Knifemakers Other income???

panch0

panch0

Joined
Jun 16, 2008
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I am just thinking, and not planning on quitting my job or anything like that. I would like to know from full timers is if their income is just from knifemaking or do they do other services as well. I would assume knife sharpening, re-handleing, and restoring is a given. What other things do you all do to keep the capital flowing? Pistol grips etc..??? In my dream world I would love to do this fulltime and maybe someday I will, but times are hard and need my 9-5. Thanks.

-frank
 
I was told by a full time maker and Master Smith, that if you want to be a full time knife maker you need to be able to make as much money as you make with a full time job. He also said DONT do it.
 
One time, I saw this man sharpening knifes for this restaurant
He drive a van rigged with a grinder and tools,
He sells affordable knives to restaurant and offer sharpening and repair services
I imaging he have a rute of small restaurant like this where he go every few days

I remember old Mexico, this men call "el afilador"
He ride a bicycle rigged whit a big wheel
To sharp knives and scissors
He blow a Whistle an people bring their knives to him
 
I would imagine that being a full-time knifemaker is a lot like being a full-time artist. The secret to which is- be married to somebody who works full-time, and can support you both if you can't sell enough of your stuff to get by.
 
Being a full time Knifemaker is a very tough way to make a living! Most of the full time makers that I know, who's only income is from knives, seem to live "hand to mouth". I applaud those folks for their tenacity, but know it can't be easy.
The position of a full time knifemaker is as follows:
The full time knifemaker's income is totally dependent on others' disposable income. If people do not have, or perceive that they do not have disposable income, then the Knifemaker is not going to see/get any of it.

My plan to become a full time Knifemaker started when I reached the 10 year mark in my military career. I knew if I stuck it out until retirement that I would be getting a check every month for the rest of my life. About 3 years before I retired, the wife and I started paying off all our bills, and made a pact to never rely on knife income to survive. Today we survive month to month on my retirement check and her income. Occasionally we have to dip into the knife account to make both ends meet the middle, but for the most part the knife income keeps the shop going, and provides for some of those extra needs/wants.
Unless an individual has a solid long term plan, particularly in these economic times, going into Knifemaking full time, without an outside income source is just not a wise move.

As far as "other things", I think it's very important to be as diverse as possible. Not only in the knives you produce, but also by offering other items/services as "stop gaps" when things get slow with knives. I produce Damascus for other makers, Forging Hammers, Damascus writing pens, Grinder Platens, Jewelry, Teach Bladesmithing classes, as well as forging and heat treating services for a number of local machine shops. I've even gotten paid as a consultant for our local college, and for the State Arts Council.
 
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Well I'm not a full time maker but I am working on becoming a small business owner as my sole income. My idea is to diversify. Make as much damascus as I can sell and then to fill the rest of the income: general blacksmithing (items that sell locally like bird feeder holders), run a small machine shop since I'll have the tools anyways, sell sugar maple knife blocks, make hammers and axes, and even occasionally make a knife.
 
Ed Caffrey said:
Being a full time Knifemaker is a very tough way to make a living! Most of the full time makers that I know, who's only income is from knives, seem to live "hand to mouth". I applaud those folks for their tenacity, but know it can't be easy.
The position of a full time knifemaker is as follows:
The full time knifemaker's income is totally dependent on others' disposable income. If people do not have, or perceive that they do not have disposable income, then the Knifemaker is not going to see/get any of it.

My plan to become a full time Knifemaker started when I reached the 10 year mark in my military career. I knew if I stuck it out until retirement that I would be getting a check every month for the rest of my life. About 3 years before I retired, the wife and I started paying off all our bills, and made a pact to never rely on knife income to survive. Today we survive month to month on my retirement check and her income. Occasionally we have to dip into the knife account to make both ends meet the middle, but for the most part the knife income keeps the shop going, and provides for some of those extra needs/wants.
Unless an individual has a solid long term plan, particularly in these economic times, going into Knifemaking full time, without an outside income source is just not a wise move.

As far as "other things", I think it's very important to be as diverse as possible. Not only in the knives you produce, but also by offering other items/services as "stop gaps" when things get slow with knives. I produce Damascus for other makers, Forging Hammers, Damascus writing pens, Grinder Platens, Jewelry, Teach Bladesmithing classes, as well as forging and heat treating services for a number of local machine shops. I've even gotten paid as a consultant for our local college, and for the State Arts Council.
Click to expand...

