Law Of the Sharks, Rules, Tips, and Tricks

Fiddleback

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Law of the Sharks:

1. Knives are posted in a Fiddleback Friday thread on a first come first serve basis. This means that the first unconditional "I'll Take It" gets it. If you ask a question about the knife, or offer a trade, then another person gives the unconditional "I'll take it" they get the knife.

2. The winner of the knife is determined first by the BF timestamp on the post, then, the post #. It is not up to me in any way.

3. Avoid editing your I'll take it posts. If you do this, then I have to go by the timestamp of the edit, which is often quite far down the list of posts. Common reasons folks edit posts are to switch the knife they chose because it was already taken, or because they want to tell me they've sent payment. If your knife was taken, post a new post. This gives you a new post # and timestamp. If another poster posted the I'll take it later during the same minute, you get a post # to differentiate the winner by, but if you edit, I have to allow everyone in that same minute ahead of you!!! There is no need to post that you've paid. I ship from paypal, so if you've paid, then the knife ships with the rest next Tuesday regardless of whether you post that you paid or not.

4. Have fun with it. I learned of the Law of the Sharks when I was buying Khukuri's from HI. It is good memories and a fun thing I look back on. It is used all over Bladeforums, and forums in general, and is not a creation of Fiddleback Forge.

5. If you have not had luck on Fiddleback Fridays, or its just not for you, try giving the shop a call and having us pull one from stock for you. These knives typically have been through a Fiddleback Friday cycle and didn't get selected. Please use the # on the website. Thats the dedicated shop line. (470) 239-4263 (Remember that if no-one answers, its a shop, and we're in the back running machines.)

6. We will not be filling requests or taking orders. I have listed my 5 reasons for not taking orders before, and those are good sound business reasons that I stand behind. Ordertaking almost drowned FF once, and I have zero interest in being a Custom Knifemaker. We are a Handmade Knife shop.



Phil, I hope you don't mind me quoting, but you've got the tips pegged, so I copied your post. You left out the Fotki trick, so I detailed it below your post.


I only got into the shark pool a few months back. I used to feel the same way that you did. I have studied the comments and actions of the some of the Great White Sharks in the pool. As a result I have gotten faster.

Here is my list of advice:

1) Have a plan for one or two specific models and/or features you want before the day starts.

2) Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. There is is no substitute for the single-minded investment of time when seconds count to get a certain model you want.

3) When the ad is published, do not start reading Andy's introductory summary of this week's offerings. That takes time and you can come back to it after you are done buying.

4) Do not use the roller on your mouse to scroll down. That is too slow. Grab the scroll bar on the right side of your screen and drag directly to the model you are interested in.

5) If you find the one you want, copy Andy's description and drag the scroll bar quickly to the bottom to post a reply. Paste the description in the reply and as few words as possible to indicate "I'll take it" and post your reply. More typing takes time and you will lose out if you type a "Dear Andy" letter that describes everything you like about the knife you want to buy. Just buy it and submit another post later about why you like it.

6) Hit refresh after posting your "I'll take it" to see if you really got it before someone else above you. While your quickly doing that pay attention to what else has already sold. Grab the scroll bar and drag up to your next target and repeat the process.

7) The knives are always posted smallest to largest. The competition is always fiercest for the small models because that is what everyone sees first. Some models like the Bushfinger routinely sell out very fast also. Again, it is crucial to have a plan beforehand to get what you want.

8) Do not post questions to Andy about the knife you really want in the sale thread. That just alerts the other sharks to hurry up and snatch it out from under you long before Andy replies.

9) Don't worry if you missed out this week. There will be more next week.

10) Be sportsmanlike and congratulate the other sharks who got the ones you want. Compliment them on their good taste.

11) One etiquette rule I recommend is no "past-posting." If you saw the movie The Sting, you will know what I mean. In the context of this forum, it means editing an earlier reply post to paste in another knife you want to purchase. I think every "Ill take it" post should be a fresh reply. That will help avoid a lot of confusion about who really got what and what is still available.

That is all that I have to offer. I have been fast and lucky enough to get three beautiful knives this month by using these steps. I wish you all luck getting the ones you want in the weeks to come.

Thanks,

Phil

As an official "Senior Citizen" and admitted computer Tyro, I am curious to know something. How is it that I get the Official "Fiddleback Friday" post from Andy and there are already 20 guys with requests for their picks before I even get to the end of the list of for sale knives (less than one minute) It's not a huge deal as I was just looking today but this has been happening more and more lately If you can contribute a response that's not a Smart assed post, I'd be interested in hearing some thoughts on this!

