A Fighter I made 5-7 years ago comes back to me

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Don, It is a shame you are not making knives anymore.
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You know, I miss it too and wish I had my equipment back but we thought we were losing the house and I sold the grinder, bandsaw and mill. I still have a big sandblaster and I use(d) it on every knife. Now the wife is talking about refinancing the house and if we pull money out I'm going to buy another grinder and bandsaw. I don't need a mill, that was just because I wanted to learn how to use it but all I really did with it was make things square and put fullers on Fighters.

So stay tuned! If I do make knives again I will not have a website or take orders, as that's what killed my desire to make knives in the first place. HAVING to make knives is not fun for me, but just thinking up stuff and making it is where it's at. If I do this I'll make lots of Fighters too! :)
 
Here's a second voice about thinking long and hard before you turn your hobby into a full time profession. In my case it was fishing and I've been a full time guide now for almost 20 years. After a while the good days are just barely better than all the bad days (when the fishing, towing the boat, and keeping everything working properly... seem to be more of a curse than a blessing). So far it's still worth it for me but I'll bet that many a great craftsman has regretted going commercial....
 
Guys that go full time with knifemaking better have a wife that makes good money and has excellent healthcare, because it takes years to get good enough and to get your name out there. Injuries are frequent and I think it would really become a grind. Some have a 5 year waiting list and that's what I could not handle, I need to just make them and sell them and not take orders.

I was a hobby maker and if I get back to it will still be just a hobby maker. Equipment, belts, steel, handle materials, etc are all very expensive. My shop alone cost a lot of $$$ to build so I pretty much sell knives to make enough money to keep buying materials. I doubt if I will ever break even.
 
Valkman said:
Guys that go full time with knifemaking better have a wife that makes good money and has excellent healthcare, because it takes years to get good enough and to get your name out there. Injuries are frequent and I think it would really become a grind. Some have a 5 year waiting list and that's what I could not handle, I need to just make them and sell them and not take orders.

I was a hobby maker and if I get back to it will still be just a hobby maker. Equipment, belts, steel, handle materials, etc are all very expensive. My shop alone cost a lot of $$$ to build so I pretty much sell knives to make enough money to keep buying materials. I doubt if I will ever break even.
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Very honest. I appreciate the advice.
 
Just saw this thread....your knives are breathtaking. I would keep mine in a sheath, because it would be on my belt full time.
 
Sad to hear that Table saw Got you. One got me as a boy and I pert near lost parts of Two fingers but prayer and a Great Country Dr kept my left hand intact. Sure glad you got that Knife back.
 
That's what happened to me too! Got my left index finger and thumb and I did not know if one or both were gone for a while. The doc in the ER did an excellent job sewing me up and I have full use of both.

Hopefully I'll get new equipment but a table saw will not get bought or be in my shop - I gave the offending one away!
 
Yes, table saws scare me anymore too.

The last 'incident' a few years ago, I was sawing a block of ebony into knife scales using a push stick.

Just as I almost finished the cut?
The blade grabbed the block, and shot it back at me at just below escape velocity!!

The big block missed me by 1/2" and put a big dent in the clothes dryer clear across the basement!

The little scale hit me full force in the belly, knocked me flat on the floor, and left a bruise that took three weeks to go away.

Table saws aren't to be trifled with.

But band saws scare me too!
I had a new blade break once and had 8' of razor sharp saw blade shoot out in my face.

It mostly missed me thankfully!

Rc
 
Wow I haven't had a band saw mishap but when I first got my grinder, a Bader BIII, I had never used a real grinder so when I put a new 60 grit belt on it I tightened WAY too tight and then turned it on full speed!

BAM! Went the belt right in front of my face and scared the crap outta me! I never did that again! Lucky it didn't take off my face, and the edges of those belts are sharp too. I have cut my fingers many times on the edges of belts. :)
 
And let's not even talk about buffers, the most dangerous tool in the shop (if there's no table saw). I've had it rip a blade right out of my hand but I always buff below the center line so I've never been impaled like some guys have.
 
Very nice work on the knives Don. I'm glad to see you were able to get one of them back, and its nice to think you may make some more.

