Where to sell handmade knives?

[shing]

I'm hoping to start making and selling knives in the next few months, bowies, Japanese tantos, hunters and folders, I think I just like knives and making them!

My question is where are the best places to sell them and of course get a reasonable return on them, how many of you make a reasoinable amount for your efforts?

[Colin KC]

Shing,
The only ones that I've made on are the ones that I've made to sell (customer orders or "got an idea, make it quick") As I've not sold too many, perhaps I'm not the best to ask, but I'd suggest putting some on Ebay, to get an Idea, then find out how much a "selling" membership on BF is & do the whole CKD, BF, BB thing & see how it goes

I'd definately do the Ebay thing first though (more people will see your name then, even if you put a high reserve on them, not too high though or people will think you're a pratt:p )

[PS_Bond]

Another thing - how do you price?

If I were to factor in everything - consumables, materials, wear on machinery - and then add on time, it all gets very silly. And I need to get faster! So...

Additionally, the knives have to be priced at what the market will bear. That is, I suspect, a particularly fun problem here in the UK.

Also - reputation appears to have a significant bearing. I'd love to see what e.g. Jens Anso's knives *used* to go for, or what Jason Cutter's will go for a couple of years down the line. I guess exposure is the way to get this - again, BF, CKD, here...

Peter

[Colin KC]

Possibly the most cost effective way to do it would be to ship the knives to a friend in the States & get them to sell them from there.

The plusses are:

Shipping half a dozen knives to one address is gonna settle the duty thing one way or the other (this means that you can price accordingly)

A U.S. Ebay account will get you better pricing than over here.

The minus's are:

You may have to cut you "mate" in,

You have to have a pretty reliable guy on the other end,

One of us might buy it

Just a thought, what do you guy think?

[PS_Bond]

Another idea -

Sell a batch of say, half a dozen hunting knives, to a local gunshop (*if* they can be persuaded to purchase like that). Make sure any potential buyers/repeat buyers can contact you (makers card, that sort of thing). I might sound my local one out on that.

Not greatly enthusiastic about the shipping a batch to a mate thing, mostly because I'm a control freak. I'd rather handle shipping myself as much as possible, then if there are any problems, there is a single point of contact. I think?

Also - if US-based ads can be placed on EBay UK, is not the converse true? Never tried.

Anyway, who in their right mind would buy a product made over here, shipped to the States then shipped back here again?

Peter

[Colin KC]

Originally posted by PS_Bond
Anyway, who in their right mind would buy a product made over here, shipped to the States then shipped back here again?

Peter

ROTFLMFAO

[shing]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Looks like the Internet is the way to go given we don't have knife shows or even very big guns shows in this country.

Great reason (excuse) for getting that digital camera!

[PS_Bond]

No knife shows that I know of, but a fair few shooting shows, countryside shows etc.

Probably going to Bisley for the show myself.

As for digicams - remember you need an extremely high quality SLR-replacement type digicam. Or at least, that is what I told my wife

Peter

[bagman]

Peter - we had a Nikon D100 in for a customer a fewe weeks ago and I itching to have a go with it but I was a very good and left it alone

[PS_Bond]

I bought a Fuji S602 a while ago - I'd been looking for one to replace my dead Nikon SLR for some time, and *finally* this model had almost all the features I wanted - with the exception of cable release and a sync socket.

A few months down the line, they released the S602 Pro - complete with cable release and sync socket. Isn't that always the way?

Peter

[bagman]

I got a Nikon F80 for my birthday last year and what a shame all the lenses will fit a D100 but I think it will be a long time coming

We have our second child due in October so spending on all non essentials (and this includes expensive knives :eek: ) will have to be curtailed for a while.