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The Business of Knife Making A forum dedicated to all aspects of running, managing and legal operational issues relating to the custom knife making and custom knife selling industry.

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  #1  
Old 08-18-2004, 01:57 PM
Wilhelm Wilhelm is offline
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Lasting trend?

I was wondering what the lasting trends seem to be. Or if there aren't any.
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  #2  
Old 08-18-2004, 02:32 PM
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Les Robertson Les Robertson is offline
 
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Hi Wilhelm,

Trends that I have noticed over the last 20 years in custom knives are the following:

The majority of custom knife makers out there ignore the basic principles of business or are very slow to adpot them. Consequently, this causes most of them to never achive the status that they feel thier skills should have brought them.

Those makers who are extremely successful became so after years of dedicated hard work. Additionally they were usually the innovators who defined a style of knife and inspired makers to "borrow" their designs or design elements.

The custom knife market is a continuely rotating market between fixed blades and folders. While each remain in demand no matter what the market trends. There are times when fixed blades gain prominance (such as now) and other times folders are in command of the market.

Knifemakers are continually plaqued by questions such as "how do I price my knives". To the point I have asked knife makers "how much is this knife and they looked at me and said I don't know". I wish I could say this was an isolated incedent.

The current trend is more and more knife makers showing up. As such the newest trend is for the maker to distance him/herself from their competitors. This will take a combination of advertising, a web site, show attendance, working with dealers and utilizing customers to help create a "buzz" about the maker and their knives.

Lastly, more people are buying custom knives every year.


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  #3  
Old 08-24-2004, 10:06 AM
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Les Robertson Les Robertson is offline
 
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Anyone else see any trends out there???


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Old 08-24-2004, 03:47 PM
jbgatlin jbgatlin is offline
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With stag supplies low, I have seen a trend towards presentation woods such as ironwood, amboyna, etc. I'm sure this is obvious to all though. Just 2 cents worth.

Brett
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Old 09-05-2004, 11:34 PM
Jason Cutter Jason Cutter is offline
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Lasting trends I see mainly relate to the "good business sense" Les mentioned - good customer service, adequate communication, prompt delivery, etc. etc. Ease of $$ exchange helps.

Quality of fit and finish. Thats always a winner.

I find that choice of materials, designs, degree of embelliishments vs. cleanness of styling and excution, is also dependent on trends and fads.

An enduring trend is that "faddish" niches such as the fantasy market, japanese style knives, hard-core "fighting knives" etc. always boom to start with then slowly settle into their own niche territory that persists. And those niche markets can be highly lucrative provided one understands them well and operates reasonably within them.

The most lasting trend is CHANGE.

My 2 cents worth. Jason.


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