There was a discussion in another thread about getting really cool custom pieces from makers that I thought I could give some interesting insight on, being that I am both a maker and a buyer.
PART 1 - THE MAKER
Let's talk maker POV first.
The biggest factor when requesting a custom piece is understanding who the maker is and why they do what they do.
First things first, unique customs are a pain in the ******* ass. Makers are generally set up to do the thing that they do. Every tool in there shop, every jig, every process is dialed in to do the thing that they do. This makes building that thing fast, consistent and high quality. Even if from your point of view it's something simple like, "Instead of making a 2" thick cutting board can you make it 2.5?". For me in the shop, this will add DAYS to the build. It's a tiny little thing for sure, but it then begs the question, why would I do that. A little tweak like this will likely increase the build time by 50%, so therefore I should be able to increase the price by 50%, right?! Show of hands who would pay an additional $425 for one of my boards with a tiny adjustment like that. There are some people that would, but this is where it again comes back to knowing the maker.
A core tenet of my business is that I charge what my product is genuinely worth. Not what my time is worth, but what the final product is worth. I want people to get there moneys worth. I am setup to build 2" thick cutting boards, and because I have streamlined certain parts of my process to do this efficiently, I can make it so that you get the best bang for your buck. When I make a board that is 2.5" thick, you are no longer getting your moneys worth, and that goes against how I run my business. I'm assuming you can see how this circles back to understanding the maker and why they do what they do. Some makers are happy to do what ever you want, and they just adjust the price to make sure they are getting paid fairly. And there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. But it's not what I like to do. Hence, understanding the maker.
Another reason custom orders are no fun is because... why? Why would i adjust all the tools in my shop to make a cutting board that will take me twice as long and I'll charge 50% more for. I could just make two of my classic cutting boards which I am good at, love making and setup up for in the same time. I could do one custom order that is more difficult, more time consuming and less profitable which makes one person happy. Or I could make two cutting boards however I want, they will be smooth, fast and of the highest quality, I'll get paid more, the money I get will be from people who are getting there moneys worth, and I will get to make two people happy. Seems like a no brainer to me.
And the last reason is that makers are for the most part people who like to keep there heads down and work quietly. People that lean towards and excel at this kind of detailed entrepreneurial work are not often extremely social and outgoing people. I for one am never happier than when I am in my shop with my headphones on making cutting boards. My wife for example is the opposite, she loves going into the office, chatting with her coworkers and dealing with customers. For me, and a lot of other makers, that sounds like hell. Most makers will tell you the hardest part of the job is dealing with people. Custom orders take it from being something you do completely on your own, exactly the way you want to now having somebody to report to. It becomes even worse if they have paid you in advance because now there is this looming feeling of expectation and having to do exactly what they want. You went from complete freedom, to having a boss. If you're wondering why so many makers send there knives to places like Eating Tools, it is because Abe takes all the shittiest parts of your job off your plate for you. If all you wanna do is swing a hammer and make dope knives, Abe will do the photography, he'll make the instagram post, he'll give you your own page on his website, he'll deal with the shipping, deal with the customers. Makers will do anything to eliminate the need to deal with people. Reference guys like Nick Anger.
There is however one major positive to custom orders and that is getting to do something different. Different all the time is no longer different, it's just madness. I for example take on about one unique custom project a year. That is plenty for me. It can be fun to break out of your comfort zone and do something wild and crazy. You also often learn things from these experiences. New techniques, new ideas, they help you grow and develop. But, all things in moderation. Again everybody is different, I have made hundreds of cutting boards in my life and I am really happy with where I am and what I do. I am not in the phase of my journey where I am constantly innovating and trying new things, trying to discover the new best way to do things, so I don't switch up what I do almost at all. I have at this point believe it or not, done most things, and I build what I build for a reason. I believe it's this best.
Wow, lot's of ramblings, but this is what goes through a makers head when you ask the for a custom. Dread from all the previous people, and builds they have had to deal with.
