Knife making: is it healthy?

Sando

Sando

Knife Maker
Joined
Jul 4, 2002
Messages
1,148
Last week I took a week's vacation just to make knives. I pre-purchased the materials, got the shop in order, ... For 9 days I got to do a lot of playing.

I had hoped that that would satiate me for a while and I could return to work and be productive. I also thought I'd see that I wouldn't want it for a full time job.

Nope, that only made it worse. Dave Barry wrote:

'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".'


Will the men in the white coats lock me up?

Steve
 
i'm right there with you man. i can't sleep at night because i think about knives. you figure "if i get in there and grind out a couple blades and finish a few more today i'll feel good and keep quiet for a while" then when you're doing it so many more ideas pop into play and you get sucked in even more
 
Will the men in the white coats lock me up

Maybe....but you will go happy.
Healthy is a very relative thing Steve. I have done a lot of damage to myself over the years by NOT following basic safety procedures but at the same time I have been able to reduce stress 100 fold.

If you think you are hooked....try being so involved in knife making, Muzzle loader building, hunting, mountain bike riding, kayaking, that you can't stand staying in the office, and flat never having time from work for any of the above.

I posted on one of the ML sites I'm on around 4:00 AM and one of the members that knew me, made a big deal about me never sleeping.

If you go to the nut house, I''ll be right behind! :D
 
i can't sleep at night because i think about knives.

Ohhh for the days!!!
That's how it used to be for me, Michael.
Couldn't close my eyes without seeing blades and handles and such.
Sure wish it would come back to me!
 
Michael J. Spangler said:
i'm right there with you man. i can't sleep at night because i think about knives. you figure "if i get in there and grind out a couple blades and finish a few more today i'll feel good and keep quiet for a while" then when you're doing it so many more ideas pop into play and you get sucked in even more
Click to expand...
Man ain't that the truth! Lately it's all I think about. Deer season is right around the corner and I'm usually hopped up thinking about that. I still am somewhat, but think more about knives here lately. I'm glad to see I'm here among fellow knifeaholics who have the same HEALTHY mental thoughts I have. :D
Scott
 
I guess I'm relatively safe...I'm too lazy to make knives full time. Yeah, I think about em all the time, and bore everyone I know with talk and show and tell, and never make anything but knives anymore. But I'm still essentially lazy and only get 20 or so hours in the shop each week. Maybe if I spent less time at the paying gig I'd spend more time making stuff. I guess that's what retirement is for. :D Meanwhile I'll keep spending all our money on tools and handle materials and belts, and occasionally do one of my honey do projects to keep my wife semihappy...

Is it healthy to have knife stuff stacked all over the house? Healthy to lose track of the conversation in business meetings, thinking about some grinding trick? Be in too much of a hurry to tweak that shape just a bit on the grinder, to put on the respirator? I dunno, but it's seriously satisfying, and makes life worth living for however long I get it.
 
L6steel said:
i can't sleep at night because i think about knives.

Ohhh for the days!!!
That's how it used to be for me, Michael.
Couldn't close my eyes without seeing blades and handles and such.
Sure wish it would come back to me!
Click to expand...

Michael, Sounds like you just need a new direction. your folders are coming along nicely. Maybe a hammer and anvil will bring back the fire.
 
ddavelarsen said:
I guess I'm relatively safe...I'm too lazy to make knives full time. Yeah, I think about em all the time, and bore everyone I know with talk and show and tell, and never make anything but knives anymore. But I'm still essentially lazy and only get 20 or so hours in the shop each week. Maybe if I spent less time at the paying gig I'd spend more time making stuff. I guess that's what retirement is for. :D
Click to expand...

Geez, Dave! This is SO much like my style its uncanny. You nailed it. Trouble mwith me also is that I get easily distracted, and when I can't concentrate, I can't motivate myself to even start a knife. Right now. I'm distracted by my house repairs and even further distracted by those goddam atvs we just bought. Soon... Soon...

peter nap said:
If you think you are hooked....try being so involved in knife making, Muzzle loader building, hunting, mountain bike riding, kayaking, that you can't stand staying in the office, and flat never having time from work for any of the above.
Click to expand...

Don, I can relate to that too. Once I had so many hobbies I could not get to any of them. I trimmed them down to just one, and then started expanding back out again. Now I'm back to where I was, except all the new hobbies are different from the old! Sheesh!

Yeah... I'm sick... I need some quality mental care... or more beer...
 
Steve, yes, they are going to lock you up. Not to worry, though. Just think of all the other makers that will be locked up with you! We can have stuff smuggled in the ward and maybe disguise the grinders as lamps, and....................... .
 
Boy oh boy - I'm not alone.

It's kinda weird when you think you're the only one the goes to sleep wondering what liners to used only to wake up thinking that changing the bolsters would be cool to. It's nice to know there's others with the same illness.

Makin' a livin'? if I don't get over this 'illness' I'll be out on my ear. hmmmm.......

John, that's a great idea! Then someone else worries about the room and board. I just have to grind under the influence of major brain drugs. hmmmm......

Steve
 
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