i am a lost college student who is paying thousands of dollars to learn about things i dont like and so i can get a job i hate. my passion in life is knives, tactical, throwing, hunting, tomahawks, balisongs everything. i have a large collection and know a lot about knives, accept how to make them well. i want very much to go to a good school, or anywhere that i could learn the techniques to become my own bladesmith. i am very serious about this. i feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start. i would greatly appreciate any help or direction anyone could give me. i live in CT so anything on the east cost would be great. thank you.
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bladesmith, please help
- Thread starter finien
- Start date
Quit going to college first thing. Get out and get a real job.
Then go read this forum and the tutorials on Dan gray's site
www.ckdforums.com and have a wonderfull life. No need to make yourself miserable over a stinkin job. Besides sounds like its just wasting your time anyway. Oh yeah www.dfoggknives.com
Then check out the American bladesmith society web page and attend their classes.
Then go read this forum and the tutorials on Dan gray's site
www.ckdforums.com and have a wonderfull life. No need to make yourself miserable over a stinkin job. Besides sounds like its just wasting your time anyway. Oh yeah www.dfoggknives.com
Then check out the American bladesmith society web page and attend their classes.
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Changing professions is no big ,leaving college is no big deal, many have done that. But we live in a world where there is more training ,licences etc necessary. If the post college job was boring so would many jobs for the untrained . Have you thought about going to trade school ,in this case a good choice would be machinist,getting a job doing that , then start knife making in your spare time ?
DaQo'tah Forge
Banned
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Ummmm....better talk to your mom and dad before you drop out of school....
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- 9,910
You are one of us thats for sure.... You stay in school young man and make something of yourself!
Welcom to the REAL WORLD! This is how it goes, your life is gonna be filled with things that you dont like or approve, get used to it.
Get a degree and education, these are the basic things you are privileged to have and you shall fell sorry if you miss this part.
After the school the world is open if you choose to go or do things you like or dislike. One has to make his life liveable all alone and it's up to you and you only what it becomes. Some are happy with less some are never satisfied.
If you dont have "family money" and you wanna go directly knife making with no experience, no reputation, there are good chances that no-one will buy your knives and you go bust. Take it as your hobby for awhile and get good, really good and then if you feel like it, become a pro.
But to be a pro and support you and maybe your future wife and kids, you have to know how to desing knives, make them and how to sell them. Education will help you to get there.
I have a dream to be pro one day but I shall never go in to this business blindfolded or leave anything on one card. Chances are that I shall never make it and I wanna be sure that it will not do any harm to my family.
So, what I wanna say to you is this...: suffer for a while, it's normal, most men have to go throw it someday. Get your self good education and degree, then a job and spend all your hard earned money to learn to make knives if it's your choice.
Read all you can find about knives and make them. Ask questions and be willing to learn new things.
Oh yeah and let us know how it went.
Yours, with all my best wishes
Juha
Get a degree and education, these are the basic things you are privileged to have and you shall fell sorry if you miss this part.
After the school the world is open if you choose to go or do things you like or dislike. One has to make his life liveable all alone and it's up to you and you only what it becomes. Some are happy with less some are never satisfied.
If you dont have "family money" and you wanna go directly knife making with no experience, no reputation, there are good chances that no-one will buy your knives and you go bust. Take it as your hobby for awhile and get good, really good and then if you feel like it, become a pro.
But to be a pro and support you and maybe your future wife and kids, you have to know how to desing knives, make them and how to sell them. Education will help you to get there.
I have a dream to be pro one day but I shall never go in to this business blindfolded or leave anything on one card. Chances are that I shall never make it and I wanna be sure that it will not do any harm to my family.
So, what I wanna say to you is this...: suffer for a while, it's normal, most men have to go throw it someday. Get your self good education and degree, then a job and spend all your hard earned money to learn to make knives if it's your choice.
Read all you can find about knives and make them. Ask questions and be willing to learn new things.
Oh yeah and let us know how it went.
Yours, with all my best wishes
Juha
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2003
- Messages
- 2,181
i would say you should find something that you do like to do, and make a living from it, something to fall back on and to support you while you buy the tools for knifemaking. then through years of hard work and practice, you will be able to start a business for knife making. but you need something to fall back on. never throw away the old shoes before you get the new ones, they might blister your feet even more
- Joined
- May 28, 2003
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- 28
How about studying Civil or Industrial Engineering at college? You would get materials science, statics and strengths, machine design, drafting, ect. All these things are used in bladesmthing and you'd have a good education with many possible career paths to fall back on.
Mark Williams
Moderator
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- 4,760
Read every word of the "Important" thread at the top of this page.
Not to lesson the words spoken by all my friends, but the ones by Ed Fowler struck home with me. "Here and Now".
Start as a hobbie and learn what you can from reading books and these forums. Go to hammer-ins. There has to be some makers near you that would be willing to help.