PART 1 - THE MAKER
Let's talk maker POV first.
The biggest factor when requesting a custom piece is understanding who the maker is and why they do what they do.
First things first, unique customs are a pain in the ******* ass. Makers are generally set up to do the thing that they do. Every tool in there shop, every jig, every process is dialed in to do the thing that they do. This makes building that thing fast, consistent and high quality. Even if from your point of view it's something simple like, "Instead of making a 2" thick cutting board can you make it 2.5?". For me in the shop, this will add DAYS to the build. It's a tiny little thing for sure, but it then begs the question, why would I do that. A little tweak like this will likely increase the build time by 50%, so therefore I should be able to increase the price by 50%, right?! Show of hands who would pay an additional $425 for one of my boards with a tiny adjustment like that. There are some people that would, but this is where it again comes back to knowing the maker.
A core tenet of my business is that I charge what my product is genuinely worth. Not what my time is worth, but what the final product is worth. I want people to get there moneys worth. I am setup to build 2" thick cutting boards, and because I have streamlined certain parts of my process to do this efficiently, I can make it so that you get the best bang for your buck. When I make a board that is 2.5" thick, you are no longer getting your moneys worth, and that goes against how I run my business. I'm assuming you can see how this circles back to understanding the maker and why they do what they do. Some makers are happy to do what ever you want, and they just adjust the price to make sure they are getting paid fairly. And there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. But it's not what I like to do. Hence, understanding the maker.
Another reason custom orders are no fun is because... why? Why would i adjust all the tools in my shop to make a cutting board that will take me twice as long and I'll charge 50% more for. I could just make two of my classic cutting boards which I am good at, love making and setup up for in the same time. I could do one custom order that is more difficult, more time consuming and less profitable which makes one person happy. Or I could make two cutting boards however I want, they will be smooth, fast and of the highest quality, I'll get paid more, the money I get will be from people who are getting there moneys worth, and I will get to make two people happy. Seems like a no brainer to me.
And the last reason is that makers are for the most part people who like to keep there heads down and work quietly. People that lean towards and excel at this kind of detailed entrepreneurial work are not often extremely social and outgoing people. I for one am never happier than when I am in my shop with my headphones on making cutting boards. My wife for example is the opposite, she loves going into the office, chatting with her coworkers and dealing with customers. For me, and a lot of other makers, that sounds like hell. Most makers will tell you the hardest part of the job is dealing with people. Custom orders take it from being something you do completely on your own, exactly the way you want to now having somebody to report to. It becomes even worse if they have paid you in advance because now there is this looming feeling of expectation and having to do exactly what they want. You went from complete freedom, to having a boss. If you're wondering why so many makers send there knives to places like Eating Tools, it is because Abe takes all the shittiest parts of your job off your plate for you. If all you wanna do is swing a hammer and make dope knives, Abe will do the photography, he'll make the instagram post, he'll give you your own page on his website, he'll deal with the shipping, deal with the customers. Makers will do anything to eliminate the need to deal with people. Reference guys like Nick Anger.
There is however one major positive to custom orders and that is getting to do something different. Different all the time is no longer different, it's just madness. I for example take on about one unique custom project a year. That is plenty for me. It can be fun to break out of your comfort zone and do something wild and crazy. You also often learn things from these experiences. New techniques, new ideas, they help you grow and develop. But, all things in moderation. Again everybody is different, I have made hundreds of cutting boards in my life and I am really happy with where I am and what I do. I am not in the phase of my journey where I am constantly innovating and trying new things, trying to discover the new best way to do things, so I don't switch up what I do almost at all. I have at this point believe it or not, done most things, and I build what I build for a reason. I believe it's this best.
Wow, lot's of ramblings, but this is what goes through a makers head when you ask the for a custom. Dread from all the previous people, and builds they have had to deal with.
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