under promise and over deliver. we all get that Rowen's production has been maxed out for a couple of years, but that doesn't stop the frustration and IS costing you business. perhaps you should be developing a new producer for ancillary lines and let Rowen focus on your meat and potato line. you might also consider changing the coating for the knives -- "traction coat" is a bad thing for most folks. Something relatively durable and slick sided like ceracoat would score you a lot of points with new buyers and old users, plus it'd be stupid easy to do custom color runs without changing the cost or the business process.
I'm pretty well satisfied with my knife collection. I don't really have a desire to buy more. I will still buy knives from time to time if I see something interesting enough and priced right. I gave my dad my Junglas, because I would never use it. I use a machete, chainsaw or tractor most. I just don't use my big knives for work and using them is work, so I don't do it for fun either. My Laser Strike is sitting in a tub in the back room. It is one of my favorite ESEE's in my hand but I only use it for fun because it's bigger than I want to carry. My Izzy 2, 3, and HEST are my most carried fixed blades because I can slip them in a pocket. Or they stay in a bag nearby. I mostly just carry a random folder, it's been a CV Sodbuster Jr for the last few months. The biggest problem I see is that stores don't carry ESEE knives. I live in rural SW Georgia almost in Florida. If I want to find a new ESEE to buy in person, my best bet would be Tallahassee. SWGO in Cairo might have something, I will have to check one day. There really aren't too many stores around here to carry them either, so that's another problem. I guess the point of that was, I don't see ESEE knives unless I look for them. I just remembered that I didn't mention my ESEE 6. It's practically a shelf queen, I do carry it occasionally mainly for the awesome wild bill sheath and the file work. It is my most carried belt knife though, now that I think about it. The handle is not my favorite, but I wear medium gloves for what that's worth. But it's a knife that I would be perfect content to face the end of the world with.
I started that post before I cooked and ate dinner, then I started back, then my dad called. After that I had to connect my girlfriend's phone to the stereo, so by the time I was done I forgot my suggestions. Start making ammo and pocket knives.
I skimmed threw the posts. for me I’m a kydex and leather fan. I love my esee blades but I get board sometimes with them. I like different blade profiles. I like to swap it up day to day. I like the 3d handles but it’s still the same blade profiles Group buys would be great Different color options. I’m not a big snob on blade material but it nice sometimes to have a blade that doesn’t rust. I got the new pinhoti just because it was something different. And I could fiddle with it lol. I like limited knives that I know not a ton of people have. Something that is just neat. A lot of my esee knives are just all the same. I’m in the noth east MA a class out here wold be amazing on foraging/survival I could do with my kids. There’s nothing like that around here. I’d like my kids to learn something I never got to. It’s never to late for me! I haven't said anything that really hasn’t been said already.
I would like to see more videos of the products being used. For a while it seemed like there were many videos coming out showing how to do things with your products. Things like Ruben cooking in the field using the products. It would be nice to see something like the old rat pack come back. It seems like there was a lot of participation in the forums when that was a thing. Not sure how much of a pain that was for the company to do that but I think a lot of the core members thought it was cool and participated a lot in the discussions when it was on blade forums. I think the product is solid it seems like the industry trend is the type of steel that is used seems like there is always some new unicorn steel that everyone is trying to get and will buy same knife over and over for the type of steel used. The only complaint I would even have about the products are the clips for the sheath. I have never liked them and always use something else. I liked the old drip down leather sheaths that came with some of the RC4s years ago.
Hey Johnny, we appreciate the feedback. I will work on getting more videos out. That's on me. I've got one I need to edit, and an idea for a few more I want to shoot and edit. Any video suggestions in particular ?
You should get Jeff to bring back the porn stashe and put him in the videos. I always liked Joe Flowers' machete videos. About the podcast. I started to listen to the first episode on my laptop, but never finished. Now that I have found it on Spotify I will start listening to it. You may want to start advertising which services the podcast is on. The place you linked to in the post about the first episode isn't a service I use for podcast. I like to get all my podcast on Spotify. I haven't kept up with the podcast discussions here, so you may have listed more places to stream the podcast and I just not noticed.
I think basic skills would be good to see for a video. Maybe a bushcraft basics set of videos. What introduced me to the company was a video i found online. I was in Iraq and just broke the tip off of one of my tops knives because I was using it as a prybar to open up a cache we found. Nothing wrong with the knife but I was using in a way I shouldn’t have been. So that let me to looking for a beast of a knife that I could abuse. Someone showed me a video of an izula and someone was batoning a 4x8 or something like that. That led me to the RC5 which I Bought and carried on my next couple of deployments with no issues. So that one video made me fall down the rabbit hole of Esee products. Another idea for video would be maybe your favorite knives advantages and disadvantages. I know you have talked about using the laser strike and then finding yourself ho to smaller knives after becoming proficient on your skills.
