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Laredo7mm

Laredo7mm

Joined
Jul 8, 2002
Messages
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Well, I have been demoted to part time maker again. :(

I just accepted a job offer for an Engineering position and I start on the 16th. Full time making was fun while it lasted and I loved all the shop time (working from 2pm to 2am) almost every day. Now I will have to get used to getting up early again, but it won't be so bad after a couple days, I hope.

Right now it is the best thing for me, eventhough things were starting to pick up, I was still running out of money. So I couldn't turn down a high paying job with full benefits, vacation, 401K, etc. Plus it looks to be a fantastic company to work for and believe it or not, they are not dependent on the automotive industry, so that will be a welcome change.

I will still make knives but I doubt I can continue the pace I was doing before. It is amazing how every thing hits at the same time. I will elaborate on that in the near future.

So if you don't see anything new from me after the 16th, you know where I am. ;)
 
Be on the look out for good things to come. Times of change can open up avenues in your life that you have never traveled. The best of luck on your new adventure. We'll keep the forges burning. Fred
 
Laredo7mm,

What Mark said is SO true. I'd only add one comment, shop time becomes a release, relaxation and very enjoyable no matter what your "fulltime" career is.
You do have an asset in the engineering prefession that some jobs don't give you, you are in a position as an Engineer to be creative. That is a very gratifying as well. I still mention projects that I helped work on as a teenage rodman and draftsman in my Dad's Engineering firm and I was not an engineer.

Some of the best known makers and many of the rest of us fulltime makers have other sources of income and many started as part-timers.
Frank Centofante (active until just recently as an officer of the Guild) is a retired fireman, Joe Keeslar (ABS president) is a retired educator, both were "parttime" before being fulltime, on and on. While I am not comparing. my skill with those folks, I am fortunate that, from a time invested point of view, I am a full time maker....My wife has a great career as an edcator, I retired early from AT&T.
From a "contribution to our family's income" point of view, knifemaking is not the major portion of "my share", but thankfully growing in percentage, as I suspect is the case for alot of makers.
Good Luck in a very creative profession as an Engineer, and in a very creative part time career as a knifemaker!
 
Well, Kim Breed and I just showed something...........if you need to hire one of us to write something for and pay by the word, he is a much better buy.
Well Said Kim!
 
Its almost like you can relax now, huh Sean? I mean...

well...

Now some cares and worries you did have are now gone, right? Best of luck, brother. Best of LUCK! :)
 
Thanks guys, i am looking forward to the "break". At least now I don't have to worry about how I am going to pay the bills. ;)
 
I think you've made a very, very wise choice, Sean. I sincerely feel you will look back in years ahead and agree with me. Knifemaking is a hard way to make a fulltime living except for a very few, and an outside job provides a much better income and security.

Good luck! I hope it lasts happily until you choose to retire. :)
 
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