What is your "mission statement"

B

BadBamaUmp

Joined
Aug 8, 2000
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454
What is your shop's "mission statement"?

Even if you don't have it written down or anything, what drives your shop? I don't mean what we're all going to say, "making the best knife I can". For me it's to make a quality knife that most people can afford and to learn something everyday I go into my shop whether I'm working on a new heat treat or a new finishing technique.

Thanks,
 
Hate to chime in on a negative note, but I'll save those "mission statements" for those corporate types at my other work place. My shop will be filled with nothing but enjoyment and challenge.

Sorry, but seems everytime I hear that phrase I see too many bosses with not enough to do. I'd rather work.:D

Dan
 
Well perhaps I phrased my question poorly,:footinmou but you're saying that you don't have something that drives you to make knives besides the goal to make better knives? :confused:

I won't bother attempting to rephrase myself, y'all knew what I meant.
 
My mission is totally self-centered after 23 years:

To make something I've never made before, expanding my craft as art for personal satisfaction.
To never make the same knife twice again.
To try at least one new technique I've never tried before on every new piece.
To make certain that the quality I wanted the knife to have, has it, and to never let a knife go I am not satisfied will not compromise its integrity as a cutting tool because I have to "deliver on time".
To enjoy the task of making knives, and never, ever again come to hate it because I made the same hunter 40 times in a row or got angry because I broke my own rule of not taking orders and got pestered to anger by a customer who had to have grit-by-grit updates on the state of completion.

Sound selfish and self-centered? Yes, it is, totally. I quit making for quite awhile because it quit being fun, and got like a job. I already had one of those in the corporate world, and hated it. I had those egocentric goals of joining the Guild and getting my ABS stamp to prove I was "good enough". (When I got good enough, I was no longer interested in the organizations because it left someone with authority over me, which I wouldn't tolerate in something so precious to me. I detest organizations, they can't by nature avoid internal politics.) I worked my 60 hours in the lab and another 40 in the shop each week. It got to be a drag, and I lost the passion because of the business goals.
Selling knives is something different than making them. It can trash the joy, and has to be approached very carefully. Now it is fun again, because I do only what I want, when I want, as health permits. If someone wants to buy it, fine; if not, then I am happy to collect myself. Thus, my mission is self-satisfaction.

I just thought I'd give a slightly different viewpoint than most will post here. Thanks for the opportunity. Hope I didn't offend too many. :D My whole point to newer makers is that you have to not get too quickly caught up in the fervor of "how many can I sell?" and "how famous can I get" without these business aspects possibly denigrating the joy of the craft for you. Approach it wisely, so you don't burn out. Just my 2 cents
 
Ithink Mike put his feelings pretty well. I love what Dan had to say and couldn't agree more. The professionals here will have a very different response from mine and they well should because I do this for pure fun.

I like to make things. I have always had a special place in my life for tools and weapons. I also like to try to make it better than it was or is. It's the tinkering syndrome. I will never be a professional because they are both tinkerer and artist.

Mission statement....make another knife!
 
My mission was also have fun and make myself some knives.
I got very slack then I found this forum. A couple of very nice guys Dave Larsen, Guy Thomas in particular got me making a few good pieces
I was very happy. I started selling a few more which paid for the fun.
When I got too many orders the fun started to drop off a little. I let myself get a bit stressed working to a high standard.

I recently met up with the husband of a work colleague at a work function. He has come around and I have helped him get started on a couple of knives. That is a real buzz. He gets so excited over the smallest thing. It is fun to watch. It has cost me about $90 so far to get him 1 small utility knife, a skinning knife, and a rough forged Bowie for hacking. That is materials. Then the time I have spent doing for him instead of doing my orders.

probably cost me all up $300. Mission successful.

What ever you call it mission, purpose, reason for doing it, The what is in it for me is just about fun and entertainment. If I make some money you know that is going to make me happy as well. It will pay the bills nicely. One last thing it is also a pay off when someone says nice knife.
 
I think I understand your question as 'What is it I strive for here'. I do not use one but do have one that I hope to someday aspire to: 'Elegant Functionality' and when I am satisfied well enough I may begin using it.

RL
 
Just a comment
because I know some think we'll get rich doing this.
some will do well some not so well.
My small engine Business burned me out very badly
to the point most will call it laziness, the money did not move me at all..
there is a fine line there between the two and
the way you come up to that line is very different.
I say I make knives full time only because it's in my mind 24 hours a day.
I have some dead lines to keep but try to keep in mind the comments
I get and it gets me through those..
and I keep the dates of orders ahead enough so I can do the job
when I feel like it before the date gets here.
((does not happen this way all the time )))

if you give a price on a job that you don't feel comfortable with you are headed for trouble.
go with a good price don't worry about the other guy..
do your best at a fair price to you both
and take your good old time. it's not fun to
hurry and the job will suffer.

I could add the business end to make it a big
business but I don't want to build a factory right now
I hit a few shows now and again and those that know me know
I don't show up with very many knives I'm not there for that.
I fill my orders first and have fun at the shows..
the Atlanta show was great
I wasn't in it I was around it and left Monday....now that's fun.
do your best, progress, meet good people
make some money and have fun.

There is a lot to read between the words in that last line
but I tend to ramble as you can tell:) :barf: :)
 
What drives me? Now that's a different and incredibly difficult one to answer. I'm driven from inside. I've found a hobby that I can enjoy, that I am pretty good at, yet will never be good enough for that thing inside that drives me. Every last scratch stands out and glares at me, no matter that no-one else seems to find it, I'm driven to make it better. Every new method, or new challenge in building presents more chance to learn, more chance to show that thing inside that I can do this. I'm a little short on words for what this thing inside is called, but is drives and drives and drives. I've a full time job other than knifemaking, but can't take my mind off the latest challenge, the next hurdle, the next combination of metal and wood and design. I believe we all stand together with this drive that makes us knifemakers.

Driven
 
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