I have received a 1 year extension on the lease for my workshop from the new owners of the property! This means I can stay put through January 2014.
This is what we call GOOD NEWS.
Evidently the new owners have delayed their plans to kick everyone out and convert the commercial space into residential lofts. As far as we, the current tenants are concerned, they can delay those plans forever!
I'm really happy because I have not been able to locate any alternative location for my shop that was economically feasible.
As many have noticed, I have been channeling my knifemaking efforts more and more in the direction of design and production of short run, manufactured knives where I do all the R&D as well as most of the production in-house and out source the blade grinding and heat treating. I am also spending more time making WilkinsGRIP products.
The reasons for these changes are simple: I really enjoy making small runs of knives and offering buyers top quality cutlery at prices that remain affordable. I cannot do this making one knife at a time and call the endeavor a "business."
I hope and plan to expand into offering short run, manufactured folding knives in the near future.
All of these projects require my investing a good deal of money to realize each project. I'm also still designing the knives, coordinating all phases of production, standing at the machines for many of them myself, marketing and selling all products, packing and taking every package to the Post office myself and making sure the books are in order. Doing things this way, your week fills up really fast. (I'm writing this Saturday morning and as soon as I'm done, I'll be packing packages and doing a Post run.)
I do see this type of operation as being the key to survival in the knifemaking "business." I do not see making individual, custom knives as a viable business for myself. I tried. It did not work out. Great hobby. Terrible business.
I will still be making some individual, hand ground knives and selling them from stock. I do not expect to begin taking custom orders in the foreseeable future – unless I were to increase the prices many fold, which I really can't see doing.
Many thanks go out to all the customers and friends who have taken the time to write and express their support for me and my work while I've been dealing with all these lease woes. And of course thanks to everyone of you who have bought stuff! To have a business, you got's to have income!
I hope now to use the coming year and a half to build up my business to the point where I can actually afford to pay rent on a new shop – if I have to move after the current lease is up. Hey, who knows, I might even be able to Hire Somebody to work for me! Or at least get somebody to go to the Post Office and stand in line for me...
