Full-time makers, what hours are you working?

Don Nguyen said:
Dang, Daniel. Does it get difficult not to get burned out? That's one of the big things people talk about to new craftsmen is that you can easily start to hate what you do if you end up forcing yourself. How do you battle this?
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It's important to acknowledge that everyone has different tolerances for these things, it can come out in all facets of life. I get bored or frustrated after a few hours doing one thing but some people can work at one task all day, I also know people who go to the gym day in and day out and have for years, something else that I can't do. But I only sleep 6-7 hours even on vacation while my partner needs nine to be rested. My schedule couldn't work for her long-term.
It's interesting to know how others work but we can't all set our calendars by they're example.
 
Daniel Fairly Knives said:
Big respect, many of us really look up to you and what you do. It has been great watching you over the years and I know you have found the right path.
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Thanks Daniel. The knives saved my life, and I kinda follow them where they lead.
 
Don Nguyen said:
He clearly is! Still though, up to 12 hours a day for most people is a very challenging thing. I don't want to burn myself out or start to hate knives, so learning how Daniel does the magic should be really helpful :)
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Don,
As mentioned many occupations have 12 hour or even longer shifts.
Here are just a few things that I can share with you.

1)Unless someone else is working with you, you are teaching a noobie something or they are buying something? Get them the heck out of the shop cause they are keeping you from working with 100% focus.

2)When I am bevel grinding. If I get the slightest feeling that a belt is getting some wear it's into the profile etc box for belts and time to slip on a new fresh one. Also buy quality Ceramic belts. Norton, VSM, 3M etc.. Pass on the bargain cheapies, they cost more in the long run.

3) To keep down any monotony. Making 1-2 knives a day.I grind a blade, epoxy a set of scales, and then sculpt the handle, put on the final edge, etc on the knife or knives I epoxied up the day before.

4) Find what balance works for you? We are all different and all have different time clocks. "Studies show"
Some are most productive in the early hours, some in the middle of the day, others in the evening or night.

5) I do this because I want to. It's been my passion since 96. I am not doing it to prove anything to anybody! Just to keep my customers, myself and wife happy with an income. I've made far more in other occupations.

6) Knife making is and from what I've read always has been a very tough, dirty, dangerous & competitive way to make a living and very few ever really get wealthy from it.

So have fun and stay safe.
 
You guys have provided some great insight as to what it takes to make it in the business and much respect to the dedication shown to reap the rewards that are so well deserved.
 
From my perspective, I'd just like to say thank you all for what you do. I wouldn't be doing what I do without you, and you bring a great deal of joy to so many people. A fancy or custom made knife is a luxury, can't argue that, but it really is important for a lot of people. I know that when I (very rarely) get one for myself, it makes me thankful and proud to have been so blessed to live in this land of opportunity.

If y'all don't mind, I'd also love to hear about how many knives you make in a given week. I know Andys Fiddleback's because I follow them, but I'm curious about the rest of you.

Excellent and interesting thread!
 
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Awesome. It was well worth asking this question. I have learned a lot from your responses and developed an even greater respect than before.
 
I tend to spend about 25-30 hours a week in the shop. When the kids were in school I would have 3 hrs in the morning while my son was in half day kindergarten. After he got home I maybe got another 1-2in while he played video games. Other days we went fishing or ran errands. Once they go to bed I work from about 8-midnight.

I have become very efficient at what I do and tend to work in batches of 10 folders at a time. I figure that if I have to drill a pivot hole for one knife I might as well do it for 10. Heat treating high tech stainless takes min of 6hrs so it is better to do 10 blades than 2.

In 3 weeks when the kids go back to school full time I will have the whole day to work, and I'm looking forward to it.
 
It's mostly just me and Jo in the shop with a little help from a couple fellows as we need it. We split our time on machining jobs and knife stuff and it varies quite a bit from month to month.

I start working between 8 and 9 in the morning, take about half an hour for lunch around 11:00 and work until 5-7. I sleep in during the weekend and get a later start, but I work pretty much every day. But my schedule is flexible, so some days Jo and I will take half a day off and take the kids to a movie etc. and it's nice being able to do that during the middle of the week because there are fewer crowds.

Every Friday is "fun Friday" where we have burgers and beer out on the deck for lunch and 5:00 comes a little early.
 
