what's is the stupidest thing someone said about your knives?

We argued back and forth for about 10 minutes until finally he picked one of the other knives up, put it his close to his ear, and flicked it with his finger. He shook his head and said, "Nope, you can't fool an old Indian, these sound different, an Indian can hear good steel. Why are

I had forgotten this until I read Nick's post. Years ago, I was showing one of my knives to a hunter in the mountains. One of the local cops (named Black Jack Bradly by his co-workers) Came up and asked to see it. This a$$ licked the blade, looked at it for a minute and said, "Might hold an edge, good steel won't hold moisture you know!" :barf:
 
Hi,
It is a good thing that you have learned to keep your composure when asked some crazy things.
Educating the public and widening your customer base are very important.
I once asked a maker "How do you chrome plate your knives" to see if he would be patient enough to deal with my wife. He blinked twice was the only reaction before he explained his buffing process.
Today we are thousands of dollars lighter of pocket because she, and unfortunately I, have bought many of his knives and from about a dozen others including one that has commented to this thread.
You can never tell when you are being set up or interest that may later turn into a sale.
There was the time when a lady asked me how I painted the rings on the hickory handle........Ken
 
Nick, none taken! The fool is an example why there was constant tribal wars among tribes. Every tribe has it's village idiot. You fellows show remarkable patience, I should add.You ever see a guy pick up one of your knives and toss it into the air and catch it by the handle? I have once, while in my shop. I was very polite, and as soon as he caught the knife, I asked him if he was trying to cut himself or me. The customer/owner was standing right behind him, and did the real yelling at him.
 
"Is that fire real" A favourite any time the forge is running.

My dad who never fails to pick up every Japanese chisel or plane blade in the shop, and apply his thumb to it. Never cut himself, but he doesn't realize it's bad maners, and it's pointless when everything is as sharp 8000 will get it.

The guy who said "I can get a knife at Walmart for 35 bucks, 35 bucks is the most I will ever pay", reminds me of every guy on this board talking about anything he might buy, unless it's a knife!
 
Nick...your post about the indian has to be one of the best stories I have ever heard!

I think I would have been tempted to say "that's heap big buffalo dung!"

Ya know...another thing that I REALLY hate to hear is "do you make throwing knives?" or "will this thing throw good?"
 
I am loving this, I have heard alot of the same ones and i have not even had a table at any shows. Some of my favorites are:

A guy at work keeps hounding me for a "prototype" knife. Basically a freebie junk blade that I wouldn't sell to anyone. But he wants it to show to his buddies to help me drive in sales. How does a flawed knife drive in sales?

The guy at the local propane refilling station asked what i was doing with all my propane. I said no, i don't heat my garage with it, i make knives. He seemed generally interested so the next time I needed propane, i brought in a chevron twist damascus dagger for him to see. I went through the whole disertation on damascus and how it is made. Well, "I ain't much into daggers" he said. Don't you make a hunting knife? Yes, and I told him I patterned the profile off of the Schrade Sharp Finger. He asked how much and I said Two Fifty. His eyes lite up and said wow, so can I get two for five dollars? :eek: He was generally embarassed when i had to clarify that it was $250 not $2.50.

The last good one I can think of is when talking to people about making knives/damascus. They are asking good questions, and want to learn more. Then the old stand by question comes out; "So how long does it take you to make a knife?" I tell them anywhere from 10 to 40 hours depending what it is. They look at me with that blank stare and just reply while shaking their head; "You have too much time on your hands." And mind you, these are the people who either spend all their time working for the man and never see their family, or else spend every night at the bar.

People are just too funny ;)
 
Licking the blade!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA, that's hilarious!

Again I hope I didn't offend anyone with my first post. I have NOTHING against any race, that guy was just being an idiot.

I forgot when I was in college I took in several knives and showed them to my main Engineering professor. I only took in one at a time though, so this was over the course of several months. Every single one I took in, he would look at carefully and then ask, "Is this a throwing knife???"

At that same gun show as my other post, I had a fantasy knife (an order, not my kind of thing). Another real gem of a fellow came up and asked me about 12 times what it was good for. I tried to explain that it was made to sit in a case on a shelf...just a collector's item, not to be used. He continued to ask the same question over AND OVER. I kept my cool, even though I was getting mad because he just simply wasn't listening. The last time (seriously about 12 times) he looked it over again and said, "Is it for cutting bread???"

I swallowed and said, "Sir, you don't understand, this knife isn't meant for any kind of actual use, it was made purely and simply to be something to hang on the wall." Basically the same thing I had said the first 11 times.

He started to ask, "But what if you used it for....." And that same gun dealer next to me that had stood up for me before, says, "Lay your nuts up there on his table and he'll show you what that knife is good for!"

