New Year Resolutions

[Mark Knapp]

Bumping this thread to see if anyone met their goals? Personally I didn't meet one goal. But I could not have predicted 80+ hour work weeks either.

So reality has changed my goals for this coming year. When I started making knives the goal was to forge my knives and earn a Journeyman stamp with the ABS. This February I signed up to take the intro to bladesmithing class in Texarkana, and hope to visit a well known and respected knifemaker later in the year. Obtaining the JS stamp is still not off the table but I don't feel it's necessary to become a well known maker like I had in the past.
This years goal is too make few knives and strive for the best fit and finish that I can in the little shop time that is available.

Everyone has their own reasons to go to the school. Some, so they can sell more knives. Some, so they can get more for their knives. For me it was for self accomplishment (Getting my JS stamp that is). It WILL make you a better knife maker. Not just you, anybody. If you have time, you should do it. It was one of the things that enabled me to win FIF.

 

[Ty Adams]

Everyone has their own reasons to go to the school. Some, so they can sell more knives. Some, so they can get more for their knives. For me it was for self accomplishment (Getting my JS stamp that is). It WILL make you a better knife maker. Not just you, anybody. If you have time, you should do it. It was one of the things that enabled me to win FIF.

You won FIF from getting your JS stamp or taking the class? Maybe both?

 

[DanF]

What percentage of those who go to the school pass the JS test? Wish things were closer, particularly a MS for a proctor.

 

[Mark Knapp]

You won FIF from getting your JS stamp or taking the class? Maybe both?

Both, partly. I made the exact same knife to win the first two rounds on FIF that I made to pass my performance ABS journeyman smith test. Many of the things I learned from the ABS school were also applied to the weapon I made to win the final round of FIF. Especially the heat treating.

 

[Mark Knapp]

What percentage of those who go to the school pass the JS test? Wish things were closer, particularly a MS for a proctor.

I'm not sure, but a very large persentage of the people that test for ABS journeyman pass, and a large percentage of them had gone to the school.

I flew down from Alaska to go to the school and meet with a master-smith for the performance test. I bet you can find one close enough to drive to.

 

[Robert Erickson]

My goals for this year are to begin heat treating my blades, (My HT oven arrives Tuesday), make more hidden tang knives, successfully make some San Mai and learn to create hamon. Pretty ambitious but hey gotta set high goals right?
Oh and quitting buying wood is easy.....I've done it a hundred times

I've had success heat treating blades, I've made a few more hidden tang knives and learned how to create hamon but I haven't quit buying wood or tried my hand at San Mai yet. I guess that's this year