Good luck
Not to lesson the words spoken by all my friends, but the ones by Ed Fowler struck home with me. "Here and Now".
Start as a hobbie and learn what you can from reading books and these forums. Go to hammer-ins. There has to be some makers near you that would be willing to help.
Good luck
Finien
There are different approaches that you can take to your career. One is to do only what you love and try to live on what "society" is WILLING to pay you. Another is to do something that you are not passionate about but society pays well for (probably because few are willing or able to do it). You can then use your large disposable to indulge in whatever passions you may have at any particular time.
Have a look at the top of this list of posts titled "Fulltime Makers: Fears and Satisfaction", especially the one by Max Og. Do a search on this forum for threads relating to the incomes that a knifemaker generates. Note that there are threads on this forum about "don't you hate doing X?" where X is some aspect of knifemaking.
I got my degree over 20 years ago. There were math courses on stuff that the instructor could not describe a practical application for and that I have only seen used twice since then. I viewed getting through such course as a test of my character. That may be what you are going through now. You will probably need at least as much strength of character to face the challenges that one finds in self-employment.
Phil
There are different approaches that you can take to your career. One is to do only what you love and try to live on what "society" is WILLING to pay you. Another is to do something that you are not passionate about but society pays well for (probably because few are willing or able to do it). You can then use your large disposable to indulge in whatever passions you may have at any particular time.
Have a look at the top of this list of posts titled "Fulltime Makers: Fears and Satisfaction", especially the one by Max Og. Do a search on this forum for threads relating to the incomes that a knifemaker generates. Note that there are threads on this forum about "don't you hate doing X?" where X is some aspect of knifemaking.
I got my degree over 20 years ago. There were math courses on stuff that the instructor could not describe a practical application for and that I have only seen used twice since then. I viewed getting through such course as a test of my character. That may be what you are going through now. You will probably need at least as much strength of character to face the challenges that one finds in self-employment.
Phil
hey guy's, thanks a lot for the advice. it's all realy great, i appreciate it. i have given it some long hard thinking and have decided to stay in school for something to fall back on, but i plan on taking all you advice given in my pusruit of becoming a bladesmith. hopefully one day i will get their. thanks a bunch.
Mark Williams
Moderator
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- Nov 28, 2000
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- 4,760
Whew! That was close... We all most had more competition guys. That talking em out of it works every time. he heh heh. O Crap is this thing on?
Just kidding.
Good luck
Just kidding.
Good luck
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- Oct 6, 2003
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- 252
Finien,
I'm glad you are deciding to stay in school. My goal was to earn my college degree when I started Junior College and five years later I recived a BA in special education with honors. I use my degree every day even though the only teaching I have done is a few substituting gig. You'll find that it isn't as much the classes you take but how you take them. I learned to take responsibility for educating myself not relying on some random instructor to shove information down my throat. My intent is not to preach to you, I know where your coming from and am glad that I stuck with it and hope you do too. I continue to realize how much I have gained from going to college and use what it has taught me every day.
even if i never did learn how to spel
Matt deClercq
I'm glad you are deciding to stay in school. My goal was to earn my college degree when I started Junior College and five years later I recived a BA in special education with honors. I use my degree every day even though the only teaching I have done is a few substituting gig. You'll find that it isn't as much the classes you take but how you take them. I learned to take responsibility for educating myself not relying on some random instructor to shove information down my throat. My intent is not to preach to you, I know where your coming from and am glad that I stuck with it and hope you do too. I continue to realize how much I have gained from going to college and use what it has taught me every day.
even if i never did learn how to spel
Matt deClercq
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- Jun 25, 2001
- Messages
- 8,474
Did I hear My name ??
finien
if you have the talent and everything that goes with it to succeed
you will,
but thinking about dropping out is a cop out already on something that you wanted.,
so you got a step backwards there and then regained it by open eyes and ears
you may do just fine after all, with decisions like that ( to stay in school).
have a lot of fun with making first see if your good
and give it some years, you got many of them in front of you
to try it all out. this is a lot more fun if you have money to eat..
there are a few Michael Jordan's here but
for the rest it's a long road to hit the high road...and that's not to say The Jordan's of the
knife world didn't pay their dues because they did one way or the other...good luck
and you've found about the best place to start,, right here.
a great bunch..
finien
if you have the talent and everything that goes with it to succeed
you will,
but thinking about dropping out is a cop out already on something that you wanted.,
so you got a step backwards there and then regained it by open eyes and ears
you may do just fine after all, with decisions like that ( to stay in school).
have a lot of fun with making first see if your good
and give it some years, you got many of them in front of you
to try it all out. this is a lot more fun if you have money to eat..
there are a few Michael Jordan's here but
for the rest it's a long road to hit the high road...and that's not to say The Jordan's of the
knife world didn't pay their dues because they did one way or the other...good luck
and you've found about the best place to start,, right here.
a great bunch..