If I owned my own knife company.

[redscorpion6]

Tinker,

maybe we can help each other. maybe you can pick up the resharpening service side for us. I would rather not be in this business full time. I get requests to resharpen and not really setup to have fast turn around.
Also maybe we can take some of your knife designs and actually PRODUCE them into a real product that brings in that residual cash flow that can be so elusive.

 

[sm]

Traditional Shop

Japanese Sharpening??

Listen this here company needs instead of a "custom shop" a Traditional Shop.

This would require a dumb Southern Boy to oversee, and I just happen to know of one. *guess who*

What we have is, Tool Steels (01), Carbon Steel and Chrome Vanadium blades and these come with nice sheaths for the fixed, and slips for the pocket-knives...no clip, no lock, just a dad-burn pocket knife like one is supposed to have. *curmudegeon*.

Now these here knives are sharpened freehand on Norton stones, and stropped on the most clean piece of scrap cardboard.

Now this company, needs to have benches, and table tops with checkerboards atop them, so customers can whittle and carve, play checkers out next to duck pond.

I mean heck fire! Them folks can bring food, and do pot lucks, and have a good old time whittlin' carvin' and interacting.

This down home, small company, doing this, would be a huge marketing tool and advertising is best by word of mouth.

Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind, by Trout & Reyes would be the guidebook on running this company.

Be first with an idea... - Trout & Reyes

Ain't nobody I know of got a set up like I am speaking of.

Kids...well that pond is stocked, and employees kids get to fish, and invite other kids.

Word spreads, about that company, and that free little knife, key chain, with carbon steel blade and logo of company by the kids, and having fun catching fish and eating hot dawgs and...and...

Ya'll go ahead on with them nasty old stainless knives and using stones you use Sushi water on...*razz*

I get dibbs on property for the pond, benches, checkers, picnic, and BB Gun Range...
Oh yeah, did I mention Red Ryder BB Guns with the Company Logo?
We best have an indoor spot for bad weather, dang how I hate my fried pies to get wet or my rack of ribs to get snowed on...

Traditional, Practical and Common Courtesy, ain't dead yet!

 

[Valkman]

SM you're killing me!

Redscorpion6, nice knives!

 

[redscorpion6]

I like this one. Valkman you make a great design.

 

[Valkman]

Thank you! The 7" version of that was just in Blade and Tactical Knives and I keep getting orders!

 

[Piedmont Plinker]

Hmm.
First of all, it'd be located somewhere in the South, with no labour union laws, etc.
Secondly, we would use 1095 pretty much exclusively, to keep the price down.
We would make a folder w/ orange G10 scales, axis lock type thing, aluminum trim around the edge, which extended on one side into a pocket clip, so you'll never have loose pocket clip screws.
The pocket clip would be designed with a bend in the middle, as to have the greates retaining ability.
The blade with 2.95" 1095 that's had Duracoat applied to everything but the edge. Blue/Gray color- this helps keep rust down.
This knife would sell for $50 or under.

 

[sm]

CZ.22,
Good points, and I agree.

Valkman,
Your small skinners, in 01 or 1095 would be great user knives for farm, ranch and hunting.


I think of four areas off the top of my head, that is lacking in todays market.
Knife, Sharpening, Leatherwork, and Service.

IMO/IME a lot of knives are not for the consumer, instead of for the mfg, meaning the mfg drives the market, and not the real users.

Collecting, is another market, and the reality is, many folks do not use a knife since we have become more "civilized".

Yes, we vary in Professions that really honest to goodness use a knife.
Professional Chefs, Butchers and similar, that use a knife 8-12 hours per shift.

We still have farmers, ranchers, and fisherman, and they too need a hard working knife, as they are in "fields" for extended times.
Meaning they cannot just run into to town to have a knife sharpened, instead they need something they can sharpen free hand in the "field".


We have an aging society.

Being respectful, as one gets older, sometimes hands and fingers will not do what they once did.
Same problems younger folks encounter with injury, or post op surgery for Gangelion Cyst or Carpal Tunnel.

I listen, ask questions, and pay attention to such folks, always have, since I grew up with Vets from Wars, and Polio victims.

Examples-

Sodbuster Jr. is easier to open and close, as that blade sticks up above the handle.

One hand opening knives are often more difficult to open for those with arthritis and other problems and then the safety of getting one closed.

Nail nicks, are not as yesteryear, meaning larger, above handles, longer and serrated allowing not only for purchase, also striking matches.

Pocket clips, wear pockets, and some older folks do not want to wear a pocket on a nice pair of trousers, or ladies fashions either.

