- Joined
- Jan 27, 2000
- Messages
- 615
It's been a good run of thirteen years with the last five being full-time. But after a lot of thought I finally decided at the end of July that I just couldn't keep this thing going.
There's a lot of reasons, but one of the main things is that I simply can't make knives fast enough to continue. The seven day work weeks started taking a great toll on me both physically and mentally.
I could see the proverbial handwriting on the wall a year ago when I realized that I could no longer afford to do shows, attend hammer-ins, and go to the monthly meetings at Uncle Al's. Between equipment failures, quarterly taxes, accounting/bookkeeping fees, general maintenance around the homestead, two extended periods of no access to the Internet, and continually running out of stock because there wasn't enough cash to go around, my back was broken as well as my spirit.
Of course I could rationalize that if only that stinking company I worked for for 28 1/2 years had stayed open for another 18 months I'd have had a pension and been able to make it, but that's hogwash. The truth of the matter is that I just wasn't good enough or fast enough. I've watched guys come up in the last three years that can work circles around me and are now doing better work than me. That's just the way it is.
I plan to hang onto the little bit of equipment that I've accumulated over the years and may do a bit of part time work later on, but Primos Knives as a company is down the toilet.
Thank you all for your support through the years. The people in the knifemaking / knife collecting world are the best around, and I am very sorry for letting you down. There has been a bit of concern voiced by folks who use The Anvil Forums that knew of the decision I've had to make. I have paid up on the forums for another year. After that I will either continue to pay for it, or turn it over to one of my moderators and continue to offer technical support.
There's a lot of reasons, but one of the main things is that I simply can't make knives fast enough to continue. The seven day work weeks started taking a great toll on me both physically and mentally.
I could see the proverbial handwriting on the wall a year ago when I realized that I could no longer afford to do shows, attend hammer-ins, and go to the monthly meetings at Uncle Al's. Between equipment failures, quarterly taxes, accounting/bookkeeping fees, general maintenance around the homestead, two extended periods of no access to the Internet, and continually running out of stock because there wasn't enough cash to go around, my back was broken as well as my spirit.
Of course I could rationalize that if only that stinking company I worked for for 28 1/2 years had stayed open for another 18 months I'd have had a pension and been able to make it, but that's hogwash. The truth of the matter is that I just wasn't good enough or fast enough. I've watched guys come up in the last three years that can work circles around me and are now doing better work than me. That's just the way it is.
I plan to hang onto the little bit of equipment that I've accumulated over the years and may do a bit of part time work later on, but Primos Knives as a company is down the toilet.
Thank you all for your support through the years. The people in the knifemaking / knife collecting world are the best around, and I am very sorry for letting you down. There has been a bit of concern voiced by folks who use The Anvil Forums that knew of the decision I've had to make. I have paid up on the forums for another year. After that I will either continue to pay for it, or turn it over to one of my moderators and continue to offer technical support.
It does get old at times though. Good luck man, you do great work and I'm sure you'll pick it up again.
