Where do you sell the most of your knives?

Where do you sell the "most" knives over an entire year. Limit it to a max of 2 choic

  • Knife show/s

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Your web site

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Online dealers

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Brick and mortar dealers

    Votes: 1 16.7%

  • Blade Forums (this site)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • other forums or groups

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Ebay, Esty, or similar

    Votes: 3 50.0%

  • other

    Votes: 4 66.7%
  • Total voters
    6
gscreely

gscreely

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 3, 2008
Messages
178
As a new knife maker I have been feeling out where the best place to sell custom knives is. I was interested to see where some of you do best.
 
I think your missing another option that is my most used avanue of sales, "word of mouth". From me talking to someone or someone else talking to someone. I find that most of my knives are sold that way, I might know the people from a forum but it's not from an actual sales thread it's from a conversation that clicks in there mind and gets them thinking that thy can get the knife thy want. But it takes time to get the word spread. Single BEST way I have found to do it is to give knives away for free. I makes knives because I love it, even if I couldn't sell a single one I would still make them. But you make a knife and give it to someone and I guarantee that person is going to spread the word as long as your giving knives to the right people.
 
I sell almost all of my knives through my instagram. If they don't sell there then I put them on my website.
 
When I started making knives I gave away anything nice that I would put my mark on. First to old friends and then to family. I gave away about 35 knives in the first year. Then I began selling to other people via word of mouth and after a while I gave away knives to good customers. I got a few sales from gun/knife shows and a few sales from my website but word of mouth has given me more work than I want and I now routinely turn down custom work. I would bet that for every knife I gave away I sold 4 knives later to people who had seen those knives. I still give away knives to good customers and longtime friends and sell some by appointment only. If you are just starting out I suggest you be generous with your friends and family because you will sell more knives later and at a good price once you have a good reputation. Just my opinion. I have sold over 400 knives and no longer count them. Larry
 
Larry, although I have yet to sell my first knife (just now getting ready to order a grinder) I agree with you 100%. My plan had always been to make knives for family and friends...just give them away. After family, I'll give special preference to my hunting buddies. If this results in some interest, that's great. If not, then at the very least I've embarked upon a great hobby to keep me occupied in my upcoming retirement years. Although, I won't limit myself to knives only, I also plan on making muskie lures as muskie fishing is one of my long time pastimes, along with walleye. I'll pretty much utilize all of the same equipment. Doggonit....I can't wait for the end of the next school year to get started on a more full time basis! :p
 
I got lucky. Years ago I was short of Christmas money and was finishing a knife I was going to give to one of my sons when a friend saw it and offered me a nice sum ( $375.00) for it. He paid me and put half down on another of the same price. He spread the word. Orders flew in and I am still busy. That first knife sold was in 1991.

When he asked what I would charge for the first knife, I had no idea but played it smart and asked for an offer. I did my best old Indian deadpan face and when he paid in cash and left, I felt like doing cartwheels!

I make only ( fixed blade) knives that are ordered. A few customers are a result of a hunting forum I am a member of. A couple of fellow members are repeat customers, one having 5 of my knives and has ordered some more. Some of those went to his family members. A few other knives went to other members, some out of the USA.

One thing that has been a real help is mirror polish of my blades.

Another big plus is using great looking stabilized wood, the best you can afford. I cut and dry most of my own wood and select only presentation grade and ship to WSSI for stabilizing. I do buy some stabilized burl.

Make sure when making the knife, the handle with the best of the grain is exposed in the sheath: right hand sheath with the best grain showing on the outside, etc. And a hard RC has been my trademark.

One more point, have a really fine sheath for the knife. I have a pal that does all my leather work and hand sews everthing. The sheaths are also wet formed of veg tanned leather. He cuts me a fair deal and worth every cent.
 
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another shot for word of mouth... I'm lucky as well to be in the job I'm in. Military guys love trinkets and a lot love knives. I haven't posted 5% of my knives for sale as they are usually picked up by one of the guys at work the day I bring one in to play show and tell. then, they tell two friends.. and they tell two friends. I only get out maybe 3 a month these days and my list of people waiting is growing by the week. I'm not at a point where I can keep up with a website and for now, that's a good thing. until I can make as many knives as I can sell, I will just stick with selling them the way I am.
 
I would say that 80% of my sales are word of mouth. Reputation and quality are how that happens.
 
As a beginner I have to agree, word of mouth and giving knives to the right people are the way to go.
You're building a customer base that could support your business indefinitely.
I've given every knife be made so far away, they all want more.
 
I have given quite a few knives away (probably a dozen), but I have arrived at the point where I would like to make this profitable (or at least recoup some of the tooling investment).

I would not have guessed so many people sell most of their knives through their own personal network.
 
Word of mouth here too. I've never put a knife up for sale on a forum or exchange. I've made a few to test those avenues, but they all sold before icould list them.
 
Word of mouth, usually thru personal contacts.......you are not just selling knives, you are selling you

Knives without the personality behind them.......you can buy those at walmart;):D

Darcy:)
 
For me lately I just love giving them away. I don't need the money as I have a good job but I love seeing the joy a gift knife brings to people. I still take orders but it's a narrow window that opens and closes depending on current projects. All this being said I do have an end goal in mind. That is when I get older and have more time on my hands I can use the knives to supplement my income or retirement. If I have networked properly during the time of my youth (now) I feal it will all come out in the wash. So what I'm saying is I just LOVE making knives, even if I was the last person on earth I would still make them.
 
I sell 90% of my knives by word of mouth, If I have some extra after orders my wife puts them on her face book page. I too give quite a few knives away as gifts and I also donate knives to charity auctions.
 
JTknives said:
For me lately I just love giving them away. I don't need the money as I have a good job but I love seeing the joy a gift knife brings to people. I still take orders but it's a narrow window that opens and closes depending on current projects. All this being said I do have an end goal in mind. That is when I get older and have more time on my hands I can use the knives to supplement my income or retirement. If I have networked properly during the time of my youth (now) I feal it will all come out in the wash. So what I'm saying is I just LOVE making knives, even if I was the last person on earth I would still make them.
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This is exactly what I'm doing. In a first for me, someone bid $75 at a silent auction for a knife i donated to my church for a flea market they held over the weekend. the winning bidder contacted me and wants me to sharpen several of his and his friends knives and they may want some made. I'm cool with that kind of marketing at this point.
 
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