Where do thy come from and where do thy go

[Phantom Steelworks]

Hmmmm, where do thy go?

I have gone crazy with these learning curves. I have only been at this seriously about 5 months. The first two of those I spent murdering steel and burying steel in the backyard....Never to be seen again by humans

I have got better, but I still have a LONG way to go. Its very frustrating but also very rewarding when you finally start getting better. The hardest part I am having is straight lines and handle work.

I also chose to start with hard designs I made. But it has taught me a lot and I try and learn something new each time I am down in the dungeon//AKA Spider City.

For me personally I dont think anyone that is taking it seriously has gone anywhere. They are like me and are spending there time learning. And punching walls in between I love everything about this and I plan to get better with every attempt.

I have to thank all the makers that take the time to explain even if the question has been asked over and over. That is another thing I love about this knifemaking journey of mine.

For anyone that is just getting into this knifemaking world......Dont give up, try and learn from your mistakes and know it doesnt happen over night. Thats what I have to tell myself anyway

Keep on rocking on newbs.

Chris

 

[Will Leavitt]

Ummm after reading some PMs let me clarify my statement about knives posted in the for sale.

There are inexpensive knives that are priced what I would consider proper for the experience level of the maker. I am a big proponent of building a customer base by making a quality knife and selling it for a little underpriced, they'll come back if you do right by them. My comment was directed at people that have just jumped into the craft where it's obvious they thought they were going to make a small fortune in the craft and are pricing their blades waaaaayyyyyy out of the quality and experience level of their work.

I was always taught that it's easier to sell a customer a second knife. The secret is getting them to buy the first one and then wowing them with what they receive. Give them more than they expect and they'll always come back to you. Take care of them and they'll stand by you. Most new makers need to understand that even if you don't get a good or bad review from the customer they will talk to other people. Let's say you sold a knife on the forums and you post another one, chances are that people interested in your work will get in touch with someone that has bought one of you knives. Ever wonder why you'll see a knife for sale, it has like 300 views and no comments then BANG! it's gone? The customers have done some research then made a decision with their wallet. There's a reason why some makers rarely post blades for sale and when they do it's gone in a flash, people know and people are waiting for them.

Treat your customers well, make a quality blade and you'll never worry.

Not sure if this is thread drift but there's a lot of discussion going on the forums about how customers are treated by makers, it's a concern for the customers which makes it a concern for US.

 

[Phantom Steelworks]

Well put Will:thumbup:

Ummm after reading some PMs let me clarify my statement about knives posted in the for sale.

There are inexpensive knives that are priced what I would consider proper for the experience level of the maker. I am a big proponent of building a customer base by making a quality knife and selling it for a little underpriced, they'll come back if you do right by them. My comment was directed at people that have just jumped into the craft where it's obvious they thought they were going to make a small fortune in the craft and are pricing their blades waaaaayyyyyy out of the quality and experience level of their work.

I was always taught that it's easier to sell a customer a second knife. The secret is getting them to buy the first one and then wowing them with what they receive. Give them more than they expect and they'll always come back to you. Take care of them and they'll stand by you. Most new makers need to understand that even if you don't get a good or bad review from the customer they will talk to other people. Let's say you sold a knife on the forums and you post another one, chances are that people interested in your work will get in touch with someone that has bought one of you knives. Ever wonder why you'll see a knife for sale, it has like 300 views and no comments then BANG! it's gone? The customers have done some research then made a decision with their wallet. There's a reason why some makers rarely post blades for sale and when they do it's gone in a flash, people know and people are waiting for them.

Treat your customers well, make a quality blade and you'll never worry.

Not sure if this is thread drift but there's a lot of discussion going on the forums about how customers are treated by makers, it's a concern for the customers which makes it a concern for US.

 

[Josh Dabney]

JT-

I am one of those newbs your probably wondering about. If it weren't for the KITH you'ld probably say Josh who ????

Here's my senario with a year in- What happened to me ? I've been making knives of course, LOL

I'm still around READING. But with a some experience and alot of studying I have less and less questions to ask. When I do have a question ... I've been around the knife community long enough to know who has the answer so I just ask that person directly with a call, e-mail, or PM. Only if I actually want opinion answers instead of "do this" answers do I post a question.

I do occasionally post to others questions when I know the answer or it's a matter of opinion but I generally let others with more experience do the answering.

I guess I would be called a LURKER these days and I also guess that's a bad thing. It is what it is I suppose but I'm still here and still making knives

Will- I'm glad to see you active here once again ! I always appreciate your posts and have experienced many of the things you've said and told me first hand and I really respect the hard truth you speak ! The second knives just seem to sell themselves don't they. With my admitidly limited experience I'd add that in selling knives the internet is the ice breaker and the phone is the deal maker. At least in my case where most customers know nothing of me personally other than seeing pics of my knives.

