My Team - and Welcome to Vance!

Fiddleback

Fiddleback

Knifemaker
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Messages
19,791
I thought I'd take a minute to show some appreciation for my team here at Fiddleback Forge. I certainly couldn't do this without them. (Well, I did do this without them, but I could only produce 12 knives a week.) I'd also like to welcome Vance, whom you know from here to the company. He is starting out profiling and sanding here and he is doing a great job.

Adam and Judy have gone part time so that they can use two days a week to focus on their work. Folks, Adam is going to be the best maker in the bunch. Imagine at 17 years old going full time and basically nailing everything you get tought. Then imagine how much practice he gets in the processes. He helps me with the pre heat treating grinding too and with tapering tangs. I can't imagine how good I could do this with 24 years of full time practice but IMO Adam has the most potential of all of the Fiddleback Forge family of knifemakers. He is going to start to feature one of his knives each week in the FF thread. I'm excited to see what he gets to turning out.

Judy is an artist and her knives and process are quite different from my own. She makes sketches and drawings and plans then executes. I kind of splatter things on the wall and grind it. She sands our handles, and ships the packages, and details the handles before they go into the thread. This detailing is one of my favorite things to see an employee do. She's so meticulous and it really makes the knives shine. I really want to see more of her work and I'd like to see it in the threads as well.

Allen Surls came by the shop a few times to learn to make knives. He is driven and hungry for it much like I was. In fact, he reminds me of me quite a lot. He came on board before Blade Show, and was doing Vance's job. His pace here is just like on his own knives and before long he was pushing our pace a lot faster. In August I promoted him to shop foreman. He is now in charge of the blade production through heat treat. He, Adam and Vance do the profiling, pre HT grinding and tapering tangs. His knives have come a LONG way in a short period of time. It won't be long before I will have no choice but to graduate him from my program because he is as good as I am.

Ken Craggs is the VP here at Fiddleback Forge. He is indespensable. He handles everything here and manages the business so I can do the work of taking the HT'd blanks and turning them into knives. He came to us from a prestigous woodworking school where he was the shop manager. You can see his talent in the handle stackups and bolstered handles. Ken is the counterbalance to my craziness and his steadiness is a necessary thing here.

Finally, I actually do employ myself. I do the finish grinds, shape the handles, and market the company. I have been making knive since 2007 and have been full time at it since May 1 2009. Its the best and the hardest job I've ever had. (And I've had lots of manual jobs.) It has been a blessing since the beginning. This year I discovered a new passion in my life. Helping kids. It turns out I am uniquely positioned to accomplish this and its the best feeling I can describe.

I'd also like to take a minute to mention Dan Eastland, a former and graduated apprentice of mine, and Damon Lusky, Dylans graduated apprentice. I'm proud to be associated with these to makers as well. They have forums here and are a part of the Fiddleback Forge family of makers.

Teaching these makers and having them influence me has been a big help to my company and to my own work. I of course couldn't do the work to make 42 knives a week myself, and this team is what makes it all possible. They are vastly appreciated.
 
Thanks for sharing! It's nice to be able to 'get to know' the crew. A business, a sports team, a country . . . they all take great people around a great leader with a vision, all working together for a common goal. And the things that can be accomplished can be amazing! Keep on keeping on!
 
What a Team!! Although most of us have never met you in the flesh, through the forum and ownership of a wonderful product, a bond is formed. Congrats Vance on getting to do what most of us would love to be involved with. Peace all and keep it up :thumbup::)
 
Presidents often strive to create a legacy. Some succeed, and many fail. Many will sacrifice the wealth (personal & material) of their country and/or company in the process. In the case of Fiddleback Forge & Andy Roy we are witnessing a legacy in the making. One that flows from Andy's vision, and builds on the combined strength of his team. Kudos to all and a warm welcome to Vance.
 
Thank you for this post Andy. The fact that you are willing to mentor and encourage your team, in addition to employing them, is a rare quality in a boss. This shows me that you understand two important principles that separate successful small businesses from the ones that fade away. Those principles are Leverage and Legacy. By mentoring your team, you have leveraged your talent to increase production without sacrificing the high level of quality you expect. The fact that you treat your team as journeymen apprentices shows that you understand legacy also. That is a noble quality and it is the key to making the transition from being self-employed to a business owner. I admire the way you run your business.

Phil
 
Awesome Andy, congrats on this continued growth and much respect for the love you have for your crew.

We need some pictures/bios of each of the crew members! :D

And congrats to Vance on the new opportunity, pretty awesome to see a forum member join the crew. :thumbup:
 
Living in Forsyth County, Ga, I think makes me one of the luckiest people on this forum... see Forsyth Co. is the home of Fiddleback Forge (that's why I'm lucky). A few forum members have been by the shop and shared their stories and some pics while meeting the Fiddleback Family. They have shared how the whole team is welcoming and engaging and willing to make them feel at home. This is something I have experienced as well. One thing I have noticed about teams in general, the personality of the leader is reflected in the team. Which speaks directly to what kind of leader/person Andy is, just read his tag line. A big welcome to Vance, the newest Fiddleback.
 
