In April of 2022, I expanded my local knife and tool sharpening business to include knife sales. I had a mediocre website and a few Kershaws and Cold Steels in stock. I sold 8 knives that month.
One afternoon in late April, Tim B. messaged me and put me in touch with KC (KnivesFast) and JB (BigRedEDC.) He said I’d like these guys and that getting more involved in the community would be appreciated and would help spread the word about my shop. He was right. I’ve been a knife nerd since I got my first SAK alox cadet in cub scouts as a boy, but I didn’t really know that such a caring and loyal knife community existed online.
Fast forward 8 months. As of today we’re at almost 1,500 orders. The Knife Nerd Club is off and running. Our first exclusive, the Divo Knives Mash just shipped to my shop for QC. We’re doing a limited exclusive of the Vanish with Qvist Bladeworks.
I’ve met many wonderful people in the knife community. Many are now close friends. I’ve learned some hard lessons about e-commerce, but always learn from my mistakes and keep pushing. I tend to always have faith in people to be honest and kind, but not everyone subscribes to that mantra. I’m human and sometimes make mistakes. But, I keep grinding and the overwhelming majority of people I deal with everyday are truly kind and caring knife nerds.
As I sit here and stream Home Alone on Disney + with my kids, I think about how truly lucky I am to do what I love. I’m a husband, father, firefighter and knife shop owner. And, I love every minute of it.
From my family to yours: Have a wonderfully relaxing and safe holiday. Thank you for believing in Blue Creek Knives.
-Bryan