What to do with my knives

[longbowman]

I've been doing a lot of pondering lately as to what I should do with all the knives I make.  When I make one I fall in love with it and decide to use it or I give it to my son.  Then I make a new one and with what I've learned it always turns out better than the last & I end up in the same boat.  So, since I never anticipate being near the level of a Lin I think I'll give them away, let people use them for fund raisers or barter with them.
     I still remember 3 years ago when Lin told me to be careful because once you start you're hooked.  Man do I enjoy this hammer and anvil stuff!

[srtben]

You will never run out of people willing to take a free knife from you! They make great Birthday, fathers day, or Chirstmas presents too.  

[Bladepeek]

I sell a few, but a lot of them are given to fund-raising events at clubs to which I belong.

Then, same as you, I have an order from my older son for a set of 6 steak knives and my younger son wants a set of "papa bear, momma bear and baby bear" knives. Since "baby bear" is our only granddaughter, he knows he will get them too.  My nephew built me a beautiful fly rod, so he's on the list for payback too.

I try to pay for my hobby and if I come close I'm way ahead of a hobby which is totally a cost center.

Wouldn't it be great if our bow hunting worked that way?  

[tomsm44]

I'm kinda in the same boat as you.  I just this year started selling a few.  The only reason I decided to go ahead and sell some is that I wanted to get some better equipment to work with.  Since all of the money went to knife making equipment, I guess I still am not making any profit.  I mostly give them to friends/family as gifts, along with a couple of banquets that I make a few for each year to be auctioned off.  I guess one difference between us is that I never get to use any of the ones I build.  I can't seem to get caught up on everybody else's long enough to build myself one.  One thing that I have done several times that helps keep this hobby from being too expensive is to let friends and family place custom orders for them to use as gifts and then charge them the price of materials.  No cost to me except time, which I wanted to spend on knives anyway, and they get a one of a kind knife at a price similar to a decent mass produced knife.

Matt

[tippit]

I sell very few as I give most to charity and friends.  With that said, I needed to get better feed back on my knives as a free knife never gets a bad review     Now I sell or trade toys for toys...tippit

[Bladepeek]

I'm with you Matt. I gave my carry knife away to our African tracker back in 2005 and haven't had a chance to make myself another since then. Seems there is always one that has to be finished by yesterday for a fund raiser or something.  I have mine all finished in my mind. It will be a small, slightly dropped point hunter with sheep horn scales on a tapered full tang. It'll have a relatively small guard - just enough to make a positive stop, probably of stainless steel. The blade may be damascus or not. Haven't worked out that detail yet.

Just need to get my butt off Trad Gang and up to the shop and get it done   :D

[longbowman]

Thanks for the input.  I always like to hear what others do in those areas I may be struggling with.  I would like another belt sander so maybe I can do something to get one.