-Josh

 

[unky_gumbi]

I am a noob to kmnife making and I am collecting tools too, but I don't think I will ever be able to call knife making my profesion. I did the math and what I put into making a knife right now I woud have to sell each one for $2000 to make a living at it. I do plan on selling some of them as I make them, and if I can make a few dollars to buy more supplies I would be happy. If I am really lucky, my job is more less seasonal, I could drop down to 6 hours a day at my job and make knives through the winter to suplement my income.
the only way I could become a true full time maker is to find a woman that has or makes good money or win the lotery and I don`t see either happening. Still making knives is way too much fun to give up

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I can't remember who said it ( Cleston Synard?) but a famous quote about making money with knives was:
"If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would still keep on making knives for a living...Well, at least until all of it was gone."

Stacy

 

[flatgrinder]

A very well known maker once told me "It's easy to make knives, the hard part's trying to make a living making knives."

 

[unky_gumbi]

thats why I am not betting the bank or making plans to become a full time maker. If I could just suport the building suplies with it I think I am ahead of the game, none of my other `hobbies` make me any money. The computers for the 3D graphic render farm, wont see any money from that, my bikes well they cost me money.

 

[JC in SC]

I'm a newb, so I can speculate what happens to many of them. In several other hobbies, I've been guilty of entering with great exuberance, purchasing tools and supplies, but failing to follow through to completion. That is one thing that is so attractive about knifemaking. In contrast to other hobbies that might required significant upfront investment, knifemaking can be done with as much or as little initial investment as one is able to make. Just look at all the other newbies around here grinding out blades with nothing more than files, sandpaper and some good ol' fashioned elbow grease.

Personally, I'm fascinated with forging. I'm absolutely in love with the idea of forging. The question is whether or not I'll truly enjoy physically doing it. I'm the type of person who enjoys things like splitting wood, so I think I will really like it. Unfortunately, this is one area of the trade that does require moderate expenditure upfront. Ideally, I'd like to take one of the ABS intro classes, but the only ones I've found within reasonable driving distance are an entire semester long and don't fit into my schedule. So I'm at a crossroads. Do I take the plunge and lay out a few hundred dollars to get a used anvil and put together a simple forge or do I try to find someone nearby that is knowledgeable in forging (as it pertains to knifemaking) and gracious enough to get me a Saturday starter course? For the time being, I'm trolling craigslist, ebay and other places for a decent, reasonably priced anvil while I finish my first stock removal blade.

 

[Justin King]

I'm a newb, so I can speculate what happens to many of them. In several other hobbies, I've been guilty of entering with great exuberance, purchasing tools and supplies, but failing to follow through to completion. That is one thing that is so attractive about knifemaking. In contrast to other hobbies that might required significant upfront investment, knifemaking can be done with as much or as little initial investment as one is able to make. Just look at all the other newbies around here grinding out blades with nothing more than files, sandpaper and some good ol' fashioned elbow grease.

Personally, I'm fascinated with forging. I'm absolutely in love with the idea of forging. The question is whether or not I'll truly enjoy physically doing it. I'm the type of person who enjoys things like splitting wood, so I think I will really like it. Unfortunately, this is one area of the trade that does require moderate expenditure upfront. Ideally, I'd like to take one of the ABS intro classes, but the only ones I've found within reasonable driving distance are an entire semester long and don't fit into my schedule. So I'm at a crossroads. Do I take the plunge and lay out a few hundred dollars to get a used anvil and put together a simple forge or do I try to find someone nearby that is knowledgeable in forging (as it pertains to knifemaking) and gracious enough to get me a Saturday starter course? For the time being, I'm trolling craigslist, ebay and other places for a decent, reasonably priced anvil while I finish my first stock removal blade.

I was in this limbo for several years myself. I think many budding makers who are not satisfied with stock removal and out-sourcing HT get to this point and get discouraged before they ever get a workable set-up. It can be a big hurdle for those of us without a lot of disposeable income, but it is one that you can chip away at gradually. If I were to start over knowing what I know now I would have started sooner with a coffee can forge and railroad track anvil instead of waiting until I had a real anvil and forge. The experience counts even if it's primitive.

 

[Danjal]

JT...... it's like I tell all new makers, we should be called knife finishers. A lot of people start, very few finish, fewer start a second knife.

Yeah, I see a lot of people that see the price on a high end knife and figure, it can't be that hard... well it is. Look through the for sale forums and it's obvious.

When I started lurking I always wondered why you guys command so much for hand made knives. After taking up the venture a time or 2, then really deciding to get into it with premium steel, HT, and a good set of hardware and handles, I see why now.

I came looking for an EDC from teh general forums, then came to this corner to try to perfect my metal working some. I just get busy from time to time, and im not on here. Im in the middle of Ak/ar builds, fixing a: hakim, M1 carbine, artillery luger, polish tantal, cetme, etc. Moving 2 friends out of their appt into 2 new ones. People just get busy, or get what they need or want and go on their merry way. Anyway thats my story on here.

 

[MJ Hofbauer]

I came into this several years back, just got started, built up my shop, made quite a few friends of makers who helped me learn and then my health went sour (amongst other things)... I have a couple knives in various stages of completion... I never fully left, but as I couldn't really get anything done I just sort of drifted off, lurking as I felt I had nothing to add to the discussions...

