I think it's time : Another "who the heck are ya post.

Hello all,
My name is Randy Roberts and I am 59 years old and a recently retired engineer. I did not particulalrly want to retire this soon but things don't always go as you wish. I worked for Honeywell in Phoenix designing and building equipment to be used on satellites and the space shuttle. When I retired, my wife and I moved to Oregon from Phoenix to get out of the desert and back to the country and 4 real seasons. We have two sons and three grandchildren. I was born in Missouri but spent most of my formative years in northern California. I served in the Air Force from 1968 to 1972 and then used the GI bill to help me go to UC Davis for a degree in mechanical engineering.

I first attempted to make a knife a few years after we moved to Phoenix because I could not afford to buy what I wanted and thought I could do better. Not necessarily true as I quickly learned but I did get hooked. One day my wife was talking to one of our neighbors about my frustrations and he told her to send me over because he mght be able to help. It turns out I lived next door to Charlie Weiss and he was able to talk me through my early attempts. I got to see everything he made for many years and I have to say it can be intimidating for a learning maker to see such flawless and creative work. Charlie was always supportive though and even asked me to bring knives over to show some of his customers. I also started making my own sheaths and other leather articles such as holsters and rifle scabbards and found I enjoyed that as well although, as with knifemaking, there is a steep learning curve to get it right. I have probably only made 40 or so knives in the years since I started and they have improved to the point that once in awhile, I make one almost as clean as Charlie's.

I am still getting my shop set up from our move to Oregon but I have started making a few knives and plan to see if I can supplement our income some by selling them. I still have much to learn and I have just found out that it takes time to even get back to where you were after you stop for a couple of years. However, a great deal of my enjoyment comes from trying and learning new things so that maybe, some day before they put me away, I can make the elusive perfect knife. If not, it is still fun trying.
 
Hey everyone my name is Mickey. I'm a firefighter for the state of California. Been playing around with knifemaking for about 3 years. It is only recently that I have been able to have a garage and workspace to do this hobbie. The forums here are great. I'm finally in the company of others who share my obsession. Always looking for knifemakers in the Northern Ca area to pick their brain.
 
Hi. Im Bob
Levine from Tullahoma Tennessee. Gil Hibben was my teacher up in Alaska back int the 70's Floyd Brown of Jennings Fla. taught me folders. I'm a Knifemakers guild member and a member of the German Guild. I'm 71 and still building. I specialize in LEFT handed folders (liner lock style)
 
Hi. Bob Levine here. founding member if the Alaska Knifemakers Guild, voting member of the Knifemakers Guild, member of the D.M.G. (German Guild). Mentor for the stae of Tennessee and retired fireman from Anchorage now living in central Tennessee. Im 71 years young and will contiunue making and teaching knifemaking till the day I die. It is my life. levineknives@msn.com. Always like to talk knives and knifmaking. I do folders and fixed blades. My teachers are Gil Hibben and Floyd Brown of Jennings Florida. Two of the finest gentlemen I've ever had the pleasure of knowiing.
 
I am Greg Davis. As noted in another topic (placed on the wrong forum... sorry), I'm new to the hobby, having only completed one project and mis-way through the second one.

I work for Hewlett Packard as a manager of engineering programs, located in the Bellevue, Washington office. My primary assignment is interfacing with Microsoft.

I picked up the hobby from one of my staff, who is an avid production knife collector. I became enamored with Damascus and bought my first nice knife, a MCUSTA folder with damascus blade and handle.

I bought a number of small tools, including a small band sander. Most of my work is done on a 6" Craftsman bench grinder and a Dremel. I have no forge and no welding equipment, so I do with I can using cold processes. My shop is actually an old Steelcase desk in the garage, much to my wife's dismay.

I may be new to the hobby, but I'm relatively fearless. I learned a long time ago that being confident is a good first step toward developing competence.

So if my work seems amateurish and simple, or in some way unconventional, perhaps now you can understand why. For me this hobby is becoming a means of making something tangible from my work... a feat that balances the type of work I get paid for, which has only intangible results.

- Greg
 
Hello all,

First off I dont consider myself even close to a maker yet. I just started learning the ropes a few months ago. I just recently started getting orders for my designs and am thrilled that anyone would want something from me. I have always collected knives since I was a young buck. Since joining this forum and others I read and viewed everything possible. Once I felt comfortable with what I read. I dove in.

I started with a little old 2x42" and pretty much gave up. Then I read up on more of an entry level grinder and bought Norm Coote's 8x2x72" and all has improved from there. I am still learning as I go. One day soon I hope to make it down to Bill Coye's shop and get some hands on training. Everything I have done has been trial and error. Oddly enough, I learn the hard way. But its still progress in my book!

