Learning curve

J

John L

Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Messages
1,330
I've made about 30-40 folders, mostly liner locks. Now I've made 3-4 slipjoints. At about the 8-10th knife I all of a sudden started to understand many things. Now, after 40 knives or so the light bulb isn't coming on very often. Don't get me wrong..most are very nice knives ...just needing to achieve the next level. I am going to Blade show and methinks I am going to get depressed:eek: Does anyone have any ideas or things that jump started their learning curve? I've thought of going to Sierra Forge and Fire class on folders..but it must be closed since no one ever returns emails and there is no class schedule for 2007. I learn a lot from tutorials :confused:
 
Go visit other makers. Shoot the breeze, have a cup of coffee, talk about stuff. See how that maker does some things that you like about their work.

Alternately, sit down with a pad and pencil ad start drawing out some ideas. Try to do something cool that departs from what you've been doing somewhat. Stretch your creative streak. Odds are you'll come up with something that will require some figuring out to build. The more you push yourself to figure out, the more you'll learn. The more you learn, the more lightbulbs go on!

Epiphany comes from experience.

Just my $.02 anyways.

-d
 
Someone told me a long time ago that the magic number for starting to get the hang of things was 50 and by the time you got to 100 then things really started to make sense. I think that the best experience you can get is just to keep making them and trying new things. Not every knife will be a winner, we have all made our share of knives that we aren't too proud of but thats just part of the learning curve. I have found that I learn something new from every knife that I have made, some good ideas have come from this and I've done some things that I don't want to repeat.
 
As stated by others, keep making knives. Visit other makers. Go to shows. Read the discussions in these forums. Research some of the threads to learn about new skills that you could acquire. You'll be surprised eventually by the sudden rush of creativity that will occur. I've made about 100 knives now, and I'm now having ideas about what I want to make that I'm actually finding it difficult to choose what to do next. I've actually made the decision to focus on forging through and hidden tang knives and learn how to fit and finish them. I've tinkered with folders (not my thing at this time) and made scores of full tang knives. I've focused in the past on those full tang knives and using pin work to set off handles.

My handles were quite busy, but they were creative. I've been scaling those back lately (less is more?).

One thing I've been doing lately is looking at things in nature. Noticing how a tree limb curves as it branches off. Or looking at the shape of some antler or rams horn that I have for handle material. I try to imagine how the curve of the blade would come out of that antler. I even had an elk rack out by the forge one day as I was forging a small damascus hunter. I know which part of the antler I want to use for that hunter and I forged the shape of the blade to be a sweeping curve that balanced out the shape of the antler.

Let your mind be free and your hands be busy, and it will come to you!
 
John after 26 years of folders mostly slipjoint and lockbacks sounds to me like
you are ready for multiblade folders . Every knifemaker has been were your at no matter what type of knife they prefer to make .


Glenn Dykes
Louisiana
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top