Great thread and this is one of the reasons I like ESEE and their knives. This should be an example for all companies, looking to improve, listening to the customers and trying to find and fill unique needs. What a novel idea, rather than trying to convince a customer that they have what people need or want. Plus, I notice it hasn't become a gripe and whine sessions for customers either, great sign for both customers and ESEE. Personally I don't like the leather sheaths, I don't know if that is a personal idiosyncrasy or a general feeling. On the other hand I know that injection molds used to be quite an expensive investment. I would like to see the 1095 knives a tad harder for better edge retention. I know the ESEE idea of getting a knife sharp out in the field on found material, but I just find the steel needs far more upkeep than I like to maintain an edge. The SV35 I love, it cuts like a chainsaw and holds a fantastic edge. Thickness. I'd like to see ESEE offer some thinner blade versions (or with sabre grind like the JG3 which sort of work for thinner cutting areas). The fixed Zancudo is an awesome cutter partially due to the thinner blade. I believe some bushcrafters, hunters and general users are put off by this as a thin blade cuts with much lesser force. I know that may be a problem with ESEE's warrantee and people that think a knife is a hammer and pry bar. I agree with the poster that voiced some more smaller fixed blades, especially pocketable size or thereabouts. The Izula hit a niche with both size and I imagine price. Who could use a knife this size and they make a great gift item? With that, I'm glad that ESEE actually introduces actual variations rather than going to the knife of the week with a different Disney character for collectors. I was excited to see an email for your upcoming land nav class as it at first glance appeared to be online. Could online courses fill some of the need or be an addition to in person classes? Perhaps as a basic intro and/or provide familiarity with the instructors or course? Who wouldn't want to do bushcraft from their own couch? Look at the popularity of Alone, Naked and Afraid, etc, it appears there is a demand for this and I believe those shows would be more popular if techniques and philosophy were actually portrayed rather than drama. Not that I'm suggesting Jeff, Shane, or Patrick should be walking around naked in the woods. With that I wish that this forum was informed/links? of all classes, podcasts and events. I think what you are doing in building a community and any thing than brings it together strengthens other areas of your business The Primary and Secondary were great! Thanks and keep up the good work!!!
Make it easy to buy a knife, in the style a customer wants Example - Billy Bob wants a Junglas, in SV-wizard sweat steel, with JG5 style sculpted scales , with blaze orange liners, with a OD green kydex sheath, with a ferro rod attachment, survival tin attachment. Billy Bob clicks all the boxes he wants , pays the total , gets the knife he ordered. Example 2 Jimmy Bob (Billy's cousin ) wants a Junglas, in carbon steel, with micarta scales, a tan plastic sheath , and a pouch on the sheath. Jimmy clicks all the boxes, pays the total , gets the knife he wanted. Example 3 Ricky Bob (Jimmies cousin from another family) wants a Junglas 2 in carbon steel, with sculpted JG5 style scales, a blaze orange plastic sheath, with a Imlay rescue knife and Esee ferro rod attached to the sheath. He checks all the boxes, pays the total and gets his knives dealers / retailers could be set up with an easy checklist ordering form, boxes of blade blanks, different scales, different sheaths, accessories etc. Customer comes into store or orders online - I want a Esee 6 in S35VN , sculpted black scales, OD green kydex sheath. Dealer builds the knife to spec, boxes it with the standard survival card etc and customer is stoked! you could call it "The Esee Build A Knife Program" Your free to use that slogan , just shoot me a skull logo FerroRod other ideas: - offer multiple styles of scales (micarta, G10, sculpted micarta (jg5 style) in multiple colours - offer kydex ferro rod attachments, for the sheaths - hypalon loops for Molle or belt mounting the sheaths.
Appreciate the feedback....and you are right, when I threw this up on the forum and on IG I had no idea what I was going to get... BOTH places have been EXTREMELY constructive and beneficial. Thank you for your contribution.
Great idea...and we've kicked around a custom shop but that is NOT how Rowen is currently set up ... and it's a massive undertaking in the way of infrastructure... maybe one day, but this is a whole-nuther animal entirely.
Kinda like the Buck Custom knife maker tool. That would be sweet. But understandably very difficult to start up
Bring back the Esee Machete. Even as a group buy or sectional “pre-announced so many at a time” thing. A machete is the lightest most under rated tool any outside person could have. Even if you just had the regular injection molded handle version and all you guys did was clean up the grind and CNC the logo on it would be a winner.
