"Don't be afraid of your work"

Mark Behnke

Mark Behnke

Well-Known Member
I went into an electricians apprenticeship at 19 and learned how to do things many different ways from many journeyman each one insisting I do it their way. After 4 years and turning out as a journeyman I was able to do things my way what a relief. Thats when I really started to learn having to make decisions on my own.

Struggling to learn knife making I remember what one electrician said, "don't be afraid of your work"

Means to me don't be afraid to make mistakes.
 
Mark,
When I saw the title, it spoke to me, but it said something entirley different,
to me that said," Embrace YOUR work and allow it to be seen", pesonally I
haven't posted a lot of pics of my work, a few that turned out stellar in my mind,
but I have made many since then, some even better in my opinion, BUT for some
reason I have resisted the urge to post any of my recent work, or offer any for
sale. Thinking that my knives are not good enough, now when I saw your quote there,
I saw exactly what I am, afraid of my work! I know some of my ideas for tried and true
knife designs are a bit off the wall, speaking specifically about a Skinner design, that
I came up with, Boy is it UGLY! But it's built with a purpose, everything on it, about it
is there for a reason. That is only one example, the saying we hear and say so much here on
KD that" We are our own worst critics", well that goes double for me!

THANK YOU! For posting that, it spoke something to me that I needed to hear about myself
and my work! Now I'm not saying my work is all that fantastic, I am saying that realizing
I was afraid to show my work, mistakes and all, is part of the journey to getting better. Having
all of these guys here critiquing my work, will help me by NOT only pointing out my errors, but
also how to fix or avoid making these errors, again its a part of ths journey!
Thanks, Rex
 
usually we go with the "sure thing" with knives we make. Need to pay that ever coming or over due bill the wife keeps telling us about. I believe if we can ever get ahead financially we can make what is in our hearts. I've been there several times and was able to create rather than just make. I'm a believer that God puts images and ambition in our minds at a young age to excel at something. Most of us just never figure out what that is.
 
I call it Making your hearts desire.

Many do stay with what they think will sell or pretty much copy other proven designs. When I started I was lucky enough to be able to hang out with e late Bob Loveless and his crew for a while. I learned alot and made one Loveless style drop point hunter. It sold fast, but then I thought about it and said to myself, As great as his designs are, do I really want to make copies of Mr loveless's patterns for my knife making career?

That was the last hollow ground drop point 4" skinner I made. That was how I read the title. I let my own creative spark guide me. I am still learning every day about my hearts desire.
 
See guys that is the very thing I'm referring to, I do not have to worry about making something that will
sell, to pay a bill. I am in a very unique and albeit WONDERFUL position. Primarily, because my wife
allows it, heck she encourages me to make my Hearts Desire, y'all see why now I brag on her all the time!
Now , dontcha! I can and do allow the creative juices to flow, sometimes its not bad,even possible that some
one else may appreciate it. More so than not, its a bust! Mainly because my skill level coupled with the lack
of needed equipment CAN NOT FATHOM the creations I come up with!

So here I am still making whatever pleases me, with some that I am personally proud of, yet I've resisted
to even ATTEMPT to sell one on here. Now I have sold a few to coworkers, people that got the word that
I made knives and then requested I make them one, I think the last one I sold after figjring up all expenses
except electricity, I made .34 cents an hour on it! If I would have included the cost of electricity, I would have
actually paid my customer to make her knife! But, as I keep saying that is another part of the journey! I understand
that is a part of "paying my dues", and I'm good with that, I dont mind paying my dues, I practically require it!
Back to being afraid of showing our (or my) work, Y'all keep an eye out, because Im going to start posting
everything I make! The good the bad AND the UGLY!

Heck, I may even pay for my Knife Maker membership and attempt to sell some! Thanks Mark for starting this,
Bruce, Your words are deep and heartfelt! Laurance, Its like you're psychic, you see whats in my head that I
dont want to say or show! So here I go, I'm going man up! I have a skinner I've been working on, its made
from a scrap piece of Damascus, I MADE,some.2 or 3 years ago, its more of a San Mai type billet, that is turning
out pretty nice, we'll see! Thanks Dawgs! I dont know where I'd be with out you guys!
Rex
 
Rex,
Just remember that there are always nay sayers that ether don't have the Hooves to follow their hearts desire or are just plain jealous that you will follow yours!

Go for it and don't apologize to anyone for being yourself.
 
Laurence,
That sounds like great advice, although I've never really cared so much about what others
thought of me, when it comes to my knives, somehow its different. I guess its because I put my heart
and soul - and literally my BLOOD , SWEAT and at times tears in every knife I make! They all, somehow
end up being special, to the point that selling them is out of the question....on a few! I know I cant do that.
I know its silly, childish even, I guess, because I have never been so personally invested in anything, like this, in my life! Creating something from a few raw materials, that can be a tool, a weapon, a means to stay alive, holds a certain amount of special pride that I have never felt before. It is that pride, I think, that makes me worry about what others do think, I dont mean the average person, I'm talking about you guys, the people that know what it takes to make a blade, get it almost done, and then out of fear or caution you finish it out by hand sanding, roughly 20 to30 hours, just to make sure you dont screw up! It y'alls opinions that matter the most to me...Oh and the occasional
customer! That kinda matters too!

But like I said, I will be posting some of my work very soon, and everything that is relevant after that
so keep your eye out for some Original McClellan Made Blades, very soon and you might even get to see
that UGLY skinner I was talking about!

Its late gotta run, you guys mean the world to me, I truly hope that we will meet one day, I would seriously
love to.come.out there, if Laurence can find some land to.GOLD Prospect on, maybe I could pay for a trip out there!
Rex
BTW, that would also be good advice, if I was planning on coming out of the closet!!!!
 
I made my first sheath today and let me tell you guys something; I was afraid of it!! It was the ugliest, most demoralizing, pathetic thing I have ever laid eyes on. Don't be afraid to throw away your work either, lol........
 
Jon Kelly said:
I made my first sheath today and let me tell you guys something; I was afraid of it!! It was the ugliest, most demoralizing, pathetic thing I have ever laid eyes on. Don't be afraid to throw away your work either, lol........
Click to expand...

LOL I relate to this. That's why I have Claude make my sheaths.
 
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