So - You don't have room at home for a Knife Shop!

Tom Hudson

Tom Hudson

Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
361
I don't want to hear it. I have had guys tell me over the years that they would love to work on knives but just don't have the room.

For 15 years I was with a consulting firm in the construction world. My wife & I had an Airstream RV & pulled it normally with a Chevy dually. We traveled all over the United States. I was the Owner Rep at the job site on very large construction companies. I got paid to watch guys work.

I had a custom canopy made for the truck & inside I built a Knife Shop on Wheels. For 15 years I built custom hand made knives out of the back seat of a Chevy PU! My shop was 4' x 8'.

So when you see one of my hand made knives listed on the Knife makers For Sale link - now you know where it was made - not in what state it was made but what my shop looked like where it was made.

Who said where there is a will there is a way. You think i haven't paid my dues, 15 years working in an area 4'x8' with no stand-up room..
Tom
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Where there's a will,there's a way.The more space you have,the more you just junk it up speaking for myself.
 
Yes, excellent perspective.
I personally have been struggling not with the issue of space, but of keeping the air clean and safe for my family. My garage has enough room, but it also tends to be a play room on rainy days and the main entrance/exit for our home.
How did you deal with air quality in the back of your truck?

Your ingenuity is impressive and inspiring!
 
This is cool, and a great story. If the desire is there, things fall into place. Very inspiring indeed, thanks for sharing Tom.
 
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that must have been neat to take your hobby with you wherever you went. that just shows how little space is really needed to make knives. is that article available to read on line? can you post a link and maybe some pictures?
 
Backstopper said:
Yes, excellent perspective.
I personally have been struggling not with the issue of space, but of keeping the air clean and safe for my family. My garage has enough room, but it also tends to be a play room on rainy days and the main entrance/exit for our home.
How did you deal with air quality in the back of your truck?

Your ingenuity is impressive and inspiring!
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Knife making is a dirty job! You can spend a 2 or 3 thousand and install a good dust collection system - some of the guys home build theirs - I have a small unit in my shop mainly because of the many different woods I use in my pen building! - I also have fans set up to blow dirty air out of the shop while grinding scales, when the weather permits I open the garage door. I wouldn't build a knife shop in a kid’s playroom! In the truck I had my belt sander at the end of the truck so I could just open the back doors & I had a fan set up to help blow the ugly out - I also have a mask which I hate to wear - tom
 
richard j said:
that must have been neat to take your hobby with you wherever you went. that just shows how little space is really needed to make knives. is that article available to read on line? can you post a link and maybe some pictures?
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Never been a hobby for me - it has been a business for 30 years. It paid for my kid’s education.
I don't think I have any pictures of the truck shop - other than the Blade pic's I posted.
 
the only problem i have is the noise issue, not a lot of places someone can makes knives with all these old people complaining about the noise
 
brets-ftw said:
the only problem i have is the noise issue, not a lot of places someone can makes knives with all these old people complaining about the noise
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if your running a trip hammer - but if your just grinding it isn't to bad - I did it in very nice RV parks for 15 years - you have to pick your time for some things - I have some teenagers a few doors down that has a really cool set of drums :mad:
 
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