What pushed you into being a knifemaker?

B

Brian Lavin

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
Messages
1,290
The title says most of it, but was there a singular experience, or was it a gradual process? TIA
Brian

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A dedicated ELU
Buck Collectors Club Member
Knifeknut(just ask my wife)

 
Brian,

My grandfather made a bowie using a saw blade, cow leg bone and brass early in my childhood. Ever since I saw it I wanted to make one. I was in college before Barry and I got the nerve to try making one. That was some 13 years ago.
I still have the knife.
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If a man can keep alert and imaginative, an error is a possibility, a chance at something new; to him, wandering and wondering are a part of the same process. He is most mistaken, most in error, whenever he quits exploring.

William Least Heat Moon
 
Brian,
I guess what pushed me into it was the desire to always have burned and cut fingers, broke all the time, and the need deep down inside to cough all the time.

No, seriously, it must have just been in my blood. My grandfather and greatgrandfather were black smiths. Hmmmm, I wonder why I do stock removal?
 
Brian,
I guess what pushed me into it was the desire to always have burned and cut fingers, broke all the time, and the need deep down inside to cough all the time.

No, seriously, it must have just been in my blood. My grandfather and greatgrandfather were blacksmiths. Hmmmm, I wonder why I do stock removal?
 
I would say that I was PULLED into it, by the excitment and appeal of being able to produce a tool myself, that would out perform anything I could buy. It took a lot of effort and years to learn how, but looking back I wouldn't trade the experience for anything! The real life connection was as a child, watching an old blacksmith in my home town. I remember my grandfather saying "He can make anything." I guess I'm still chasing that dream.
http://www.mtn-webtech.com/~caffrey

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Ed Caffrey
"The Montana Bladesmith"


 
Great replies and thanks to you guys, it's fascinating to me to see how people take that jump, that leap of faith and decide that this is how they are going to continue their lives, doing something they have a passion for.
Brian

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A dedicated ELU
Buck Collectors Club Member
Knifeknut(just ask my wife)



[This message has been edited by Brian Lavin (edited 30 December 1999).]
 
Had to make a knife that I could use HARD every day. The Old Gent that used to make them for me got too sick and there was not (and for that matter still isn't) an off the shelf folder that will hold up to the punishment (abuse) they get around here.

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old pete
 
Working as a welder all my life and using steel for about every thing, around Christmas time in 87', I got a divorce. Then I was broke and everybody got knives for Christmas. They were forged from car springs and had slab handles. They didn't cut very well as I didn't completely understand the heat treat process at that time, but they looked kinda good. I liked it, went a custom knife show in Dallas in 89' and decided this is what I want to leave for history. Knives last a long time and I wanted to leave a lasting memory. The better the knife, the longer it may last.
Besides, I haven't found a better group of people than people that like knives.

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Ray Kirk
www.tah-usa.net/raker
 
Started out collecting factory pocket knives. I walk by Marvin Poole's table at a show and he told me to feel free to pick them up to look at. I told him i didn't know anything about custom knives. He spent about 3 hours telling me how to. I bought any book i could find on how to and have been hook ever since.
 
I wish I could put a finger on it. I have had a desire to make knives for as long as I remember. When I got my first knife, I used it to whittle a knife out of a popsicle stick. I remember trying to build a knife out for Lego's. As a youg kid, I remember hammering nails down to look like knives. At 15 I got serious, and started towards making real knives. Being a full-time knifemaker is the only thing I ever remember really wanting to be.

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Lynn Griffith-Knifemaker

griffithknives.com
GriffithKN@aol.com
Available Knives
 
I am with Lynn but what finaly Pushed me Over the edge was Money I can make one cheeper than I can buy them I have allways been a penny pincher according to my Wife but she is worse than I am now .
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tbark
 
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