Good Q! Although I'm relatively new, I have done quite a bit of research about lure painting, checked out the competition and applied what I've learned to the Swamp Zombie brand.
I believe I make solid lures for a fair price. Yes, some of my competitors have amazing paint jobs- but, they tend to skimp on clear coat. And many don't apply the same amount of time or energy into each crank. Most of what I do is free-hand painting- I rarely use stencil's and I like to add other little things to make the lures more appealing to the fish- UV'ed eyes and shad "spots", glitter finish, Crystal Flash hooks, ETC.
Again, a Crankbait should be judged on the sum of ALL it's parts. A magnificent paint job is only great if it doesn't rub off after a few fish. I use a 2-2 1/2 layer epoxy resin system, (sometimes 3 -4 layer). The only thing better is many layers of a clear automotive coat, (or "DK" dip)- and even then, sometimes the automotive dries wrong and gets "brittle". When this happens you can use a fingernail and scrape the top-coat (and paint) right off the lure. (Many large lure company's have issues with this....)
Realize- an epoxy resin coat must be foam brushed on- not sprayed. It's like syrup when applied- add too much and the lure is ruined- Add small layer's and the lure is encased forever. Do they eventually wear down??? Yes, eventually they do- all lures do - after, oh, 100 plus fish or so! (lol) The guys I sponsor have done field tests and they've caught literally 100's of fish with my lures- SO MANY fish that the crankbait bill had worn down before the sides, belly, and top! That's pretty good durability.
Plus, I try to give the best service possible. Many of my competitors just don't interact with the client. I do my best to engage and converse with customers making sure I know exactly what they need or want- this makes a difference in the quality of the final product and how well it actually works in the environment. If you can't/won't converse with the client and try to find out what they (really) need how can you make good merchandise?
Swamp Zombie Lures- making lures the old fashion way- one at a time.
I believe I make solid lures for a fair price. Yes, some of my competitors have amazing paint jobs- but, they tend to skimp on clear coat. And many don't apply the same amount of time or energy into each crank. Most of what I do is free-hand painting- I rarely use stencil's and I like to add other little things to make the lures more appealing to the fish- UV'ed eyes and shad "spots", glitter finish, Crystal Flash hooks, ETC.
Again, a Crankbait should be judged on the sum of ALL it's parts. A magnificent paint job is only great if it doesn't rub off after a few fish. I use a 2-2 1/2 layer epoxy resin system, (sometimes 3 -4 layer). The only thing better is many layers of a clear automotive coat, (or "DK" dip)- and even then, sometimes the automotive dries wrong and gets "brittle". When this happens you can use a fingernail and scrape the top-coat (and paint) right off the lure. (Many large lure company's have issues with this....)
Realize- an epoxy resin coat must be foam brushed on- not sprayed. It's like syrup when applied- add too much and the lure is ruined- Add small layer's and the lure is encased forever. Do they eventually wear down??? Yes, eventually they do- all lures do - after, oh, 100 plus fish or so! (lol) The guys I sponsor have done field tests and they've caught literally 100's of fish with my lures- SO MANY fish that the crankbait bill had worn down before the sides, belly, and top! That's pretty good durability.
Plus, I try to give the best service possible. Many of my competitors just don't interact with the client. I do my best to engage and converse with customers making sure I know exactly what they need or want- this makes a difference in the quality of the final product and how well it actually works in the environment. If you can't/won't converse with the client and try to find out what they (really) need how can you make good merchandise?
Swamp Zombie Lures- making lures the old fashion way- one at a time.
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