beware your little home shop

[hammerdownnow]

Altho inflamatory, this kind of advertizing can not be bought by the average bladesmith. I would find the best sue for half lawyer I could find. Make sure that the shows compitition is made aware of their boo boo and it could launch you into a decade of out of sight sales. "Death for Sale" I wish I could have thought of cool name like that for for a fantasy blade company. Make some lemonade brother.

Send a link to the story to every knife mag.

This kind of thing really shows the need to organize and unite. Numbers count when polititians look to make a law to feather their cap with. Knives are a back door to ban guns and disarm the public.

You better believe some unknown local politico will take up the cause to "protect those poor school kids from death merchant that lives on your block"

Just look at what they have done in England, OZ and Canada. There are money people looking to castrate you with your own spey blade.

[AwP]

This makes me sick, I also e-mailed them, a first for me. This is what I wrote...

I recently read your story entitled "Weapons For Sale" and I am disgusted. Do you have nothing better to do than harass a artist/craftsman? When I hear "some of the deadliest weapons imaginable" I imagine nuclear arms, dirty bombs, chemical and biological weapon, and even assault rifles. Even the lowly handgun ranks as quite a bit more deadly.

I'm curious, how many people have died as a result of Mr. Licata's wares? How many children have bought said wares from him? Is his fancy axe any more dangerous then a wood-cutting axe? Are his knives any more dangerous then a plainer and much cheaper knife available in any sporting goods store?

Perhaps you should have considered these questions before slandering a productive member of the community. If Mr. Licata is guilty of any crime, perhaps he's running a home business without a proper #######. Worthy of a fine, not worthy of a witchhunt. Is there really no crime whatsoever in NJ that pestering that poor fellow is the best you can come up with?

You're pathetic.

[krept]

MAN that is just so sad.

But with a school two blocks away, many residents say they don't want the business or it's clientele anywhere in the neighborhood.

God forbid anyone in the neighborhood have a weapon of mass distruction like a hunting rifle or shotgun.

I didn't see any reference to "death for sale" ... did they change it to "weapons for sale?"

[Steven Licata]

yes the title got changed. I guess the bad emails people sent cbs took some effect

[Osprey Guy]

I agree with Hammerdownnow...

You should take this and turn some lemons into lemonade.

This disgusting excuse for a news story gets even more revolting when you watch the video TV "news" version...

Steve really got sandbagged...and by some reporter who hasn't got a clue...just trying to make a name for herself. They all put so much focus on the nearby school as if Steve's very expensive and collectable knives are in any way whatsoever a threat...Which of those teanage kids is going to plunk down $1200+ for a custom knife? And I can just picture the "reporter" walking around the neighborhood asking "Did you know your neighbor is making vicious, deadly weapons?" Talk about a loaded question...How are they supposed to respond when it's posed that way?

Reminds me of a few weeks ago when in reponse to looking at my carved MOP folder with its 1.75" blade, my doctor's receptionist asked me, "Why would you choose such a disgusting hobby...I mean, you're making weapons for goodness sake!" This asked of me, while she was in the process of opening a UPS package with a cheap steak knife (apparently from their office kitchen)!

Man I'm so sick of knives getting such a bad rap...We need to get organized with a mandate focused on a positive PR campaign...Nearly ever home on the planet has many knives...and they're being used as tools. A ridiculously small percentage of knives are actually used as weapons....Hell, more people are killed with cars, rocks, and cigarettes...BY FAR! But in the eyes of the public, I've chosen "weapon making" as my hobby!...

Steven, I hope you can nail those SOB's to the wall...Take your court winnings and advertise your "weapons of death."


Dennis Greenbaum

Yeah Baby!

PS. They're still using the "Death" word in the video...

[C.M. Arrington]

Steven, my e-mail to her was as follows. " Your purile slander of Steven Licata was a waste of bandwidth and airtime. He is a well respected artist and businessman. What's next, " Death in grannys' knitting basket !" ? I noticed that the quoted sources weren't named. The whole thing smacks of B/S.

[markd]

OK I had to reply to them also...





What a fantastically crappy piece of sensationalism. Also, very tactical of you to institute "undercover cameras". Steve Licata is a craftsman and commands top dollar for his work. The people who buy his wares are not children walking home from school. The children buy their knives at the hardware store. Ever heard of someone hijacking a plane with a Steven Licata piece or with a box cutter??
Another top notch piece of journalism - "Are they sharp?" GENIUS! You have to be able to smell that Pulitzer. THEY ARE KNIVES!
My hat goes off to Mr. Licata as his talent in his chosen field is obvious.

[fitzo]

I am in no way defending what CBS did with what I'm going to say. However, Dennis' post made me think of something: there IS significant emphasis by a substantial portion of the knifemaking community of "knives-as-weapon". There is a well-known (to us) knife mag that supports itself with this proposition. There is a significant market pandering to the violent fantasies of the knife buyers. Is it proper? I make no judgement, as I see these through a very biased, uncritical eye.

We have mentioned before in this arena about the hazards of labeling our work as fighting knives and so forth.

We thus HAVE to expect some flak if we bring it on ourselves by using the destructive potential of an edged tool as a selling point.

Don't get me wrong: my favorites are the nastiest, pointiest, most "dangerous" pieces of our craft, so I am NOT being namby-pamby anti-knife about this. I'm just pointing out some food for thought about how we may contribute to negative perceptions by those unfamiliar with the vast majority of the craft.

[TexasJack]

We've seen this happen to gun owners and the gun industry, to chemical plants, energy providers, car makers, ... the list goes on and on.

The really frightening thing that is happening is that too many people have decided to STOP THINKING. They are perfectly willing to let the politicians and the media do their thinking for them. ('Cause that worked so well in the USSR??)

