blade trashing

I agree with Mike, there are days that it's just better to stop and do something else for a while. I learned when I was into archery that you cut your practice short when you're having a bad day and practice extra long when you're in the groove. That way your reinforce your good habbits instead of bad habbits.

Doug Lester
 
I'm on board with most of the prior stuff. When it ain't workin, park it and go shoot. Or cook. Or mow.
Put it in the "to be made into something else one day pile" and go fishing. Give the "paperweights" to a newbie to play with?
BTW guys, I've got a feeling Squawsach is pretty hard on himself too. Just a guess mind you,
but somebody satisfied with "thats good enough" would not turn out work like this man does.
My Best, Dozier
 
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Man dont feel bad..Just this evening i had to tuen off the grinder and fix my mistakes with files and sandpaper..I was lucky that I stopped when I did or I couldent have fixed them.
I can weld all day long in a coal fire and forge most anything to near completion but that stupid grinder hates me :confused: I swear that machine hates my guts :p I near to having my preacher take a look at it, its evil I tell you!!
 
Those grinders do get posessed and remind you who the boss is sometimes. A couple days ago I had a 60 grit belt split right down the middle. One side kept spinning but the other side broke and slapped me on top of my head about 4 times before I could get away from it. Glad I was wearing a hat or I would have a reverse mohawk now.
 
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Thanks guys. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who has a bad grinding day. It's not all bad I e-mailed a customer about the delay and they added 1/2" to the blade design. I may be running behind now but the customer will get the knife they want and that is always a good thing.

My grinder is not good or evil. The takes on the traits of the idiot using it.
 
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EdCaffreyMS said:
In the end, the difference between a "Knifemaker" and a "GOOD Knifemaker" is.....a GOOD Knifemaker has learned how to correct or hide his/her mistakes! :) We all make them, and any knifemaker who tells me they don't needs to have a serious heart to heart with the man in the mirror!
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Yep! The test of how good you really are is how big of mistake you can fix or make it look like you did it on purpose cool 1
 
Well I dont think youll ever reach a point where you might not trash a blade . It all depends on the level of greatness you reach . If you arnt trashing ya aint learnin.
 
Man thank you for this thread!! It really helped me seeing that those I look up to, experience this as well. I was starting to think I was a dud!! After I goofed the first time I was kinda' scared to try another.... but did anyway. I was afraid that I "wasn't cut out" for this. So I've been going in short spurts, just a little at a time. Usually no more than 30 minutes at a time and then quit. I have 2 knives, that admittedly are better than my first 2 attempts, but nowhere near where I want to be. Instead, I've been doing an imitation of a sponge here on KD. Just reading and looking. Now I might actually go to the shop and "Work"!!

You have no idea the sense of relief I feel!!
 
It is a comfort to see that other knifemakers have the same issues I have. I only have contact with one other knifemaker and I don't get to talk to him as much as I would like. The makers who chimed in on this post let me know that I'm not alone in my fight with the grinder.
 
HELLGAP said:
Well I dont think youll ever reach a point where you might not trash a blade . It all depends on the level of greatness you reach . If you arnt trashing ya aint learnin.
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Trust me when I say that point can be reached.

I learned from my good friend and neighbor Gil Hibben and as many blades as I've seen him grind I'm still a little humbled by his talent. You get to really see how good he is when he will take a blade someone in knifemaking class totally butchered up and in a few swipes it's a beautiful knife.

One of these days I'll reach that level of greatness, I only have like 30,000 blades to go to catch up with him :)
 
The main reason I seem to toss them is getting the edge too thin while trying to remove a 2" mark. I could change the profile and make something out of them, but I have a certain vision of what I want the knife to be and if doesn't come out that way I just toss it.
-John
 
I have reprofiled a couple blades after getting them too thin. No matter how good the knife turns out, I feel that it is second rate because it did not come out according to plan. Being able to fix a mistake is great. Not making the mistake in the first place is what I'm shooting for. To date, I have fallen short of the mark.
 
Cliff Fendley said:
Trust me when I say that point can be reached.

I learned from my good friend and neighbor Gil Hibben and as many blades as I've seen him grind I'm still a little humbled by his talent. You get to really see how good he is when he will take a blade someone in knifemaking class totally butchered up and in a few swipes it's a beautiful knife.

One of these days I'll reach that level of greatness, I only have like 30,000 blades to go to catch up with him :)
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Man there is no doubt that Gil is Piccaso with a grinder.He makes it look so easy, even on the art pieces..
 
Kentucky said:
Man there is no doubt that Gil is Piccaso with a grinder.He makes it look so easy, even on the art pieces..
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I stopped by his shop yesterday on my way home and he was grinding a Rambo III blade. He makes it look soooooo easy. Course we were joking around saying he has ground so many of those knives he can do it in his sleep.
 
A couple of things you can try. Grind with a little finer grit belt. Mistakes will happen slower this way. If you can slow your gringer down a little ....same reason. Just stay in there, take breaks and don't rush. It is still quicker than starting over. Plus, later you may make a new design from one of the ones that you put in the bucket.

Paul
 
cliff thats so so true . Im trying to reach that level too and I think 30 thousand is about right lol
 
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