So how many of you have your wife/significant other help in the shop? It would seem to me that you could save a lot of time and spend much more time making knives if she was the one doing office secretary type work.
 
sykes3170 said:
So how many of you have your wife/significant other help in the shop? It would seem to me that you could save a lot of time and spend much more time making knives if she was the one doing office secretary type work.
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I can hear my wife saying "why does the WOMAN have to do the office secretary TYPE work??!"

:D sometimes I'm glad she doesn't read this stuff! :o

Edit- lol, I just told her (yes, I'm an idiot) and she rolled her eyes and said" if you can make 80k a year making knives, I'd be happy to do the "secretary type work". I love that woman. :D
 
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Sounds like a keeper! She is already proving that she has good business and bargaining sense. Get to that 80k and make her eat her words;)
 
How many knives per week - 2-15 depending on the design.. 15 would be quite a lot for me and 2 keeps me very busy if they are folders.

Does my wife help - my wife is a big help... as far as the knives go she helps me do the mailing paperwork and the occasional leather sheath.
 
How many knives a full time maker makes in a week is necessarily determined by how many he can sell in a week. When I was working by myself I did a batch of 10 - 12 knives each week. This was sufficient $ for my family while I was in my basement shop. The funny thing is that each time I've increased the volume of knives and revenue I have not increased my pay much. The point of that exercise is to increase the value of the company, and teach knifemaking to the apprentices in a way they can survive on knifemaking.
 
Anymore, I get a late start, take a long lunch, then knock off early... :cool:



I do tend to spend more time in the shop when it's too hot, or too cold outside.
 
sykes3170 said:
So how many of you have your wife/significant other help in the shop? It would seem to me that you could save a lot of time and spend much more time making knives if she was the one doing office secretary type work.
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My wife helps me in the shop by loving me and supporting my ventures no matter how unconventional along with making sure I stop to eat and bringing lunch/dinner, some refreshments out to the shop at as needed along with helping sort out the bills etc and most importantly! Putting up with me!

She has her own career as a school teacher.
 
24-7.

I literally dream about new designs and how to improve my work. Not because I "have to", but because I truly enjoy it. The challenges are a huge part of the fun. I've been richer and I've been poorer... but I've never been more sane, happier or more content than I am right now in this "job".

Fiddleback said:
Thanks Daniel. The knives saved my life, and I kinda follow them where they lead.
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I think I know what you mean. :thumbup:
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
My wife helps me in the shop by loving me and supporting my ventures no matter how unconventional along with making sure I stop to eat and bringing lunch/dinner, some refreshments out to the shop at as needed along with helping sort out the bills etc and most importantly! Putting up with me!
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thats how lucky i am also tho she is thinking about doing some leather working so maybe a sheath maker in the future
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
It's mostly just me and Jo in the shop with a little help from a couple fellows as we need it. We split our time on machining jobs and knife stuff and it varies quite a bit from month to month.

I start working between 8 and 9 in the morning, take about half an hour for lunch around 11:00 and work until 5-7. I sleep in during the weekend and get a later start, but I work pretty much every day. But my schedule is flexible, so some days Jo and I will take half a day off and take the kids to a movie etc. and it's nice being able to do that during the middle of the week because there are fewer crowds.

Every Friday is "fun Friday" where we have burgers and beer out on the deck for lunch and 5:00 comes a little early.
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Yeah, but Nathan, you've got that knifemaking machine where all you do is feed new raw material in and out comes the money, right? Isn't that how CNC works?

: )

Always get a kick out of it when I hear guys saying that isn't knifemaking. I've seen RJ Martin work - very few can maintain his level of drive and work ethic, I'll wager...
 
The minimum I can survive on is about 4-5 blades a week, which including sheaths, shop cleaning, shipping, can be done four or five in 8-12hr days, with a bit of rest time here and there. I like to try to get at least one rest day per week.

Slow weeks I may only do 1-2 long days.

Right before my recent move I worked 121 hours in 6 days. A LOT of caffeine bearing beverages were consumed, and I slept for 17 hours straight afterwards.


Generally I will work two or three crazy shifts in a row, sometimes up to 18-20 hours, then crash really hard for a few days. It works a lot better with my fiancé who is a night nurse. She works 3/12's as her normal shift, but in reality it's sometimes more like 4-5/12's because she's always trying to pick up extra shifts. Sometimes she can work 9 days straight and then have a whole week off. I try to match my schedule to her as much as possible so we have some time together.

I also have nerve damage from an accident and resulting chronic pain and insomnia, so there are lots of all nighters, then dead zones, etc. I suppose I'm probably not the best to model after, to be honest.
 
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