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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
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"HOT" Makers wanted
Ok,
Lets say a world famous knife magazine editor contacts you and asks you to write some profiles on "hot" knife makers. Who would you write about and what would you say? This is not a thread about your "Favorite" makers. They have to be "hot"...Right Now or will be "Hot" within the next 6 months. So who you got? __________________ Les Robertson Custom Knife Entrepreneur Field Editor for Blade Magazine www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com |
#2
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Bruce Bump, Kevin Cashen and Don Hanson
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#3
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Hi Robert,
You missed this part of the Post: Who would you write about and what would you say? This is not a thread about your "Favorite" makers. So, what makes Bruce, Kevin and Don "Hot" makers. __________________ Les Robertson Custom Knife Entrepreneur Field Editor for Blade Magazine www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com |
#4
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Kirby LAMBERT. He's a young guy, which is nice to see young blood in the knife making world, and is kicking out some killer tactical folders. The designs are very well thought out and they just feel nice in the hand. He makes knives full time and appears at various shows in the US and Canada. His Inferno model is a nice design that is comfortable in many grips. He also makes fixed blades as well, and does a mean handle wrap. He uses real good materials, stainless damascuss, 6al4v, CF, etc, and each of his thumbstuds hav a gem stone set in it, which he does him self. He turns his Ti backspacers and studs on his lathe in his shop. I have noticed that he has been getting a lot of notice from the internet knife community.
There is also Jeremy KRAMMES. He is coming out with some stunning folders, and his Peregrine model is nice and slim with a sexy recurve on it. He makes knives part time and is currently developing new models, which is something every knife maker that wats to be 'hot' should be doing. I think that he's gonna get bigger as the year goes on, but his knives are still reasonably priced at around $350, I believe, but could be wrong. Just some thoughts. Trenton |
#5
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Hi Trenton,
Kirby would be one to consider, he seems to be getting a fair amount of interest. Jeremy is another one. I started looking at his work 8 months ago. His work is excellent for the money. __________________ Les Robertson Custom Knife Entrepreneur Field Editor for Blade Magazine www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com |
#6
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Les
Another person for you to concider would be Don Cowles.He practically invented the market for fived blade gents knives. Has incredible fit anf finish. His designs are truly breathtaking and he is getting a lot of notice both in Dr Darom's book,and Blade Annual 2006. He is also one of the true gentlemen in the business. Thanks Steve __________________ Stephen Vanderkolff Please come on over and check out my website. http://www.vanderkolffknives.com/ Thanks |
#7
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In the world of forged knives, Burt Foster has been attracting some attention lately. He won the last ABS cutting comp at the Moran hammer-in and has been turning out some really distinctive knives. He's covering a lot of ground too, finding success with forged integrals, "blue collar" hunters, high-end dressed up bowies, stainless/carbon san-mai hunters, and even kitchen knives. It seems like all his customers are thrilled with his work and he has a magnetic personality as well - which suggests that his appeal will only grow.
__________________ new and improved signature coming soon |
#8
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Hi Wulf,
First, it is nice to hear from a collector, I think everyone else who posted is a maker. Second, I don't want this to turn into a favorite maker thread. Hot makers are hot now....they may not be hot in 6 months. Conversely, a maker may not be hot now and be hot 6 months from now. Burt makes some great knives, So do Harvey Dean, Joe Flournoy, Bert Gaston, Jim Crowell, Jimmy Walker, Dickie Robinson as do most of the ABS Master Smiths. Winning the cutting competition at Moran's is great, however I don't think Burt qualified for the World Cutting Competiton. If you want to say a maker is hot with regards to cutting competitons than they need to qualify for the World Championships at the Blade Show. I think last year it was Reggier Barker (Winner), Adam DesRosiers and Dan Farr (I think there is someone I am forgetting). All of these makers had to win or quality at several hammer-ins to qualify. I like Burt as well, a very smart business mind. The hottest maker in the ABS is Jerry Fisk. After that there are about 6 JS and Apprentice makers who are very hot. Keep em coming guys. I am glad to see that people aren't point out the painfully obvious makers....thank you. __________________ Les Robertson Custom Knife Entrepreneur Field Editor for Blade Magazine www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com |
#9
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Hope it's alright for me to chime in here again, and I hope he's not to painfully obvious...
