Your main job and/or interest

S

sicilian767

Well-Known Member
Well, was curious about learning some of the backgrounds of my fellow forum members. What your background is like, what career you went to (or is knife making your career?) and what y'alls main interests are outside of knives?
 
Well....

I WAS an Electrical Transmission Planning Engineer for a couple years before getting laid off.

Then I became an Electrical Maintenance Planner on the Pickle Lines for ArcelorMittal Steel (formerly the Bethlehem Steel plant in Indiana)

Did that for about 5 months before they moved me into the role of an Operations Shift Supervisor for the Pickle Lines for about a year or so.

THEN they added the Tandem Mill and Roll Shop to my list of duties, before one day deciding that I should be soley a Roll Shop Shift Supervisor.

Did that for a couple weeks before they started calling me the Roll Shop Maintenance Supervisor.

This week, I'm a midnights safety watch for contractors during a 5 day outage at the tandem mill. hahah

The funniest part is that I'm mainly focusing on the mechanical side of maintenance for the roll shop, despite the fact that I have a Bachelors degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology....

Next week I might be something else... :s12138:

What are my main interests outside of knives? Not alot.... ;)
 
Ha, funny how that works out. My dad has a degree in business, but currently does IT work. I guess what they look for is the degree anyways. But dang, that's a cool area of study for your degree. I should recommend that to my brother, because he's currently looking at going into computer science. Really cool that you work with a steel company though. Do you get discounts on steel since you work there? And do they make knife steel as well by chance? And yeah I know how that is to get laid off. Although mine was just a minimum wage job, the store I worked for went out of business and had to let me go. Sadly, been unemployed for a while, still looking for work. But whatever I get now is temporary, until I finish college. Trying to get my degree in international relations, and I have no idea what work I'm gonna do with that as of yet. Definitely something where I get to travel a lot, which would be amazing. I wanna be able to see the world before I get old. Have stories for if I have kids some day. Right now I'm looking at focusing on either national security, or East and South Asian relations, and I'm debating if I should take Arabic or Chinese in college. Been doing research on both languages, and while Chinese has a much easier grammar system, Arabic has an alphabet which will be easier to remember. So it's tough to decide on. If I had the time, I'd take both courses, but sadly I gotta finish college in the next 2 to 3 years, otherwise I'll be there forever. Maybe if I do graduate school, I'll take another language.
 
Unfortunately we don't deal in high carbon or tool steels.

We do make a "high strength" steel, but our applications are mostly in the automotive and "structural" steel aplications. Also any type of sheet steel like you would find on appliances, office furnishings, etc....

We also have a hot dip coating line for galvanized steel which is pretty cool.

I work on the finishing side, which is basically the last stop before it reaches the customer. The pickle line removes hot mill scale in preparation for cold rolling at the tandem mill, and from there it can go to the annealing furnaces, continuous heat treat line, hot dip coating line, or a single stand temper mill.

Very cool to see the processes.
 
Im a partner in a Contracting / masonry /rental /power equiptment depot . Basicly , i sell and repair product for the mason / landscape contractor .. Ill be 46 in September . I work the shop from 5:30am to 6:30PM 5 days a week and Saturdays till 3:00 ( thats my half day ). I get home , have some dinner and I go play with knives down in my garage for a few hours..

On the weekends , I play drums . Ive been playing drums most of my life . Played in a few original bands as a kid but for the last 10 years I started my own cover band which is still going strong and we do about 40 or 50 gigs a year..

I have a beautiful wife and 2 great kids ( Mikey 15 & Chrissy 17)

I love to hunt with my son (bow & gun) and besides hunting locally , I try to go on a hunting trip somewhere every year with my son. I also will take the wife and kids on a vacation of her choice.

Other than that , thats pretty well wraps it up .. I know its a packed scedule , but thank God Im healthy , strong and Ill run this out as long as I can or get tired LOL .
 
I ran a sawmill and logged full time until the bottom fell out of the market around here. After a little retraining I'm a Geomatics engineering technologist (Fancy name for a guy who works for a land surveyor). I used to do most of the construction and woods work at our office. Unfortunately I somehow ended up chained to a desk drafting and doing calculations now (I hate working indoors). I still cut wood most Saturdays and make a few knives in the evenings.

