What does it take?

Sorry for the double post. In hindsight, if I knew I wanted to be a knife maker when I was younger, I would have gotten a job in a machine shop. That experience would have been very helpful.
BB
 
1- Do you have tools and equipment to make knives?
2- Do you have permanent shop space for all of the tools and supplies required to make knives?
3- How are you going to pay for all of this stuff??
4- Have you finished high school?
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1. About $340+ invested in the basic equipment and tools, so not much.
2. For now, I'm doing with the space thats available, as for it being permanent, it wouldn't be enough.
3. Been buying what I can, so again not able to buy much.
4. In my senior year, so not yet.

Why don't you have a job?
How are you going to save up unless you have a job?
Why do you have to persuade your parents to save up to buy you a car?
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I have no way to get to one.
Slowly, which is the only way I see that I can right now.
Their the ones that could save up quicker then I could.

Anyway, thank you for making me think about these questions.
 
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Really appreciate that Farmer Phyl, (Just got finished reading all of it). Same goes for all the other posts as well.
 
ya right on sir farmer phyl, that 2-3 steps were more in line with my few. thanks
 
Bobby's post was one of the best in this thread. I don't think it was meant to be quickly answered, but considered. Just like any business decision, you have to look at the tough questions and find real solutions.

For example, if you want to get a small business loan, you need to apply with a plan. Part of that might be a plan of action for getting the equipment you need. "Pay for it slowly" would definitely not pass muster. If you can't take the hard questions seriously, you are in for a long ride.

Bobby was trying to give you a legitimate set of questions and you shrugged him off. I'd go out on a limb and say you're not all that interested in any advice that says "do some homework and take a close look at yourself and your goals". There are some really awesome knife makers that have had to drop out of the game and fall back on a career they had before. What do you do when you've got no other trade and you can't make a living?

New rule, I'm quoting people when I post from now on. Excellent edit.
 
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Acrid, I don't fully understand how you're saying I shrugged him off, the answers I gave him were legimate.

Paying for the stuff slowly is only for now until I can do something thats any better.
 
Well BladefulArt,

You sure asked for a belly full...and got it. Seems to me, for a 17 year old in high school, you're doing ok. Just the fact that you're asking such a forward looking question shows you are probably not one to go off half cocked. Also, that you have a few hundred dollars invested in some basic tools (as a kid in school living at home) also shows you're not just dreaming, but growing your interest with real efforts. Sure, as you say, that's not so much, but hey, its something. Shows me you're not just a pie-in-the-sky kind of guy. (Actually, since I don't know your name, nor gender, I may be going out on a limb with that one.)

Anyway, several very dedicated folks have given you very earnest suggestions and lots to think about. If I don't miss my guess, I suspect you will mull these ideas over...and over...and over. Good for you. I might add, while you are mulling your future over, that you really do make a few (more?) knives.

If I were you, I would't get caught up in all the equipment that seems to be needed. For instance, when I was a kid in high school (some 35'ish years ago) I had a friend who liked to make knives. I guess,he was the first knife maker I ever knew. All he used were the electric burners on his parents stove top, a cheap hand help propane torch, a little bench top stone wheel grinder, some files, an electric drill, a threading tap, some brazing rod, threaded rod cut from long narrow bolts, some wood for handles, brass for guards and butt caps, and old files for blades. He would heat a file (old ones were real steel in those days) on a stove top burner until glowing red for a while. He'd then let them cool off slowly in the oven. Then he'd grind, file and sand his blade and braze on a threaded rod for the tang. He made his guards and butt caps from recycled brass plumbing fittings. He did his own hardening and tempering (now called heat treating) with the same stuff too. His knives were real beauties!

When I first started making jewelry my whole shop fit in, what I called, a jock strap duffle bag. I don't think they're made anymore. They were sort of half moon shapped with two handles that came together to be carried easily in one hand. Yep, my whole jewelry shop fit in it. I had a small piece of wood that fit across my legs on my knees for my bench. A wooden mallet for shaping that I would pull the handle out of and use for a mandrel while palming the mallet head to hammer with. I had one file, a cheap pair of 'tin snips' and a small pair of pliers I filed the teeth off of. Add to it a hand held propane torch (which was a bitch because every time you tipped it over to solder the flame would shoot out bigger) and a block of heat resistant stuff to solder on, plus a small pint sized mason canning jar (you might not know what that is) for quenching/pickling and....whallah, a jewlry shop in a bag. It was a hobby, and a 'full time job.' I travelled with freinds. We lived in campgrounds and parks. I made sterling silver jewelry on the picnic tables and they peddled the stuff wherever we went. Bars on pay days were the best! ;) I went on to start a 'real' Silversmith business later and ended up goldsmithing in Beverly Hills.

This is all to say, there are many paths one can follow.

All the best for you following yours! I look forward to seeing some photos of your knife(s)! -Phil
 
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Thanks for the post Farmer, as far as getting caught up in all the equipment, that shouldn't happen.

The rest of money I have going go towards supplies instead, with the exception of a few firebricks.

Also Acrid, I edited the post to make my answers more clear, don't want people thinking I was trying to shrug somebody off when I wasnt.

Anyway, I done got pretty much all the answers I wanted for now, appreciate all the help and advice. As for as making knives more often, going to make a effort to work on them atleast 2 hrs a day now providing if it isnt raining heavy or lightning and around 3.5-5 hours on Saturdays.
 
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