the words " Build a better mouse trap and the people will come to you". This was probably the historical time when new inventions and technology were on the rise and
anything of quality had a chance to generate demand for the product. Today, it seems in knifemaking that historic period has passed into the present state of high technology with metalurgy advances
that nears its peak. No longer is Stainless Steel taking the backseat to high carbon steels but, gained acceptance as the steel for knives with it's characteristics blade strengh and sharpness far
improved over the past. Consequently, with two individuals with better mouse traps, I believe it is the individual with his attitude and knowledge of people and his goal or objective of what he
desires that will influence his decisions as his mind works it's way through the maze of life towards his goal.
 
As far as folders go, I really think that these days it's about design sense and good taste. The more neutral and balanced the overall aesthetic, and the more pleasing the geometry and lines, the more people are going to be able to relate to and admire that design.

Knifemakers who I feel excel at this are Pete Carey, Todd Rexford, and John Barker. They have a great sense of which shapes and which lines go together and which don't.
 
Agree with all the points made. Would add that some aren't able to overcome the production/operations challenges and hurdles. There is a big difference between an operation that produces 500 knives per year vs. one that produces 10,000 or 100,000+ per year.

What is the production road map? How do you go from a job shop where you produce knives in batches to a line flow operation? What will you automate? What machinery do you need? How do you produce that many knives efficiently (need to understand parallel process, line balancing, capacity management etc..)? How do you identify defects and modify the operation to reduce eliminate them?

Oh, and where are you getting the $ to make these changes?
 
It is not just about the end product. Let's face it, no one ever needs a custom knife. The vast majority of the world gets along just fine with whatever is sold through the big box stores. Success in knife making, as with everything else, stems from having good business sense and a little luck. I have seen great knife crafters destroy themselves through poor customer service. They get popular, they can't handle it, commitments begin to slip and pretty soon they end up with a lot of frustrated customers. Even wildly popular companies like Busse had to struggle with this; there was a time in the late 90s, where demand had so exceeded their ability to handle it that order deliveries were routinely delayed with promises broken over and over again (check out some of the early Busse threads from around 1999). Fortunately, they were able to create a great customer service department and move past the hurdle. Other makers have lost sight of who their customers are and have commercialized to the point where they have undermined their own market. A collector who has "invested" in your custom knives is not going to appreciate a significant value drop in their collection, just because you have found new ways to automate and market a less expensive line or decided to peddle off some defective knives, or simply gotten lazy in your marketing. If you want to succeed you have to take care of your customers, not just the guy who is buying your latest knife, but all of them; and, it has to be a lifelong commitment to that base.

n2s
 
rmbonham said:
It is all about marketing and getting your product out there. It is one thing to be a great knife maker and another to be a good Business person and good maker. I think it takes a minimum of two people in order for a knife business to bloom. 1 full time on the business aspect and the other crushing the shop. There is just no time for one person to properly do both.
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PTRBEE said:
Not all knife makers aspire to become a "big" brand. To be honest, I actually favor the knife makers that seem to prefer their small business.
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Right; some of the very finest custom makers and bladesmiths are retired from other fields, and have no need or desire to become a bigger business. They seem quite content to make what they feel like, at a leisurely pace. Some others make knives full-time and depend on the income, but still would rather be in the shop all day instead of stuck in an office, essentially running a machine shop (and all the hassles that entails) while other people do the knifemaking.

In any art, craft or trade, there can be a big grey area of getting bigger, with more headaches, and not really making any more money. If a maker isn't a really good businessperson (or able to hire someone who is to manage things), it may not be worth it to them to expand.

The middle ground of course, is collaborations. It's often much more efficient for the maker/designer and an established factory to work together (Ethan Becker and KA-BAR knives, for instance). Many many knives are brought to market fairly quickly, with the consistency, reputation, and millions of dollars worth of equipment, skilled workers and a big-time marketing department backing them up. American families are bringing in steady paychecks, and costs are kept down for the customers. When it's done right, everyone's happy.
 
Some people know how to work the system and hype their product. They make sure it gets into the hands of less informed people with large audiences. Other's prefer to have zero online presence and let their knives speak for themselves.

That's how you can get a $2000+ custom with similar materials and a much lower level of quality as an $800 custom.
 
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