RC's gesture is outstanding, well done sir!

I've not done any serious damaqe to myself with power tools,..yet, otther than sticking my thumb into a bandsaw while cutting aluminum stock, but had some close calls. The new instant stop saws seem to really work. I dont want to try it firsthand, but I think I wouldnt buy a new table saw without the technology. If you havent seem them, look them up on youtube. They show that you can be running it and stick a hot dog into the blade and it instantly stops. It senses the change in conductivity and activates a blade brake. Those that have had accidents with them say it doesnt even break the skin. Retro-fitting the tech to an older saw is a couple hundred dollars I think. It may well be a worthwhile investment if I can get my shop up and going one day.

ETA: I looked it up, the saw stop thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiYoBbEZwlk
 
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Valkman said:
And let's not even talk about buffers, the most dangerous tool in the shop (if there's no table saw). I've had it rip a blade right out of my hand but I always buff below the center line so I've never been impaled like some guys have.
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As long as we are listing dangerous tools, lets not overlook the drill press. I had clamped a blade to the drill press table to drill holes in the tang of a blade but didn't get the clamp tight enough. When the bit hit the steel I had 9 inches of steel spinning in front of me. Took a dime size slice off the side of my thumb.

I still haven't finished that knife.

Congrats on getting your knife back and kudos to RC. I've admired your work for some time.
 
That's an excellent point too.

Come to think of it, I've been hurt more often, and worse, taking shortcuts with drill presses then anything else.

I always think I can hold onto something simple.

And generally, I don't find out I can't until I'm bleeding!!

rc
 
I've heard plenty about "helicoptering" blades from knife makers but (knock on wood) I haven't had it happen. Almost all of my drilling is 1/4" or less and I hand hold it. Anything bigger I clamp down, and it's worked so far. It's a case where other's stories have really helped me be safer.
 
My Dad is a Carpenter and 8 years ago lost the tips of his fingers on his left hand except for his pinkie on a Table Router making Raised Panel Cabinet doors. He calls his left hand his straight edge. I still use all sorts of power tools but I dress and wear proper safety equipment that 35 years ago I would have scoffed at.

Be Safe out there.
 
Yea those are neat Gordon, and you won't see them again. Bos stamped knives are a thing of the past since he retired.
 
Very fine looking knife... nice work...
I made this one 50 years ago... using a used cold roll steel industrial saw blade . all done by hand and made some brass pieces out of scrap brass, and some mica film, and some pieces exotic wood from a guy who made guitars and violins.. Hardly your quality... I was 20 years old when I made this one.. I was amazed at how well the knife and the sheath also 50 years old held up.. I had not seen these in 20 years.. just found them recently and polished them up..

i-jnhxdcx-L.jpg
 
I'm glad you found it! It's neat finding stuff you made long ago, and nice job on the knife and sheath.
 
Valkman said:
I've heard plenty about "helicoptering" blades from knife makers but (knock on wood) I haven't had it happen. Almost all of my drilling is 1/4" or less and I hand hold it. Anything bigger I clamp down, and it's worked so far. It's a case where other's stories have really helped me be safer.
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Clamping is safer, but I am guilty of holding stuff by hand as well. One thing you can do to make it less risky is clamp a block of wood to the table (like a 2x4) close enough to the edge of your blade that it won't let it spin a full circle if the bit grabs.
 
For anyone using a table saw, especially cutting small pieces like knife scales, I strongly suggest spending the time to make a crosscut sled. Here's just one example:
http://www.runnerduck.com/tablesaw_sled.htm

Perfect, safe 90 degree cuts and easy to modify for perfect miters (my miters were never perfect until I built my sled). I can safely make cuts with a table saw that I never would have tried otherwise, and which would be VERY unsafe without the sled.

Seriously, if you own a table saw you need one of these.

As far as the Saw Stop that has the safety retracting blade, no doubt safe and a good if imperfect product. However, they've got a slimy way of going about selling their technology:

"the owners of the SawStop patents are pushing lawsuits to mandate the use of the SawStop technology, essentially claiming that any saws that don’t include the SawStop feature are inherently unsafe by design."
 
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