Anyone have experience in getting a knife maker (I really want Bark River to make this) make a knife (from a rough prototype knife) ??
Depends on if they offer it as a service, I would imagine that a production company may not. Probably best to email and ask. The next question (for a production company and not a custom maker) will be about IP rights to the design. You send it to them and pay them for one they may be leery of you wanting a cut if they decide "great design lets make it production".
^ yea I'm not really interested in getting a cut so to speak (both $ and knife cuts ). I was more hoping for my handle (Bushman) on the knife / name and getting the design tweaked by pro knife makers. of course I'd want at least one free knife if they made it.... i really want Bark River to make this blade - because they have the A2 steel and also their Moran style handle on their Bowie's is next level comfortable.
I am not a BR fan, that said there are a number of companies that offer lazer etching that may be a better (and much cheaper) option.
Ahh, I seriously doubt any maker, other than a custom one, will because of the royalty issues, ownership etc and more so one such as BR. Any part you play would mean they may end up “owing” you or open to litigation even if you agree for the rights and naming to be handed over to them for one free knife in exchange. More likely if it was a great design you would get a knock back on “Project Bushy” only to see a VERY similar design released a year later.
I knew a guy a couple years ago who asked for a quote to have a run of bare knife blanks run - it was a design he'd make a dozen or so of and wanted to do a run of 100. 2 weeks later they came back with a quote that was a bit excessive. 2 weeks after that, a 150-knife run of "almost" his design posted up for sale - at close to $50/knife less than he was quoted for the bare blanks.