Well said Ed
 
A Mastersmith and good friend of mine who survives solely on his knifemaking once said to me:

You realize how much you really love knifemaking the first time you put a pair of pliers in your mouth.
Click to expand...

You give up a lot of what people consider basic comforts and necessities when you become a sole proprietor of any small business. It's a tough row to hoe, but I also know it can be very rewarding.

-d
 
I believe it was once wrote. "If i ever win the lottery. I will continue to make knives until I am broke again." Not sure which knife book i read this in. It is one of the truest statements ever. In buying parts for making blades, and saving to oneday forge them. You must ask yourself. How much is your time worth. Can you make two knives from steel to sheath in a week? How many hours are you willing to sacrifice? I know this long. Sorry. Now, can you sell those same blades and recover material cost and still make money? Some of the established makers on here will say yes. Those of us who are new. We dont have throngs of adoring fans waiting to snap up our offerings. We may wait weeks or longer for a sale. If you are able to do this and are good enough. Go ahead. Those of us mere mortals. We will continue to work and be a slave to our hobby. Just my .02.
 
In another life I was a lime kiln operator in a pulp mill. The wages and benefits except for a good retirement plan were very good. I lived in an area that even though groceries were more expensive and trips to a city for other shopping was time consuming and ate up as lot of gas our overall costs were less than if we lived in a large city. Still my wife was an excellent manager of our savings. Her investments were some of the most common with very little risk but over time their steady return allowed me to retire when I was 63. We bought a home in a more southern location and it was then I went very heavy into the knife making. It has been a most wonderful thing for me. We don't rely on it to bring in hosehold funds but some earnings have ended up there at times. I have the freedom to work or not work and when tough times come along like needing time off to recover from an operation it doesn't interfer with what we need for living expenses. I have some freedom also in what I make . I don't need to take custom orders unless I want to, and although I usually work 5 - 6 hours every day I have no problem taking time off to go shopping or family visiting with my wife. It's a pretty wonderful life for me but we did prepare to get here. Certainly my wife has been the best of the best to help me along although the truth is now, one fancy folder is much the same as the last ones. Going to knife making full time to me would be much like my approach to retirement. Would the funds be there to continue in a similar style of living and would the funds be there to cover those interuptions of work caused by things you never expect. If you have coverages at work for sickness or on the job accidents these must be concidered income. I don't know if you could afford to buy insurance policies for these items. My previous work even provided me with a wide group of medical coverage until my death. I sure have used that in the last ten years.
I'm writing all this in hopes that I can let anyone wanting to step into only the knife making full time to perhaps realize it's not just the business you have today that is needed to keep you going. On the other hand , often, even with a "regular" job you can do a great number of knives and as you want and still bring in a few dollars for whatever. Frank
 
To make 2000.00 a month you have to sell 15 Knives a month for 160.00 a piece. Can you sell and make 15 knives a month? Which is a very reasonable goal.
I am lucky to be a full timer maker that works part-time. I able to make a full time living work about 20 hours a week. My day is I get up do what I want. Then I go to bed. I am 47 years old and I couldn't ask for anything better.
 
I am in the perfect position to become a part-time full-time knife maker. I work in an industry that is seasonal and I am sure my boss would love to lose paying my wages in the off season.
I am a bike mechanic so in the summer I could work and get all the overtime I want at the shop, and make knives in the evening and once the weather changes I could stay home and make knives for the winter. That all depends on the simple fact of me being able to make the things people want and to do it good enough to get the people coming back. So its not something I am planning on anytime in the near future
 
I sell a little W2 and walnut on the side, the rest is from knives. Been full time since 1991.
MY wife works for me.....or maybe I work for her :D

One thing Ed said that is key to success, pay off all your bills before you start.

I couldn't have a real job after all these years.
 
I make knives part time and I work at an ethanol plant that is full time. Even though my job is a full time job, because of the fact that it is shift work, (not your typical 9-5) it works out really well for me. Basically, my shift goes like this... 2 days/2 nights/2 off, 2 days/2 nights/6 off, then it just repeats like that, 12hr shifts. So as it works out I get a lot of time off.:D I just love having my 6 days off to work on knives. Of course shift work is not for everyone, but it works great for what I do.
 
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