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The question was asked, "Can you make a living making knives?" The man was considering going full time into knifemaking and had a family to support, his concerns were real. Today there are many more knifemakers than when I started. I don't know that there are any accurate figures, but if you go by mailing lists of suppliers, the number could be several thousand. Most of the knifemakers working today are part time, of those who are full time knifemakers, most have additional incomes to help make ends meet.
A full time knifemaker runs a one man business. All expenses and overhead are his alone, there are no paid vacations, no sick days, and in most cases, no health insurance at all due the excessive cost for individuals. If you are sick or hurt production stops. You have to keep the books, do the advertising and promotion, talk to customers, order supplies, maintain equipment and somewhere in there find enough time to make knives. If you ask a full time maker about it, the first advice you will get is don't quit your day job.
That said, it is possible if you are stubborn, dedicated and willing to make sacrifices to survive making knives. A few have even made money at it. The market is small and the competition fierce, you can not rest on your laurels. To be successful, you have to be farming for work a year ahead at least. You have to learn the market and know your place in it. You have to aggressively promote yourself and be willing to invest your time, money and energy to attract new customers while maintaining your loyal customers. You have to maintain, at all times your love of the craft.
There has been a surge of new makers come into the market in past few years. Too often the new makers do not make any effort to reach out and develop new markets for their work. It is vital for the survival of the craft that all makers reach out to new audiences and promote the craft in new venues. We often forget because we are involved in the business that most people have never heard of what we do and are always pleasantly surprised when they discover the quality and craftsmanship involved. It is an ongoing effort however and we can not afford to sit back and expect to earn a living off the effort of those who created the existing market.
There have been artists who have crossed over from other disciplines and who have made an impact with their work because they were able to bring their skills and vision with them. Dellana is a good example of this. Dellana was an accomplished jeweler with an international reputation for fine work. She studied knifemaking with Jim Schmidt and when she began doing shows, the quality of her work was obvious and was well received. For most of us however, it is a daunting task just to learn the skills we need and acquire the tools required, let alone try to support ourselves and our families in the process.
The safest and surest route if you want to become a knifemaker is to begin slowly, study and work steadily. Sell what you make for a fair price and invest the money back in yourself by acquiring the tools and knowledge that you need. I have heard knifemaking described as an incredibly expensive hobby and some have gone fulltime just so they could afford to do it. It is incredibly risky business however and we are very low on the food chain. We depend on disposable income to make our living and when times are hard, times get hard. Bill Moran still sharpens knives in his shop because you never know.
If I haven't run you off by now, you are probably hopeless so welcome to the club. You will not find a nicer group of people on either side of the aisle.
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