Getting the Take-Down Buck Saw on the market was actually a matter of getting it in the market. You see, although people use the phrase all the time, “overnight success” is a lot like “love at first sight.” It doesn’t really work that way. It takes hard work, dedication and unwavering commitment. And, in the case of Trail Blazer, it took a lot of time chatting with potential customers at local flea markets. Chatting, but most importantly, listening.
Curtis, now often joined by his son Shawn, travelled from market to market, setting up shop wherever he could get a table. “There were times,” recalls Shawn, “that we were sitting in front of a motor home in a field in New Brunswick at a flea market just trying to sell product.”
It sounds like a humble beginning but it was the perfect start. In fact, it might have been the key to their success. You see, two things were happening as they travelled around to these markets. First, word was getting out about the Trail Blazer Take-Down Buck Saw. More significantly, however, Curtis and Shawn were learning from the people who were actually using the product. They developed a passion for solving the needs of the individuals they were meeting.
Before long, the Take-Down Buck Saw was attracting attention beyond the local market. It was chosen by Scouts Canada for their Troops across the country—it’s still being used today. And, in 1992, The North American Hunting Club field-tested and fully recommended the Take-Down Buck Saw to all their members.
It was also around this time that retail customers started to come calling. First, Nova Scotia’s own Ron’s Army Navy (now The Adventure Outfitters). Then, an owner of a store in Ontario stopped by the booth. “I was at the Penhorn Market, “remembers Shawn, “and he was on vacation and came up to me and asked if I would sell him some saws. I didn’t have enough there for him, so I went home and built some up and went down to Mail Boxes Etc. and shipped it to Concord, Ontario.” That one little shipment really boosted their courage. It was proof positive that this venture had potential.
“In February of 1995, Dad and I sat down,” says Shawn, “and I said, ‘you know I think I can turn this into a business. At that time I was just finishing my university degree. I quit my military job, I quit my bartending job, took a major paycut,” he laughs, “and decided I’d try to make a business out of it.”