What do YOU like most about being a knifemaker?

For me it's the creative aspect of taking a piece of Grey ugly steel and making a usefull (Sometimes beautifull) object.
Second best is the satisfaction of using all of the skills I have learned since being a kid. Woodworking, sawing, filing, Playing with fire
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,an unlimited amount of new stuff to learn and having a great excuse to buy new toys!
Most of all I guess is the look on someones face when you give them one as a present.

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RHankins Available knives
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=205453
 
Bob,
I just love eating the 50 grit dust and burning my fingers.

Seriously, I like working for myself and creating things with metal.

My daddy always told me, "Find something you like doing and figure out a way to get paid for it".

Don't get no better than that
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My favorite part is making damascus. When a billet is done, I'm like a kid with a box of craker jacks. I always have to quickly clean part of the billet up, dunk in ferric, and see the prize.
Second is teching bladesmithing (and the learning that goes with it)

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Ed Caffrey "The Montana Bladesmith"
ABS Mastersmith
www.caffreyknives.com
 
The Chicks!!!!

Yeah, like any of you will believe that one.
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Seriously, for me it is the feeling I get when I look at a finished piece and think "I actually made this". I also like the fact that I am working for myself and don't have a boss looking over my shoulder.

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Barry
Jones Knives
"NEW Knives"
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=126319&a=5922856
"For DUTY and HUMANITY!"
Curly, Moe, & Larry
 
kit, your forgot to mention a little blood letting and grinding off piece of flesh every now an then. knife making is my hearts desire! that i found at age 38. and thats fine when you think about how many people go to the grave never really doing what satifies heart, mind,body & soul. there is one stage in blade or handle work where i feel that i've screwed up and its not going to come out right. and then it starts to come together, i love that feeling down to my bones

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Laurence Segal www.RHINOKNIVES.com
 
1) LEARNING!! I am on knife number.... 5 or 6 but I imagine when I'm on knife number 500 I'll still be learning tons!

2) Working with my hands

3) Knives are beautiful yet complex. Sometimes I look at a knife and "see" the chemistry, heat treat, handle material make-up, etc. and go WOW, that is really complex! And then I step back and see it as a beautiful object... AND I MADE IT!!!

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"Come What May..."
 
I took it up as stress relief from my job as a pawnbroker. It slows my pace to below normal and makes me feel gooood. I especially like the idea of making knives and giving them as gifts to friends under the guise of testing them for me.

Marcel
 
For me, it's the challenge. Every time I get an order for something I've never done before, I go through the same process. Just like Rhino said above, I get to a point where I know I'm outside of my experience and think I'll never get this right! And just about the time I'm ready to scrap it, it turns around and comes out beautiful. Well, most of the time, anyway.

The satisfaction you feeel when you hold a finished knife in your hand is hard to describe. And like most of you, doing something I like and getting paid for it is just too much to pass up. I searched for my niche for over 20 years before finding it.

As for me, there's nothing that compares to making knives. And it's great to be able to share it with folks like you, who know where I'm coming from.
 
I like the fact that you can take a piece of steel, grind, saw, file, sand, swear at, burn, polish etc and actually make something out of it! I really like just grinding until the blade is what you want it to be. it's a great feeling to get a knife finished and have people be in wonderment that you actually made that.

I also like the grinding part. the dust flying, sparks flying, water sizzling, steel turning blue and purple (OOPS), parents yelling and pretending that you can't hear them
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I like the discovery process " So that's how it's done!" Every blade is a new challenge.I'm looking for my Excalibur and I hope the search never ends.

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Bill Siegle
was4u@cs.com

Bill Siegle Custom Knives
http://www.geocities.com/siegleknives
Camp and Japanese Styled Knives a Specialty
 
The Groupies. The learning curve. The forcing of my self to learn patience. [I just hate that part sometime.] I enjoy watching the whole business grow as you build one "building block" at a time.
jf
 
I think the very best part of being a knifemaker is how many wonderful folks you meet, especially fellow knifenuts.
It still amazes me how folks react when they find out I'm a knifemaker, as well as the fascination they show when I hand them one of my knives. It's like they didn't know there was such a thing as knifemaker or a handmade knife.
I also have to agree with the other posts. The satisfaction of holding a knife that I made is amazing.

I thank God everyday for giving me my knifemaking!



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Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!
http://www.nebsnow.com/L6steel
Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms!!!

[This message has been edited by L6STEEL (edited 11-16-2000).]
 
George
Naw. To be honest some of this has been giving me fits. Mr. Grinder is not as much trouble as he used to be but Mr. How-in-the hell-do-that works me over regularly. I been working on figuring out this one piece for 2 years now and am close to figuring it out. When I understand it then I will make one. And the poor bubba that made the first one made it 200 or better years ago. The dude worked on just that piece for 5 years. He must have had a bit of trouble with it himself. Got a couple of project pieces like this. That is what is so much fun to be. The learning and figuring. Then you try it and it does not work quite like you thought so you learn to go at it block by block till you do get it.

George, glad to hear you are still at it.
Another thing I forgot to mention about liking to be a knifemaker is that, then you can begin to understand Tim Herman. Which scares me somenights when I think about that.
jf
 
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