Frustration with Instagram and webstore races to get custom makers' new knives

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I have no problem if small makers offer their personal friends the favor of a knife from time to time outside of newsletter, IG or the website sales. Makers are normal people with personal friends and many friends do give gifts and favors to each other from time to time for occasions like birthdays and Christmas, etc. But I would expect such friendship gifts and favors to only take up a minor amount of the output that a maker is able to produce if the maker aims to sell to the public. I do not have any maker with whom I have such friendship with at this moment. So just trying to give an objective viewpoint.
 
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tchan001 said:
I have no problem if small makers offer their personal friends the favor of a knife from time to time outside of newsletter, IG or the website sales. Makers are normal people with personal friends and many friends do give gifts and favors to each other from time to time for occasions like birthdays and Christmas, etc. But I would expect such friendship gifts and favors to only take up a minor amount of the output that a maker is able to produce if the maker aims to sell to the public. I am do not have any maker who I have such friendship with at this moment. So just trying to give an objective viewpoint.
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And why would it not be ok for A maker (lets leave Bryan out) to sell half of his output to people he personally picks or has a relationship with? I haven’t seen a lot of makers (outside of BRB maybe) who openly and transparently says: this is how we sell knives and only like this.

As a customer I cherish transparency, and I would love for a maker to come out and clearly say: this is how you can get a knife from me (through a, b and c), no exceptions.

As a maker I would never do that though. You’re limiting yourself. None of us has any rights, not to buy a knife or to know how many are sold through offline channels.

Just an example: the other day I happened to respond to an IG Story. It was just a nice comment about a knife (didn’t inquire to buy it), just mentioned something about the specs that I would change. The maker said that he made a second and offered it to me....

I think that should absolutely be his right. He doesn’t what to list it in his Webshop.... and I’m not saying that because I bought it but because it believe in a makers right chose how, where and to whom to sell their knives.
 
Makers can sell all their knives to friends if they want, but that gives them no public exposure. Sure their friends may buy a couple knives each from the maker, but I doubt they will aim to support the maker's living just by themselves. Thus a maker needs to build up a reputation outside his circle of friends to survive. He needs people who have bought and enjoyed his products to tell other people that they should also try it out. This implies that there is product available to newcomers. If you know that the producer plans to stop supplying the market tomorrow, would you still try to promote his knives to your friends?
Secondly, the reputation a maker builds up can break down in an instance. Witness the CJA fiasco and the aftermath with potential buyers. So a maker needs to be vigilant in protecting his public image.
 
Wahnamhong said:
I'm still interested in knowing whether JML is banned, and if so, why. As a newcomer to the forum I'd like to know how things are being run here, and what the role of moderators is.
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Because JML makes daveb want to have drink. And "mod team spend more time with his dumb ass sh!t than all of the other members combined". 😁
 
F-Flash said:
Because JML makes daveb want to have drink. And "mod team spend more time with his dumb ass sh!t than all of the other members combined". 😁
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i think JML is DaveB’s alter ego!

Prove me wrong. And while you’re at it, might as well try to prove that humans indeed landed on the moon! Good luck 😜🤣
 
A few years back I spent a lot of time being a mod on two sites related to a hobby that I was involved in. I can honestly say it was one of the most thankless tasks that I have ever been involved in. I spent endless hours coddling adult children who were all about “me me me“. Not satisfied with simply using the sites for the common, useful purposes for which they were intended, they picked and tore at the politics, alienating other users and dominating the site with incessant drivel. I could write a chapter on the childish, self-absorbed garbage that I had to deal with. Garbage that was served up by the smallest portion of the members which ultimately drove productive members from the site.

So here’s my take on the mods serving KKF. They are patient, fair and unobtrusive ... in short fabulous! Leave them alone and let them continue doing their jobs. Don’t second guess them, pick at them or negotiate with them. Be assured that you couldn’t deal with the amount of crap they deal with behind the scenes for no remuneration whatsoever. We‘re lucky to have them.

If you can’t do that or find KKF too restrictive go start your own site and you will soon find out that what I’m saying is true.

There ... I broke my own rule and opened my big mouth. I’ll probably live to regret it.
 
alterwisser said:
i did not agree with the voices here Recently that singled you out for moderation getting out of hand, but honestly: why you have to single and call me out ...?
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I apologize, it was meant 100% as a joke, I hope it was clear without a smiley. I was literally writing a thread-closing-post when I got the info that there is a new reply - it was yours and on topic - so closing the thread at that moment would have not been the right thing to do anymore.
 
Please leave this thread open I personally wanna remember the silliness of when KKF members were mentioned along the lines with the KKK ... BECAUSE OF A KNIFE 😂😂😂

Props to the mods for having to deal w this stuff

Its just knives people lol
 
panda said:
or you can simply not read the thread any longer. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
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I actually enjoy this thread! For me, there's entertainment value as well as getting to know other members' opinions. If a thread bores me, I simply don't go there. Some of the more feisty threads are a welcome respite from my business sucking because of covid restrictions.
 
