What are you in real life? Does that help your knifemaking?

I was a partner in a business that had me in a desk job and on the phone all day. Got out of that and now I'm currently working in the retail field as a department supervisor. Basically none of my work background has had anything to do with making knives. Growing up I was always fairly artistic especially with a pencil and paper. I probably should've pursued a career somewhere in the field of art, but I guess that creativity and my love for knives is what got me into it. Granted I've been out of the loop for a while (Nick Wheeler is probably cranking out twice as many knives as me :D). Working crazy hours and having a toddler on top of it keeps me fairly busy. Although even though I'm not working on a knife at the moment, I've gotten into straight razor shaving and have taken on a project of trying to restore a 7 day straight razor set. I also have another razor I'm re-scaling which will hopefully have some of Burl Source's wood as the scales for it.
 
I have worked all kinds of jobs, retail managment, sales, bicycle mechanic, bar tender, rigger, and currently construction on foreclosures, but the one that I think helped the most was working as a Metrologist in Engineering Research Weapons Systems Development for a private lab contracted with the Gov't. Learning how to properly and acuratley measure almost anything really helped solidify my attention to detail. I worked in LIGA (part of MEMS field) with unbelievably tight tolerances on parts that were almost invisible to the naked eye, so preparation and planning were essential. One errant sneeze or cough and 20,000 parts just became a cloud of glitter. Same company also had me in the design department, and I had some really cool things come across my desk. Needless to say the testing was always a "blast!"

I am a novice knife maker, but I hope that will change in the coming months, years, decades. I am an experienced knife user, with all the scars to prove it!


-Xander
 
As a kid I worked construction. After high school I commercial fished, then worked in a fish market while in college. After a stint in the Marines I became a game warden. Spent a career there until I got retired from ortho injuries.

My last 14 years as a game warden I worked patrol boats off shore California. My last was a 100 footer. Working boats, sometimes I had an engineer, sometimes I didn't. So, I had to learn about diesels, electromechanical systems, pneumatic systems, hydraulics and all manner of trivia in between.

All that has really helped a lot in building my own equipment. I have a basic understanding of things and a little experience to give me the confidence in trying to make things.

I built my 25 ton press, I have all the parts to do an air hammer and rolling mill. I have a couple of orthopedic surgeries to get out of the way and I'll continue on with it.

Being a knife user all that time helped a lot, too.

Gene
 
Hey Gene, I just wanted to thank you again for sending me that steel. Have you used any of the Nickel I sent you yet? I have a couple of things going with the 1080, but between work, the house, and my son I don't get very many chances to hide out in the garage for a few hours.

-xander
 
I am electrical engineer. My knifemaking brings me way more pain and expences than joy and money. But it probably brings less troubles than alcohol, drugs and tobacco. So I do make knives and do not drink alcohol, do not do drugs and do not smoke or chew tobacco.

And by the way, I have too many hobbies. Way too many.
 
james terrio said:
I told you before, I haven't had a mohawk in 20 years. And I sold all my gold chains to buy steel and tools. I will ignore the rest of your post since I'm in a forgiving mood today!

:D
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Sorry. Couldn't help myself.
 
im a full time cattle rancher with a shop full of tools, like to put them to use when time allows (not often during calving season). Great way to relax, and come up with something useful
 
I am an electrical engineer, design group leader, and general jack of all trades. The EE stuff helps with tools, but not so much with actual knifemaking unless you count concentration and patience...
 
I'm a Registered Massage Therapist, which helps with dexterity, keeping my body in proper alignment while making knives to reduce injuries (file work for the most part right now and can't afford a repetitive stress injury). The negative is that I have to keep soft hands- after growing up on a farm, working construction, oilfield swamper and warehouse and in a fish processing plant it isn't easy. The farm, construction and fish plant have shown me what I like in a knife. After filleting over 1000# of fillets each hour you learn what works for you. I just can't wait until I have a garage as I only work when I am home and the family isn't- not often these days.
 
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