Selling Knives

H

Holland Bramlitt

Well-Known Member
I would greatly appreciate any advise on how you guys started selling your knives. I would like to start selling more knives but it seems that once the family and freinds run out that I have a hard time selling them. My fit and finish all look good and I do not let nothing leave that has any mistakes. I tried to put them in some stores but only sold one knife in a year. Any help would be great.
 
I made 40 last year, sold 4, traded 5 and give 10 away. I feel your pain, I have them laying around everywhere......Randy
 
I've sold some just by showing my work on my youTube channel. From that, I've gotten referrals and repeat customers.

There are plenty of knife forum classifieds that get a LOT of traffic that you might try putting your blades in. I'd even try Craigslist.

If you have enough to fill a table, you might rent one at a local gun/knife show.
 
Have you tried the For Sale section,here on the Forum.
Thats where I sold my first folder.Give it a shot.

God bless,Keith
 
Thanks guys I just sent some slipjoint blades and springs and two fixed blades to get heat treated and when I get done with them I will post them on the for sale forum here and give it a whirl.
 
hi Holland,

When Willie Sutton was asked "Why do you rob banks?" He replied "Cause that's where the money is!"

So while Craigslist, Ebay, local stores, etc. Are good ideas....that is not where the money is.

The key to sales is "providing a solution for someone's problem".

The problem may be I need a knife; to cut rope, skin an animal, gut a fish, etc.....

The problem for custom knife makers is that factories around the world produce millions of knives a year at far less than what you are asking. While your knife could solve this buyers problem, for most price point will be an issue. Subsequently, they will choose the factory knife.
Subsequently, what you are selling (and that goes for all of us selling custom knives) is not necessary...as there are other more numerous options available to solve the problem a knife would provide.

Now if you want to fish for Bass....you can go to the local creek, the Ocean, a farm pond or any other body of water. Fact is some bodies of water are better for finding large mouth bass than others.

So what you are looking for are not knife buyers....you are looking for custom knife buyers. That is a whole different breed of cat!

So your first task is to find locations where there are custom knife buyers. Not just one or two or three...but hundreds of potential buyers.

Now think about where you would find hundreds of custom knife buyers.....maybe even thousands.

Next think about what you can do to put your knives in front of those potential custom knife buyers.

Next what can you do to entice those custom knife buyers to buy one of your custom knives.

By the way...everyone of your knives has mistakes. If you are not seeing them I would suggest you ask another knife maker who builds similar knives to take a look at your knives and ask for a critique. I can say this with some certainty (even never having seen your knives) that with few exceptions...all custom knives have "mistakes".

I look forward to your answers.
 
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Get on a few different knife forums that have maker's classifieds sections and study. What sells, what sits. Some maker's stuff moves within hours. Those makers have accurately targeted their buyer's tastes. If you are trying to sell knives that are already made, then you either have to identify and appeal to the right type of buyers for those knives, or you need to start making knives that cater to what people are buying. In spite of the economy, you can sell knives, but it is a competitive market and a fickle one, so you have to put some effort into the marketing end.
Local visibility can be gained by donating some of your work to charities or benefits as raffle items. Custom knife buyers tend to be good old red-blooded American men, so finding a cause that is near and dear to their hearts and supporting it with your work can be a very powerful tool.
Business cards are also a good marketing tool if you can get them into the right hands.
 
Hi Justin,

Questions:

Why do some maker's knives move in hours?

Is it the maker or a collector selling the knife on the forums?

How did the maker identify what the market wanted? Or did he have help identifying it?

Only about 5% of any given internet forum buy custom knives (at best). So is that really the best place to try and find custom knife buyers? I agree it can't hurt.

Local visibility (possibly in the beginning) may bring you some sales, but more than likely not. They want the makers to "donate" knives. As you say many group members will be willing to bid on one of the makers custom knives (and usually get it for well below what the maker sells it for). So while the group makes money...the maker probably will not.

