Today we’d like to introduce you to Vee Rip (Gary Ripper).
Thanks for sharing your story with us . So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started making hilts in 2010 as a hobby. I made the first one for my son. They were affordable sabers made from sink pipes and PVC. I started selling them on eBay and people bought them. I had been working with acrylic for several years when everyone said you COULD NOT make a dark saber blade to light up because it was black. I did. I came up with the acrylic flat blade trying to make the dark saber blade. I made the “black” blade and we now have 3 versions of it. The Black Blade, the Katana and the Ninja were my first blades. We now have over 50 stock blades available and we specialize in Custom blades.
I started selling Ripper Blades (My last name is Ripper and my customers came up with Ripper Blades because that is what they would call them) on the saber community forums and on Facebook. It was a hobby for years until my best friend (and now significant other) decided to join me November 2016. We now have a website and an Etsy store. We work Ripper Blades full time since then and the business is growing.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would describe it as a smooth road. It has been an EPIC experience and it continues to be. We started with nothing. We had one hilt and no supplies. A dremel, a router, a band saw, a few sanders and a torch. We would get an order and buy the supplies. Slowly but surely, we have been able to put the remaining of the profit (after living expenses were taken care of) right back into the business. We now have 2 dremels, 2 routers……lol. Our next adventure is a Kickstarter that will help us get the machines needed to bring Ripper Blades on the road (cross country cons and events) and to machine Ripper Hilts to go with Ripper Blades.
It has been an emotional roller coaster. It can get a bit scary knowing you depend on others to decide to purchase your hand made art to live. Our faith in the fact that we are on the right path is what allows the universe to guide us.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Ripper Blades story. Tell us more about the business.
We make high powered light saber blades. I am the creator of the acrylic flat blade. I am also the first to make the dark saber black blade. We specialize in custom blades. We are the only blade company (that we know of) Our customer service and customer loyalty is what sets us apart from others.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
As of today, we only make blades. Our first adventure will be to machine Ripper hilts. We plan on expanding our product into full swords and knives. We may also add capes and armor to our product list also. 30% of our blades are sent overseas so we do plan on working with international distributors.
We have 2 big projects in mind for the next few years. A group that needs to be started that will bring the ladies into this wonderful hobby and a site that will bring it all together. These two projects will CHANGE and SHIFT the Saber Community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ripperblades.net
- Phone: 928.706.8340
- Email: [email protected]
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