? To Makers

N

nijam

Joined
Aug 7, 2001
Messages
80
Is it about the money, or the knife?
Reason for asking is a couple of years ago when I started making I jumped in full time, quite my job all that so I could concentrate fully on the making of folders. To build the best knife I possibly could. So in the beginning it was about the knife.
Now as time has progressed some things have changed. Oh, I still try to make the best knife to my ability of course, but the money factor has come to be just as important.
The reason for this seems to be due to the Wife used to help carry me financialy, but at Dupont where she works they shut her line down so she had to relocate from her nice lab job @ 23.00/hr to another dept. @ 17.50/hr. Huge cut.
So no, I'm not raising my prices; I'm going to make more knives! :D


Patrick R. Nihiser
Knifemaker
 
I only think about the money once a month, when my wife confronts me with my credit card bill and challenges me to show I earned more than that. When I'm making a knife all I ever think about is the knife. If I'm working with expensive material like ivory or MOP I'll sometime think about how much it will cost me to screw up, but that's about it. I guess if this were about money, I'd get a real job... :)
 
I am not a maker and I do not even play one on TV, but I find that most have the same attitude that Jerry does. It is a passion and as far as I have seen a labor of love that keeps these guys going. They are never satisfied and are always looking for ways to improve, learn and teach their skills. I do not know many rich knifemakers (rich money wise), but I do know a lot of "rich" (in more important ways) knifemakers. Most knife makers I know could make more money at an easier job.

These things that I have learned from some are the some of the reasons this hobby has become more to me than just knifes.

Mushead bastid.
 
Yeah,I also agree with Jerry.I dont want to know what I make per hour,I just know that if I wanted to make some serious money again,I would go back to working in an office,looking at it that way,hell,it's not so bad being broke all the time.;)
 
Well I am not about to agree with Jerry...but you do have to balance things properly...thats why God gave us a brain. I try to make every knife as close to perfect as I can and charge a price that will keep me in the market. Sometimes I spend an extra two hours getting it right...sometimes it goes right together perfectly (well, almost) but I never get paid for the extra two hours!! :):p:):p:)
 
For the money? What money? If you want to be a knifemaker to make big money, go work at Wal-mart. you'll kind-of see what it's like.
 
The opinion of another none knifemaker here.

I doubt that many, if any, knifemaker do what they do for the money. The times that I have conversed on this subject with makers they have all told me that if they didn't love what they were doing they would quit immediately and get a job that paid real money. Some probably do make a very good living making knives, I believe most do not. If they were doing it for the money, this would not be the case.
 
I agree with the comments from all the guys.

I have told my wife..if we win the Power Ball Lottery I plan to make knives till we run out of money. :)

For me, it isn't the money. I just got tired of hunting and fishing all the time:):)

Tom, I thought you were in it for the Groupies..
 
my wife once asked me what I'd do if we won a million bucks.

a: Id have the best equiped knife shop in town. Until then I'll keep plugin along.
 
What's this about making money. Are we supposed to make money making knives? This may be what my wife is talking about. Hmmmmm.
Tom
 
geeeezzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All the groupies I get are ugly old bald men.........I try to get them to go away so I can get some paying customers at my table but no such luck!!!!!! :(:p:(:p:(:p:(


No similarity with any person, real or otherwise, is intended by the above post and I take no responsibility for any reference to such!! {Hi russ!!!!!!! :p:p:p)
 
I am ugly, balding and old. Don't worry, I never take offense :D
 
Well, this guy kept followin' me around at Blade...tryin' to sell me some folder of some sort!!!:p...kept braggin' he was friends with Jerry Hossom.:p:p
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_______________
Russ aka BladeZealot

Admitted Mayo groupie and participant in 12 step program for same.It's just Tom reminds of my Dad, being the same age and all:D.
 
Yeah..., but can Tom still surf :cool: ...-giggle-



"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
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