The pup wondering again

Ouch. So whats the retail going to be on those? Too true. Just have ro go with the flow.
 
Ok Walt I've sat back and stayed quite but I can't do it anymore.First let me say thanks for your service ! Next let me tell you I hope you find some success.Now I want you to know I'm a vet,I went in in 82 and got out in 93 .I saw pleanty in my time.My oldest followed in my footsteps and also did time in the sand.I'm saying this from someone who has been there.It's time for you reach down inside yourself grab hold of your pride,pride in your unit,in your buddy's and your country and pull it up.Stop with the I don't have the money for this or that.If you want something bad enough then find a way,start a pocket change jar,pick up cans do something but stop with the excuses soldier.And stop wearing PTSD on your shoulder.I am speaking as a brother .I know what it's like to be broken,inside and out.I want you to think back to basic training.The day you arrived you probably couldn't do 20 pushups but when you graduated you could knock em out no problem.Start your knife making the same way,take a simple design without all the frills and make it perfect over and over and you will learn and develop your skills.SFC Paul Baker
 
wall e said:
John I have a problem with being inquizitive and overly curious. I do have hopes to one day be able to make quality knives that are worth a crap.
There is no easy fix or a quick to do answer for doing anything. I have the springs at my house and was thinking to use as forging practice to learn how the forging process works.
It is true my time has alot of constraints and diverting from my current knives would waste time. Im frustrated with things at the moment such as making the plan to have knives turn out clean and straight and smooth. I know they are going to not be perfect.
I am making a knife for my grandfather out of one of the blades he gave me to use for christmas. I have been working on this knife on and off for months.
I am not abandoning the known steel knives I just wanted to make this knife for him for sentiment reasons.
I made the other two for my buddie to give to his inlaws. I got frustrated and needed a break from being inside and have nothing to do due to the knives being in transit since I thought I had done a good enough job for ht.
That is the issue good enough thinking. There is no such thing as good enough. Is either done or not.
I have squirreled away almost enough to get a bar of known steel. To most reading this a bare of steel is 15 bucks shipped from aldo roughly. To me the spare change is my issue.
I am not looking for any more than I have gotten from every one of you help, wisdom, tips, pointers, and reminders of not to do dumb sht.
My question for all of you is do you remember the frustration of getting a blade sanded to 220 only to look at it from an odd angle in a different light to find a 1/4 long scratch hiding? Do you remember the time spent looking at videos and pics and reading on how to do things right?
The big ideas and dreams of success at doing something and wanting to be able to.do it all?
I am venting my personal bs on here and getting out the frustration I hope all can relate to. I know every one means the best and truly wants me to achieve my hope of actually making a knife to be proud of not the crap that I am making.
I am feeling that this is a trade that isnt for the broke and scraping by.
I have a big issue with highs and lows in life due to ptsd and feeling like no matter what I do doesnt make dam bit of difference.
I have crap for equiptment and am feeling more and more like Im just wasting every ones time by posting anything that I have done with my shitty scavanged free materials. I constantly am fkn dreaming of alm these big ideas and have all my life and 85 to 90 percent of them I make happen.

So if my vent is going to get me booted from here then so be it. I dont expect anything from any one that I havent earned or brought onto myself.
Im my own worst enemy and trying to rush is causing problems for all that I have done or tried to do.
I have big friggin dreams and ideas and dont see eye to eye with everyone else all the time. I am not a fkn quitter and will do what I said Im going to do and there will be knives made from the starter materials I was givin to have a known material to start with.
My problem is that I am essentially starting over on making a knife.
The softer steel is not even close to the same to work with as the planer blades. If I dig too hard on the 1084 it gets a huge gouge and I have spent hrs sanding only to still have it staring at me. I have the blade to a dimes thickness at the edge and feel that Im going to screw it up and waste my effort and time. I guess is gonna be if its gonna be.
I am not meaning any disrespect or to blow off what advice has been given am just frustrated and feeling like a failure.
Click to expand...


