Studying at Western University starts with a knife-forging competition

Chapter 110

Nelson and Jason's finished products were displayed side by side on the workshop's worktable.

The Bowie hunting knife has a long, slender blade, and the brass guard gleams with a warm gold under the light. The matte black ebony handle and the dark red of the copper mosaic studs create a calm and sophisticated contrast.

The camping knife is short and rounded, and its rounded blade makes it more convenient to handle food. The combination of silver-gray aluminum alloy fittings and ebony wood is more understated than the Bowie hunting knife.

Lin Yuan took the two knives out of the case and wiped the blades one last time with a soft cloth to make sure there were no fingerprints left.

Daniel was tidying up the materials rack next to him, occasionally glancing back at the finished products on the worktable with an envious look, before continuing to tidy up the sanding belt.

Matt walked out of the office area with a laptop in his hand, the screen displaying backend data for his YouTube channel.

The video of Shenpi sewing has been viewed steadily in the seven figures, and new comments are still pouring in every day. Some people are asking about customization, some are urging for the next episode, and others are discussing the details of the craftsmanship.

"When are Nelson and Jason coming to pick it up?" Matt placed the computer on the worktable and leaned against the materials shelf.

"They said they'd come together, probably next week." Lin Yuan put the two knives into their respective cases, labeled them, and stacked them in a cabinet in the office area. "Once their orders are finished, all they'll have left are the California hunting knives. The one that cost five thousand dollars, it's a regular Damascus steel one."

"What happens after that knife is finished?"

"We'll see about the schedule later." Lin Yuan folded the velvet and put it back on the tool rack, then turned around. "You have some ideas?"

Matt turned the laptop around to show Lin Yuan.

On the screen was a document he had compiled, titled "Channel Content Planning - A Democratized Approach".

He pointed to a few lines of text on the screen, his tone much more serious than usual.

"The data from the sword with the divine skin stitching proves one thing—the traffic for recreating game weapons is indeed large, but the production cycle is too long to be used as regular content on the channel."

You've seen the stats for Nielsen and Jason's two knives; their view count is only a fraction of Shenpi's stitches, but their conversion rate in the comments section is much higher.

Of those who watched the video about the Bowie hunting knife, the percentage of customers who actually emailed to inquire about the price was almost five times higher than that of the Shenpi sutures.

"So what you mean is?"

"We'll pursue two content directions in parallel. High-end content will showcase the brand's potential, while more accessible content will maintain the channel's update frequency and fan engagement." Matt flipped to the next page of the document. "But we can't just make any accessible content. We need a consistent, engaging format, not the kind where we film an episode whenever we feel like it and then stop when we don't."

Lin Yuan sat down on the stool, waiting for him to continue.

"Lucky fan giveaway." Matt placed his laptop on the worktable and gestured with his hands to explain, "Once a month, we randomly select two people from the comments section or Instagram messages to give them a pre-order spot for a 'civilian version' of the artwork."

The price is set between three and five thousand US dollars. The knife shape is fixed as a hunting knife or camping knife. The material is ordinary Damascus steel, not silver-iron alloy, and not high-fold forging layer.

Low cost, short working hours, and controllable profit margin.

Lin Yuan thought about it. This plan was indeed feasible.

High-end pieces made of silver-iron alloy and cloud-patterned steel are priced starting at 20,000 yuan, targeting collectors and high-end clients, with limited market capacity.

The price range of three to five thousand US dollars has a wider audience and more intense competition, but with his craftsmanship, it is not difficult for him to make something better than others in this price range.

"If the blade shape is fixed, there's no need to redesign it every time. Molds and tooling can be prepared in batches." Lin Yuan picked up his notebook from the workbench and flipped through it. "The hunting knife blade is four to five inches long, with a desert ironwood or black walnut handle, ordinary Damask pattern, and it's forged two to three times, with the number of layers controlled at around two hundred."

After factoring in material costs and labor hours, there's a profit of $5,000.

"What about three thousand?"

"If it's three thousand, shorten the blade length a bit, use Micarta or G10 for the handle, and simplify the fittings. We can keep the cost down, and the profit margin will be about the same." Lin Yuan calculated the numbers, wrote a few lines in his notebook, and then looked up. "But the rules for the lottery need to be clear. It's not a free giveaway; it's a pre-order slot. The person who wins will still have to pay, but they'll have the right to buy it."

