Can You REALLY Make A Living As A Knifemaker? How To Make Money Making Knives Book, Murray Carter

[@1mataleo1]

The actual review starts at about the 6:00 minute mark. You’re welcome 🤯🤨

[@shepardsforgeh2031]

One of my closest freinds is a full time knife maker. Evader knives. And he is really good at what he does but it's an up and down buisness! What I've learned is that it's a big deal to make things people use every day. Me I love to cook so I center my work around kitchen knives. However I also know people are more willing to pay for things they will use on a regular basis and kitchen knives are among them!

[@FireCreekForge]

I've heard of him. Good point! Thanks for watching!

[@AdamToney]

@@FireCreekForge did you make you touch mark or have it made? I’m just getting into blade smithing and would like to know how to acquire a touch mark

[@rondangeli4175]

I think I've watched every one of your videos and I actually have enjoyed your most recent ones, because your channel has become more diversified not just making knives but other products like the axes and information on the nitty gritty of efficiency, metals, etc. I say keep it up.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir! not going anywhere, we'll keep forging ahead

[@xxfaction6xx]

Agreed

[@FireCreekForge]

@@xxfaction6xx thank you

[@krissteel4074]

Well I like your content- that's why I subscribed! :) There's a lot of the smaller youtube creators like you now at least that just have hands on tools, you are appreciated as the big channels are mostly just 'look while I touch expensive things' and don't make anything or if they do, it stretches over multiple episodes and is a disjointed mess. Which is essentially youtube in a nutshell really. I've been making knives full time for 4 years and Murray is essentially on the point where it comes down to finding your customers, finding how best you can supply them without going insane churning out vast amounts of same-ness, but that's a question most pertinently every knife maker needs to find for themselves and their own market. Its quite easy I found to make the activity of making knives at least self-sustaining and pay for itself, its a step up to get it into livable wage and profits. Personally, I don't make knives to impress knife makers, I make knives that people can both afford and deliver good performance for the money they pay with a quality to them that stands them apart from mass produced knives. Secondly, you need to make and move a lot of product and establish ways of doing that, for me that means retail outlets I exclusively deal with and have standing agreements with to keep them supplied. What I have avoided is big business dictating what, how, when and how much I sell. So while social media and online sales for some people may net them some initial sales to keep things ticking over, you're really at the whim of faceless entities of business dictating terms- my customers dictate terms and you can only have one 'boss' in your business. You can't have multiple bosses or you'll get bracketed somewhere terrible artistically and unsustainable financially, plus after 15-20 years professionally in the technology sphere, they change and disappear rather rapidly. Just as an aside when it comes to customer service, you do need to not just supply a basic demand for customers, if you are going to be on the front of their lips whenever it comes up to discussing a product they need to be absolutely delighted with your product. Not just fulfilled or happy, they need to be totally in love with it, they feel special and you will grow the business. A lot of that comes down to empathy, its not a dirty word in business- put yourself in their shoes and find what does excite and sustain those customers in their purchase.

[@FireCreekForge]

Good thoughts, thanks for sharing, and watching and subscribing!

[@isaacbenrubi9613]

Personally, I think your videos are high quality and contain very useful and well-presented content. Part of the dip you're seeing may be from schools getting back into session and such. Regardless, I'm subscribed and I'm glad you're still out here making videos!

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks man, I appreciate it!

[@gremlin591002]

I've been super busy this month. I'll try to take the time to watch.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks man, I appreciate it!

[@KnightsArmory]

I looked away to take a sip of my coffee right when you said coffee break at 3:02 LOL 😆

[@FireCreekForge]

Haha that's great

[@scottlanghorst1483]

Shared it with the Saskatchewan Blacksmiths and Saskatchewan Knifemakers Guild. 👍

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[@theriversexperience9383]

I feel you on the analytics side of last month. It was pretty crazy how low the stats were. I was like "ok, where is everyone at?" Hopefully this month is better. I really dig this book review.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks man!! Yeah, hopefully things pick back up here soon.

[@rikodusennin61]

Keep up with your great knife build..I will keep up with your video..I'm just a newbie knife maker and I need a lot of information about a knife build..thank you big guy,love all your video..

