You ever get into a knifemaking funk?

W

Will Leavitt

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Jul 28, 2006
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I'm kinda in a knifemaking funk. Haven't really been in the shop to work on stuff, when I go in I just kinda pick stuff up and put it back down. I talked to my teacher and he said to clean the shop to clear my mind but it's pretty dang clean already. I dunno, I've got a lot going on with work, full time college and my kids so maybe that's it. I still draw up designs, just nothing is demanding me to come in and be created. Any recommendations?
 
Take a break, knives will always be there when you get back.
You could always try something new. I always have new things I want to do, or atempt I should say.
 
I the same ting all the time man, but my problem has become is that I have more than knives as a hobbies. I build 4x4 tube chassis and misc 4x4 stuff, I also love to build guns and I hunt and fish and bla bla bla.

I switch between all of my hobbies about 2 times a year.

You need more hobbies. Go for a hike with the family, or go fishin. You be back at it in a few weeks.:)
 
I'm in the middle of hunting season.... the main reason I started making knives. I don't have a lot of time for hobbies lol I go for walks with the family but after 16 1/2 years in the Army I'm not hiking and I'm not sleeping in a tent unless I absolutely have to. I'm definately not going to burn poop again either ;)
 
I'm just glad I finished up all my orders.... maybe that's it. I probably need to make a knife for me.
 
Will Leavitt said:
I'm in the middle of hunting season.... the main reason I started making knives. I don't have a lot of time for hobbies lol I go for walks with the family but after 16 1/2 years in the Army I'm not hiking and I'm not sleeping in a tent unless I absolutely have to. I'm definately not going to burn poop again either ;)
Click to expand...

Will, Get a half gallon of diesel and half a 55 gallon can filled with your favorite poop. Stir in the diesel and light it up. Man if that don't get you out of the funk nothing else will. Thats one smell that will get you jump started. :D Hopefully the funk will leave as quick as it came.
 
Hey Will,

I get in funks like that sometimes. For me it's usually overwhelm. Kids, family, wife, work, school, committees, community, plus....just a whole bunch of undigested personal growth issues. It get where I just don't know where to start there's so much to do, so I find myself not starting at all.

What gets me out of it? Hmmm, good question. It seems to vary, but it's a pretty safe bet that the shoulds and shouldn'ts don't really do it. It often just seems to eventually wear off. Sometimes, cleaning and streamlining and organizing can help. Sometimes not. Sometimes I figure it's just alright to do nothing and kind of shut down for a while. Sometimes I just keep slogging it out until I snap out of it, often accompanied with a wee bit of 'get over it already, you sluggard.' Sometimes a few kind words from someone else will lift my spirits. Sometimes being mindful of the miracle of my kids will re-fire me.

A friend of mine once told me when he was overwhelmed he would think, "in 40 years I'm going to be dead and none of this will matter." Of course when I tried that I went, "OH MY GAWD! IN 40 YEARS I'm GOING TO BE DEAD...and I've got so much left to do. I'll never get it all done. It's hopeless!"

I guess what works for one person, ain't necessarily going to work for another. It's a safe bet though, when the humor comes back, things start looking up.

All the best, Phil
 
You think your in a funk? I ain't had my shop setup in over a year now and I'm feeling withdrawal symptoms. I even offered to do a demo on forging in welding class just to show them something interesting and also to get myself out of the funk for a little while since my forge lining didn't survive the move. LOL.
 
I'd go check out some photo of really out-of-the-ordinary knives. Somebody who's:

A) in a completely different league
and
B) doing a completely different KIND of work.

Like swords. Or carved handles. Or casting bronze knives like the ancient Greeks.

Heck, just google these two names: Arpad Bojtos and Jake Powning. There ya go. :)

Everytime I get to looking at something I've never tried before, I get antsy to give it a shot.

Good luck!
Mike
 
Sounds like since you finished your orders that you were making knives for everyone else. Sit down and make something that you want to build. Maye something out of your comfort zone to challenge yourself.

Make a slip-joint?
 
Don't let it get you down Will , it should pass . I agree with Chuck's post above about orders . They burn me out also , so now for awhile I am just going to make knives to please myself and if someone buys them GREAT , if not , my son will have a large collection of ONEILL KNIVES .
 
Don't blame it on the sunshine
Don't blame it on the moonlight
Don't blame it on the good times

Blame it on the boogie!
-M. Jackson, D.Jackson, E. Krohn
 
ONeill said:
Just reread your post and found your problem . Your shop is tooo dang clean .
Click to expand...

LOL I clean my shop before and after I use it... well 90% of the time. It's the way I was taught, what I practice and what I teach.

I dunno, I may forge some ninja throwing stars or something..... nah probably a cartouche knife I got ideas on.

Hell actually just admitting I was in a funk seemed to have helped.
 
Easy fix- make this deal... you finish a nice knife by this time next month or you owe me one free of charge! lol

Really though I think everyone can relate. So many interests and problems in life to get wrapped up in that you sometimes stray from the things you love to do. I find that sometimes I will need to just force myself to start working on something in the funk area and within minutes I'll be back into it.
 
Man I had the same thing - it lasted two years. For me it was more like Phil; too much on my plate. I had too many orders for the same old stuff, and it wasn't fulfilling anymore. I just got burned out. So I quit.

About a year later I did something personal I'd been putting off for nearly 10 years - I rewired my samurai armor. :) Then I started a knife I'd thought up about 10 years before. Hey, before I knew it I was back to knocking out those orders. Once I get them done I'll feel okay to work on some of my own projects, which is really what it's all about for me.

All I'm suggesting is, it'll pass. Like others suggested, try something different, or something for yourself.

I wish my shop was too clean! :D
 
Will
This happens to me for a little bit, about once a year, and it's usually because I really enjoy my other hobbies as well. Bowhunting only comes for a little while every year, wallleye fishing on Lake Erie only lasts so long, then you have the salmon run in New York, throw in a few out of state hunting trips.... Sometimes it's hard to find time for knifemaking, but the good thing about it is there is no closed season. You can make knives anytime. Just don't work on em until you WANT to. It will show in your work if you don not.:thumbup:
Matt
 
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