A Copywriter’s Weird Knife Hobby
So … weird “hobby” I’m into: I collect pocket knives.
But not just ANY pocket knives.
I’m talking beautifully designed, functional knives that are basically pieces of art. I’ve been doing it since I was like 16.
And since I’m vegan, I use them mainly for applications around the house, for building things, or for the occasional outdoor-eating situation.
The one I purchased most recently is from a company called The James Brand.
If you don’t know The James Brand (and you like knives or know someone who does) go check them out immediately.
Their products are unlike any I’ve come across in the last few years.
And one of the benefits of their knives is that they are easy to repair.
Well …
At least I thought they’d be easy to repair.
Long story short, one of the screws on my knife came loose.
So I had to — that’s right — repair it!
I got the replacement screws and specialty Torx screwdriver that I needed to do the work.
And then, over the weekend, I laid everything out on the table and started taking the knife apart.
And … uh … it went … uh … well.
Yeah, it went well!
Swimmingly, actually!
I certainly did NOT spend 40 minutes just trying to remember which screws went where.
NOR did I spend an additional 20 minutes trying to get the springs for the joint back in place.
And I definitely didn’t have to go searching for half an hour for a screw cap I was missing.
Nope. Not me! Not THIS copywriter!
Ah … okay … maybe all those things are actually true.
All in, I ended up spending like an hour and 45 minutes doing the repair. Way longer than I thought I would have to.
And while it was the biggest headache of my life, I certainly learned — in depth — how my knife is constructed and how it operates.
By the time I was done, it was working 10x better than it had before.
During the repair, I remembered a lesson I should have learned long ago … that I think applies to copywriting too.
Slow down and be methodical.
By trying to rush the repair, I created confusion for myself and made the process much longer than it needed to be.
The same can be true of writing copy. Without doing the proper research on the product, market, competition … you can end up with a bigger process (and headache) than necessary.
So, my tip today:
Slow down. Be methodical.
And of course, go to my blog:
David Patrick
