Merry Christmas to all, and I hope this time finds you well. I've been blessed with time with family and friends this week.
Many of you know I made the decision back in September to not focus on Christmas orders for the first time in my knifemaking career. In some ways that choice panned out well, in others it did not. External factors and having to depend on other people caused some problems, and I was not able to get out as many knives as I wanted.
For the coming year, I can anticipate a few things. One I'll continue to have big projects. The Battleship Texas should wrap up in time for Blade Texas, and I'll have an 8 pack of small swords complete about that time as well. I am not sure yet what it'll be, but I hope to have another big one ready for Blade Atlanta. Two, I anticipate some good availability of my production hunters. I've got a special run of Texas flag handled White Rivers coming, for example. Next, I will continue to try and slide in open-stock knives in between orders and big projects. I haven't kept track of orders well, but I have a few on the books. I've got no plans for a fourth book (yet) but am consistently writing for a few knife magazines. There are a few big magazine things coming, about which I can't be more specific, nor shall I count them as complete until they're actually done.
Personally, we are in the process of purchasing a piece of property to move from the Lubbock area back to the Abilene area. It'll take a few years to complete the process of transitioning, what with selling our current home, building another, and getting our personal finances more in order. Our children continue to do amazing things. The oldest is home briefly after becoming a Marine, and is headed back out to training soon. The second child just got his congressional nomination to the Air Force Academy and will be competing for their gymnastics team. Until he leaves this coming summer, he's got a full season of competitive gymnastics ahead of him and another chance to make the national championships. The twins are halfway through kindergarten and are reading books right and left. My wife continues to teach 9th grade algebra and geometry, and won November Teacher of the Month. As for me, my job is steady and we got good raises for the first time in many years.
God bless you all, and Merry Christmas!
Many of you know I made the decision back in September to not focus on Christmas orders for the first time in my knifemaking career. In some ways that choice panned out well, in others it did not. External factors and having to depend on other people caused some problems, and I was not able to get out as many knives as I wanted.
For the coming year, I can anticipate a few things. One I'll continue to have big projects. The Battleship Texas should wrap up in time for Blade Texas, and I'll have an 8 pack of small swords complete about that time as well. I am not sure yet what it'll be, but I hope to have another big one ready for Blade Atlanta. Two, I anticipate some good availability of my production hunters. I've got a special run of Texas flag handled White Rivers coming, for example. Next, I will continue to try and slide in open-stock knives in between orders and big projects. I haven't kept track of orders well, but I have a few on the books. I've got no plans for a fourth book (yet) but am consistently writing for a few knife magazines. There are a few big magazine things coming, about which I can't be more specific, nor shall I count them as complete until they're actually done.
Personally, we are in the process of purchasing a piece of property to move from the Lubbock area back to the Abilene area. It'll take a few years to complete the process of transitioning, what with selling our current home, building another, and getting our personal finances more in order. Our children continue to do amazing things. The oldest is home briefly after becoming a Marine, and is headed back out to training soon. The second child just got his congressional nomination to the Air Force Academy and will be competing for their gymnastics team. Until he leaves this coming summer, he's got a full season of competitive gymnastics ahead of him and another chance to make the national championships. The twins are halfway through kindergarten and are reading books right and left. My wife continues to teach 9th grade algebra and geometry, and won November Teacher of the Month. As for me, my job is steady and we got good raises for the first time in many years.
God bless you all, and Merry Christmas!