Welcome everyone to the first newsletter from Mefflin Knives.
Order list update
Thanks to everyone who has joined my order list. As a new maker it is very important to me that I try to avoid mistakes I have experienced as a buyer of custom knives. One of the biggest mistakes I see is people taking deposits for work and having their schedules blow out. This puts un-necessary pressure on the maker and can often leave a bad taste in the mouth of a customer. Please know that when I know I have the time and resources to dedicate to providing you with a custom knife (that I am proud of) you will be contacted. Once again being on this list is obligation free as we all know in life circumstances change and its absolutely no issue if you change your mind at a later date.
I have used up all of my O1 for the show and am in the process of ordering more but I hope to be contacting the first name on my list within the next fortnight.
The South Coast knife show
If you are on facebook go check out the pics at
https://www.facebook.com/southcoastknifeshow
Tilba is not a big place and the day before the show I could have counted a total of 20 people in total on the main street. Most shops on the main strip sell handmade wares from a variety of makers. It was clear that the community was very supportive of artisans from many disciplines.
Show setup started at about 8.30-9.00am and already the air was very warm. It was going to be a hot day. I know I was glad we were inside a hall and not in the open.
There were 9 tables in total and the show kicked off promptly at 10.00am. There was a steady flow of people from 10.30-11.00am until 2.00pm. All up the show attracted 300+ people and I was blown away at the attendance.
It was a very eclectic crowd from hunters to hippies. It seemed most attendees were holiday-ers who were just happy to appreciate the work and art of the knives. There were also people looking for new tools to add to their collection.
All people I spoke to were very interested in our craft and were very complimentary of what we do and the fact the wares on display were all handmade. This show really changed my opinion about how knifemaker’s are perceived by the public, in a very positive way..
As a first time attendee I was really blown away by the positive feedback from non-knife people. I don’t know about anyone else but I pretty much spoke for 3-4 hours straight and it was an absolute ball. I also made my first official sale which was awesome.
A highlight for me was watching people slice vegetables with Fabian Kreilaus’ demo knife. The amount of wow’s I heard over the course of the day (minimum 100 people) reinforced to me how few people out there really know what a sharp well made kitchen knife cuts like.
Organisers Iain and Sarah Hamilton were really great hosts and made me feel very welcome. The knifemakers who stayed the night at Iain’s got to have a good chin wag about all things knives.
There were awards for knives in 2 categories, Best hunting knife and best kitchen knife. Congrats to Adam Fromholtz, winner of best hunting knife and Christian Matheson, winner of best kitchen knife. I was also very proud when the judge of the hunting knife let me know my gidgee Woodlore was in the top two in the hunting category and might have won it the knife steel was of thinner stock. Its very positive that a hunter recognises the utility of a Woodlore style of blade..
If anyone is considering attending this show I thoroughly recommend it. I’ll be there next year for sure… The only thing I would do differently (apart from having a table cloth for my stand ) is to stay longer to enjoy Tilba and the beautiful beaches and country in the local area..
Here’s me at my table At this stage I had sold 2 of my whittler model knives to a couple who were going on a 20 day bush course. I could not be more proud.
Here’s a pic of all of the gear I took to the show.
Mefflin Knives on facebook
Just a quick reminder that I’ll add WIP’s and progress pics on my facebook page.
It can be found here -
https://www.facebook.com/mefflinknives
I would like to thank you for showing interest in my work. It’s very encouraging and it is very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Pierre Mefflin