"Of course. If it's free, our channel becomes a lottery channel, not a forging channel." Matt took his laptop back and added a few lines to the document, "This event is limited to viewers in Europe and America. The US is obviously included, but countries with convenient shipping like Canada, the UK, Germany, and Australia are also eligible. Those within China cannot participate."

Lin Yuan glanced at him: "Why?"

"The customs risks of internationally mailing knives are too high." Matt counted on his fingers one by one. "First of all, Chinese customs has much stricter controls on the entry of knives than the United States. There are specific restrictions on each item, such as blade length, locking mechanism, and sharpening angle. Ordinary viewers simply cannot figure out whether their orders meet the regulations."

Secondly, shipping costs are high. A knife plus packaging costs at least a hundred US dollars for international express delivery, and if it is seized by customs, we will have to bear the return shipping costs.

Third, each country has different regulatory policies, and we cannot possibly study the knife import regulations of dozens of countries just for the sake of two monthly quotas.

He paused for a moment.

"Furthermore, Zhang Yue manages your Chinese account. She's more familiar with domestic policies than you are. If your domestic fans have any needs, let them use the high-end customized channel—higher prices, more standardized procedures, and complete customs clearance documents."

The target audience for this grassroots lottery event is the US: simple, direct, and low-risk.

Lin Yuan did not object. Matt's analysis was indeed in line with the reality. Cross-border mailing of knives was not impossible, but investing a lot of energy in researching the import regulations of various countries for just two slots per month was not worthwhile.

"Then it's settled." Lin Yuan stood up, walked to the worktable, took out the velvet cloth he had just put away, and began to wipe the handle of Nelson's Bowie hunting knife. "Write down the activity rules clearly and post them in the channel description and the pinned comment of each video."

The lottery process must be open and transparent, using a random number generator and recorded for evidence. Winners must contact us within a specified time; otherwise, their spot will be forfeited and a new draw will be held.

"Okay." Matt typed the conditions into the document one by one.

Daniel walked over from the materials shelf, carrying a newly arrived roll of sanding belt. After placing it on the shelf, he went to the workbench and glanced at the Bowie hunting knife that Lin Yuan was polishing. "When are you sending this knife?"

"Nelson will come to pick it up next week. He said he wants to see the results in person."

Daniel nodded without asking any further questions. He walked to the office area, sat down next to Matt, took out his well-worn Bible from his bag, placed it on the corner of the table, but didn't open it. He watched Matt type on the computer, and after a while, suddenly spoke.

"Is your prize draw only available in the US?"

"Yes. The US mainland and countries with convenient mail delivery." Matt didn't even look up.

Daniel leaned back in his chair, his hands crossed over his stomach. He looked up from the computer screen at the bass specimen on the wall.

"Back when we were at Magna," he said calmly, not with a sentimental tone, but simply stating a fact, "we took orders from companies in the surrounding towns. The furthest downstream factories that supplied our parts were in the next county, a two-hour drive away."

He paused for a moment and pointed to Matt's computer screen.

"Look at this knife now. It's not even finished yet, but the whole world knows about it. People in the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Australia—these places see a knife online, think it looks good, and want to buy it. They don't care which country made the knife; they only care if it's well-made."

Lin Yuan stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Daniel. Daniel's expression didn't change much; he was simply comparing two things: he had worked in factories for most of his life and was used to the limitations of regional supply chains, while now the Internet was breaking down those boundaries.

"The Internet is indeed a good thing." Daniel picked up the Bible on the corner of the table, turned to the page with the bookmark, but did not read it. He just tapped the spine of the book lightly with his finger. "I met a missionary from England at church before. He said he had seen your videos on YouTube."

I didn't quite believe it at first, but then I searched it myself and found that your channel really does have several thousand viewers.

"Now it's more than that," Matt said.

"I know." Daniel's lips twitched slightly. "That's why I say the internet is amazing."

He lowered his head and began to read the scriptures.

Lin Yuan turned back to continue wiping the knife. The Bowie hunting knife on the workbench gleamed with a uniform metallic sheen under the light, the layers of its cloud-like pattern clearly discernible. He turned the blade over, wiped it from the hilt to the tip with a soft cloth, then placed it back in the knife case and closed the lid.