Thanks for asking this Gordy. I needed to be prompted, obviously. Comprehensivist has really laid out the basics. He did leave out one detail. I think a lot of folks are getting a head start on what is to be offered by watching for the pics to be added at Fotki. Remember that I use Fotki to host the pictures at Bladeforums. Its why my pictures never disappear like a lot of folks. You can look at the oldest threads in this forum and my pics are still there. That means that almost all of the knives I've ever made are still browsable at Fotki:

http://public.fotki.com/FiddlebackForge/

Before I write the thread, I upload the photo's at Fotki. So if you watch fotki and see the photo's, then you have a good idea of what you want in the batch. Thats quite a head start.

Gordy I want you to know that I was going to give a 5 minute warning on Twitter, but I decided against it because of you. Bladeforums faithful, including yourself are the ones that have been behind me from the start are how this has succeded. I won't handicap the forumers that aren't on twitter. The facebook posting and twitter posts will be after the thread has gone live at BF.
 
Thanks Andy for making this a sticky. And thanks Phil for a great list of tips. I'm not sure I qualify as one of the "Great White Sharks" as I fail at some of these steps, sometimes quite catastrophically and multiple times in one week. :) But you're pretty spot on with what I've used to snag some of my favorites.

Andy's additional tip of using the Fotki for a preview is a great one as well. That way you have a good idea of what's coming and where to start to look.

I love seeing all the passion over the Fiddlebacks. Andy and crew do such great work and are worthy of it.
 
I have temporarily un stuck it Thurin. This is so that it will bump up to the top of the thread for a few days and get more posts. Then I will stick it once it slows down.
 
Andy,

I am honored that you quoted my post. I already had a couple of suggestions to repost it separately.

It is disheartening to hear the new people get frustrated because they don't understand the system. This doesn't have to be a zero sum game with only winners and losers. You make enough fantastic knives every year that everyone should be able to get something they want, maybe not every week, but at least over time.

I wish you continued success and growth with your business.

Phil
 
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Great post Andy; FBF should be fun for everyone-- win lose or draw.

IMHO, if one looks at a lot of other successful custom / hand made knife makers they all adhere to the law of sharks when it comes to selling weekly runs and it just works. Anyone who has spent any time over at USN can attest to the madness when guys like Hinderer, Emerson, Al Franken, Randall, etc. sell current / new production.

Either way just my .02 but thanks for solidifying the rules for all of us; here's to more fun, successful, and crazy :)D) fiddleback fridays in the future!
 
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I learned more in 5 minutes reading this than I did by watching the process works for a few months. Thanks so much!
 
Also, Andy's dealers can be a great place to find what your looking for if you keep an eye out.

You would be surprised how many times I have seen people who want a specific knife not know there was one just waiting to be bought off a dealers site.
 
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I learned more in 5 minutes reading this than I did by watching the process works for a few months. Thanks so much!

Excellent! I'm glad to have you aboard.

Also, Andy's dealers can be a great place to find what your looking for if you keep an eye out.

You would be surprised how many times I have seen people who want a specific knife not know there was one just waiting to be bought off a dealers site.

Excellent point. Everyone keep in mind that I offer a 10% discount off your next direct from Fiddleback purchase when you buy a knife from one of our dealer partners. I do this on your honor. Just deduct at time of purchase.
 
If one stalked Andy (looked at his profile) one could see if he was in the process of posting a thread.. Saved a bit of F5ing...

Very happy with my current 5 Fiddlebacks so I'm pretty laid back on Fridays :D
 
Another trick, get a smart phone and refresh, refresh, refresh! :D

And use the Tapatalk app. I believe there is a free version. Basically a streamlined way to view and post on many forums (BF included obviously). It's far easier than using your phone browser to refresh. Even if you use it for nothing else, try it for FF Fridays. ;)
 
And use the Tapatalk app. I believe there is a free version. Basically a streamlined way to view and post on many forums (BF included obviously). It's far easier than using your phone browser to refresh. Even if you use it for nothing else, try it for FF Fridays. ;)

Strigamort, I also use Tapatalk, and this whole conversation got me wondering how quickly I could "claim" a knife. So I went to do a dry run and realized I have no idea how to quote only part of a post without time-extensive editing. Any help you can share? I've only used the app for a month or so. Before that I just used my browser.
 
Andy, Phil and everyone that posted all the helpful information. For the record I already was doing all the things that Phil stated in his post with the exception of the FOTKI which I didn't even know existed before last night. I want everyone to know that I am not totally unhappy with the process...heck, I've managed to get about thirty of Andy's knives over time and a bunch came from Fickle Back Friday. I was actually thinking that the "Posting Problem" was as simple as a network slowness issue that's why I asked the question.

I am happy that my question sparked a lot of interest and apparently the responses will be helping a lot of folks and not just myself.
 