In my locale, criminals look for pocket clips, and they know a good knife from a el-cheapo knock off, or super knife.
Idea being - to follow that person as they feel/know they are CCW-ing, and either take them down for gun, or follow them home to where more guns are, and the easiest way to open a safe, is by forcing someone to do by gun, or kidnap.



Lanyard holes, now, these are useful, add a nice leather slip to protect from keys and folks really like these.

Sheath knives, small ones, akin to carving or whittling knives are just too handy.

Some of the older ladies and gents, actually use a wood handled carving or whittling knife, fit the handle to hand, and those 1 1/2" - 2" blades do a lot of cutting and the 1095 is great for taking and keeping and edge, and easy to sharpen.

Mini-Sheath knife if you will and this fits the legal restrictions for some workplaces that do not allow a employee to have a knife with a blade longer than 2".

What we used to call a "bench knife" when I was coming up, just a small whittling knife, one used to undo boxes, cut string, open mail and whatever else.
Just scattered in the business, on gift wrap counters, in the break room to open boxes of tea, or condiments, near the cash register, and wherever else.

Ladies can use these in purse, pocket, skirts, dresses, blazers, and the guys do the same in whatever fashion they wear.

Sometimes a grandparent just wants to open a toy for a grandkid, or get that mustard pack open, or package of crackers, or sharpen a pencil or...


Sheepsfoot or Lambsfoot blade is often overlooked for its usefulness.
SAK makes a Pruner, and many like that knife for the large handle to blade ratio.
Fixed version, is what some really want, great for zipping open boxes, working in the yard and all sorts of tasks, this blade shape is "safe" if you will, and many just need the edge, and not a point.

Aging folks are self conscious at times, as their skin integrity is not as it once was.
Easier to get a bruise, abrasion or cut, and kids and others think "what a klutz" or "getting too old to be independent".

My mom is 78, handling a bunch of paper recently, going through files, she suffered a number of "paper cuts".
Her forearms wrists and hands had bruises going through some old stuff in boxes.

This upset her, she looked like she had been wrestling alligators or something.
It embarrassed her, she felt self conscious being in public.


Just a small company catering to needs of the consumer, offering knife, sharpening, leather and service is my take.

 

[JTW Jr.]

In my locale, criminals look for pocket clips, and they know a good knife from a el-cheapo knock off, or super knife.
Idea being - to follow that person as they feel/know they are CCW-ing, and either take them down for gun, or follow them home to where more guns are, and the easiest way to open a safe, is by forcing someone to do by gun, or kidnap.

dunno where your locale is but I havent heard of that happening here in Vegas ever. Criminals prefer easy targets majority of the time.

 

[sm]

Criminals prefer easy targets majority of the time.

Criminals vary in "skill sets", or levels of crime life.

Some are your basic wanna be street punks, doing snatch and grab crimeswhile some are professional in bypassing alarms, burning safes, and some have other skills sets such as arson, kidnapping or blackmail.

Reality is, most folks will never know they have encountered some types of criminals in daily affairs.

Nice Couple, dressed in real nice clothes, well groomed, nice jlry, and driving a nice car, - case a business, then later kidnap the wife and /or kids so the owner is forced to open a business after hours.

These same folks can spot a mom with 4 kids, in a minivan, at a gas station, Wal-Mart parking lot, the bank, etc- CCW-ing a Glock at appendix position and knows she is heading to,or returning from the range.

We have some criminals that know how to shoot, It looks like a IDPA or IPSC match.
They know, and they know more about defensive shooting than many that CCW.

It has always been this way, seriously, just for some reason, even with Internet, folks are still not aware.

Vegas-
Yep, the folks are watching folks and always have.
Just like they do other Casino and Gambling locations.

People advertise way too much, and with Internet, and Cell Phones, it is easier to make a Target in Vegas, or Mississippi, or Oklahoma, and then hit then at home while they are still in town , or after they arrive home.

I know, I have spoken to the victims, and have been in on interviews with criminals.

Pocket Clips, Waterman Fountain Pens, Louis Vouton purses, Lexus keys, Leather checkbook holder, BDUs, Firearm stickers and vanity plates, tactical boots...

Not a new thing, just the way it has always been.

If one ever gets a chance to sit and visit with a Prostitute, and a Pick Pocket - do so.
It will blow your mind how much they can tell you, about you, and you did not tell them anything!

These are two types of folks on the Streets, that are a bit more "safe" as opposed to ex cons for some to visit with.

Sorry for the drift.

I have my druthers on some things based on my life experiences, observations and environments such as "street level".

BullfrogKen, Jeff White, others and I have shared in private about all this.