When to call yourself a knifemaker?

Travis Fry said:
I'm with Nick on this one. "Knifemaker" is an adjective that doesn't inherently refer to quality, just a completed (and likely repeated) action. I usually say "I make knives" in conversations, because "knifemaker" isn't my job (unfortunately), but I don't really think about it that much.
Click to expand...

I think "fortunately" is a better word. Be glad you can make a easy living doing something else.

I really don't know how someone can be a full time knife maker and eat anything but Ramen noodle. The investment in time and energy in learning the craft are more in hours and efforts than a doctoral degree. Every time I bought a custom knife, I always thought to myself, "What's a phenomenon deal I am getting."

Is there such a thing as a "wealthy knife maker?" (assuming he is full time).
 
I often thought about trying to make a knife until I saw what a really nice knife could be bought for. There are some awesome deals on handmade knives that would take me hundreds of hours and dozens of knives to come close to equalling the quality of. I guess I am not driven enough to spend the time and expense to become remotely competent. My hat is off to anyone who has the ambition to learn to make a quality cutting tool.
 
Travis Fry said:
I'm with Nick on this one. "Knifemaker" is an adjective that doesn't inherently refer to quality, just a completed (and likely repeated) action. I usually say "I make knives" in conversations, because "knifemaker" isn't my job (unfortunately), but I don't really think about it that much.
Click to expand...

Your statement would hold true for lawyer, mason, mechanic or any "noun" describing a person involved in a trade or profession. Thats why we have adjectives to enhance those nouns; such as master, accomplished, premier, advanced, stellar, highly competent, award winning, amazing and a host of others. Not many of us are crass enough to preface our assumed status as a knifemaker, with any of the above adjectives; that is for others to say.

Fred

Thats what Nick said.:)
 
Here's my official membership card. :D

I don't think you have to make money off of knives to call yourself a knifemaker though. Hopefully a quality product is part of the gameplan.

customknifemaker.png
 
Daniel Fairly Knives said:
Here's my official membership card. :D

I don't think you have to make money off of knives to call yourself a knifemaker though. Hopefully a quality product is part of the gameplan.

customknifemaker.png
Click to expand...

You are one financially savvy knife maker if I may say so. By making it a business, you can claim your loss every year. :) Sweet! a tax deductible hobby. :thumbup: I think you can even deduct part of your house payment. You can pro rate the area of the garage to the total area of the house. That is the percentile you can deduct from your house payment (and water, utility...ect).:cool:

Anyway, I really don't know if you making a profit or not. But if I am a hobby knife maker, I would do it that way.
 
Last edited:
jawilder said:
The reason I hesitated so long to get the knifemaker membership is because I honestly thought it was a bit pretentious for me to assume I had enough skills to compare myself with many of the great makers on here.
Click to expand...

I had to look up pretentious in the dictionary and it says -
" 1.making claims ,as to distinction or excellence 2.Extravagantly showy "

Well I just renewed my membership and paid for a 3 year knifemaker membership. It never occurred to me somebody may think I was claiming to be excellent or showy? I just saw it as a way to say thanks for this place and give it support and have the ability to try and sell a knife when I do get ready. I have made a knife but have not sold a knife( I do have people waiting) yet but I will try to one day.

Somebody being bothered by any 'title' I do or do not have will not cause me any sleep loss.

I like the way Nick said it.
 
Fred.Rowe said:
Your statement would hold true for lawyer, mason, mechanic or any "noun" describing a person involved in a trade or profession. Thats why we have adjectives to enhance those nouns; such as master, accomplished, premier, advanced, stellar, highly competent, award winning, amazing and a host of others. Not many of us are crass enough to preface our assumed status as a knifemaker, with any of the above adjectives; that is for others to say.

Fred

Thats what Nick said.:)
Click to expand...

Well said, Nick.;)

Ooh, I like "premier..." I hope one day someone refers to me as a "premier" knifemaker. Or even "superior."
 
My customers and the tax people determined that I was a knifemaker. They come to me and ask me to make knives, sharpen knives and ask whats new and what works best, and the tax people want a check. I didn't know I was a knifemaker until I was told so. I thought it was just many years of practicing to become a knifemaker- its all too easy to be a hard judge of one's work.
 
When I paid for a membership, I was a little uncomfortable with the title "Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider."

I'm satisfied with a couple of my knives, but there's some great talent out there.

So "Knife Maker" seemed a bit uncomfortable. I thought about "Knife Shaped Object Maker".
 
MKP said:
I think "fortunately" is a better word. Be glad you can make a easy living doing something else.
Click to expand...

MKP, you're entirely right. I am thankful every day that I have a good job, though it is to my perpetual astonishment that I'm an accountant, a turn of events which nobody, including myself, ever really saw coming. I'd love to be able to make knives for a living, but that just ain't gonna happen.

I heard someone say once that the definition of a full-time knifemaker is someone whose wife has a good job.
 
My short answer to the OP...

You are a knifemaker if you make knives. Anything beyond or deeper into that statement doesn't negate the simple truth of it.
 
Rick Marchand said:
You are a knifemaker if you make knives. Anything beyond or deeper into that statement doesn't negate the simple truth of it.
Click to expand...
Travis Fry said:
I heard someone say once that the definition of a full-time knifemaker is someone whose wife has a good job.
Click to expand...

Both of those statements, as well as the others in this thread, have a lot of sense and truth in them. Full-time knifemaking is a damn hard row to hoe. You will spend at least as much time networking, studying, learning to sell, running a business, etc as you will actually making knives, and will sometimes look back fondly on the days when you made a steady $15/hour (at least I do).

But you don't have to go full-time to be a "knifemaker", in my opinion. You just have to make quantifiably higher-quality knives than what's on the store shelves, and have the fire inside to make each one a little better than the last. To me, that's what separates the weekend warriors from the pros, no matter how many knives they make per year. In a way it's a lot like playing music or writing poetry; some folks make 2 or 3 knives because they want to; some guys keep making as many as they can because they just plain need to.

"One night I was layin' down
I heard Papa tell Mama,
'Let that boy boogie-woogie!
Because it's in him,
And it's got to come out.'
And I felt so good,
I went on boogy'in just the same."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top