Appearance is more important to the media - and thus to a huge portion of the population - than substance.

There's an old adage that you can't fight someone who buys ink by the truckload. It may be true that we can't take them head-on, but it is important that WE do the right things. And that we teach our children and grandchildren about the right things. And that we stand by and support others who refuse to be intimidated by these cheeseheads.

A knife isn't worth crap if it doesn't cut. Steel isn't worth crap if it doesn't go through the fire and the quench. These fools ideas aren't worth crap because they can't stand up to reality.

You know, the most notorious mass murderers and serial killers in American history didn't use either a knife or a gun. Look it up if you don't believe me.

Keep on doing what we do - even if the only reason is that it really p****s off the other side!

[Slart]

There's a Benadryl banner ad on the page with the video, and a video ad for Benadryl runs right before the segment. I for one am putting Benadryl on my "do not buy" list until they pull these ads, and I'm going to let them know it.

The banner ad links to this page:
http://www.benadrylusa.com/

As somebody mentioned above, this is best dealt with by making lemonade - do whatever nitpicky things they hit you with in order to be in compliance with the law, and use this as free advertising.

Regardless of how it works out, though, these sensationalistic news organizations PISS ME OFF. Remember when Fox ran a show about the "fake moon landings" a couple of years ago?
http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/tv/foxapollo.html
Of course they wouldn't have a story if they did a *real* investigation, so they made a total bull***t story that was pure misinformation. No wonder we have so many idiots in this country - they watch this kind of garbage on TV.

[Buddy Thomason]

Steven,
There's no justification for the superficial and hysterical treatment you and your work has been given by the media. We all know what their game is. It's about money, pure and simple. Whatever sells news and advertising - they'll stop at nothing!

Having said that, and in the spirit of working for the good of the community of blade makers and collectors, there are a few issues worth considering.
1. If your business is in violation of any municipal, city, county or residential codes/laws/contracts - that's a mistake that could cost you in a situation like this.
2. I looked at your website in detail. You obviously do fine work and your website is free of anything provocative - it's a great site! You could consider adding a page about you, your philosophy, explaining up front in words what is obvious to anyone who would bother to look through your site - that it's about creative art, fantasy and such. Lots of other makers have such a page and my bet is it's good business and good protection.
3. It could be useful to specifically state on your website that you will not sell to minors, and that the buyer is responsible for not violating any laws in their jurisdiction, etc. etc. etc.
4. And finally, consider what is implied by your CKD by-line: "It is not who dies with the most toys wins. It is who dies with the EVILEST toys wins." Don't give the idiots any advantages.
5. Finally, are you (or anybody reading this thread) a member of the AKTI - American Knife and Tool Institute? They're your official representation at the legislative level. Should you wind up needing a lawyer to help you with this matter, he/she will be very pleased to know about the AKTI and that you are a member.

As for your local media affiliate there - I agree somebody ought to step on their air hose. They're scum of the worst kind. AND, we can't control them, the best we can do is get behind the AKTI and make sure we aren't giving the idiots the ammo to blow us away with! Good luck! I like your work, man - especially the electric guitars. Sweet!

[hammerdownnow]

The latest thing OZ has outlawed is Machettes. One piece at a time is how they chisel us down. In the UK you cannot call a knife a fighter, a tactical or any other term that could conote violence.
When talking to people from those regions, they seemed to have resigned themselves to their lots, and suggest to us that it is ineveitable and we should just accept it as progress in the modern world. After a small rant on my part about how this is America and we don't stand for that kind of sheep herding here, I just dropped it in the interest in peace on this forum.

We need to continuue supporting the movement in the other direction. Altho i choose not to conceal carry, I support it because the stats show it deters crime. I do support the movement to un-ban switchblades, they are the safest handiest blade to use in sport fishing. Not the greatest in a knife fight.

If more states would enact CO's "Make my Day Law" crime rates would drop as they have done there.

What is the deterent to burgler if he knows the victim can't shoot him or they will sent to prison and sued for violating his right to B&E?

[fitzo]

Originally posted by Buddy Thomason

1. If your business is in violation of any municipal, city, county or residential codes/laws/contracts - that's a mistake that could cost you in a situation like this.

This is a VERY important point, Buddy!

I have brought this up before, and will again, here. When I was going to switch my knifemaking from a hobby to a business many years ago, I found out that I would be considered "light manufacturing" and would be in violation of zoning codes in the town where I live.

Someone has offered a workaround to calling a knifemaking business a "Design" company, allowing for the creation of prototypes in a residential setting. It might mandate some small effort to prove you are attempting to "sell" your designs to knife manufactoring corporations. I encourage any of you to consult with a lawyer before you establish yourself as a knifemaking business within your home.

Good luck, Steven.

[Buddy Thomason]

Hammerdownnow - right on! You stated the case for getting behind the AKTI better than I could ever hope to. Here's a quote from their home page: "AKTI is monitoring knife laws and legislation and will promote reasonable knife-related laws and responsible enforcement. We are creating a grassroots organization to promote the preservation and protection of the knife - by providing education and information." Their motto is "Keeping Knives In American Lives" and this is their link: http://www.akti.org/ They have had some major successes in the past in fighting against the mindless erosion of our rights regarding making, selling, buying and carrying.....knives! Check it out.

[Gary Hamilton]

Steven, hate to imagine your current situation. I think your work is great, I feel for anyone in this situation. I have also forward a few e-mails. It is disappointing to see sensationalism reporting particularly when it hurts people.

Larger companies that seem to handle negative media the best they do not let it die (Trump's hair). The short-term may not be enjoyable but long-term you may be able to use it positively. Sorry I have no positive suggestion for working through that has not been suggested better than I could.