[@MattWeddis]

I don’t do any blacksmithing, but I still enjoy your videos. The dip in views could just be a blip in this weeks version of the algorithm. I’ve heard popular, and respected, photography channels say similar things - unexplained drops in views at different times. Hopefully, you’ll get a few unexplained boosts in views from time to time.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks, I appreciate you watching!

[@romans8forging181]

Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens the face his neigh- bor,” is almost universally seen as positive. Some view this maxim as an example of “tough love,” others as a rewording of a verse earlier in this passage, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend”

[@brianhershberger4834]

You keep up doing you. I really enjoy your content and learn a ton from you. God bless.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks! I appreciate the support

[@richardbryant7972]

I hit the like button no matter what, the things you do is very informative and helps me do very much. Thank you for all you do and teaching us what you know or letting us follow your experiments. God bless

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks Richard, I appreciate it and glad the content is helpful

[@brysonalden5414]

Thanks for the review, and thanks for keeping your channel going.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for watching the videos!

[@SkankHunt69420]

Your videos always end up on my page without needing to look and they’re always quality and entertaining. Don’t let a dip dishearten you man, it would be a real drag to not see that beard anymore.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks man, I'll be sticking around don't worry.

[@dennispennington8316]

I love your videos man I've learned so much in my life making journey from you. I hope to one day be able to earn a complete living from my knives but honestly right now would be happy if I could support knife making by making knives lol

[@FireCreekForge]

Cool man, stick with it! Thanks for watching

[@mattwyeth3156]

Thank you for sharing this information with us as i think that it is a very under discussed topic regardless of your area of interest be it a blade maker or blacksmith

[@FireCreekForge]

You bet. I agree with you, thanks for watching!

[@astormofwrenches5555]

Its been pretty nice out here. We've been doing more outside, going more places.

[@FireCreekForge]

That's good

[@stephenjohnson6841]

I think you always put out great content. So thanks!

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for watching!

[@lorneclose7312]

I've been full time bladesmithing for just on a year the biggest thing I have found is knowing your market and what they want and what they will pay. Customer service when you are paying several hundred dollars for a product compared to less than $100 there is an expectation attached. Give a little more get a little more. Don't reach to high to soon

[@FireCreekForge]

Yep, good advice. Thanks for watching

[@MasterBigBass]

Your videos are irreplaceable. You show failures and explain things well. Keep it up!!

[@FireCreekForge]

Well thank you, I appreciate that a lot

[@huntintrailmetals9343]

Yea I need to sell more knives

[@outbackladas]

Always enjoy your videos, keep up the good work. Look forward, don’t worry about the “nay sayers “ success is inevitable when you apply yourself as you are doing. Regards from Down Under.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir, I appreciate your support

[@romans8forging181]

I enjoy your videos much. Probably summertime slump. People vacationing and spending less time online. Just a guess. Keep on keeping on

[@fxnepilogue]

I didn’t believe the 20,000 knives statement either. Thought he was full of it. Nearly 3 knives a day for 20 years. Or 2 knives a day for 30 years - either way it sounds fricken tough.

[@4you2pac]

And you can make some kichen knife and alot different ones

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks man yeah I have some ideas, juggling everything, haha!

[@bretttaylor5608]

Good video

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir

[@alexpitman7819]

Your recent videos never popped up on my feed

[@FireCreekForge]

Hmm, that's weird

[@richardbranton190]

I love making knives but I make them for myself. I make what I want to make when I want to make it. If someone wants to buy it great if they don't even better it gives me an excuse to keep it. There's no way I can ever sell knives for a living I don't ever want to sell anything

[@dlbknives4869]

I think you presentations are awesome! Maybe the dip in views may be attributed to what you're making. Some people may not be interested in hammers or hatchets but only want to see knives. So hang in there and keep doing what you are doing. I'm sure the more you business is out there the more your views will improve.

[@FireCreekForge]

Yep, that could be. Thanks for watching, I appreciate it

[@4you2pac]

Make some Nice movie daggers or something like that dude

[@Smootus]

Subscribed and I always like your videos. Hope it helps.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks Bryan, I appreciate it

[@shadowx8405]

Good channel. Relevant content. Sub'd and 👍.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks I appreciate it!

[@elderyoung416]

😎👍👍