I am from Phoenix, Az currently living in Oklahoma. Looking tohead back west ASAP. Just wish I could take the rivers and lakes with me....The people are awesome too:D

I think what got me really considering this trade was from watching Martin Olexey of Tx and Bill Coye Of Tulsa, Ok and there WIP threads. I have been inspired by many here and legends such as Gil Hibben, Kit Rae etc. I love knives from tactical-Fantasy and just hope to continue to learn and grow from all you pros. In the meantime stay at it!

Its you the Makers that have been in this game for awhile is what help us Rookies out. We learn from you guys and I can only hope I can give back one of these days.

Thanks to all the guys that take the time to explain things over and over and over again. I know I appreciate all that you guys have to offer.

Thanks for letting me babble a little here.

Happy grinding/forging everyone.

Chris
 
I'm Rob, I'm 30 years old and I'm an Alcoholic...wait...never mind;). Anyway I live in Oakland California, grew up in the east bay and have been working in the Biomaterials (implantable polymers) Processing industry for most of my adult life doing fabrication/molding/dipping etc. I've always been interested in metal working but have never had the time or space to get seriously involved. I built a forge when I was 16 and did a little blacksmithing before going off to college. a few years ago I took a refresher class in blacksmithing at the Crucible in Oakland and since have wanted to set up to do it at home.

I finally have my own house to set up shop in and have recently got my anvil, forge and tools together and am working on putting together the rest of the tools I need to get started in knife making. What got me started was looking at some books my dad got me a long time ago, "The Complete Bladesmith" and "The Art of the Japanese Sword". Initially my goal was to make swords and maybe some historical whaling tools (harpoons, headspades etc). But I figured I'd better start off slow...and a bit smaller. I started by recreating various Japanese throwing spikes (bo-shuriken) from some different schools, now I'm onto knives, carbon steel, heat treating etc. I've still got quite a bit of practicing to do but I guess I'll see where this takes me.
 
Hi, I never really introduced myself, I just kind of showed up and started blabbing. Mark Knapp, I moved to Alaska to be a big game guide, commercial fisherman and full time trapper in '84. Did that for fifteen years. Was a tool and die maker, plastic injection moulds, in Minnesota before that. In 2000 I got domesticated by perty girl and quit going to the far flung reaches of Alaska, started my tool shop where I do welding and machining, tool sharpening and knife making, we also sell a little bit of handle material. If any of you ever get to Fairbanks stop in at the store and say Hi. Mark
 
Hey guys. My name is Ben and I live in central Jersey. I started making knives as a hobby about 3 months ago so I'm still pretty green. I'm still in High School and I don't have a job so I'm kinda restricted as to what equipment I have but I make do with what I got.
 
Hi there. I'm still pretty new here. I gave a brief introduction when I joined. My name is Thomas Williams. I work for my family firm that specialises in making blades and tools and knives for the butchery trade in the UK. A lot of these knives aren't pretty like the ones on here or like the ones I want to make - mainly due to those people who run the European Union. They keep making rules about what you can make them out of. I am a young time served blacksmith (25 years old) and I have an ambition to make beautiful knives. I've made a few custom attempts but so far haven't sold one. I'm experimenting like crazy though. One day I hope to make knives that make you all go weak at the knees. In the meantime I'm going to keep watching my heroes here and learning everything I can. Thanks for letting me join your forum. It's awesome!
 
Reverend Johnathan Sibley, artist at large, specialist in endless verity. I started making knives when my grandmother started taking pocket knives away from me and throwing them into the attic at about age 9. That was a long time ago.
Creatively, I also own a sign company Flyin'16Graphics & Signs with my lovely wife Treacia, I'm a luthier, and just plain make stuff. I posses a veritable cornucopia of knowledge that will likely never pay the bills of benefit me monetarily.
Oh, I hail from the sprawling Mecca of Commerce, Texas (don't feel bad if you've never heard of it) and found this forum via Dusty1847. I'd been on a decade long sabbatical from knife making 'till Dusty remembered I used to make knives and swung by the shop to ask a few questions and told me about this forum. Well, the bug got me again and here I am.
 
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Hi Langdon,
I recently read your fine tutorial on your "Knife Bevel Grinding Jig." Your jig is a great piece of engineering, and I would like your advice on some modifications to it that I have been considering. First, do you think it would be possible to design a modification or attachment that would allow the user to hollow grind larger blades, such as Bowie blades or large bush knife blades over, say, 6-inches long? Second, is there a modification or attachment one could make that would allow the user to gauge the angle of the grind with some sort of protractor device permanently attached to the jig at the hinge? If you think these would be possible, maybe you could sketch a design for either or both of them for me? Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
bladeartist
Hillsboro, OR, USA
http://willowwald2@msn.com
 
I'm Jay Kerr and live in Wilmore Kentucky with my wife and 3 kids. I have been a part-time hobbyist knife-maker for about 10 years but only started getting serious in the past year. I got started reading everything i could and trying it out. i know that I've got a lot to learn.
 