Having two Daughters (one 2 years and one 2 months old) has changed a lot of my priorities but I still manage to get out for a hunt once in a while. I'm also a little bit of a health freak (according to my wife, I think she exaggerates)
 
I work as a maintenance technician at a forging facility. We have 3 large(1600 ton) warm form(steel is at 1800 degrees F) presses and 4 hydraulic cold form(room temp) presses with all the associated cooling conveyors, heaters, shot blasters, and washers; every machine is sorta automated. the cold form presses are loaded and unloaded with robots, which is neat to watch. Our product becomes the end pieces of drive axles used in front wheel drive vehicles (and a few 4 wheel drive). We will probably make 13 million parts this year.
I am retired from USNavy where I was an avaition electronics tech.
my off work time is spent making knives and working wood.
scott
 
Im a computer engineer by trade. On the side im a case manager for a local dog rescue and religiously workout 4 days a week as well as dabble in photography. Ive been into car audio, lifted trucks and fast cars but that all got a bit too expensive for the wife. I do most of reno around the house and like working with my hands. Ive made various projects from wood but as a hobby I find the projects are often a bit too large to have a bunch of them laying around half finished. Ive done some custom concrete work as well and likewise materials take up a lot of space.

I spent a few years doing custom php coding but found the gap between what people wanted and what was realistic, then add in the server limitations etc and it really just wasnt worth the hassle.

Ive long wanted to make knives and now seems as good a time as any to get started. I have most of the tools I want and the finished product is a lot easier to store and plenty of friends and family I can give away my early work to while I practice.
 
Really cool to hear y'alls stories. You all have awesome career paths. I think Liam Lynch and I are the only ones without our own families on here. Other than the one we were born with of course.

AR: Yeah, the whole process of steel making is awesome to see. But I think manufacturing as a whole is really cool to see.

Backtines: Wow! You got a long day every day. God bless ya! Good that you're in great health though. One of my close friends used to play drums, but he quit after he moved out of his parent's house. I've been wanting to take up hunting more, but for now I just hunt squirrel in my back woods. I need to get my hunting license one of these days. Would love to hunt wild boar.

Brad Lilly: Totally feel ya there when it comes to working outside versus inside. I much prefer the outdoors myself. Maybe when your daughters get older you can take them on a hunting trip with you. They'll probably love that.

Scott: Now that's a pretty cool job! Would love to work at a forging facility one of these days. Can definitely learn a lot from working there, that's for sure.

Exitium: Yeah, that's my plan when it comes to knife making. Not sure when I'll become pro like a lot of the guys on here, but for now I'm trying to save up for all the tooling necessary to make a good knife.
 
Hmmm?

In a previous life in my teens & twenties I was a Jazz & Rock percussionist.
Then worked for and then had my own advertising agency for about seven years then sold VW cars & Chevy trucks until I was about 38, Then walked into a book store and bought the book.
Custom Knives, By Tim McCreight and Rhino Custom Knives was born in my garage and went full time after about one year.

In Sept 2011 I and my wife of almost 3 years opened Westside Sharpening & Cutlery Center
in Santa Monica, where I sharpen, sell production knives and make and sell my custom knives.

My wife Cecilia and I have two Calico cats and one little doggie named Scruffy that we adopted about two years ago.

I love dogs and animals in general, Love the ocean though I don't get to spend much time in it anymore, but at least I live and work by it!

This is the short list of things I've done for a living.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
www.westsidesharpening.com
 
Really cool Rhino! How do you like doing custom knife making full time? I've debated doing that myself, but I think I would love to do that after I have more steady income for a few years and buy all the tools I need. Calicos are awesome cats. My family has 13 cats (Yes, 13. They just kept showing up and my mom couldn't turn away a fuzzy face) and I've lived with cats my whole life. Probably one of my favorite animals. We have one dog ourselves, and she's great. Probably one of the happiest dogs I've ever met.

Living by the place you love is always great! My dad loves the ocean as well. Can't beat the view, that's for sure. And since you're on the west coast, you get to see the sunset ever day on the ocean, which must be awesome.
 
I spent around 30 yrs as a design engineer doing mechanical design for the automotive and RV industry. I was the sr. tool designer at a delivery vehicle manufacturer and spent 5 years working as a designer at a pro audio manufacturer. I have three children the last of which just graduated high school, a wonderfully forgiving wife and a house full of dogs. I make knives because I love it, I board dogs because it is an extra form of income. I love to hunt (archery first - firearm second) anything when I get the chance. I love the outdoors and nature. I got into knife making because I wanted a hunting knife that I had made myself. I just cant seem to shake the habit...making knives is addictive. I also like working with leather, and I like to draw.
 
