Where does most of your business come from.

Southclaw

Southclaw

Joined
Nov 30, 2009
Messages
157
Hi guys I am new to the joy of knife making. I was wondering where the majority of your business comes from.

1. Web site
2. Word of mouth
3. Knife shows
4. Bladeforums.com
5. Other

If it is a secret I understand. I am just trying to figure out my next best step. Don’t know if I should upgrade my membership or start a website first.

I have found that word of mouth is working pretty well for me, but I just started and don’t have a LOT of orders yet.
Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks

-Zech
 
The majority of my business originally came from word of mouth and friends. Now, I get about 1/2 of my customer contacts from my website and 1/2 from message boards, though I feel bad having to turn down orders at this time. Hopefully after the first of the year, I'll be able to pick up orders again.

--nathan
 
Zech, please define "just started" and "not a LOT of orders." I made nearly 30+ knives before I trusted them to sell to other people. If you make a good knife, word of mouth will get you a looottttt of business. If you make a bad knife, word of mouth will lose you a looottttt of business.

Word of mouth sells me a lot of knives.

I sell a few knives here, most turn into repeat customers and electronic word of mouth.

I've only been to one dedicated knife show and did well, I'll go back to dedicated knife shows when I can. Gun and knife shows? :barf: I have out of country customers that have bought more knives from me that I've ever sold at those pits of hell. That being said, it's an invaluable place to learn how to "work a table" so to speak. Depending on your price point you could sell knives there.

I had a website, never directly sold a knife off of it but did get orders from people after "something similar to knife 3349870 but with a different blade shape, handle material and can you make it..." you get the point.

Here's some advice my teacher imparted to me about selling knives and it's worked well for me. "It's easier to sell someone a second knife than the first one." Interpret that however you will but for me customer service and demanding the best from yourself has paid off.

Don't be in such a rush to sell a bunch of knives, grinding out 40 drop point hunters will steal some of the joy out of the craft.
 
Reading that post Will just got me thinking..... How do you KNOW when you're comfortable to trust a knife you made to sell it to someone? Just curious in case there may come a time in my life where someone asks me to make them a knife. How do you know when you're ready? Or is it one of those things like falling in love where "You'll just know when it happens? :D
 
I sell most of my knives in my home town by word of mouth. I from time to time have one to sell here on the forums but its hectic right now and they seem to be going to people here in town. I sell a few over seas through forums,Word of mouth gets out fast if people like your stuff. I think testing is the key to know when you ready to sell knives. If they hold up then you wont worry about their performance with their new owners, It can be alot of fun too, skinning deer, cutting brush, just pushing them to their limits. It can be a headache but it will all pay off in the end.
 
Fletch,
I started making knives because I was out hunting and my knife broke and when I asked my godfather to make me one he told me the price and I said I can make one myself..... he laughed and in hindsight I know why he laughed. I've spent enough on my first knife I trusted to buy some very nice customs.

I trust my testing and feedback from my testers and customers. I trust my steel and my process (known steel :p ) I trust my design philosophy. My customers trust my knives so they trust me. I still worry to death until I hear from them that they're happy with the knife I made for them. I usually follow up with them once a year just to make sure. The 2 greatest compliments I've ever gotten is how they beat my knives like a mule and they still perform and the other was a customer who was buried with a hunting knife I made because it was his favorite. Dunno, it's stuff like that that makes me love the craft.
 
For 2008 half of my sales were through my website. The other half was pertty evenly divideded among shows, custom orders and personal sales.

Word of mouth is extremely important. Many of my custom orders came from someone who saw me at a show but didn't purchase at that time or told a friend.
 
I am my own best customer. I've sold a few to people that know I make them and asked me to make them one but other than that, for now I'm enjoying making them for myself.
 
Will I kinda got into it like the way you did. I was looking to buy a new knife and when the guy said 300 bucks I said thats ok and in my mind said I think I could make one lmao.
 
I sell mostly by word of mouth. Been making knives for 22 years, and never moved during this time. People in the region know me for my work, and provide a steady stream of work from selling knives to providing sharpening and repair services.

I used to do shows, but with my health issues I don't do them anymore.
 
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