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From the September issue of Shooting Industry
Quality Still Sells!
 
 
Raise The Bar In Your
Knife Inventory And Profit!
Story & Photos Roy Huntington
Editor, American Handgunner
 
Benchmade 740 DèjáVoo
“For a stocking dealer, cutlery is where the profits are,” said Greg Mooney, president of Benchmade. “With 30- to 50-percent margins often the norm, you simply can’t afford to ignore this simple way to sharpen your profits. Sorry, I couldn’t help saying it!”
And Greg’s right.

“If you think of your cutlery department as a fast-turning, high-margin area and work it like that, you will see your profits grow,” said Doug Pettis, director of sales and marketing for Benchmade. “Quality still sells, so raise the bar and don’t be afraid to stock quality in today’s marketplace.”

Spencer Frazer, the head of SOG, adds, “Dealers need to associate with innovative companies who have track records. This helps with the ‘what’s new’ question that invariably comes up at the counter in your store. We’ve found customers are shopping by brands — brands that have something special to say.”

SOG’s marketing manager, Chris Cashbaugh, feels there’s something else important, too.
“The term ‘practical tactical’ means something in the real world. Shoppers demand performance, and in response, we’re taking battle-proven ideas and adapting them for everyday use. Our Trident folder is a classic example of that,” Cashbaugh said. 

Chris adds that dealers need to remind their law enforcement, military and hard-use customers about the new level of performance offered in many of today’s knives.
“They can’t be afraid to use their knife hard in training. If you don’t learn the limits in training, you may hesitate when you need it most,” Cashbaugh said. 

SOG’s Fusion Battle Axe is a good example of an affordable tool that begs to be used hard!
Leatherman Charge ALX
  
       
 
SOG’s Fusion Battle Axe
begs to be worked hard.
 
 
Where’s The Money?
 
Buck’s Kalinga hunting knives are now available with
Realtree Hardwoods Green HD handles.
Kershaw’s Tyrade won “Overall Knife of the Year”
at the 2007 Blade Show.
Before you and your sales staff can sell a customer on today’s latest and greatest outdoor technology, you must first know the product. Face it, a GPS unit, as user-friendly as it is, has a few more bells and whistles than the latest bolt action.

As technology accelerates in the outdoor field, so does the education needed to understand the equipment. Flip through any sporting goods catalog and you’ll likely find a dozen pages or more of gear fitting into the high-tech category. Products such as GPS units, handheld radios, game surveillance cameras, laser aiming units, rangefinders, personal locator systems, digital binoculars and others keep dealers constantly learning about the way a product works and how it can help their customers.

Simply put, customers want to know what a product will do for them. Will the product increase their success in the field? Will the product make their outing easier? Will the product bring them home safely? If you can show a need for a high-tech product and — this is key — demonstrate the ease in using it, you’ll greatly increase your chances for a sale.

Old Is New

HallMark Cutlery, while stocking the solid UZI brand of tactical knives, is also pleased to announce their classic line of Kissing Crane knives. These “comfort food” designs are the kinds of knives your grandfather carried. From Fiddleback Whittlers to Congress and Canoe designs, this style has grabbed the boomers who want to listen to these knives “walk and talk” and remember their youth.

“The response has been simply great,” said Jessica Hall, HallMark’s head honcho. “We see the looks on their faces when they handle the knives, and dealers need to see that same look on their customers’ faces!”

More Than Knives

“We can put a dealer in the ‘sharp’ business for about $200,” said Mark Brandon, president of DMT, famous for their diamond sharpener systems. “And always keep in mind the fact that a product is made in the USA is often important to our customers,” he added, noting that DMT products are made in America.

“Going into the field without a way to keep your cutters sharp is like hunting with one bullet,” said Bob Kufahl of Lansky. “When your customer buys a knife from you, they are now an instant customer for a sharpener. And since a sharpener is one of the most used but most neglected tools, you have plenty of chances to resell or upgrade in the future.”

“Beware of knock-offs,” added Arthur Lansky Levine, president of Lansky Sharpeners. “Explain to your customers they need to do it right the first time, so they don’t have to do it all over again!”

Indeed, that $2 stick sharpener is probably worth exactly what you paid for it and your customer will find out soon enough.

Simple Facts

Tacticals remain strong and kitchen cutlery is very strong, but often ignored by dealers.
“New steels and innovative designs from young knifemakers are important,” said Joyce Laituri of Sypderco.

Anything with a military look, medium fixed blades and new locking systems are the most asked-for items. Quality still sells. Even most of the imported lines  being brought in by the big makers are often very good quality and allow any dealer to offer three or four price-points to capture any customer that walks in the door!
It’s detail work like this that won William Henry “Investor Knife of the Year” at the
2007 Blade Show.

HallMark’s Kissing Crane line
offers classic styling.
Lansky’s world-famous Controlled
Angle Sharpening System is a
benchmark in the industry.
This feature is sponsored by:


www.armalite.com


www.springfieldarmory.com
www.maxpedition.com
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