Byphy said:
Please leave this thread open I personally wanna remember the silliness of when KKF members were mentioned along the lines with the KKK ... BECAUSE OF A KNIFE 😂😂😂

Props to the mods for having to deal w this stuff

Its just knives people lol
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Hey, I was attacked by JML (bless his heart) a few times as a racist - never could understand why

Odd bird indeed

I want to get one of Bryan’s knives, will keep on focusing on finger speed 😊😊😊

My luck will turn eventually
 
panda said:
or you can simply not read the thread any longer. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
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well, while that is true i personally like to not just accept phrasings that may be hurtful to others but instead try to draw attention to the problem to be the action i like the best.

each to their own. everyone is entitled to their own opinion but i think it just fair to be able to express it. :)

enough soup has been made on my bone.
 
Talking about soup - time to get out the Denka and start chopping some vegetables for dinner - it’s past 6 pm here in Basel...they are getting hungry
 
It is OK to be frustrated with not being able to buy something. It is also OK to voice that frustration on the forum dedicated to the subject in question. OP got a lot of crap partially because of who he is and many people are just annoyed. Bloodroot Blades lottery system is the most fair of the ones I've seen, but it is up to the maker how they want to sell what they make. No one said it has to be fair, but if a maker's goal was fairness, BB lottery is it. There is some overhead that the maker can cover by increasing price on every knife some amount and either hiring help or helping offset the time it takes to manage it. Again though, makers can do what they want and don't have to try to find ways to be fair.
 
I think that unless a maker takes advance payment, they have no obligation. They are free to sell as they please, when they please, and to whom they please. I believe that if a buyer really wants something, they will put forth the effort to acquire the object of their desire. If not, then they did not want it badly enough. If the way any given maker sells their knives was detrimental to the maker's goals, then the maker will change or find a new pursuit.

Also, I am glad @Matus chimes in a lot. He is my second favorite Mod. 🥈
 
I too can relate to the unpaid job a mod has to do, treat them with kindness.

As much as I'd like to be able to shop online for a custom Shig the reality is that that won't happen (or not anytime soon).

I'm not interested in cars in a major way, yet there are some similarities...some (hyper)cars you can only buy after being invited by the maker, AKA being found 'worthy' (a certain Ferrari you do not even get to put in your driveway, the company will ship it to the track of choice for you). Similar things happen in more mundain life, restaurants at the level like f.e. NOMA or Fat Duck, having a 3-6 month solidly booked waiting list yet some people seemt to be able to get a table ad hoc anyhow.

Is my life less complete, do I miss out, am I deprived of anything? Is it unfair that someone picks up 5 shigs in a month somehow? Heck no, WITH the knife a tiny part of my life may become nicer, nothing more.
 
I get that makers want to sell at what they consider a fair price, give anyone a chance to buy their work, not sell out to the highest bidder etc etc. It's commendable. But market value is determined by the market, not the maker. By selling below what the market would pay, they're just transferring value to the first buyer, who can then reap the rewards of the maker's labor and reputation in their stead.
 
OnionSlicer said:
By selling below what the market would pay, they're just transferring value to the first buyer, who can then reap the rewards of the maker's labor and reputation in their stead.
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Possibly so. OTOH, we have several posters here who clearly have very little idea but plenty of money (and loud and constantly-expressed clueless opinions) and maybe the makers would like their knives to end up with actual users, not numbnuts collectors who don't even actually understand what they're collecting.
 
for what it's worth I think the core original idea of this thread, i.e. that it has been incredibly frustrating to try and source anything this year, is actually pretty reasonable.

it may be a serious first-world problem, but I can empathize with that core idea. I've missed a ton of stuff this year. 'Angry' is not the emotion. Even 'sad' isn't right. both of those would seriously overstate things. It's just been a rough year overall and I want to buy a few toys, and it's yet another small frustration that SO many things are getting impossible to get without absurd luck. for example, I recently got a guitar pedal from Chase Bliss because I happened to be on my lunch break and was checking my personal email. They sold out within 10 minutes and now reverb has a handful for sale at about 2x what I paid from the manufacturer. The whole thing makes me feel a bit gross. I don't blame Chase Bliss, they are some seriously nice folks who are trying their best.

I just don't understand how anyone could be happy/enthusiastic about the current circumstance. ambivalent? sure. accepting? why not. but happy?

furthermore, I think calling the original post "entitled" is a straight up surface of the sun level take.
 
labor of love said:
JML never singled out Raquin for selling knives in a less than respectable way just so we’re clear.
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And he made sure to point that out. 43 times. Each time bringing about a new 💩storm.

It's never been in question that it's a timely thread. And there are no easy answers except that each maker is free to pursue their own path and each buyer is as well.
 
I am at peace knowing I will never likely have a Kato WH or maybe a Raquin. It just means I will have to buy more of other knives

To each maker their own style of selling.

We will all eventually get what we crave, might take longer or less than expected

Our demand is the cause of the scarcity, after all.

And enough of JML, let’s enjoy while he is taking a much needed ban-break😊
 
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