Interest

I didn’t realize that’s how you found me. I quit placing ads when they doubled the price.
If it comes to getting another job I will probably stop making knives altogether.
 
Wow, you don't have to get crazy about it! There are still enough people here to make a good small business! I would really hate to see you close the doors!
 
frontiertom said:
Wow, you don't have to get crazy about it! There are still enough people here to make a good small business! I would really hate to see you close the doors!
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At almost 66, I don’t want to be working 7 days a week! One job is enough.
 
I understand, I will be 66 years young in a few days myself! You know the kind of physical problems I've dealt with! It's not gotten any better! Well, I sure hope you will be around making knives for a long time! Catch you later Buddy!
 
Hope you keep making them, maybe do some as you want, then post them up, it was said and I agree that there is enough interest to keep it going.

I am 50+ now, and that Blue Emu stuff is looking pretty interesting to try.....thanks to the ads......plus Prevagen...... but I keep forgetting to pick it up....the memory thing. :p
 
So that blue emu stuff helps?:rolleyes: It takes a couple of hours in the morning to get things loosened up and moving.o_O Kind of wish I wasn’t born in 57, but with age, comes wisdom, I think?
 
I know how you feel John,;) But I get up do the same thing and expect different results.:rolleyes:
 
A good test I use is if I can recognize myself in the mirror first thing in the morning, pre-coffee and despite how I really look in the morning, then I know the day has started okay. :p
 
frontiertom said:
I have to agree with Rob Babcock on the astronomical prices some of these guys put on their knives! I know that there are a lot of steps to make knives but, in simplicity, it is just a piece of metal with some type of wood or material of one kind or the other as a handle! Now, I've always been taught that simplicity is the mother of invention! I like the way John builds his knives, the materials he uses, and the prices he sells his knives for, not to speak of he basically let you tell him exactly what you want, and exactly how you want it! It's all simple, they are built well, you can beat the crap out of them and they just keep doing the job for you! When's the last time you've had a JK knife go bad on you? Has there ever been such a time? They are made right here in America with most of the materials that where made right here, by an American Artisan, you really can't beat it! That's all I can say! Think about it!
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JK Knives said:
I’ve been noticing for a while now that interest in my knives has been declining. I’m trying to figure out why this is. Any suggestions? The special offers are not too successful, so I’m hoping for ideas. I am not sure on how to proceed.
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I would like to clarify some of the things I said in my first post in here.

I have no doubt to the loyalty of the members within JK Handmade Knives section of the forum. That's not the problem here.

To me, the problem here has been nicely laid out by Frontiertom.

The fact that the knives made by JK Handmade Knives is simple and very utilitarian, being able to take a beating for many years should point out the sources of the issues JK is having in selling knives. I'm not saying that he should lessen the quality of his knives, far from it. But what I am pointing out is that most of his designs are pretty much the same across the board, causing loyal fans to find themselves only needing one knife per blade size and that's it. Why buy more when they're all the same to look at?

That is one of the reasons why Busse knives (also located within Blades Forum) is very successful; because they know how to diversify their knives portfolio, making many different shapes that offers different functions across the board. I bet you that if they kept their knives looking the same with not much changes since the 1990's, that they will not be as successful as they are today.

Back to my original response, it is of my opinion that in order to sell more knives, the knives themselves have to be a visual advertisement instead of plain utilitarian advertisement. Making the knives themselves visually unique each time that displays JK's own design flair (more than it is now) will turn JK fans into collectors, spreading more word of mouth to the rest of the community, and put more money into JK's pocket.

But if it stays the same, simple and utilitarian, then everyone that wants one will have one and need no more since it is a knife that is hard to kill during use. That will cause people to stop buying them because one is just enough to do it's job for the duration of it's lifetime.

---------------------------------------

I'm saying all the above because I noticed people in the thread is not willing to say them. So I'll say them because I firmly believe there is a way out that will get JK Knives back into the front.
 
LadyEarth said:
I would like to clarify some of the things I said in my first post in here.

I have no doubt to the loyalty of the members within JK Handmade Knives section of the forum. That's not the problem here.

To me, the problem here has been nicely laid out by Frontiertom.

The fact that the knives made by JK Handmade Knives is simple and very utilitarian, being able to take a beating for many years should point out the sources of the issues JK is having in selling knives. I'm not saying that he should lessen the quality of his knives, far from it. But what I am pointing out is that most of his designs are pretty much the same across the board, causing loyal fans to find themselves only needing one knife per blade size and that's it. Why buy more when they're all the same to look at?

That is one of the reasons why Busse knives (also located within Blades Forum) is very successful; because they know how to diversify their knives portfolio, making many different shapes that offers different functions across the board. I bet you that if they kept their knives looking the same with not much changes since the 1990's, that they will not be as successful as they are today.

Back to my original response, it is of my opinion that in order to sell more knives, the knives themselves have to be a visual advertisement instead of plain utilitarian advertisement. Making the knives themselves visually unique each time that displays JK's own design flair (more than it is now) will turn JK fans into collectors, spreading more word of mouth to the rest of the community, and put more money into JK's pocket.

But if it stays the same, simple and utilitarian, then everyone that wants one will have one and need no more since it is a knife that is hard to kill during use. That will cause people to stop buying them because one is just enough to do it's job for the duration of it's lifetime.

---------------------------------------

I'm saying all the above because I noticed people in the thread is not willing to say them. So I'll say them because I firmly believe there is a way out that will get JK Knives back into the front.
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Very well said and to the point.;)
 
I have wanted a stretched worker for a long time. I didn’t read everyone else’s responses entirely so forgive me if I repeat anything others may have already said.
I’m ADD and don’t remember I want one until I see one of your threads pop up and then I’m reminded.
Your sales model from what I can tell is to announce a model (or a few), take orders and then build them. It’s probably the right model for you and most normal brained people.
In my case it doesn’t work. Your best chance at selling me that stretched worker is to build it (or a few with different handle materials) and put it up for sale. If I stumbled across a sales thread with a stretched worker in 154cm with some type of nice dark wood handle I would feel compelled to buy it. From what I can tell there are a lot of broken brain people on BladeForums. Maybe enough to support this type of sales model. I’ve enjoyed your knives and sub forum since my early days on BF. I don’t post here much but I do stop in and read threads frequently.

Sorry about my broken brain!
 
JK Knives said:
Lots to think of here.
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I am very interested in seeing which new direction you might take your knives.

I have also been thinking of asking a maker, perhaps you, if they're willing to create a set of 3 kitchen knives of 3 different size and styles each and will stay in the kitchen forever.

Oh and speaking of ADHD, which I have myself as well, I like having pretty knives and/or well designed knives that is nice to touch, hold, look at, use, etc all in one sitting. I'm also a fan of subtle quirky styles that just stands out because it's quiet yet the design pops out. I have not found many of those that meets my standards except for this example made by a maker on here (which sadly I forgot but he's from Texas) (the big boy is the new forsaken steel heart from Busse):

acIFxTa.jpg


Another example on a bigger scale of quirky designs that I love:

8WxF3IQ.jpg


It's up to you where you want to take it. But I will buy if it had curves on the blade that holds characters and subtle to rich handle variations, etc via the JK touch that I've seen in other knives since I've joined.

Just food for thoughts!
 
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