Is it just me ?

[heatride]

I am so bored with the knives I make lately. Made a liner lock thinking that would inspire me. It turned out nice but it was just another knife. Can't seem to find anything creative lately and it's very frustrating. I have even thought about doing a straight blade knife. I am kinda intrigued with Bruce Bumps knife gun.Its as if I have knifemakers block (Don't Laugh)

 

[RHINOKNIVES]

matter of fact i have been in a bit of a spell of frustration lately my self. it useally means there are other areas of my life that i am not paying enough interest in. it will pass!

 

[Bruce Bump]

Hey Ive been there. The best thing Ive done is stop trying others designs and come up with my own. It is much more gratifying and the challenge is endless. One thing I have never understood is why dont knifemakers make guns? The "gunmakers of old" made knives. If we can understand the basics of heat-treating steel there are no limits to what we can do with it.

BTW, Thanks

 

[sajuma]

I know exactly what you mean. I had that kind of "Block" earlier. I went to my shop I couldn't get anything done, not anything good anyway.

I don’t make folders, I make fixed blades like Puukko's. I had bought some nice Damasteel and in my frustration messed up one blade and got angry to my self. You know the prices of Damasteel?? I thought to my self that if I don’t get focused I shall ruin my steel stock, wood stock and make bad knives that nobody can enjoy.

So what I did was changing the model/shape of knives I used to make.
Didn’t do any drawings, any plans. Just went for it. I "forced" my self to create something I haven't done before in radical way and... What do you know, it worked. I got the "groovy" back. Ideas flowed, I was exited to work again!
Made few knives in that "high" and haven't got any problems lately.

I don’t know if this helps but try to hang in there. Read some books, look what others have done and learn from them.
I know you are not alone.

Juha

 

[Laredo7mm]

Happens to me alot. I have trouble sometimes just finding the motivation to go into he shop. Not because I don't like it, but because I am not ready to start another "session". I am kind of obsessive when i start a new project. It gets to the point where I have to force myself to go leave the shop and get a couple of hours sleep before getting up to go to the "real" job.

One thing I do when in a slump is change up projects or try something new. Heck I have made candle sticks, salt pots, ht ovens, etc. My next deviation is going to be making pens for my mom and dad for their xmas gifts. Now that led me to ss damascus as the material, now I need to figure out how to do ss damascus.

I would suggest trying something new, not even related to knife making, but using the same skills that making knives gave you. While you are working "off topic" I would be willing to bet that your creativity will return.