Lagrange
Well-Known Member
I took the advice my wife had given me and went to visit a guy who has a knife shop not very far from my house. I drove up and saw the open sign in the window, parked the truck and went inside. The front room had a small desk in one corner and a display area with a number of knives of varying sizes and designs. I announced myself to whomever might hear and was welcomed from another room by a voice asking me to come on in. I stepped into the adjoining room and found a man seated at a bench at the far end working on something, but I couldnt tell what it was. He stood and walked over to me. I said hello and told him my name as I reached out to shake his hand. He welcomed me again and told me his name and shook my hand.
I shared with him the story of how my wife had told me about his shop and that I had decided to come and pay him a visit. I explained that I had been making knives myself and that I thought it would be fun to come visit someone else who made knives and just sit and talk and share war stories. He asked me how I went about making knives. I told him I was a stock removal maker, and how many knives I had made and some of the materials I had used.
He told me that he had been a blacksmith for 25 years and had made knives over the years off and on...and that he had begun full time knife making about 3 months prior. He explained in detail how he had acheived his skill level. He told me of the processes he used and of the customers he had and that he had knives in use all over the country.
I told him how delighted I was to have made the aquaintance of such a veteran knife maker and that I was eager to become freinds with just such a man.
He said "I do a two day seminar, a one on one, and I get $375 a day. I learned from the best and I dont give it away. "You see" he said. "you arent a knife maker. I am. Anyone can buy fancy machinery and steel stock and slap a chunk of wood on it and call it a knife. If you want to learn from me it will cost you. And if you dont do it my way your out of here. Unfortunately I have a backlog of guys wanting me to teach them so I'm almost always booked a year out."
By this time I have backed out into the front room looking for the door.
He starts showing me the different handle materials and bolsters on several of the knives he has on display like I didnt already know.
Maybe I shouldnt have felt this way....I'm in this guys shop, on his home turf...but I was getting annoyed.
Then he told me he had a backlog of enough work to keep him busy for over a year and that there are only about five or six guys in the whole country that make knives the way he does. He announced that he was "a master bladesmith" and that there are very few of them and how he has all these shows that he attends.
Now he is starting to sound like Charley Brown's teacher in my mind. I cant wait to get out the door.
I thanked him for his time, told him I'd see him around, and left.
Okay, I'm still a little upset.
I even entertained the idea of just giving up, selling my tools and equipment and joining a monestary.
It seems I have been wasting my time...living a ruse.
I respect anyone who can swing a hammer and forge a blade.
But I didnt see anything on display in his shop that I couldnt make...at least as good as he did...if not better.
I feel all twisted up about this.
I'm not sure how I should feel. I guess I'm just a big softy.
I shared with him the story of how my wife had told me about his shop and that I had decided to come and pay him a visit. I explained that I had been making knives myself and that I thought it would be fun to come visit someone else who made knives and just sit and talk and share war stories. He asked me how I went about making knives. I told him I was a stock removal maker, and how many knives I had made and some of the materials I had used.
He told me that he had been a blacksmith for 25 years and had made knives over the years off and on...and that he had begun full time knife making about 3 months prior. He explained in detail how he had acheived his skill level. He told me of the processes he used and of the customers he had and that he had knives in use all over the country.
I told him how delighted I was to have made the aquaintance of such a veteran knife maker and that I was eager to become freinds with just such a man.
He said "I do a two day seminar, a one on one, and I get $375 a day. I learned from the best and I dont give it away. "You see" he said. "you arent a knife maker. I am. Anyone can buy fancy machinery and steel stock and slap a chunk of wood on it and call it a knife. If you want to learn from me it will cost you. And if you dont do it my way your out of here. Unfortunately I have a backlog of guys wanting me to teach them so I'm almost always booked a year out."
By this time I have backed out into the front room looking for the door.
He starts showing me the different handle materials and bolsters on several of the knives he has on display like I didnt already know.
Maybe I shouldnt have felt this way....I'm in this guys shop, on his home turf...but I was getting annoyed.
Then he told me he had a backlog of enough work to keep him busy for over a year and that there are only about five or six guys in the whole country that make knives the way he does. He announced that he was "a master bladesmith" and that there are very few of them and how he has all these shows that he attends.
Now he is starting to sound like Charley Brown's teacher in my mind. I cant wait to get out the door.
I thanked him for his time, told him I'd see him around, and left.
Okay, I'm still a little upset.
I even entertained the idea of just giving up, selling my tools and equipment and joining a monestary.
It seems I have been wasting my time...living a ruse.
I respect anyone who can swing a hammer and forge a blade.
But I didnt see anything on display in his shop that I couldnt make...at least as good as he did...if not better.
I feel all twisted up about this.
I'm not sure how I should feel. I guess I'm just a big softy.