RE: Knives (handmade) 101 #13 & My Knives - #12
Okay, so it sounds like you decided to take on quite a few challenges at once, rather than just the knife itself, which sounds like it would have been enough to cause severe hulk like smashing. How did it go? I mean, it looks good to me, but I'm not the expert. What about the rest of challenges? Would you be ready now to do all of that or parts of it for a customer? My guess is you've got a few more prototypes to make using each challenge before you're completely comfortable, but I'd also say you made some decent strides in the process.
And there's absolutely nothing wrong with coming up with the best and most efficient way to do your work. Time is the most precious commodity we have, and if we can do our work in less time and still get paid properly, all the better. We can then spend our time doing the things we want to do as opposed to just sustaining life. :)
Well, yes, as I've mentioned once I decide that the knife in question won't be for sale but for an experiment - I throw everything I can think on at it :)
As far as how it went. I didn't have too many Hulk smash moments but it did try my patience a few times. It was a hard build because I had no idea what I was doing seeing how it was my first time.
All in all, I am quite pleased with most of the stuff - I know how some things need to be done a bit differently.
I wouldn't sell it because the fit and finish are not up to my standards but it's a fully functional knife that cuts amazingly.
So no regrets.
The best and efficient way: sure, but that only makes sense for the things I actually have to do - like my job. If I'm doing something I'm enjoying I don't want to be done as soon as possible.
Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I've worked hard to get to where I am now - being able to do whatever the hell I want and when I want. But it is tainted by the fact that it's a job. :)
Knifemaking is a whole other kind of beast - I wanna test my limits and be the best knifemaker I can be. And you can only get better by playing with better opponents, and since I'm the only one playing in my workshop I have to be that opponent. So I push myself into things I have no idea if I actually can make it or if it will work. And most of the time do a good job.
To be honest, and I'm kinda joining the first and the second topic here, I will be implementing my usual tactic to the future S-grinds. I am confident that I could make the next one for the market, but I won't be doing that - I'll probably make the next one as a gift for a friend or something like that and then the third one will be for real. That way I'll sacrifice some time to get everything right and then it's smooth sailing further on.
Okay, so take longer on the things you like doing, because you like doing it and it's not a job, versus streamline the job, even though you do like it.
I do get what you're saying. With the knifemaking, you really have the choice to be the best you can be because it's only you determining how long that will take and even what it might mean. At a job, there's generally others determining what best is, and it's hard to achieve because that's not really what most jobs are about.