So the question again is...How do you present your knives to hundreds if not thousands of known custom knife buyers?

In other words how do you sell to your target market?
 
I have been selling most of my knives on the forum classifieds. I think the makers who are doing really well are just getting all the details right. Certain types of knives are trendy and may do better than others if you target the right customers. Heavy-duty tactical folders are hot, small EDC type knives seem to move pretty steadily. Large camp/field/combat type knives are also pretty consistent sellers.
Certain types of steel are also hot-buttons these days and seem to get more interest than others. Trendy grip materials like carbon fiber also seem to draw the attention of some buyers. Stonewashed finishes are also very popular right now. If you are doing Kydex sheaths, they seem to move better if a Tek-Lok is included. Most custom knife buyers are operating on impulse to some extent, and those impulses may be triggered by fairly small details that just click for them.
Maybe I have just been very lucky but I am enjoying good sales. I think this is mostly because I have been doing what I suggested to you, which is study the market, get to know your buyers and their wants, have a presence on the forums and be active so your customers get to know you. They are often more inclined to purchase from you if you are availible on the forums, accessible and easy to talk to. Be ready to spend some time communicating with customers, even if the sale dosen't seem to justify the time spent emailing. Those that you take the time to answer questions for will sometimes become repeat customers.
 
hi Justin,

What types of knives do you make?

Materials?

Price range?

You seem to have taken advantage of what you have seen in the forums. Holland...I hope you are taking notes of what Justin is writing he is giving you some excellent advice.

Justin, what do you see as the next step for your to expand your knife business?
 
I make fixed blade field/utility and tactical knives. I am producing 3 basic models with certain options if ordered custom and having most of my blanks waterjetted. I am mostly using 3v and G10, prices run from about 170$-400$. I need to set up a website or at least a home page but beyond that there is no major next step for me, just little ones. Refine processes, cultivate my returns so that I can buy materials and supplies in larger quantities, keep a look out for equipment and methods that can speed or improve my processes, keep the right needfuls on hand so that the inevitable unexpected turn dosen't bring production to a dead halt, etc.
 
Hi Justin,

You are scaing the hell out of me!!! :D

Man you sound like a business man talking.

I would appreciate it if you would send me some photos of your work. I would like to see what you are making!
 
I've put some thought into it, can you tell:les: I am fairly new to the modern custom knife world but was making reproductions of historical daggers for several years before taking a new direction with more modern-type knives. I made mistakes during that time and used what I learned to work into a more realistic business model.
I thought I had some pictures up on my profile but there are none there and I'm not having any luck trying to post any right now. My profile on BladeForums has examples of the models I am producing.
 
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First piece of advice, is don't give up. I have been a part time maker for 7 years now, and for the first time I have a backlog of 1 years worth of orders, that isn't alot of knives, since I only work weekends and evenings at it, but I used to have knives laying around waiting for a buyer or the next local gun show, now I have none layong around and have to cancel my table at an August show that I would likely do prety good at.

I sold at local shows with prety good results, tried the forums for sale areas with little to no results, and a hunting forum with good results, and most of the sales led to another contact or another sale, and it has grown very slowly, but steady. Another boost for me was in Blade magazine, a little picture of me and one of my knives in the Knifemaker showcase, and from that I had alot of orders, and made alot of new friends as well. And a web site is a great tool to get your work in front of buyers, and there are free web hosting sites that work great.

I make user knives, alot of different models, and offer alot of handle options, as well as options in steel, stainless or carbon steels. Always treat the customer well, and try to accomidate there wishes, unless it will have a negative effect on the performance of the knife, then explain why you would rather not do what they ask.

I think it takes alot of work besides making a great knife to sell them, and it is all part of growing as a maker, if you stick it out and don't give up, sorta, I used to hate hearing this but, pay your dues. Before you know it you will enjoy a list of orders, and some new friends to boot.

Sorry for the long post, just trying to answer the question from my own experiance.
Dale
 
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