Today ... I'm a US Navy Chaplain (LCDR type) and I've served with various Marine, Navy & Joint Commands, with some combat time. Eons ago, I was a Marine (SNCO type) and did all sorts of interesting things. And shortly after the invention of gunpowder, I was an Army Soldier, served in MI and SF. Somewhere in there I took a break and ran an NGO in East Africa, pastored a church in Tombstone, worked in managed operations and projects for some non-profits and a college. Those are some jobs, but main interest is people. Nothing ever gets done without them; they're handy to have around. Knife making to me is an extension of my desire to equip them to be their best.
 
Rob Nelson said:
Today ... I'm a US Navy Chaplain (LCDR type) and I've served with various Marine, Navy & Joint Commands, with some combat time. Eons ago, I was a Marine (SNCO type) and did all sorts of interesting things. And shortly after the invention of gunpowder, I was an Army Soldier, served in MI and SF. Somewhere in there I took a break and ran an NGO in East Africa, pastored a church in Tombstone, worked in managed operations and projects for some non-profits and a college. Those are some jobs, but main interest is people. Nothing ever gets done without them; they're handy to have around. Knife making to me is an extension of my desire to equip them to be their best.
Click to expand...

That is REALLY cool!! What I'd give to be able to do all that. I'm Catholic, in fact my faith is the most important part of my life by far and without question. And I've honestly considered the priesthood. Still debating it of late, and I've been praying on it to see if it's my calling. But so far I'm continuing on with college, and seeing how everything goes with that. But I'm sure you have plenty of stories to tell. Must of been an amazing experience for you. Would love to hear more stories from you in the future.

Lagrange: haha, I totally agree. Knife making is definitely addictive. But it's really fun and enjoyable too, and I get a lot out of it. It's always great to create something with your hands, and make something new. Makes my day feel productive lol
 
I work as a Computer Systems Admin for a multi-national corporation. My past sins have included programming in whatever happened to work for the particular job, computer operations and installing computer flooring.

I wish I could make more time for knives. I honestly don't know how people do it. I've made three knives in two years. Currently I'm working on building a no-weld Grinder which I'm hoping will improve that. I've been told that the grinder I currently have, a 4x36 is about the worst grinder for knife-making. But it's what I have.

My other hobby is guns, mainly rifles. An 8mm Mauser sits next to me right now. I've also built a FAL and would shoot more if I could afford it. (Another expensive hobby)
 
Sounds awesome Drop Point!! Yeah, I'm a huge gun guy myself. I have my Henry .22 next to me as we speak. I also own a couple of AK-47s, a Mosin Nagant, Kar98k, Marlin lever action, Saiga 12, Springfield .45, and more lol. Don't feel like going through the whole list. But guns are really fun, and of course, very expensive. That's actually why I got into knives, was the fact that guns were too expensive. I always admired blades, but they were a heck of a lot cheaper than guns are and require no ammo. But overall, I'm equally a gun and knife lover. Depends on my mood lol.
 
sicilian767 said:
Really cool Rhino! How do you like doing custom knife making full time? I've debated doing that myself, but I think I would love to do that after I have more steady income for a few years and buy all the tools I need. Calicos are awesome cats. My family has 13 cats (Yes, 13. They just kept showing up and my mom couldn't turn away a fuzzy face) and I've lived with cats my whole life. Probably one of my favorite animals. We have one dog ourselves, and she's great. Probably one of the happiest dogs I've ever met.

Living by the place you love is always great! My dad loves the ocean as well. Can't beat the view, that's for sure. And since you're on the west coast, you get to see the sunset ever day on the ocean, which must be awesome.
Click to expand...

Nothing else I rather be doing than making knives and running a knife store.

I have customers come in once in awhile, that start telling me that they think they have a problem?
I own so many knives! And I keep buying more! I usually just bust up laughing and say,
So you think you have a problem and may need professional help?

Why do you think I taught myself how to make knives and own a sharpening & knife store? :s12137:

I think 17 cats was the record when I was growing up along with a couple of dogs.
My childhood cat was a Calico and I have had a special place for them in my heart ever since. We lived on about a acre which is large for the housing track suburbia area we where in.

I also love to target shoot and have my own assortment of arms.

Watching the sunset into the ocean with the beautiful color hues you get from the L.A. smog is quite remarkable! We try to catch it as ofter as we can.