Things have been looking up on my side of things recently, though I'm a ways off from starting again... I think the problem is, when you are stuck (financially, health wise, whatever) things can become repetitive and monotonous... And you know you bore friends and colleagues with the same story week to week... I can only speak for myself, but you feel like you are simply leaching sympathy from others and dragging down conversations....

There is also the clique factor. Regardless of the forum or group, there are always cliques, and sometimes newer makers never feel like they break in.. Some even form their own cliques and leave en masse. I've been on this forum and others long enough that it is just a commonplace sight for me. The conversations and arguments don't change, just the users having them do.

-MJ

 

[koyote]

I've been doing this for about 3 years now. I go through slow periods, and fast periods. With my shop being mostly leanto, the weather has an effect (as do the periodic cars driving through my shop!)

I've gotten my prices up a bit- heck, the first two knives I sold for $50 each.

I'm still reading over here, but don't post as much. I'm a bit different, I guess. I use safflower oil instead of salt baths, do a lot of convex grinds, and make a lot of working blades.

I do my best to dial in my fit and finish, make a solid, usable knife. But sometimes I feel like if I don't spend $30,000 upgrading my coote and HF drill press (2 of my 4 power tools for the knife shop) ......


This subforum got me started, and I'm incredibly glad for it. Maybe I should pay a bit more attention and 'pay forward' a bit more. But I'm in a kind of in between place in knifemaking. I'm hitting that phase where I want to slow back down and spend the extra 4 or 5 hours on each knife and really start making them world class, even if I am making what the general collector crowd considers too simplistic It's hard to give advice or answer questions from that point. It's a whole new learning experience, all over again.

 

[steelshaper]

The people who talk the most are rarely the people that do the most.
I think it would be wrong to assume that because you do not know what someone is doing it means they are doing nothing.
Forum participation=forum participation. and no more.

 

[marekz]

personally i cant stand newbies. i get tired off the same old question. i give out advise after advice. they are like vampires. I learned evrything i needed to know about knives the first week i was here. newbies should just get lost--marekz kidding --oh and the for sale section. some of these guys make a knife 2 weeks in and think there knife is worth alot of money-when personally you can see a thousand flaws in it. what crap. who the hell do they think they are. this coming from someone who has never showed anyone on this forum one of my knives.lol kidding.......this post is stupid and not even funny-im sorry i took some nyquil...

 

[unky_gumbi]

personally i cant stand newbies. i get tired off the same old question. i give out advise after advice. they are like vampires. I learned evrything i needed to know about knives the first week i was here. newbies should just get lost--marekz kidding --oh and the for sale section. some of these guys make a knife 2 weeks in and think there knife is worth alot of money-when personally you can see a thousand flaws in it. what crap. who the hell do they think they are. this coming from someone who has never showed anyone on this forum one of my knives.lol kidding.......this post is stupid and not even funny-im sorry i took some nyquil...

Thanks for the headsup on the nyquil, us noob vampires will know not to hit you up for a couple of days

Hope you are feeling beter soon man. You should post a pic or two of your work I personally like all knives:thumbup:

 

[panch0]

I am a newbie. I only have between 30-40 knives under my belt. I am not one of the ones who has disappeared as you can see by my high post count. I love to hear myself type I guess. I work a 9-5 and work on knives a couple hours per day. I don't know what I would do with out my Blackberry.

 

[Bama]

I'm a noob also still getting tools and wasting tools, the first several I tried larger knives with 5-6" blades found it very hard discouraging, then I had this bright idea to make smaller knives 2-3" blades and that is way easier, still trying to get better Im not worried about selling any maybe one day but for know just trying to get good.

 

[Fletch Helical]

I'm a noob and am currently working on 5 knives without fully completing one yet. I try to help out other noobs by answering questions I've already asked and got answers to. I've also been buying up handle material as if I'd never be able to get it again so I should be for a while. If I don't make enough knives to use all the handle material I've bought, and am continuing to buy I'll feel like it's all been a waste of money

 

[butcher_block]

I have been lurking for a year now just reading and absorbing. I love to make slipjoints and have made seven now this past year. I think when I sell one and break down the number of hours in making one it works out to $2.00 per hour. I really don't care. I love to make knives. I love getting lost in knifemaking for hours. I'm 37. My goal is to be really good so when i'm 65 and retired I could make $3.00 per hour!

that a goal of alot of us
me i post now and then but most the time i just read (not much use round here for kitchen/razor help)

also thises things ebb and flow yes the uninployment ray is up so we are getttign ppl that want to get in this biz but when they find out it can take years to make a name for themselves the peter out
this is a long haul gig and a starving artist type deal for 99% of the makers

i have to guess that i timed thing ok as i have not been playin garound with this knife making thng for a few years then have the lucky side that my fam supports me as i work out all the making it works hell maybe in a fe years i can pay for this hobby

ok so im not that bad off but still with out the support of my fam i sure as hell could not be this starving artist but things are looking up after only 3 years fulll time and 7 years of playing around