Fortune or Glory

jhiggins

jhiggins

Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Messages
3,258
Which one is right for you? As knifemakers, or even as someone associated with knifemaking, we can become rich ~and~ famous if we try. Typically, with one, the other follows shortly behind it (especially in America). So if you had to choose, which one would you prefer?
 
My opinion has always been "go for the $$". I call myself an "old hippie" but actually I'm a capitalist version. :D

Remember, Harry Chapin said...."I stashed the ($20) in my shirt......" ;)

Edited to add: you're right, of course, Jeff, that to a large extent the two walk hand in hand. There is an excellent editorial by Shackleford in this month's Blade with some hints about what it takes to be a successful selling knifemaker. I would highly recommend that any who haven't seen it get a copy and read. It's good advice to all and especially to newbies desiring to make money selling knives.
 
If I were rich I could just keep the knives for myself. I'd buy alot of tools, too. :D I'm not particularly fond of the idea of being famous, but I can think of worse things to be famous for.
 
little from colums A,little from colum B

Call my greedy but I want it all ,money ,fame ,groupies, the whole nine.




just kidding, I would be happy if I could sell enough knives to only have to make and sell knives. But having my work on the cover of Blade wouldn't hurt my feelings.


cya
jimi
 
My goal is to be afforded the opportunity to make knives as a means of supporting myself.

Hopefully with time, I can produce less knives that cost more and be able to put more into each knife.

I would love to get to the point where I could make and sell one knife per month that would support my financial needs , and be able to actually put a whole month's worth of effort into the knife, and it be worth the price to my collectors.

If I wanted to get rich, I'd be a politician.
 
Mark Williams said:
I would love to get to the point where I could make and sell one knife per month that would support my financial needs , and be able to actually put a whole month's worth of effort into the knife, and it be worth the price to my collectors.
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Truly an artist's vision of Heaven, heh? :)
 
I couldn't deal with the fame aspect of it, no way!
Look at the pressure it puts folks unders, folks like Kit Carson and Tim Herman and JW Smith. Problem is it never will be like Mark said where you can live on one knife a month. So you're forced to perform for the masses and you better keep it up to their standards too boy! Don't you dare lay a knife on your table that isn't 125%! The least little thing and they'll chew you to bits over it.
Us grunts figure, ahh shoot, the big timers have made thier names, they don't have to worry about anything, well that's a load bs! The level of craftsmanship they have to maintain is way up the bar and if they don't match it they don't eat.
I couldn't bear that stress!
As for the money, I just want to make enough so I don't have to worry about it if the car breaks down and maybe I can buy myself one of those big screen tvs some day. Not the plasma deals, the LED. :D
Oh yeah, and my cigars too!
 
L6steel said:
I couldn't deal with the fame aspect of it, no way!
Look at the pressure it puts folks unders, folks like Kit Carson and Tim Herman and JW Smith. Problem is it never will be like Mark said where you can live on one knife a month. So you're forced to perform for the masses and you better keep it up to their standards too boy! Don't you dare lay a knife on your table that isn't 125%! The least little thing and they'll chew you to bits over it.
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Always nice to hear your side of things here, Michael. You have a good point about what fame can do to someone. What's strange in comparison that modern media, i.e. television and the news will choose to place more importance on making a show about little Japanese men eating more hotdogs in one sitting than the huge American competitors, rather than make television shows about knifemakers. I ask you... where the hell is MY tv show on the Discovery Channel?

American Knifemaker.

I think they should make a show about me and my shop. I can see it now. Me swearing and them bleeping out every other word. Yelling at my wife. Playing with my dog. Slicing my finger real good on a really sharp Silver & Demmings, spraying blood all over my nice clean shop floor. Chips flying off the mill and covering me and everything within 10' with aluminum curls and coolant. Cracking the back of my hand with a wrench while changing out an endmill, so hard that the pain drops me to my knees. Filling the shop with a huge cloud of white smoke while case-hardening a piece. Me farting loud enough to be heard by the neighbors, and smelling so bad even the dog leaves the shop.

Oh yeah... that would sell.

My son comes in from work and starts flipping me **** about whatever. Me yelling at him, and threatening his life at my hands (all in fun). F-words flying. Farting. Beer drinking.

What's not to love? Where's my show? Where's my perfume? Where's my clothing line? BAH! :grumpy: :D
 
Higgins, it's interesting you say that because I've had the EXACT same thoughts over the last few months. I think they could do a very interesting show on knifemaking. Even a one-time special, maybe following some guys as they do their thing before Blade, etc. For some reason I keep thinking of the Strider crew for this show. I've never met the guys, but it sounds like they party a lot and party hard, and that there are always goofball, logo-tatooed fans dropping in to bust stuff up, etc. Most of those shows are 75% BS'ing screwing around and 25% of the actual subject (mototcycles, or whatever).

Even TLC has a new show coming out called Miami Ink, about a group of whacked-out tatoo artists. It looks cool, even though I could give a crap about tattoos. Anyway, I think a special or a show on knifemaking would be cool. Although, watching a single guy in his shop running machines without fighting interns, yelling at family members, etc, would be awfully boring for most people.
 
jhiggins said:
Slicing my finger real good on a really sharp Silver & Demmings, spraying blood all over my nice clean shop floor.
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That would be pretty traumatic for you, wouldn't it, Jeff?

Not the cut, of course, but that....mess....in your Operating Room shop! :D
 
fitzo said:
That would be pretty traumatic for you, wouldn't it, Jeff?

Not the cut, of course, but that....mess....in your Operating Room shop! :D
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Sweet Lord, you have no idea, my friend. Simple Green cleaned it right up. I'll bet the CSI peckerwoods with all their fancy gadgets couldn't lift any DNA off the floor of my shop, no sirree! :D

Hey Steve, I guess I could get some lame-assed apprentices to bully around. Trouble is, they'd probably mess up my shop, then I would get really bullshit and fire them. You are right. I guess people would find me boring. Maybe if I set up shop in a corner of the Teutle's place? Nah, that wouldn't work.

Still, some things in life are just unfair: shebangs
 
Jeff,

You would probably keel over with a big grabber if you saw my shop. I bet there is an inch of crud over the concrete floor, tools laying scattered. It's a total disorganized lovely shamble.
 
Mark Williams said:
Jeff,

You would probably keel over with a big grabber if you saw my shop. I bet there is an inch of crud over the concrete floor, tools laying scattered. It's a total disorganized lovely shamble.
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Yeah but I'll bet you know where everything is! My shop is OCD-organized to the hilt, and I can't find my ass in it. :(
 
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