How far do you THINK you will go in your knife making adventure?

I will have a factory operation, not a huge one, but a factory none the less. Semi-custom such as Rick Hinderer, Busse, Strider etc.
I hear a lot of guys say they want to see their work in the magazines, or in galleries or whatever. I want to see my designs in a sporting goods store, produced by a reputable company at a everyman price. I haven't yet decided if the apprentice, journeyman, master smith route is the path for me.
 
+1 to everything Butch said. Except, the one who puts up with me is Heather. Hell, she got me a power hammer. Now I HAVE to stay in the game for the long haul.

Besides, if I quit making knives I'd have to stop collecting tools. (Shudder.) I intend to be one of the old timers one day.

I love building things in metal in general, if it ain't hunters, I like trying new things like folders, kitchen knives, etc. Swords are still on the list, just scraping together the HT stuff for that is taking a bit. Forging ironwork is great too, and building machines. Actually, one of my favorite things about having a well equipped metal shop is fixing things for people.

And, I want to get into some higher embellishment when I can- engraving, complex pattern welding, and of course keep chasing the hamons.

I'd love to try some crazy integral stuff like Rodrigo Sfreddo or Adam DeRosiers. THAT'S inspiring.
 
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I don't require the funds for my income. I work at this about 4 - 5 hours a day every nday I'm able to. It's a requirement of nmy life. I just spent more money on a new shop than I will probably earn out of it in the next 5 years. I didn't expect to reach the point I feel I'm at now but like Todd I just kept working towards it. I've put in a tremendous amount of hours. I didn't have the internet to help back then and have always figured I'm a slow learner.I enjoy other peoples work more than my own and Todd and Butch, as far as I'm conserned do some of the very best. Now there's one thing about the knife making that can drive you to do better or to give up. There are always many out there that will always be at least just a bit or a lot more better than you and me. I've been doing this for about forty years. I started with staight knives and went to liner locks only many years ago. I finaly got to as point where I can take a resonable bpicture, thanks to the cameras of today. I still can't post to the forum. To see some of my work please go to customknifegallery.com Frank
 
I have a job I enjoy well enough that provides a great income to support knifemaking and great healthcare/retirement. I have my 80 n out retirement at 53. So I'll puddle along another 14 years developing my skills. I see being a part time knifemaker till I'm retired. Meanwhile my goal is an ABS JS. Well, more likely the skills and dedication to create knives that I could happily present to an ABS panel of judges.
What I'm learning now is patience. It takes me longer to get stuff done now than I'm happy with due to work/family requirements.
I've literally never been happier than when creating knives whether it be drawing, reading, setting up shop, buying tools and talking with my new knife friends. Forging is my zen/peace. Not enough of it lately. It would literally kill a piece(my soul) of me to let knifemaking go. It's part of why I'm so careful with shop safety.
 
For me, it's planned to be a hobby - I have a good day job and lots of school (and mortgage) debt.

Tad, as an aside, my goal has been to make folding knives. When I picked up one of your folders for my dad, I was a little depressed to realize just how FAR I have to go in the field.

Then again, I suppose your 700th knife SHOULD be better than my first...

Thanks for the encouraging post!
 
I'm in it for the long haul, and I do my "thing" full time (self employed) which includes knives. Not sure where it's going to take me. But I'm young.

I hope to make the cover of a magazine or book this coming year. That'd be cool.
 
I am happily employed in another industry that is 100% different from knife making. This is a hobby for me (an expensive one at that!)

I am just happy that now the few sales that I make help to cover the costs of supplies.
 
First off, thank you for sharing that with us. I look at every one of your posts for sale and admire every one of the blades in those posts. Your work has the beauty of simplicity. Meaning your blades look like they were effortless for you to make, when we all know the work needed to make a knife look that way.

As for me, I work for a family business in the metal working industry. I have heard my whole life how people wish they could have a shop like the one I grew up in, and how they would do this and that, and make this and that. Well I never felt that way. When work was done I wanted out. Then I found Knife making and all it's complexities. It is challenging, and rewarding enough to make me want to stay at the shop after my work is done, to do more "work" that I want to do.

As for my aspirations, I want to make the best possible knives I can make. I have so many started and waiting for those finishing touches that really make a knife stand out, it is sad. In the end, just making a knife that people here would like enough, that they pay money to own one, for the right reasons such as craftsmanship, functionality, and display qualities, not for any hype, would make it all worth it. Making money however nice that would be, is not why I started doing this, and will not keep me doing this either.
 
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When I first started making knives, I never thought that it would be anything more than a hobby. It was just something I wanted to learn for fun.

Since then, it's become more than a hobby but I don't plan on going full time.

I enjoy my day job, and have had a bad experience when I turned a hobby into a job in the past. I wouldn't want to ruin the enjoyment I get from making knives.

