Free Hand off the Bench - Recovery

[mhawg]

In 1990 I was in a head-on collision with a rollback wrecker while I was in a 1989 Ford Ranger pickup. Guess who won. After many days of explaining to friends and family the extent of my injuries my mother finally boiled it down to, "He didn't break his left leg." Due to the immediate need to close up places that were open that weren't supposed to be and stop the bleeding they overlooked the fact that I had sheared the ball joint in my left shoulder and broken my right wrist. It was a couple days before the morphine wore off enough for me to tell that there were injuries which they had not addressed. Long story short, my right wrist was set as it was and was quite a bit off of alignment from where it had been. I have been free hand sharpening since I was 10 years old but after a few years recovery I tried to sharpen a knife and made quite a mess of it. The natural feel of the sharpening angle had been distorted and I felt like I was just rubbing off steel with no actual sharpening going on. I've kept at it for 13 years since I was able to get up and around and now I can get a hair popping edge free hand in no time but...but...It is always asymmetrical! I didn't feel to bad about it on those $30 and $40 knives from back then but re-profiling a K R Johnson or a P C Randall, among others, ticks me off when I can't get it right. I've done better when I really pay attention and usually hold the stone in my hand to align with my crazy wrist but it is taking time. Don't mention wheels or stick systems, when you have lost something that you want back, crutches don't cut the mustard. I know Gerry Busse was badly injured in a grinder related incident and he came back and a few more have had potentially career ending damage done and bounced back. Anybody else out there struggling back from an injury or life changing experience that affects your enjoyment of edged tools and sharpened steel implements?

 

[gcgcgc]

Mhawg,

I feel your pain. I've been injured a few times for my primary passion, which isn't making knives, but is cycling/triathlon, and there's nothing like sitting on the sidelines watching your buddies do what you love. I've broken bones, torn ligaments, been hit by cars (and I'm a very, very safe rider/runner), sent to the hospital sick, and so on. This has taken me out of commission for a day, a week, and a season (you invest 20 hours a week into nothing but moving fast, don't drink beer, and so on, and all of a sudden, a week before the season starts...it's all over and not your fault).

The one thing that sounds great in your thread is how you've kept at it. I've got major respect for that. It's always inspirational to hear about people never giving in, and always moving forward.

Best of luck to you.

 

[drail]

I know what you're talking about man. I used to build National Match pistols which involved lots of handwork. Files stones and checkering files. Took a bad fall trashed both hands and now I can barely open a bottle of soda. I have to keep tools in my kitchen now to open things. I also played guitar for 40 years and now I can still do some but it's too painful after a couple of minutes. It really messes with your head because of how everything you took for granted before without thinking now requires determination and effort. Just keep trying and do what you are able. Life is too precious to turn your back on. I do love my knives and stones. There's nothing like a knife that you sharpened.