I was horrified....but I really really wanted to laugh.

Because of these incidents, I don't think it's hard to see why I DO NOT do gun shows anymore!!!!! :D

Ken made a good point...9 out of 10 times a person just hasn't been around this stuff to know one way or another. I've always been a big proponent of customer education. The only two things I mentioned that actually irritated me were the "flicking and listening, and the what's it good for" episodes. All the other stuff is completely understandable for someone that just doesn't know about custom knives.

Nick
 
Dan Gray said:
I was thinking about past lookers that have come into my shop. customers,, (unenlightened customers..) :D
it's amazing that only in my shop, would I get the question? with the name gray on it only someone named gray would want to buy it :confused:
he must have thought it was a fancy monagramed key ring :)

belive it :D
Click to expand...
Hahaha....I get it. You made it for your brother-right?. Man, some people.
 
peter nap said:
We argued back and forth for about 10 minutes until finally he picked one of the other knives up, put it his close to his ear, and flicked it with his finger. He shook his head and said, "Nope, you can't fool an old Indian, these sound different, an Indian can hear good steel.

I had forgotten this until I read Nick's post. Years ago, I was showing one of my knives to a hunter in the mountains. One of the local cops (named Black Jack Bradly by his co-workers) Came up and asked to see it. This a$$ licked the blade, looked at it for a minute and said, "Might hold an edge, good steel won't hold moisture you know!" :barf:
Click to expand...

Are these people trying to yank your chain or are they serious?
 
Are these people trying to yank your chain or are they serious?

Just as serious as can be. Elkton Va does not hire Rocket Scientists! :footinmou
 
I used to have a display cabinet in my shop with a few of my knives inside. A guy came in, looked through the knives, and picked one up. He asked,"How much for this one?"

I repied "3". His eyes got as big as saucers, and he said "I'll take it". He put the knife down on the bench and starting digging in his pocket, and I realized what he was thinking, so I told him the price was $300.

I was so embarrassed for him, I've never quoted a price like that again. I always try to remember to quote the exact price in dollars now. That taught me a lesson.

Another day, a man came in the shop while I was making a large tactical straight knife for a soldier stationed in Kuwait. He asked me what the knife was for. I told him it was a weapon. He backed away and exclaimed, "A Weapon!!" he acted absolutely shocked that anyone would build a weapon.

I asked him if he had ever been in the military. He said, yes, he had been a helicopter pilot in the army. I aked him if he carried a weapon while he was on duty. He replied, "Oh, yes, but we were taught to throw the weapons away if we went down."

I showed him the door. And told him to get off my property. He did. :D

Over the years, I've had about the same questions and comments the rest of you have mentioned.

Good thread, Dan.
 
The most words that are said at shows are Ill BE BACK.
Everytime someone says this I just think of a Swartenager movie.
The one that always sticks in my mind is the experience like as Laredo7mm had.
They person askes that price. I reply 495. The customer pulls out a $5.00 bill! ;)
 
Aside from the usuall: Do you ever get burned? How often do you get burned? Does it hurt when you get burned?

The while I was making a knife was :"Is the piointy end dangerous?"
 
My favorite is when I'm on the oil rig, now this is a state of the art automated drill rig with more collage degrees and educated people than you can shake a stick at, asking "You use old files/sawblades?", or when discusing cable damascus"You melt it down? After you heat it it's not hard any more, won't cut very well will it?"

And of course the ever standard "I can get a knife for 35$ at Wallmart!" This from people that spend 10 thousand on a four wheeler, a grand or better on a rifle and no telling how much on other hunting gear but want to go cheap on a knife. I cary a small damascus neck knife and keep hearing "your going to break the blade!" and "what's those lines?"
 
Living in a somewhat rural part of Tennessee, We hear "y'all oughta set up at the flea market , you could sell a bunch of those for 30 bucks." then after telling them how much they are,they'll say something like , who on earth pays that much for a knife . I think its funny.
 
"You make knives to sell?" The reply you are sometimes wanting to give is,"Heck, no! I just spent all those thousands of dollars on shop and equipment so I could give them away"! I have a wait list of customers but it is still suggested continually by some family members and other folks that I should advertise over the internet or make up a bunch and put them on E-Bay. I guess if I could knock out a dozen every day I could, huh? How many times you folks get asked by small mom&pop establishments to put some of your knives in their display cases to sell? Even though you explain you are making custom knives and how it operates, they still want some knives for their stores. You are still chasing your tail trying to explain how it works, and I think everyone here has displayed infinite patience with the same old and sometimes aggravating questions. The guy that said he was trained to throw down his rifle, I would have escorted him out, too. He was either a coward or a liar, or both.
 
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