Any advice before starting apprenticeship

sierra11b

sierra11b

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Mar 22, 2005
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I was lucky enough to have a local smith give me the opportunity to start working in his shop starting this coming Friday. Given my work schedule and his work schedule, I'll only be able to link-up from 3pm till whenever we call it a day on Monday and Fridays. I wish I could be there everyday but cannot for financial and work responsibilities.

My goal is to one day offer classic professional kitchen cutlery as I am a chef by trade. I feel that my experience in fine dining and elsewhere will reflect in my ergonomic yet geometrically-sound designs. I hope to cover all designs I’m particularly fond of from Europe, China, and especially Japan. Even have a couple fresh concepts I’d like to try.

So I’m wondering what advice anyone here can give me on what to expect and how to make the most out of my limited weekly time working with him? The smith told me to only bring my interest in knives... I can certainly do that!

Thanks for your time,

Eric S.
 
In no particular order:

Hit it hot!!! :D (you'll understand this more after the weekend) :p

Listen more than you speak.

Make a list of questions you need answered (you'll hate being 10 miles down the road and going "arggghhh why didn't I ask him that?"

Take some sketches of knife designs you have. Let him critique them, this does 2 things, lets him know what you think works and what kind of knives you 'd like to make. He can make suggestions about the designs to help speed up your education.

Offer to clean his shop, not necessarily move stuff around but sweep and do some general cleaning if he'll allow you to. Cleaning is a traditional apprentice duty anyways (ask me how I know :D )

Bring something as a gift, food always works. I left my teacher some cash in his glove compartment because he refused to let me pay for stuff. I also brought him some belts and wood as gifts...

Be prepared to get your feelings hurt if he feels you're doing something unsafe.

Thank him profusely, keep in contact with him. If it's a true apprentice/teacher relationship it'll be a friendship you will cherish all your life. I know my teacher is someone that I respect and cherish as a true friend.

Don't worry, he'll know what he wants you to do. :D
 
This is exactly what i'm looking for. Thanks. Consider the food part covered. I'll have to bring him something new to knock his socks off every time. Hope he's not diabetic. :D

I'm glad you brought-up sketches because I have about a dozen sketches of knives that I’d like to bring him. Some are full size chef knives, Santoku's, etc. Others are smaller pairing knives. Will I come-off as someone that wants to move too fast if I bring the sketches of fuller-sized knives? Don't want to make any wrong first impressions.
 
I would recommend letting the teacher show you how to make knives his way, first, and making the type knives he knows how best to teach. It is no harm to show what you are eventually interested in, but for now be interested in learning how, first. Basic knowledge can better be applied to specific styles later.

Another bit of advice I'd offer is to always be a student of knifemaking, not a businessman looking to make something to sell. What I'm saying is, let the interest in the techniques shine through, never an attitude that might convey that the craft is secondary to trying to make money. (I only offer this because it is the attitude that got my last student booted. ;) )
 
Well said Fitzo...

If you work and study hard at knifemaking you may one day be lucky enough to earn enough money to buy supplies :D
 
Yes. Well said. I hope that I didn't come-off as someone with poor intentions. Like how I make food for hundreds of people in hopes they like my cuisine, I hope to some day offer good knives for people in my trade as well as amateurs. I'm certainly not a chef for the money. I don't see an extra penny for additional plates sold. It's a passion of mine that I can hope to carry-over to knifemaking. Hope that makes sense. I'm glad you pointed this out, though... I'll be sure to have an open mind and check myself at the door.
 
Good luck with your apprenticeship.

I'm in Sacramento this week on business. Myself and two other knifemakers are getting together on Thursday evening at a local bladesmiths shop to pound some hot steel and talk knives. We would love to have you over. I'm sure they won't mind having another person there to talk and learn.

You can call me on my cell at (330) 284-3103, if you're interested in joining us.
 
sierra11b said:
I hope that I didn't come-off as someone with poor intentions.
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No, no, you didn't come off that way at all. I was just speaking generally as advice to the new student. Things I've learned along the way that might strike you as worth considering.

I wish you well in this delightful journey. We are all students for the entire time we make knives. There is always a new horizon, and more to learn; this is what makes it a wonderful craft.
 
I was a welders apprentice many years ago, lots of dirty work. I wish I could have learned knife making the same way, would save alot of mistakes, no local makers in my area. Good luck and learn all you can from this teacher.
 
Wulf said:
always keep a notebook and pencil handy and take lots of notes!
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I second that....you will not (if he's a seasoned instructor) remember 1/2 of what he says...and believe me, you'll want to.
 
I have apprenticed many jewelers over the past 30 years.The founder of the 'New Approach Jewelry School', Blaine Lewis, was my apprentice 25 years ago. http://www.grstrainingcenter.com/instructors/blainelewis.html

If there is only one piece of advice I could offer it would be;
Let the teacher do the teaching. Don't try to impress him with what you know or what you can do. Ask questions (there are no dumb questions - but there are stupid people who don't ask questions)
Listen, Watch, Learn.

You are very lucky the get an offer like this.
Stacy
 
sierra11b,
I got your PM. I'm sad to hear that you can't make it to our little pow wow. There's a lot of good advice here. Listen, learn and take notes. You'll be surprised at how much you forgot when you go back over the notes.

Good luck!
 
I wish i was under someones wing, lol oh well there is a certain amount in any trade you should learn on your own before trying something like that
because the basic basic's are just straight motorskills and practice then you can really be helped effeicently

I get a lesson here or there from a local guy but he is so damn busy trying to feed his family i wouldnt want to slow him down hopefully this weekend i can head out there

hopefully within the next few months I can travel to the states and pay a maker who wants to help me train for a week - 2 weeks straight and give them a couple thousand dollars for putting me up and there time then go home and practice and repeat less then a year later
 
bryce said:
I wish i was under someones wing, lol oh well there is a certain amount in any trade you should learn on your own before trying something like that
because the basic basic's are just straight motorskills and practice then you can really be helped effeicently

I get a lesson here or there from a local guy but he is so damn busy trying to feed his family i wouldnt want to slow him down hopefully this weekend i can head out there

hopefully within the next few months I can travel to the states and pay a maker who wants to help me train for a week - 2 weeks straight and give them a couple thousand dollars for putting me up and there time then go home and practice and repeat less then a year later
Click to expand...

Look up Ed Caffrey! He's not too far away from you in NE Montana and he teaches. He's also one of the nicest guys I've ever met.

Tom Ferry also teaches and is down in the Seattle area. I don't know Tom as well as I know Ed.
 
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