I'm new to the lunacy of knife collecting. All I can say is that your products stand up against anything I've seen. The love of what you guys do everyday shows in the finished product...thanks for sharing!
 
Andy, you lead a great team of folks as is evidenced by the body of work you all produce each week. The vision, designs, execution, detailing, marketing, and even the shipping are all top notch. I can only assume this is a result of qualities you've instilled into the team as the owner and mentor, and because of the character of those on the team as well. Fiddleback Forge is a great example of a small business doing it right. I know you've put your heart and soul into the business and I wish you and the team continued success.

Thanks for sharing the details of the team and what each of them work on. And welcome Vance.
 
Great post Andy. I'm sure the accolades are well deserved and I am sure it is nice to hear for all the team members. Also nice for us to have some insight into who is involved in which parts of the process. I'd also like to see more work by Judy and Adam.

Congrats to you on such a successful business. I've recently been reading through some of the very early threads in this subforum. You've come a long way brother! And that is a great accomplishment.

Way to go Vance!
 
One of the things that I love about Fiddleback forge is that there is something more going on than just making knives. Your willingness to teach others how to make knives and support them in setting up their business is honorable. Making beautiful, high quality knives and building a business around it is in itself amazing. The fact that you are helping others learn the art and donating knives to good causes, sweetens the pot ten-fold. You are building a community. Thanks for telling us more about the crew. A team of good folks, doing hard work to make some exceptional knives.

My great aunt was the only person in my family that gave me a piece of advise about life that I can remember. She said "when your bell rings and your life is over, the only thing that is going to matter is how many people you helped during your life."
 
My grandfather was a carpenter in suburban Philadelphia. When my father came home from WWII, he used the GI Bill to go to trade school to study carpentry. He then signed on as an apprentice for the very company my grandfather worked for as a finish carpenter. He did this for years before he was hired as a carpenter by the company. This company built and maintained a lot of the DuPont mansions and other College and University buildings in the Philadelphia area. Although they were craftsman, I would say that in fact they were artisans. Most of those buildings are still being used today, and the woodwork that my grandfather and father put into them is still being enjoyed by their inhabitants.

It is this legacy that Andy is building in Georgia in the knife making world. Shaping one (or more) artisan at a time. Good luck Vance!
 
Good stuff Andy, sounds like a well oiled machine.


As one who has been along on this ride from the beginning, it's great to see things progress though the years.


I have found knifemakers to be a very generous lot, and the best inspire others in their footsteps.

You, my friend, fall into that category. :thumbup: :cool: :thumbup:



Big Mike
 
Thanks for the update, it's been a pleasure watching your company and yourself grow. :thumbup: I think you are well positioned for a good, steady run of work and crafting what you desire. You have come a long ways in a few years and are poised for more in the coming years. Congratulations, that's tough to do especially with the economic climate of the past few years.

There's nothing better than helping kids. It's a cliche, but you truly touch the future. I view it as a chance to create the community of people I want to have around me when they're older and always a chance for making new friends. It's amazing what you find in a person when you look past their age, as you have done with Adam.

Big props Andy.
 
Hello Andy,

Thank you for the note about your team. You have a nice group of folks working with you. I had the pleasure of meeting you, Allen and Ken at your shop and the Georgia guild meeting. Your work is very nice but what inpresses me more is your work ethic. It shines through. It inspires me to get in the shop and make or finish something. Keep up the great work!

Nathan
 
i just saw this thread.

thanks andy & everyone for their comments.


this whole process and endeavor is the exact opposite from what i came from. i worked in what amounts to my entire adult life(18yrs and im 38) for a small gun shop doing retail sales. it has certainly brought a whole new perspective on all of andy's knives i bought in the past and all the hard work that makes "fiddleback fridays" possible.

atleast andy didnt sugar coat it...he said " this job is hard,nasty and dirty work"......he was 100% correct and i like it.
the whole crew has been more that helpful while i learn the ins-n-outs around the shop and hope i dont slow them down too much


sorry for the long ramble and thanks to the crew @ fiddleback
 
Hey Vance! Maybe if you start cooking for the guys they'll see the "need" for a sweet cooking knife or a revisit to the 'Padre'!! I'd love to have a Fiddletuko!

VANCE said:
i just saw this thread.

thanks andy & everyone for their comments.


this whole process and endeavor is the exact opposite from what i came from. i worked in what amounts to my entire adult life(18yrs and im 38) for a small gun shop doing retail sales. it has certainly brought a whole new perspective on all of andy's knives i bought in the past and all the hard work that makes "fiddleback fridays" possible.

atleast andy didnt sugar coat it...he said " this job is hard,nasty and dirty work"......he was 100% correct and i like it.
the whole crew has been more that helpful while i learn the ins-n-outs around the shop and hope i dont slow them down too much


sorry for the long ramble and thanks to the crew @ fiddleback
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