I got caught flat footed today.

I used to care about stuff like that .. Trying to just sell a knife any knife. I really don't care for those people. I like to deal with people who understand what made in America means . Take pride in being a craftsman the people who want that in a product will seek you out. We are
all guilty of we wanting it cheap and now attitude . But there are certain things we are all willing to spend money on. Trick is making something that appeals to the people that we seek.
 
You did fine, but my wife said something to someone who asked me the same question. She said: "Why buy a Lamborghini instead of a Pinto? They are both cars." Dude bought on the spot.
 
that is one of the problems we face is custom or handmade knife makers. You'll find over the years, you'll have to grow sticks again about it. True, there's nothing that a five dollar old Hickory butcher knife will not do in the field as a hunting knife or can't. It's just a pride of ownership thing. The customer in the gun shop was checking on his $2000 custom-built rifle having $1000 scope put on. So the same question could be asked of him. Why do you need such a firearm when you can get a World War II molsin nagaint for $100. It shoots just as far and probably with some practice, it was shoot just as accurately.no Matter what we think the handmade knife is a piece of art. So which you rather have a Matador on velvet or a Picasso. It is the same comparison they are both art but one will last for 40 years and increase in price even used the other you will get tired of and throw it away and about six months to a year. It comes out just to be for your vanity lays.but like has already been said that people start asking you what make sure knife worth X amount of dollars they've already made up their mind. And there's really no change it. But eventually, some do come around with their $25 POC 9000 won't take an edge anymore. Some of them come around. Pricing is always been a big problem I tried to keep a knife in a common man's price. Which is very hard day in your heating completely with Wally world and all the other imports. But I can proudly say that no one has ever bought just one of my knives. They may start out with the $35 para cord wrapped handle small hunting. But in a year or so, the come back and talk about something serious. Well, that's enough of that. Gary
 
Funny, I just had this conversation last night with my mother in-law. I retire in 2 years and want to do this full time, she knows I have spent a few K on tools so far. She asked me how much I was selling my knives for, what profit margin I had going. She says you should be making 3 times the cost of materials for labor, this is coming from a 70+ yr old retired restaurant owner. She has no idea. I said when Picasso produces a painting, does he just charge 3 times the materials for labor. I told her its a knife, a tool and its art.
 
I've not been asked this yet, however almost all of my friends are big time knife enthusiasts. We've talked this talk before, and a few of them run custom knives.

My simple response was "Do you want the same knife as 100,000 other people, or do you want a knife that no one else on the planet has?"

That's normally a pretty good eye opener I'd think.

I'm barely an amateur knife maker (more of a stock removalist), and every single one of my knives is a work of art in it's own right, and not a single one will be replicated the same. If anyone buys a knife from me, I can guarantee that it will not be identical to anyone elses on this planet.

That in and of itself is what I hope to sell.
 
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Knifemaker.ca said:
I would agree that a custom product is not for everyone. Some people see no value in original art over a repro - no value in the book they are reading being a signed first edition - and no difference between a car off the assembly line vs a custom shop creation. The custom knife should out-skin the factory knife, because it was designed to perform - not necessarily to machine cheaply and easily. Once the skinning is done, the custom earns it's keep all over again as it gets passed around the campfire.

Rob!
Click to expand...


Well said Rob!
The PROBLEM is, they just don't understand is CRAFTSMANSHIP!!!!
When an individual takes immense PRIDE in each and every step of the process, while huge batches of
manufactured knives are HT'd 50 to a 100 at a time, we HT 1 blade at a time!
The FUN WAY!
Rex
 
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