Lee LILLIAMS. His rhino flipper is a very good design that has garnered a lot of attention, both from users, collectors and makers. I think he's hot right now. His knives sell fast on the internet market for pre-owned knives, as well as getting new ones. He has some real nice design work, his names are interesting (Crux) and the embelishments are eye catching (one looked like water splashing on the handle). These guys aren't my favorite makers, but they do work that I enjoy. I think my most favorite maker right now would have to be Brian LYTTLE. Trenton |
#10
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Hi Trenton,
His name is Lee Williams (maybe just a typo). Lee has a problem that many new makers do. He just doesn't make enough knives. I talked to him last summer and he said he was taking 6 months off to move to a new job. Many of the makers out there who are considered "hot" produce so few knives that there are just a handfull of people who have seen their work. So the knives either bring a high premium in the aftermarket and/or become impossible to get. This is when the collectors move on. I don't even know if Lee is making knives right now. Tough to be a "Hot" maker if your not producing knives. I agree with you though, he could get very hot, I like the look of his new folders very much. __________________ Les Robertson Custom Knife Entrepreneur Field Editor for Blade Magazine www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com |
#11
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Les
Is it possible to be a "HOT" maker if you are not putting out folders? Seems to me the market for just fixed blades isn't big enough or wide enough to allow for the market appeal to make a maker really hot. What do you think? Steve __________________ Stephen Vanderkolff Please come on over and check out my website. http://www.vanderkolffknives.com/ Thanks |
#12
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Darrel Ralph has a new line and never leaves a show with knives on his table. Yup, he's a buddy, but he is hot as a pistol, too.
Nick Wheeler will sell anything that he can produce, but his output is limited also. Great F&F and personality that people enjoy dealing with. Hot in my book. Ron Newton can do it all. Seems to sell out everywhere and has quite a following and respect among the top names. Todd Begg has a following and a standalone look. Anyone who made the Tactical Invitational is a good benchmark. Anything handmade by Mick Strider can't get much hotter. Fairly obvious, though. Kevin Wilkins is making headway. Maybe not right now, but soon enough. His location (Germany) may prohibit that. Lee Williams would have also been on my list, but he's covered above. Shoot holes in my list, now.... Cop |
#13
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Thanks Les, it was just a typo. From a relative newby maker those posted above offer great benchmarks to strive for. ut also being a newby, I can inderstand the not making many knives thing. I just don't have the time. I'm backed up on orders for at least 6 months. If I did it full time that would probably be down to less than 2 months, but I'm not. I have a full time career, and a wife that insists on some attention every once in a while. What would you suggest I do to help get more product out there. I'm not being sarcastic, I'm curious. I want to make more, but I just don't know how.
Are you going to have a table in Vegas? Look forward to meeting you there. Trenton |
#14
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Hi Stephen,
Oddly enough many makers have become hot because they produce so few knives. I was interviewed for an article in Knives Illustrated earlier this month. The article discussed how knife makers can use the Internet to improve their business. The majority of makers do not take advantage of the Internet. Those that are helped the most received this by collectors who sing their praises on the Interent Forums. Many of these individuals cannot afford the very knife they covet. However, they praise any and all who acquire a knife from the maker. The majority of these individuals have never seen or held a knife by this maker in person. They praise the maker and those who get their knives in order to be part of the "Fun" or "club". An odd item is that some of these people do finally buy a knife (using a credit card). They get the praise and can feel the love. Then 3 weeks later you see the knife for sale on the same forum...the credit card bill is due. Case in point (not picking on Coop but he brought the makers name up in this thread) Nick Wheeler. I agree with Coop that his knives are very nice. In 2005 he made a total of 8 knives. So how many people actually received a knife from Nick in 2005? Well only 8 at the most. How many people who actually received a knife could have posted on the Internet? Again, only 8 at the most. Go to Bladeforums and do a search for the name Nick Wheeler. You will see hundreds of posts singing Nicks praises. In actuality how many of these people could have actually seen or held the knives in person. There a hundreds of people on the Internet who sing the praises, mostly because they like hearing (reading in this case) their voice. As for fixed blades being hot, currently there is more demand for "hot" fixed blade makers than folder makers. The Internet has a limited knowledge base and as such many of the praise singers just don't know who the makers are. __________________ Les Robertson Custom Knife Entrepreneur Field Editor for Blade Magazine www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com |
#15
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