Knifemaking quotes

J

Jason Fry

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
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Every business has its common sayings, quotes, proverbs, etc. How about some knifemaking quotes?

Here are two I picked up from Harvey Dean, MS, at a show where our tables were close together.

"Never give up an opportunity to sell a knife." I had held a few back trying to have more inventory for the show, then ended up not selling much. This may be the knifemaking equivalent of "make hay while the sun shines."

"Then quit making them that way." I was talking with Harvey about struggling to get a guard to fit right. I don't have a mill and had used 3/8" guard stock. He told me basically that there was no point in using 3/8 if I didn't need to, that I should stick to materials that I could execute cleanly with less trouble.
 
"An artist never truly finishes his piece. He abandons it."

And one of my favorites. I think Stacy might have said it. "If I hit the lottery and won a million dollars, I'd keep making knives until all the money was gone"
 
A gem from Steve Culver at the S. Alberta hammer in last weekend-- "If it isn't right, it isn't done."
 
A quote from NASCAR, but very applicable to knife making: "If you want to make a million dollars in this business its gonna cost you two."


-Xander
 
"I can see myself as a Neanderthal flint chipper sitting by the fire in the night. It was the first specialized labor in human history. Maybe I knew where the best flint was, or how to flake it better than anyone else. My lineage goes back before what we call the oldest profession. It's a craft at least 30,000 years old. When people wonder how a man can spend his life making hunting knives, they should remember that. It's a gloriously venerable occupation." - Bob Loveless
 
"An artist is only as good as they can hide their mistakes."

No idea where I heard it from, but it was at a young age and stuck with me. Mistakes are OK, everyone has plenty (I have more than most...), but you better be good at covering it up!
 
OK. Seriously, something I have heard from almost every accomplished knifemaker that I have handed one of my knives to: "Looks good, now go make another one".
 
"Simple: not to be confused with easy."

"It's not a blade 'til it's tasted blood. The corollary being that they all become blades sooner or later."

A couple of my own. :)
 
[video=youtube;01NHcTM5IA4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01NHcTM5IA4[/video]

"That ain't a knife..."
 
"If I won the lottery, I'd still keep on making knives......till it was all gone." Cleston Sinyard
 
"If it's worth doing, then it's worth doing it RIGHT." Jim Wheeler

He's not a knife maker, but a great man and craftsman, and that line has stuck with his son--- who does try to be a knife maker. :)
 
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