Why does this kind of stuff happen to me?

G

godogs57

Joined
Apr 16, 2004
Messages
794
I was asked to give a presentation to our area's "Sportsman's
Club"...show them how I make my knives, show them some examples of my work. I have done this kind of thing before, and always am glad to do so. I brought about 20 of my finished knives, plus some forged blades and damascus billets....and a 4' section of 440-C to show 'em how my stock removal knives start out so to speak. Following the presentation, all the folks are at the speaker's table, looking at the finished knives all lined up pretty....a gentleman walks up to the table and picks up the 4' section of 440-C to look at it.....looses his grip on it and drops it perfectly on the handles of about 8 of those finished knives. You guessed it...nice stainless steel gouge in the handles of all those knives. And he did not even offer a "dang, sure am sorry about that"...he just walked away. I tried to hold it in and be tactful, since I was a guest....some folks are not considerate at all.

Back to finishing knives, or is that considered re-finishing?
 
Damn...... :grumpy:
Got to admire your restraint. I think I'd have done a demonstration on cold forging a necklace from a 4' peice of 440C :eek:
 
Remember the saying... "No good deed ever goes Unpunished" Maybe you sell these knives as damaged goods and at a big discount to some of us here...
 
Dont feel alone.I have had similar things happen when showing or demonstrating.

I like the question you get from some crazy after you are through talking..

"Did you make these all by yourself" or who makes your blades? one of my favorites...Who does your Chrome plating on the blades?


Always makes you wonder why you bothered to explain anything.

You ndid the rite thing by holding your temper,You could still end up with sales from these folks after all.You could tell the people promoting the banquet when they ask you to do another one,that you are not responsible for accidents but they will be held responsiable for the replacement costs for any and all damages to the knives you bring.They may think your being unreasonable,untill you accidentally damage or break something they have on display and walk away :D wouldnt suggest this,but it makes them tink if you give them a example that would hit their pocket book.

It is a good thing you are doing for the community so dont let this stop you,just try and set up the display table a little differently next time,maybe even have 2 tables,one for knives and one for supplies used to make a knife.Most of the guys that go to those things have enough money to buy the whole table out if they wished to,so just keep a smile and you will reep the rewards in the end.
Bruce
 
Good advice....I have learned in life that I, myself, do better if I stop for a moment and think about what I am about to say...better to not say it and wish you did, rather than vice-versa. But it sure ain't fun sometime!

In doing these type presentations you will be asked a ton of questions from the audience. But there is one question/statement that you will ALWAYS have to defend each time...you know what it is: "Why do you charge that much for your knives? I paid $23.95 for my Buck knife at Walmart and it cuts great. By the way, what would you charge for re-sharpening my Buck knife?"

Bruce, I also get a question similar to one you wrote in....after I showed them the 440-C stick, someone asked "who do you buy your (finished) blades from?"

I have also noticed that highly polished snakewood is just about always mistaken for plastic.....

Oh well, back to the salt mines.
 
When I give a talk,I put the finished knives on a different table from the materials and equipment.Having them together creates a situation that invites accidents.I have,also,learned that too many things on the table create a distraction (and difficulty controlling handling).The first talk I gave I took 30 (or more) knives,the last one I took 10.
Stacy
 
Man does that suck. I would have wanted to shove that 4 foot piece of 440C up his a.............. You did good to show restraint. Going off on the guy would not change what happened, but he should have at least apologized for what he did.
Scott
 
D'oh, that sucks. You have some good restraint, I would have dropped the steel on his wood to make it fair, probably his noggin, even that wouldn't make me mad enough to drop it on his other wood. :eek:
 
Thanx Stacy for the idea...knives in one location and equipment, et. al., on the other table...wish I would have thought of that two nights ago. Dang. I like AwP and Razorback Knives ideas as well. Now I know why some folks that make the top end knives have those little "don't even think about touching my knives" cards at their tables at the Blade Show...
 
Good thing you didn't have a tomahawk on your table or it probably would've ended up in his back. What a $%^!.
 
Sounds like YOU are the gentleman...
A true gentleman always shows restraint when dealing with boobs!
 
What a dick! It's hard to believe there are actual people like this out there. That being said,

Matt Shade said:
Damn...... :grumpy:
Got to admire your restraint. I think I'd have done a demonstration on cold forging a necklace from a 4' peice of 440C :eek:
Click to expand...
leave it to Matt to make me laugh out loud! That doofus needs a social adjustment.

Should I ever find myself in a similar situation I'll take the recommendations offered above, very good ideas. Thanks guys,
 
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