When are you a "knife maker"?

B

bizmarkie

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Nov 20, 2012
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At what point are you a knifemaker? When you make one knife? Two? When you sell one...
When? I ask in jest, but also in a inquisitive way. At what point would you consider yourself a maker?

I made a knife last week.. my first. I will post pics (what forum is appropriate) once I complete the sheath. So since I have made my one.. am I a knifemaker or a something else?

Personally I feel a knifemaker is someonewho makes knives as a proffession or source of income, yet I do not know what to call a one at a timer who amkes them forthemselves or for the challenge.

Any ideas?

J.
 
I think your definition is probably the most accurate. However, I like to think that when you resurrect a very dull or damaged blade and put your own touch on it to the point that when you use it you are proud of your handiwork (convex the edge, reprofile the bevel, hand made or modified scales, hand made lanyard, file work, etc) that this can give you a similar sense of accomplishment.
 
I think a knife maker is someone who truely loves to make knives,someone who makes knives even though nobody is there to reward them with praise or money.
 
Why do you need a label? There are some people who are more interested in being known as a knife maker than actually making knives.
 
Well, I'm not looking for a label, I was just wanting to see what others thought of calling themselves a knife maker after making a knife or two. Just as if I fix a leaking p-trap under the bathroom sink, I don't become a plumber. I wrap a cut finger and Im not a trauma doctor. Granted those are two professions that require certification/education but you get the idea.

So where do I post pictures of my creation when I am ready to show it off?

J.
 
I think the difference between amateur and professional is what you are getting at. Some amateurs have talent and some don't but they do it for the fun of it. Professionals take their ability and try to make something off of it at some level. Again the amount of talent is variable as is the income.
 
In my mind a knifemaker is someone who makes a fair amount of knives that are of "decent" quality...
 
Sheffield used 3 trades to produce a knife; a forger, a grinder, and a cutler. The forger hammered the blade to shape and heat treated the blade, the grinder ground and filed the blade and other parts to final shape, and the cutler fitted the parts, put everything together, and finished the knife. Green River made blades and sent them off to the cutler for finishing. At a minimum, I'd say a knife maker today shapes the blade, does the grinding of the bevels, attaches the handle and finishes the knife. Someone who buys a finished blade and attaches the handle, guard, and etc. is a cutler. It is OK for a knife maker to send the ground blade out for heat treatment as with modern steels it is a complex task.
So, someone who finished out a kit knife would be a cutler. I consider myself a cutler although I hope to become a knife maker in the future.
 
When people start to hit you up for work and/or you have a wait list with customers willing to wait.
 
You're a knife maker when your forum name is orange ;)

Charlie Mike said:
When people start to hit you up for work
Click to expand...

This part doesn't always work... My friends know I dabble in knife making and keep asking me to make stuff for them, but I'm by no means a real maker.
 
One just won't do it. I wrote five full-length plays; never called myself a playwright.
 
To me, the status of being a knife maker is when you are able to start a knife project knowing that the outcome will be a quality knife rather than being amazed that what you created actually cuts something.
 
I beleive a "knifemaker" is anyone who does just that, make knives. Someone who makes a useable knife from scratch. A knife maker can also be someone who sells customs. It doesnt matter if you sell them or not, as long as you make them
 
CJZ said:
I beleive a "knifemaker" is anyone who does just that, make knives. Someone who makes a useable knife from scratch. A knife maker can also be someone who sells customs. It doesnt matter if you sell them or not, as long as you make them
Click to expand...

+1 Although the term implies an active involvement. So if you made a knife and quit then you were a knife maker. Just like if you hunted and quit, you used to be a hunter. At the point you sell your knife or knives you become a professional knife maker.
 
A knife maker is someone who makes knives. The main reason you'd call yourself a knifemaker is if you consider making knives to be a primary thing for you. If you make a couple and then never make one again, and spend most of your time doing other things, you're not really a knifemaker, because that's not definitional for you. But you can be a knifemaker and not have it be a career or anything. If you're dedicated to making knives, and it's something that you consider central to your self-actualization, then you're probably a knifemaker, regardless of whether or not you ever sell any.

There are different degrees of skill, and on here, I don't generally call myself a knifemaker, because I don't think I'm at the level of skill of many of the people who sell on here, and on a knife forum, the term can have additional connotations. And it's not really my primary job, so I call myself a hobbyist maker, although it's one of my primary forms of recreation, and is very meaningful to me. I don't ever plan on making a serious business out of it, however, but I do expect to be making more blades for the foreseeable future.

You're probably in a similar position. Think of it this way. Right now, you're probably (hopefully) really into it. Making knives can be very rewarding, and it's great to see the changes in your work over time. But if you make a few knives here and there, but then 3 years from now, you're not making any at all, well, would you want to call yourself a knifemaker?

Anyways, congrats on the first blade, and good luck if you plan on sticking with it.
 
It's the same as calling me a Woodsman as I do it professionally, as my means of income. You wouldn't call a man whose felled a tree or two a woodsman, so much. A person whom successfully makes a knife, as you have done, should be proud of themselves! Well done! Hmmmm...you could be called capable or skilled :-), as it's no easy feat to make a knife! I'd like to see pictures, if I may, please.
 
It's sort of like asking "When is a person an artist?" Not everyone has the same opinion of what "art" is and so their opinions of what an "artist" is will also vary.

Some "knifemakers" will take raw ore and forge it into a blade. Some will take a piece of factory made steel and grind a blade out of it. Some will take an old file or other recycled piece of steel and grind a blade out of it.

Some people make simple knives and sell every one of them. And some peole make very elaborate knives and never offer them for sale.

Just like with the term "artist", different people will have different opinions of what a "knifemaker" is.

My personal feeling is this- If I make a knife then I am a knifemaker. And I don't give a rats ass if others disagree. How others choose to define me is meaningless. All that matters in life is how I define myself.
 
This was the kind of feedback I was expecting. Great stuff.

So what forum would be best to post photos of the knife?

J.
 
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