Our Bohemian apartment is on 3rd st and our store and my work shop are on 4th st, so you can guess that the sandy decline to the ocean starts very close.

Go to http://maps.google.com/ Then type in,
3rd St, Promenade Santa Monica, CA 90403‎ → ‎Acme Display

My wife and I along with our furry kids live about three blocks north of there.

Laurence

www.westsidesharpening.com
 
Last edited:
I have worked as a retail associate for two years, driving spray trucks and mowing lawns for the state highway department for three summers, Assembling bicycles, short stint in pre-fabricated steel building warehouse, hated that so I started working in healthcare. I was a CNA first, so basically a professional but wiper, then I worked with troubled teens, went back to CNA work, got my LPN degree and began working in nursing homes as a pill popper nurse. Recently I have learned that I don't like this anymore. I love people, I love being able to work with the elderly, but I am nauseated by the daily deluge of PC BS that controls my every move. It gets worse every year. About 5 months ago I was fired from a job for the first time in my life. I had just recieved multiple compliments from the family of a patient, I was feeling pretty good about myself, then found out I was being fired for a facebook post that my employer took exception to. I had to appeal to the state to get unemployment and I won, then i found out yesterday that the state Industrial comission reversed that decision, and now I have to appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court. All because of a Facebook post. I can't work in a field where such a small thing is such a huge frickin deal. I start school again in the fall, returning to my original major of English studies, with the aspiration of becoming an author, like I've always wanted. I have 3 kids, with the fourth due in september, so my life is a paradox of an overflowing quiver of joy at home, and continual dispair and self loathing at work. I thank God for my little family every day of my life. Without them I would truly be miserable. Making things has always been therapeutic for me, so this new hobby could not have come at a better time.
 
I started out as a missionary in Tanzania, and after a couple of really interesting years had to come back and get a job that actually paid. I worked as a bank teller until I got into school again, and now I'm a CPA. I work in accounting for a major oil company, and am currently on a 1 year assignment in our Calgary, Canada office. I can't make knives while I'm here because all of my stuff is back in Texas, but me and the family and the dog love it up here so far. Running has taken the place of knifemaking and home remodelling for now. I still brew my own beer and make wine; I wasn't about to leave THAT stuff in Texas! I haven't made a knife in 2 1/2 months, but I've lost about 10 lbs and am in the best shape I've been since high school (which was a long time ago).
 
really interesting thread, I hope others contribute their story...

Last January I quit (retired?) after 30 years from a big box store chain (you've heard of it) where I was a district manager for the last 18 years. During those 30 years, we moved 13 times around the Midwest in various assignments. We have lived in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa (twice), Minnesota (twice), North Dakota (three times). That doesn't add up to 13 but some moves were back to back in the same state so I didn't count those. I am now full time at my knife supply business. I started the supply business with some extra sandpaper I purchased for myself 8 or 9 years ago. I was going to sell off the extra I bought to cover some of the expense of buying such a large quantity. My employer at the time started to make changes I didn't agree with so I started to look for an exit and decided to build up the knife supply business with the intent of getting into it full time. (At the same time, I looked into opening a pizza shop and also a coffee shop. I now make great pizza and roast my own coffee each week.) The knife supply business took hold and we ran with that.

My wife and ran the business from our house for the first 5 years. I did everything the first couple years. Around year 3 my wife joined in and started part time and then moved to full time. Neither of us took any pay or salary from the business for the first 5 years. At the end of year 5, we hired a part timer to help who quickly moved to full time. Basically, I was working two full time jobs for the last 7 years. One job paid for the other. The business out grew the house so we got an SBA loan and bought a 3800' warehouse and moved in a couple years ago last March. We now have 9 full timers and 4 part timers here. My 23yr old daughter and 19yr old son both work at least one day a week here - which is fantastic as far as I concerned.

Thank you to all of our customers for helping us make our small mom and pop business grow. One of the promises I made myself when I left the big box chain was that I would treat employees a lot better than I was able to in that environment. For both full time and part time, we pay our employees well above minimum wage, we have paid vacations, sick pay, monthly and annual sales bonuses and paid holidays. We are now working on rolling out a 3% match IRA program. For full timers we offer 70/30 health insurance. It takes months of training for an employee to even begin to grasp what we sell and how it is used and to meet the needs of such a wide variety of craftsmen. I intend to do everything I can to keep them here and happy. In our nearly three years of having employees, none have quit us. I am proud of that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top