Hi!

I am Chuck Tilbury in Austin, TX. I am a newnewnewbie knife maker, but I am doing what I can to learn everything I can about the craft and I am planning to make knives for sale sometime within the next year or so. I am presently trying to get tooled up. I am very interested in hooking up with other makers in the Austin area and participating and events and such.

I have been making Irish Pennywhistles for a few years and I have shipped instruments to every continent and quite a few islands. :) Check out my web site here: http://whistlemaker.com

All the best!
-=chuck=-
 
Hi Ya’ll,

My forum name is LonePine and my real-life name is Paul Meske, living in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. In my life I’ve worked in various campuses of the Wisconsin Technical College system. I’ve done audio and TV production, taught photography, love my computer, and grow hundreds of different daylilies (flowers). I’m divorced, and have two daughters ages 18 and 23.

I’ve been interested in making knives since the mid 1970’s but other than getting kit knives and putting handles on them I never seriously tried to make a knife until 2008 when I retired. Man, what a mistake! I’m having a blast and have tons of new things I absolutely have to spend my money on (some day), like a 2X72 grinder, and a forge, and band saw, and anvil, and belts, and milling machine, and yada, yada, yada.

I don’t know what it is about making knives that captivates me so much. By personality I am NOT a person who should be doing this. I don’t like being picky and get frustrated when things don’t work out the way they’re supposed to. As a result all the knives I’ve made since 2008 (about 30) show a LOT of flaws. I try to call them “character marks” but doubt that this would fool any of you. My first year I used files but discovered that my hand-held sander was EXACTLY like a 2X72 Bader grinder except not so big and not so good. I soon burnt out the bearings on that sander and moved up to the mighty Sears Craftsman 2X42 grinder this spring.

I know that I will not be the next Bob Loveless. I know that my making knives will not bring about world peace nor a cure for cancer. I am having fun learning and practicing this fascinating process and when it is no longer fun I will stop doing it. While I can live with “character marks”, I don’t want to make junk. I don't want my knives to break, have poor steel or poor heat treatment, poor design, or bad grind. I’m big on “functional” but not so good at working out every last grind mark. I envy those who are able to make the finely finished knives.

My preference is for knives that I would take deer hunting in Wisconsin. This would be a three to four inch long blade, about ¾” wide, with a handle of not more than four inches. I’ve used 1095 but have switched to 1084. I also like to make small knives because they are quicker to make and I like the feeling of satisfaction when I get done with a knife.

There has been a pretty steep learning curve for me. Learning how to work metal, learning about all the different steels, trying desperately to understand the science and art of heat treating, design of functional and good looking knives, and on and on. I’m trying to avoid making sheaths but it doesn’t seem right to give someone a knife without a sheath so I guess this is something ELSE to learn about.

I am not able to work on knives during the heat and mosquitoes of summer, nor the frigid cold of Wisconsin winter.

LonePine
AKA Paul Meske, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
 
Greetings from Costa Rica.
My name is Wouter Baaijen. I was born here but my parents are dutch (hence the odd name). Ive been doing my best at making knives and simple sheaths since about 6 months and so far have sold all 7 Ive made, I still havent had the time to make my own, although I have several I would like to make for my self (I guess Im gathering knowledge and expirience for when I finally make my own)
 
Hi my name is Bob figured I'd stop and introduce myself before running around posting like the village idiot. Little background on myself. I used to do a lot of metal fab a few years ago and loved it. What am I talking about. You put a nice red or yellow piece of metal in front of me I light up like a kid in a chocolate factory. Some how between then and now I ended up in a truck and don't do much metal work now. Every once in a while I'll get a rifle or pistol project going,and have found that I enjoy doing the time taking tedious tasks that usually drive others nuts. Figure blades will be a nice challenge and change in pace. I'll be lurking around for a while to get a better idea of what to do for my first blade and how to do it.
 
Howdy Folks!
My name is Mike Davis, I am an ABS apprentice smith and i have been a knife addict almost my whole life. I started making knives in 2006 but was unable to continue after the end of 2006. I started again in late 2010 and have been steadily trying to make some sort of knife shaped objects. I am a professional tattoo artist, have been for the last 14 years. I live in Jackson, MI with my wife, my son, my baby on the way and 2 cats. I have a decent background in machining and metallurgy and knife making was a natural step for me...Now if i can figure out how to do it well.......
 
So nice to see this old thread come back to life. It all started when I couldnt tell who people are because of all the forum handles the use instead of their real names. Thanks guys for the introductions and a bit of history. If you are a knifemaker its essential to be known. Many makers have dropped their screen names and now use their real names on the forums and its done nothing but good for their knife making careers.
 
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