What do you do for a living

I own J&S lanyard . I make archery slings for Mathews archery ,Hoyt, They are distributed through Blacks creek guide gear world wide. http://www.blacks-creek.com/www/New Site pages/Sub Pages/AccessoriesPage.html .so I tie knots all day. we also make knife lanyards and sell pewter skulls. I was a G.M. master mechanic, A.S.E. master and trained new techs electrical and computer systems until I broke my back at work. I was under the dash and twisted wrong .that was the last time i was able to work on a car. so for the last four years I have made a living with paracord. and leather.

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In a different life I was a career police officer, but more recently I've been a non-profit director and a graphic designer. Now I'm a knifemaker and a grandfather.

Dick
 
I'm a CPA but have recently been cutting back on my work load. I'll give it one more year.
 
I was a ironworker and a shop working forman, then I got into blacksmithing and sort of combinded my skills into high end handrailings and architectural ironwork. I quit my day job 4 years ago and now I'm just working from my home garage shop. I can hustle the work ok, but lately I've been having to work for peanuts just to stay alive. I would try to get my old job back but they are down to two employes from fiveteen guys.
I've been making knives since 2004, and I love it. I don't make as much money doing it but it sure is fun, and it's a lot easier on the old back.
 
I am a disabled old Marine - Vietnam. When I was able to work I spent about half of my adult life in the restaurant business and the other half selling real estate. Now I refinish and repair guns, I'm a FNG knife maker and I enjoy 5 grandkids and 3 (4 in Oct.) great-grandkids. We have 3 daughters - Curly, Larry and Moe.
 
Drilled water wells, set up and maintained water systems for 13 years. 8 years ago I got 3 state water certifications and now I am a water distribution operator. Field manager for a small water district. I do small well system operation and other water well related business on the side.
 
I am a clinical neuropsychologist and have only made three knives from scratch but rehandled a bunch. I work a lot with TBI mostly with vets with head injuries. Very little time to indulge my knife fetish these days unfortunately. So I indulge myself by proxy through all the great makers and collectors on this forum.
 
What do I do? Good question. Really depends on who you ask? Ask my wife of 45 years and she will say nothing. Ask my children and they say I fix what their husbands repaired. Ask my 7 grandchildren and they will tell you I am the best chauffeur in the town. Ask me, Jack of all trades and master at none. Owned my own business for 23 years until the housing crash a couple of years ago. About 350K of receivables turned into 40K of collections. Everyone either filed bankruptcy or disappeared. Can't get blood out of a turnip. As a result, I was forced to retire, I LOVE IT!!! My wife got ill last year and still has not recovered. If I was still working, I would not have gotten to be with her. I am about to start making a folder or two. Got to get some equipment first, then off to the races. Will not live long enough to ever make many or really earn my stripes, but it is something I want to do ever since I built a knife shop for WT Fuller, friend of Harvey McBurnette and Dick Dorough. He got me into collecting customs in the 70's and I still buy one or two now.

Long post, but great thread,
Jim
 
I am the VP and Dean of Administration for Foothills Christian College. A Local Christian College in Wilkesboro NC.
 
I work from home doing a mixture of programming (Cold Fusion and SQL) and finance/accounting (Excel and Access). It's kind of boring. Working from home is nice though. I've waited 10+ years for a work at home job. I have an office in Solvang I go to a few times a month. Anyone ever heard of Solvang?;) ====>
 
Billy Helton said:
I was a machinest for twelve years, I now install rain guttering. I love it outside
Click to expand...

What brand machine do you run, also what sizes? 5''/ 6'' ? I was in the manufacturing business of parts for that industry for 23 years, if you ever need a contact or great sources of parts, holler. I still remember the good wholesalers.
Jim
 
Excavating contractor, been operating my own business since 1988. So many people tell me I have such a fun job playing on the big toys.

Excavating is how I met Gil Hibben and got into making custom knives. When he moved here in the early 90's I did some work for him around his new house and pool and I've done work for him off and on since. He is a dear friend and watching him in the shop one day made me want to do it. Gil was kind enough to share his knowledge which I figure saved me about 150 years of learning curve.
 
For the last 2 years I've been a Lease Operator ( Pumper ) in the natural gas fields of Northern New Mexico. Work for a small independent oil and gas producer from Texas. And love it. Before that I was a Construction Foreman for a major oil and gas producer for 10 years. I like life at the bottom much better.
I've been making knives as a hobby for about 5-6 years I think. Gona get back to it steady soon.
 
My main career has been in Corrections. I started out in the private field then went to the Kentucky dept of corrections then finally to the Federal Bureau of Prisons..Welded and fabricated for a long time too. Even did that for the bureau making USP security grills and crash gates..Officer then supervisor..Disturbance control team(the guys in body armor and helmits etc..) So I know all kinds of "knifemakers" :D:D:D Got plenty of war stories.
Also a small livestock farmer...
 
In my first career, I was a security specialist for a private security and investigations company. I started out as a security officer in college and worked my way up to management. By the age of 23 I was the #3 man in the state for the company and the youngest field manager in recent history. During the same time, I was a member of the Arkansas ARMY NAtional Guard. On July 27,2003 I got the call for my first tour to Iraq. When I returned from Iraq, I was recruited to come back to active duty as an instructor training mobilizing units. I spent two years doing this until my enlistment expired. I then tried my hand at real estate appraising by doing an apprenticeship in San Antonio for close to a year. When I decided the real estate appraising business wasn't for me, I re-enlisted and joined my brigade in Iraq for my second tour. I'm now working with First Army as an instructor again and love it! I can honestly say that training soldiers is the most rewarding job I have ever had.
 
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