Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. and you’ll find in-depth info on everything from folding knife action types to a complete glossary of cutlery terms. Ka-Bar’s Web site, www.ka-bar.com, details 200 years of American cutlery-making history, and even walks you through a short course on knife manufacturing. Columbia River Knife & Tool’s home page, www.crkt.com, has links to biographies of their famous custom knife designers. Many other knife companies provide sales-making education on their Web sites. Log on. Learn. Sell. There’s also a wealth of “walking information” in the industry. Before being recruited as Benchmade’s law enforcement and commercial sales manager, Charles Darby owned and operated his own knife store, King of Knives, in San Diego, so he knows the business from both sides of the counter. “We advises retailers to know all the features, advantages and benefits of the knife. This is the single most important aspect of selling a knife. You, as a retailer, have to know why it is worth its value, as well as relay that to the customer,” Darby said. “We will visit your location to train employees on our product lines. I notice a substantial increase in the sales at retail stores who have taken the Benchmade training program. A lot of what you do in a retail store is explaining how and why the customer needs your product.” Darby advises dealers to always look at a knife sale as a potential to accessorize. “Do you want to super-size your order? Seems like a crazy idea, but it works,” Darby said. “Add-ons can really boost sales. When I ran King of Knives, accessories were a sure bet to increase dollars. If someone is willing to purchase a $200 knife, they’d better not leave the store without a proper sharpener or maintenance tool kit to complement their purchase.” For those who appreciate gift-grade, yet reasonably priced hunting blades, Katz Knives offers the Adventure Series, with models ranging from gut-hook skinners and capers to classic camp knives, sporting handles of rich woods and stag. “Display and presentation are important, but the most important thing is to get the knife into the customer’s hand,” said owner Keith DerKatz. “Let them feel the grip and balance — how it handles is critical to closing a sale.” Al Mar Knives bridges the gap between true custom and full-production knives. CEO Gary Fadden says he sells to “the world’s toughest customers: retail dealers” — and he’s learned a lot from that experience. Advice From Experts Ka-Bar’s long, rich history can help you sell knives. Learn the story on Ka-Bar’s informative Web site, www.ka-bar.com. BlackHawk Blades’ Mike Janich (center) says versatility and carry options are key selling — and buying — considerations. Florida gun dealer Steven Fishman (left) visits with Al Mar Knives CEO Gary Fadden. Fishman says, “Sell one Al Mar Knife and you’ve created a collector.” 36 MARCH 2008 www.shootingindustry.com