Best Piece of Advice You've Received From A Knife Maker

Viral,

You're 24. You have no idea how fast the next 41 years will pass. Enjoy every day. One day you'll
look in the mirror and say, "WTF, where did all that grey hair come from?":eek:

Bill
 
For new makers, a quote by Ira Glass about writing that applies to any creative work I think. Happened exactly like that for me with knifemaking:

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through." — Ira Glass
 
I do it for a hobby because my normal job does not afford me the chance to be artistic or work with my hands. So my advice may be different from the pros making a living.

I'll put up several I always refer to:
1. Nothing can replace time in front of the grinder. You can have the best tools, know the most, have great materials, but if you aren't in front grinding, your skills will not improve and possibly deteriorate.. it is a perishable skill.
2. Do it because you love to do it. If you have passion for it, you will succeed.
3. You can't keep them all.
 
After looking at my knives at a show once, Edmund Davidson said, "I remember when my knives looked like this. Do you know what I had to do to get them from there to where they are now? I didn't stop. Keep making knives."
 
Fiddleback said:
After looking at my knives at a show once, Edmund Davidson said, "I remember when my knives looked like this. Do you know what I had to do to get them from there to where they are now? I didn't stop. Keep making knives."
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That's good advice!
 
"Don't worry about your reputation,if you worry about your reputation you'll just screw up, worry about the job your doing and your reputation will take care of itself"-Bob Loveless (I think)
 
Patrice, I remember hearing Ira Glass say that while I was working in the shop, and nodding my head because it really rang true.
 
Sounds like a dick to me!!! You probably wouldn't want to learn from a guy like that anyway. I had a similar experience just last week. I asked a local older guy that's been making knives for 30yrs if I could come by and learn a few things. He said to me, "Your already beyond where I could be of any help to you" I've only been making knives about 4 months!!!

viral said:
ugh. This... So i recently moved and my neighbor told me of a guy that makes knives down the road. I mean not even a mile away. I have been messing around making knives for a while now and figured this guy might be willing to give me a few pointers. So I go and introduce myself and talk with him. Hes an old man, probably pushing 65. He makes custom damascus and hunting knives. So i asked him if he would be willing to show me some things. He told me flat out, "No. No one showed me, I learned all this myself. Good luck." and that was kind of it. So i guess its not the most useful but probably the least useful.
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something I told myself:

I lost *it* for a while and didn't enjoy myself in my workshop any more.

I bought and finished Far Cry 3, did something completely different and just made myself a knife makers vice since messing around with clamps and improviced stuff p****d me off big time.

So sometimes if it doesn't go, let it go and come back later with a clear mind
 
nosaj750 said:
Sounds like a dick to me!!! You probably wouldn't want to learn from a guy like that anyway. I had a similar experience just last week. I asked a local older guy that's been making knives for 30yrs if I could come by and learn a few things. He said to me, "Your already beyond where I could be of any help to you" I've only been making knives about 4 months!!!
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Its AMAZING how much a forum like this can shorten the learning curve. He might have had to learn everything the hard way and truly thinks he cant help.
 
jobasha11 said:
Its AMAZING how much a forum like this can shorten the learning curve. He might have had to learn everything the hard way and truly thinks he cant help.
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I couldn't agree with your statement more. I feel like the information on this forum amongst some others I frequent have definitely helped speed up the learning process. Although, nothing has taught me more than actual time behind the grinder. But I can honestly say if it weren't for modern technology and the wealth of information available on the internet I don't think I could have produced the knives I've made so far within my 1st 90 days of knife making!!! Here is one of them below I've done if you would like to see what I mean. 90% of what I've learned has probably come from this site. This was my 2nd flipper build but, all 4 are pretty much the same but a few small changes.

2015-01-17 22.45.54.jpg

2015-01-17 22.44.20.jpg
 
When I made my first "thing" out of metal there was no bladeforums or iforgeiron..I sure beat my head against the wall.Thats why I like to help when I can so someone else dosnt.In fact if one day an archeologist searches the creek in front of my shop he will say "Dang, a really bad blacksmith must have lived here"
 
Kentucky said:
When I made my first "thing" out of metal there was no bladeforums or iforgeiron..I sure beat my head against the wall.Thats why I like to help when I can so someone else dosnt.In fact if one day an archeologist searches the creek in front of my shop he will say "Dang, a really bad blacksmith must have lived here"
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Lol, you make "throwing knives" too, huh? I'd sure like to come visit your shop some time. I have a serious hankering to make a wrap hawk.
 
Brian.Evans said:
Lol, you make "throwing knives" too, huh? I'd sure like to come visit your shop some time. I have a serious hankering to make a wrap hawk.
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LOL, yea..Ive made throwing knives, throwing hawks,throwing strikers,throwing S-hooks :D Ive turned everything that can possibly made out of steel into a throwing weapon at one time or another..;) If your ever down this way give me a holler.
 
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