Walt,
Take a few deep breaths and reminder to exhale after each one !:3: You would be very surprised if you knew the histories of many of us makers here, War Veterans from before they called it PTSD and all kinds of other survivors and thrivers! One of us that posts regularly is a vet that needs crutches to get around and makes some mighty fine knives.

We all have our issues, its how we play the hand we have been dealt and turn it into a winning hand that matters.

Om Om Om All is well Om Om Om All is well!

We are in your corner! If I am understanding your issues with the carbon steel that John sent to you?

I suggest you try some 440C Stainless. even un heat treated, the abrasive resistive factor makes it a little harder to grind.

Just so you know! its OK to vent around here, just please watch the language because this is a family site where some have their knife pups on the laps as they view the forum.
 
And Walt without getting morbid,compound fracture left tib and fib,complete pass through left thy,shrap left knee and right ankle,broken back at c4 ,tramatic brain injury,complete loss of hig freq in both ears .Sometimes I still find myself standing in one spot for 15 min wondering what I was doing or looking for something that I laid down a min ago or walking into the house and not remembering why I came in but it was for something important and the wife or kids wondering where I am as I sit or stand in front of them.I'm there but not.Or how about forgetting your best buddy's name when you try and introduce someone to them.I know all about it and all I can say is drive on because it's defanitly worth it.
 
AkWildman the essence is exactly as it always has been suck it up and drive on grunt? I had some sand in my box and acting overly sensetive. I grabbed excuse after excuse sunday. I was havin a pity party. Oh woe is me is what I was doing basicly. I'm not perfectly balanced emotionally so I end up growling and snarling and lashing out over petty things such as I did sunday.I am not going to try and do old veterans compare battle scars. Lol (I love this bar reference) We each have our physical and emotional challenges courtesy of our choice to serve. I am no better than any vet on here so there is no reason for me to act as such.
Every one has done nothing but try and help and suggest or guide me to the simpler method and, remind me that there is no replacement for the hrs of work it truly takes to make a good knife.
Rhino, I just was being a whiney lil female pup to put it politely. It is just the newbie factor and trying to rush the knife to fruition. The carbon steel is different from the planer blades that I could just see my bevel show up as I just ground quenched ground quenched using my cheap tools and spray bottle of water. I made do with what I had and made something that resembled a knife and was sharp. It is something new and was just whining because it wasnt coming out like I wanted. Inexperience combined with impatience made a nice group of gouges that are taking work to get out. I was wanting to rush through and get it done. I set myself up for a problem. So with the calm and focus I should have I saw where I made my mistake by using a triangle double cut file to try and make a plunge line with the file at an angle and rushing to get it done.
 
There you go! Calm and focus is what we want in the shop and in life in general! Om Om OM! Yep! Just like AK said, every morning we ALL have to reach down inside and Man Up!

I suggest you go back to all hand files until you get a real grinding machine for knife making. The Carbon steel files just fine and so will stainless! That's how I make my first dozen or so Along with lots of sand paper you should be able to improve your knives several fold instead of fighting this gender that you don't like on the steel. Just use it for wood work for awhile.

Walt, Do you know what you get when you didn't get what you wanted?? Its called Experience!:3:
 
Rhino your knind of like a nick nolte meets yoda on the advice. Just enough info to think a bit and get the answer yet gruff enough to get my attention. Thanks. I
will be getting some files soon.
e4892e59f526c0adb22ddd98f4d4a228.jpg

One idea for a handle material, black micarta with red liners
0b14fb390d5449384e7e3a604fdf64ab.jpg

Idea 2 tan original canvas micarta
And 3 is to split an elk antler and use it as scales.
4 is to use any one of the 9 other types of wood I have been given.
Ghaaaaaa! Knife making isnt easy. Lol too many decisions. Am avoiding the unicorn scales withthe depleted uranium pins tho.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top