Knife Industry VS Gun Industry (ft. Smoky Mountain Knife Works)

State of the Second sits down with TC from Smoky Mountain Knife Works and Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo, recorded in Gatlinburg, Tennessee ahead of GOA's convention in Knoxville. TC traces an unlikely path into the industry. He grew up on a cattle farm in South Alabama, saved his money all year as a kid to visit the world's largest knife store once a year, met Chuck Buck there at nine, then spent years as a singer and entertainer in Nashville and later at the Smoky Mountain Opry and Dolly Parton's Stampede before his wife spotted a job posting for a media personality. He started on the knife side almost four years ago, and about a year and a half ago took on the gun store's content too. Most of the conversation digs into what it actually takes to be a retailer in the firearms and knife space online. TC and John lay out the hard math: social platforms and Google won't let gun and knife sellers pay for advertising, so all growth has to be organic. Margins on firearms run roughly 10 to 15 percent, maybe 20 if you're lucky, and manufacturers, not the store, often set the price through MAP, minimum advertised price. As John puts it, if you got into the gun industry to make millions, you're in the wrong industry. TC also explains the tightrope of speaking for a company rather than as an individual influencer, where he can't just give an opinion but can back a top-five list with real sales reports. The back half turns to community and advocacy. TC contrasts the wide, mixed demographic of the knife world with the more like-minded gun community, and argues both sides are too quick to tear each other down online in ways that scare off newcomers. Kaylee makes a direct case for action, walking through escalating levels of advocacy from a 30-second pre-typed email to calling representatives to showing up at lobby days, and points to Tennessee's fast-moving legislation, including school carry for teachers headed to the governor's desk. They cover the slippery slope of bans from bump stocks to pistol braces to a lead ammo ban, the censorship and shadow banning retailers face, and the collaboration that John credits as the firearms industry's strength. TC closes with what's next: an expanded gun selection at the former Food Lion location, around 600 to 650 new firearm SKUs, vendor events, and his plan to document jumping into three-gun competition for the first time. Linkssmkw.comQuestions this episode answers Why can't firearms and knife retailers buy advertising on social media or Google, and how does that change how they grow? Social platforms and Google won't let gun and knife sellers pay for advertising, so every bit of growth for retailers like Smoky Mountain Knife Works has to come organically. That makes content, not ad spend, the main engine for reaching new customers. What are the actual profit margins on selling firearms, and who really sets the price? Margins on firearms run roughly 10 to 15 percent, maybe 20 if you're lucky. The store often doesn't set the price either, because manufacturers control it through MAP, or minimum advertised price. What is MAP (minimum advertised price) and why do manufacturers enforce it? MAP, or minimum advertised price, is the floor a manufacturer sets on what a product can be advertised for, so the price is dictated by the maker rather than the retailer. It's a major reason firearm margins stay thin for stores. How is the knife community's demographic different from the gun community's? TC describes the knife world as a wide, mixed demographic, while the gun community is more like-minded. He also notes both sides are too quick to tear each other down online in ways that scare off newcomers. How can someone who speaks for a company give honest content without just giving their personal opinion? Speaking for a company rather than as an individual influencer, TC can't simply offer his own opinion, but he can stand behind a top-five list backed by real sales reports. The data does the talking instead of personal preference. What levels of Second Amendment advocacy can someone start with, and how long does it actually take? Kaylee walks through escalating levels of Second Amendment advocacy, from a 30-second pre-typed email to calling representatives to showing up at lobby days. The message is to find whatever level you're comfortable with and start there. Why does the 'slippery slope' argument matter to hunters who think bans don't affect them? The conversation traces a slippery slope of bans from bump stocks to pistol braces to a proposed lead ammo ban, showing how restrictions expand over time. A lead ammo ban in particular would reach hunters who assume firearm bans don't touch them. How is Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo expanding its new store, and what's next for TC's content? Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo is expanding into a former Food Lion location with an added gun selection of roughly 600 to 650 new firearm SKUs plus vendor events. TC also plans to document jumping into three-gun competition for the first time. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome and meet TC 01:09 — The new local store and the Relic Room 02:34 — A museum and the world's largest knife store 03:01 — TC's road from Nashville to knife works 05:46 — Taking on the gun store content 08:47 — No paid ads: growth has to be organic 10:33 — Speaking for a company vs an influencer 12:42 — Thin margins and MAP pricing 15:30 — Knife vs gun community demographics 19:19 — Being more welcoming to newcomers 22:27 — Building the new store at an old Food Lion 29:57 — Tennessee, school carry, and advocacy 33:42 — Slippery slope: bans and lead ammo 41:25 — Censorship, shadow banning, and collaboration 47:51 — Where to find them and three-gun plans About the guest TC is a media personality and spokesperson for Smoky Mountain Knife Works and Smoky Mountain Guns and Ammo, where he produces the companies' on-air, radio, and social media content. He grew up on a cattle farm in South Alabama as the son of a welder and machinist, and describes himself as a third-generation welder and machinist. Before joining the company almost four years ago, he worked as a singer and entertainer, living in Nashville to pursue music and later performing at the Smoky Mountain Opry and Dolly Parton's Stampede. He came to guns through hunting rather than law enforcement or the military. He lives on a small horse farm in Seymour with his wife. Key quotes "everything that we do as far as growth has to be organic" — TC "If you got into the gun industry to make millions of dollars, you're in the wrong industry." — John "I'm not giving my opinion. I'm just saying, hey, these are the top five sold." — TC "the more people we have, the stronger that we are" — TC "Find whatever level of advocacy you're comfortable with and start there." — Kaylee "You let them take just an inch of that rope and they're gonna hang you with it." — TC "the one thing that the firearms industry does better than any other industry, is that we collab together" — John