This discussion has been truly illuminating! As a result i have quit my job and established a hi-tech command center with multiple staff in a permanent state of readiness in order that I may snag a Runt or Camp Knife on any given friday!:D
Seriously though, as frustrating as it can be, looking greedily at the newest batch of knives and trying (usually in vain) not to cut and paste is a highlight of my week. I'll continue to bumble along in my haphazard way, sometimes using my phone 40 foot up in a boom lift (I know, I know OSHA..), and I WILL GET A RUNT....;)
 
This discussion has been truly illuminating! As a result i have quit my job and established a hi-tech command center with multiple staff in a permanent state of readiness in order that I may snag a Runt or Camp Knife on any given friday!:D
Seriously though, as frustrating as it can be, looking greedily at the newest batch of knives and trying (usually in vain) not to cut and paste is a highlight of my week. I'll continue to bumble along in my haphazard way, sometimes using my phone 40 foot up in a boom lift (I know, I know OSHA..), and I WILL GET A RUNT....;)

Wait wait wait... You don't have a command center ?! I've been paying my staff in FBF business cards and Rick Lowe leather scraps for weeks now to obtain any sort of results.
 
Wait wait wait... You don't have a command center ?! I've been paying my staff in FBF business cards and Rick Lowe leather scraps for weeks now to obtain any sort of results.

Hahaha! After this months's purchases my command centre will amount to my wife sitting in a Starbucks with an iPad making a small latte last from noon til the thread comes up!
 
Strigamort, I also use Tapatalk, and this whole conversation got me wondering how quickly I could "claim" a knife. So I went to do a dry run and realized I have no idea how to quote only part of a post without time-extensive editing. Any help you can share? I've only used the app for a month or so. Before that I just used my browser.

I believe that the experience will vary from phone to phone (android or iphone) or device. Software version will definitely change things. I have Tapatalk on both my phone and Kindle Fire. Because I use SwiftKey 3 on my phone (which I absolutely love btw) the experience is really different.

If I wanted to quote Andy's post I'd tap his post, and quote it. In the my new post (with his original post in the body) I'd long press anywhere in a part that I don't want, then use the highlighter thingies (technical eh?) to highlight whatever I don't want then cut it. Do that for the text above what you want, and for the text below it. Then write "I'll take" above the quoted text and hit reply. Should only take a few seconds.

Or...

Tap his post, quote it, long press on the part you want, drag the highlighter tabs over what you want (btw, long press on any text to bring up the highlighter tabs) then long press the highlighted text to bring up your options, choose copy. Back out of the post, then make another one, long press in the body, then choose paste.

Sounds rather complicated but it's pretty easy once you do it once or twice.

It's hard to put into words in a post. PM me if you want me to bullet point the steps. That might make it more clear.
 
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Excellent thread but No way I can hover over the phone on Fridays. Last week I was in the shower for work when posted. By the I had my uniform on, 3/4 of the knives were taken. lol .. supply/demand. I get it and good for business to say the least. I live close en uno that I just need to come by and see what's on hand. Otherwise, I stick to cruising the leftovers and pre - owned classifieds. :)
 
Andy,

Does this mean I can call your shop every Thursday and ask you to hold any bloodwood knives for me??

:D

(It is a joke, but I'm posting this because you know there is some one out there who will probably do this to you)
 
I believe that the experience will vary from phone to phone (android or iphone) or device. Software version will definitely change things. I have Tapatalk on both my phone and Kindle Fire. Because I use SwiftKey 3 on my phone (which I absolutely love btw) the experience is really different.

If I wanted to quote Andy's post I'd tap his post, and quote it. In the my new post (with his original post in the body) I'd long press anywhere in a part that I don't want, then use the highlighter thingies (technical eh?) to highlight whatever I don't want then cut it. Do that for the text above what you want, and for the text below it. Then write "I'll take" above the quoted text and hit reply. Should only take a few seconds.

Or...

Tap his post, quote it, long press on the part you want, drag the highlighter tabs over what you want (btw, long press on any text to bring up the highlighter tabs) then long press the highlighted text to bring up your options, choose copy. Back out of the post, then make another one, long press in the body, then choose paste.

Sounds rather complicated but it's pretty easy once you do it once or twice.

It's hard to put into words in a post. PM me if you want me to bullet point the steps. That might make it more clear.

I think I understand. That just looked like it would take more time than that. Admittedly, I didn't go that far into my dry run.... I'll have to give it a go and see what it really takes time wise for me.

I also loved Swiftkey when I was running android, but I "consolidated" so my various electronic doodads could communicate with each other better. Swiftkey is really the only thing I miss. Been thinking of seeing if it is available on iDevices.
 
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