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Old 06-30-2005, 12:00 PM
Ed Caffrey's Avatar
Ed Caffrey Ed Caffrey is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Great Falls, Montana, USA
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Any way you slice it....it's not an easy task. I've only been "full time" for 18 months. Prior to that I held down one of the most demanding jobs in the world (full time military) for 22 years. All that time I was making knives "part time."
For the last seven years of my military career here's how my days went.....
Up at 5am and to the base by 6:30am. Work all day at the base, and then home by 5pm. Change out of my uniform and into jeans. Then eat a bologna sandwich on the way from the house to the shop. Into the shop by 5:30pm, and there I would be until 10-11pm. This is how it was 5 days a week. Of course there were a lot of TDYs (extended duties in other places) which kept me out of the shop all together. When these came up, I would call every customer who was on the waiting list and let them know that their order(s) would have to be pushed back. Some cancelled, but most just said "I understand."
My weekends/holidays were generally 12-14 hour days in the shop, with the exception of Sunday mornings which were for church and family time.
I would always schedule my military leave for major shows such as the Blade Show, or other shows that required travel.
All this time you have to make the time and spend the money to be submitting photos of your work the the various magazines and knife publications.
Why did I do all this? Because I had a plan. I knew that if I kept things going, and worked hard at Bladesmithing/Knifemaking, I could finish out my military career, and would be able to do what I love for a living. The other parts to the equation are having a wonderful wife, who has always been very supportive of my Bladesmithing/Knifemaking, and who has a full time job. Then there is the fact that because I stuck it out and finished my military career, "Uncle Sam" now sends me a retirement check every month.
In all honestly, if I had to rely on Bladesmithing/Knifemaking for my entire income, I would certainly have another job somewhere.
The bottom line is that I sacrificed a lot for many years to chase a dream, and for me the dream worked out.
The thing that kept me going all those years was looking around me each day, seeing people who hated what they were doing for a living, and feeling like they were trapped. Where does it say that a man can't enjoy what he does for a living?? Make yourself a plan that is compatable, and stick with it. The toughest part of going from part to full time making is that the income can never be predicted. Remember that our income is based on others' disposable income. It's our job to work out a way to keep the income somewhat steady by scheduling orders/deliveries in a manner to keep the dollars flowing.

And finally, you MUST keep your name and your work out there for the public. With the number and quality of Bladesmiths/Knifemakers today, it has become difficult to distinquish yourself from the crowd, so your reputation is everything. It should be built well, and guarded closely.


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