I'm content being part time and making whatever I feel like making. As long as my knives are constantly improving, I'm happy.

Full time knife making is my plan for after retirement though.
 
When I started selling my work, I thought that I'd work at it for 30 or so years part time, and maybe be good enough at it to retire onto knifemaking by then. But I got laid off May 1, 2009, and since then have been full time. I feel blessed to have stumbled into this career. Its the greatest job I've ever had. Though, if my wife Leah didn't support it, and didn't get our insurance through her career, I think things would have been different.

I'd someday like to expand the company to add a production line to my regular bench maker work.
 
i want it still as a hobby but i would love to have everything a knife maker wants i would atleast like to be a part time knife maker probably not fulltime :) wish i could though :)
 
Todd now going on 27 years I thought it was I first need to make me a knife to go with my muzzleloading outfit. I find that I may have found out how to make a knife after 23 years of it. I feel privledged to have met many fine makers and in our knife group enjoyed the fellowship and exchange of ideas.

The only time it feels like work is when people want it only this way or that without realizing what you have to go through to make it happen.Sometimes when I do a batch it takes me two days of profiling and taking the mill surface down to where I am ready to grind the bevels and then another afternoon just drilling holes to lighten and for handle attachment.
I don't like doing them one at a time , if grinding I want a dozen or more to work on. This last weekend ,I now have 15 blades of various styles ground ,heat-treated , and tempered ,ready to start polishing. I do enjoy it when you see the finished product. May not be the prettiest out there but will cut with the best of them
 
Carl_First_Timer said:
First off, thank you for sharing that with us. I look at every one of your posts for sale and admire every one of the blades in those posts. Your work has the beauty of simplicity. Meaning your blades look like they were effortless for you to make, when we all know the work needed to make a knife look that way.
Click to expand...


When I started making slip joints in late 2005, I had made knives 25 years....
I had pretty much perfected my grinds.
My fit & finish was really good, I could file steel like a expert and pin knife handles like no other.
But trying to make slip joints from scratch each time like I do? It's still took me about 500 knives to make one consistently with out a problem.....:eek::)
And IF I knew what I know now back than? - I would of NEVER started making them......:eek::D

Thanks for kind words, I appreciate it.

And you guys gave some great responses - I enjoyed reading them.

Thanks!

Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR! everyone, keep grinding.

TA
 
I really enjoyed reading all of you guys' posts. I am not even going to say I'm a "beginning knifemaker" because my first knife hasn't been sent out for HT yet. You guys are really an inspiration. The advice, advanced knowledge and giving spirit I have encountered on this forum really speaks volumes about what a quality place this is. I sit and dream about making knives like the slippie shown or some of you guys' fixed blades. I can only dream and emulate at this point, until I have enough experience to let my own path develop. This will never become a job for me. My hope is that I can eventually sell a couple here or there to help offset the costs of the hobby. Knife/razor making is my outlet to become more mindful and release the stress from my job.
 
I started as a hobby to make a few for myself, friends and family. The I started selling to help pay for materials & tools and to help with the "support payments".
I never imagined that I would be this busy so soon, making up orders. All I've made so far are simple, plain users. There are lots of other knives I would like to make but can't find the time...
For now I want to keep it as a hobby/part time. Maybe when I retire in 25 years I can go full time.

I like seeing your knives Todd, they look great! Maybe one day things will slow down and I can try to mess up a folder:p

Bruce
 
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I will never build knives full time for income. I use knife making for stress relief from my day job. I can come home from a stressful day at the office and when i walk in the knife shop i leave all stress at the door. I enjoy making the equipment to build knives as much as I enjoy making knives. I have build my own knife grinder, hydraulic press, salt pot, stabilizing wood vessel and many other pieces of equipment for this trade. I enjoy showing others how to build knives, especially teenagers. Knife making is a social event for me as well. I have met many great people through knife making that I can now call "true" friends.
I am not a great knife maker and will never win any awards but I have will continue to enjoy this as a hobby.
Jim
 
I am going to have some fun making some knives. I imagine I will sell a few, give a few away, and keep a few. Next year, I want to participate in the Newbie KITH. At some point, I may start making custom knives to the specifications of my friends. I also want to get some leather crafting tools, so I can make leather sheaths.

I love watching my knives take shape.
 
I don't know if I will ever be good enough to make a living off of knife making, but its fun to think about:D

Right now I am happy if I get enough of a return to pay for tools and supplies, but even if I didn't I would keep making. In the long run I want to start making folders as well, but I have to sell a few more knives before I can buy a mill. I am actually thinking of registering as a home business so I can get a VentureOne card and save some money on shipping and write off some of my expenses. Being in Canada I don't have to worry about buying heath insurance so that helps a lot and makes it easier to think about going full time.
 
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