Smallshop
KNIFE MAKER
Another thing that comes to mind on this thread is....When should you actually begin selling knives?
My son just made a sheath for a friend of ours that bought a knife from his friend that has recently begun making knives. He paid $250 (or was gifted and told that woulda been the price) And it was crude beyond crude....But had his custom stamp...was decently sharp. had a very nice set of dyed purple burl handles...finished horribly. The balance was poor,very heavy...I guarantee no lightening holes under the scales... the bevel had more faces than Jim Carrey....and on it goes...Oh...and it came with no sheath, obviously.
His design was good....I can see in the work that he will be a good maker some day...but selling now? I wouldn't sell that if I had made it....(I get embarrassed by my mistakes....)
But someone will buy them....the term "handmade" seems to allow for all kinds of cobby looking knifes. Knifes that may be good steel and heat treat, cut well but are very rough looking.
I personally do not feel "rough looking" is a style...It is merely evidence of where a person's knifemaking skills are at. Like the knife described above there is the glimmer of real talent and in 3 years his knives will be unrecognizable compared to what he is making today. (or let's ask this...how many of you wish you could retract some of your early sales? Lol)
Am I wrong in thinking that when people(that don't have the same last name as you) start asking you to build them a knife...THAT is the time to do so? (not when your materials are running low and cash is tight...Lol?)
Just some subjective ponderings....(sorry if I am running too far afield here...I would like to know when any of you made the jump from "give-aways" to selling...and your thoughts at that time)
My son just made a sheath for a friend of ours that bought a knife from his friend that has recently begun making knives. He paid $250 (or was gifted and told that woulda been the price) And it was crude beyond crude....But had his custom stamp...was decently sharp. had a very nice set of dyed purple burl handles...finished horribly. The balance was poor,very heavy...I guarantee no lightening holes under the scales... the bevel had more faces than Jim Carrey....and on it goes...Oh...and it came with no sheath, obviously.
His design was good....I can see in the work that he will be a good maker some day...but selling now? I wouldn't sell that if I had made it....(I get embarrassed by my mistakes....)
But someone will buy them....the term "handmade" seems to allow for all kinds of cobby looking knifes. Knifes that may be good steel and heat treat, cut well but are very rough looking.
I personally do not feel "rough looking" is a style...It is merely evidence of where a person's knifemaking skills are at. Like the knife described above there is the glimmer of real talent and in 3 years his knives will be unrecognizable compared to what he is making today. (or let's ask this...how many of you wish you could retract some of your early sales? Lol)
Am I wrong in thinking that when people(that don't have the same last name as you) start asking you to build them a knife...THAT is the time to do so? (not when your materials are running low and cash is tight...Lol?)
Just some subjective ponderings....(sorry if I am running too far afield here...I would like to know when any of you made the jump from "give-aways" to selling...and your thoughts at that time)