Bobby Branton
Moderator
- Joined
- Dec 12, 1998
- Messages
- 2,968
New changes for Branton knives
I have been making knives since 1985. In that time I have seen a lot of changes and I have changed as well. Whether it be the knives that I make or how I make them, things do change over time. The sluggish economy has also changed things dramatically from my perspective as a knifemaker. Things have also changed things for the people who buy my knives. For some people, their financial situations can change monthly. This is the main factor in deciding on a better and more efficient way to market my knives and to take care of my customers that have supported me over the years. As I have gotten older and have been making knives full time for the past seven years, I have decided to make a few changes in the way that I run my business.
Due to some minor health issues, I have not been able to work 8-12 hours days like I used to. Over the past couple of years, I have not been actively looking for new orders as I do not see it being good for me or my customers to maintain a multi year back log of orders. It has been hard enough to work on the list of orders that I have now. It is not fair for me or my customers to continue to do business this way.
I am going to work hard over the next few months to get healthier and to clear out the remaining orders and the few knives owed that I have on the books. I am going to try to have all knives finished by November, or December of this year.
On January 1, 2011, I will begin to discontinue a lot of my older models, collaborations, etc and I will start a list of people who would like to buy my knives. I never say never and if some of the older models remain popular, I will continue to make those models. In doing this, I would like to be able to finish some of the heat treated blanks that are on my wall and offer them for sale on my web site and the various knife forums. I would like to offer new designs, limited runs and hopefully a 25th anniversary model and still be able to deliver all orders in a timely manner.
The process will go something like this. If you would like to order a knife from me, I will take your information and when the time comes for me to begin work on your knife, I will contact you and we will discuss which model you would like to order. I will try to realistically keep my delivery times under six months. When I get to the point where I am looking at six months worth of work, I will stop taking names and finish all knives that have been ordered up to that point. When I start getting near the point that I am caught up again, I will once again start taking names. I will probably cut show attendance down to 2-3 a year and will factor shows into my work load so as to not keep anyone waiting any longer than six months. The list will be First come, First served except for active LEO or Military personnel. Once I begin the final stages of completion of your order, I will request payment. If payment is not received in two weeks (unless a different agreement has been made), I will place your order for sale on my web site or my knife forums.
This may not be the best way to keep track of orders, but I think it will work out fine. I may have to tweak the process a little, but I will try my best to make it work out for all concerned. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at brantonknives@tds.net.
Thanks,
Bobby Branton
I have been making knives since 1985. In that time I have seen a lot of changes and I have changed as well. Whether it be the knives that I make or how I make them, things do change over time. The sluggish economy has also changed things dramatically from my perspective as a knifemaker. Things have also changed things for the people who buy my knives. For some people, their financial situations can change monthly. This is the main factor in deciding on a better and more efficient way to market my knives and to take care of my customers that have supported me over the years. As I have gotten older and have been making knives full time for the past seven years, I have decided to make a few changes in the way that I run my business.
Due to some minor health issues, I have not been able to work 8-12 hours days like I used to. Over the past couple of years, I have not been actively looking for new orders as I do not see it being good for me or my customers to maintain a multi year back log of orders. It has been hard enough to work on the list of orders that I have now. It is not fair for me or my customers to continue to do business this way.
I am going to work hard over the next few months to get healthier and to clear out the remaining orders and the few knives owed that I have on the books. I am going to try to have all knives finished by November, or December of this year.
On January 1, 2011, I will begin to discontinue a lot of my older models, collaborations, etc and I will start a list of people who would like to buy my knives. I never say never and if some of the older models remain popular, I will continue to make those models. In doing this, I would like to be able to finish some of the heat treated blanks that are on my wall and offer them for sale on my web site and the various knife forums. I would like to offer new designs, limited runs and hopefully a 25th anniversary model and still be able to deliver all orders in a timely manner.
The process will go something like this. If you would like to order a knife from me, I will take your information and when the time comes for me to begin work on your knife, I will contact you and we will discuss which model you would like to order. I will try to realistically keep my delivery times under six months. When I get to the point where I am looking at six months worth of work, I will stop taking names and finish all knives that have been ordered up to that point. When I start getting near the point that I am caught up again, I will once again start taking names. I will probably cut show attendance down to 2-3 a year and will factor shows into my work load so as to not keep anyone waiting any longer than six months. The list will be First come, First served except for active LEO or Military personnel. Once I begin the final stages of completion of your order, I will request payment. If payment is not received in two weeks (unless a different agreement has been made), I will place your order for sale on my web site or my knife forums.
This may not be the best way to keep track of orders, but I think it will work out fine. I may have to tweak the process a little, but I will try my best to make it work out for all concerned. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at brantonknives@tds.net.
Thanks,
Bobby Branton
