# Guest Knifemaker



## NYWoodturner (Oct 21, 2015)

The son of a lady who works for me cane to my shop to say he wanted 6 knives for Groomsmen's gift for his upcoming wedding. It had to have been early spring because We both remember the water in the bucket by the grinder being frozen solid. The price he needed the knives for wasn't doable, so I told him to pick his steel, pick his wood and come over every Sunday and be prepared to get dirty. 
To his credit he has been here almost every Sunday. He designed the knife, profiles ll the blanks, did the grind on all the knives, drilled the handles and had a hand in every step of the process to the end. He gets married Saturday and just finished them up today. Here are the fruits of his labor. Gotta say I'm pretty damned proud of him.

The steel on all of them is 52100. We stabilized all wood. 

Wild Almond Burl


 

Spalted Beech


 

Elm Burl


 

Honduras Rosewood Burl


 

Birdseye Maple


 

Black Walnut

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 3 | Way Cool 14


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## JR Custom Calls (Oct 21, 2015)

Wow those are stunners. You both should be proud of those!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## ripjack13 (Oct 21, 2015)

Holy smokes.....thoes are great looking!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Sprung (Oct 21, 2015)

Those are awesome! And way cool to take the time to teach him and help him along the way.

Got any openings in your shop on Fridays that you'd be willing to take on another apprentice?

Reactions: Funny 1


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## kris stratton (Oct 21, 2015)

those are great,very nice gesture on your part.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## ironman123 (Oct 21, 2015)

Job well done. Really like the Elm Burl handle.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## barry richardson (Oct 21, 2015)

Great knives and a great gesture Scott. There is a lot of pleasure in teaching someone who is hungry to learn.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Foot Patrol (Oct 21, 2015)

Scott those are great knives for such a special occasion. Nice job mentoring a new knife maker. I would bet these are not going to be his last.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tclem (Oct 21, 2015)

How far are you from Mississippi. I'm on my way

Reactions: Funny 2


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## DKMD (Oct 21, 2015)

Beautiful work on the knives! You're obviously a hell of a teacher and a pretty decent guy for taking the time to share your talents and your shop.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Kevin (Oct 21, 2015)

That's an incredible set of knives. And just as impressive is the way you found to get it done. No telling what all will dovetail from that one project.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Molokai (Oct 21, 2015)

Very nice knives Scott. Great gesture to teach someone knifemaking. Hopefully he will understand now how much time it takes to make one knife.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Fsyxxx (Oct 21, 2015)

Hmmm ..... New York would be a bit of a drive every Sunday. Damn.  Great job!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Wildthings (Oct 22, 2015)

All of them are sweet but really like the wild almond burl handle. Is there a reason why the rosewood one has a larger notch, for lack of the technical term?

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## HomeBody (Oct 22, 2015)

You taught him well. All really nice. I've always been willing to teach anyone the skills I have but no one has ever showed up. Oh well. I don't think you can advertise for an apprentice. One just has to seek you out I guess that has the willingness to make a commitment and the determination to master a difficult skill. Gary


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## NYWoodturner (Oct 22, 2015)

Wildthings said:


> All of them are sweet but really like the wild almond burl handle. Is there a reason why the rosewood one has a larger notch, for lack of the technical term?



No reason. I believe this was one 2 or 3 "Do-Overs". The original 6 were all done in a batch, so the steps were all done at the same time and the results were pretty damned close.


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## NYWoodturner (Oct 22, 2015)

Molokai said:


> Very nice knives Scott. Great gesture to teach someone knifemaking. Hopefully he will understand now how much time it takes to make one knife.


He definitely understands now. I don't think anyone realizes how much time really goes into it. He started sometime in March and worked every Sunday 12-5 and only missed a few. He usually made those days up on Wednesday, He said he would be back to make more and I believe he will. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

Reactions: Like 2


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## TimR (Oct 22, 2015)

Well played Scott...and it surely means more to the groomsmen that he made them.


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## Mike1950 (Oct 22, 2015)

Beautiful knifes- Very nice way to get them.


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## frankp (Oct 22, 2015)

That is an extremely nice set of groomsman gifts. Good for you @NYWoodturner helping/mentoring him and good for him finishing. Very nice.

I'm with you, @HomeBody. I'm always willing to teach but no one (other than my kids) to teach it to around me. As such, I use forums to share what little knowledge I have and gain a whole lot more. This internet thing is pretty amazing when you really think about it.

Reactions: Like 1


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## manbuckwal (Oct 22, 2015)

Beautiful group of knives and a cherished memory for both of ya really , well done sir !!


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## robert flynt (Oct 22, 2015)

Scott, I will trade with you! I have an apprentice who should be on his on by now but thinks he is going to start his knifemaking business using my shop. He has dulled and damaged my metal cutting band saw blades, over tightened ever thing he put his hands on, almost set my shop on fire and the final straw was, day before yesterday I found he had cut the corner off one side of my 8" wheel, which is going to cost over $100 to retread. Every single thing I've warned him not to do, he has done and always tell me he forgot. Two day before he ruined my wheel I had warned him again to overlap the belt on the wheel on the side he was grinding from to prevent cutting the sharp corner off my wheel! He also seem to think I am his personal "free" heat treater and has no clue it cost me a $20.00 increase in my power bill ever time I heat treat blades. He is a Baptist minister with a doctorate degree but he has taken advantage of me for the last time, not counting what he has cost me in the 9 months he has mooched off me.As soon as I lay eyes on him I am going to give him a bill for the cost to have my wheel retread and tell him to get what is his and get out. I agreed to teach him how to make a knife not to let him start a business using my equipment!!!

Reactions: Sincere 3


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## HomeBody (Oct 23, 2015)

robert flynt said:


> Scott, I will trade with you! I have an apprentice who should be on his on by now but thinks he is going to start his knifemaking business using my shop. He has dulled and damaged my metal cutting band saw blades, over tightened ever thing he put his hands on, almost set my shop on fire and the final straw was, day before yesterday I found he had cut the corner off one side of my 8" wheel, which is going to cost over $100 to retread. Every single thing I've warned him not to do, he has done and always tell me he forgot. Two day before he ruined my wheel I had warned him again to overlap the belt on the wheel on the side he was grinding from to prevent cutting the sharp corner off my wheel! He also seem to think I am his personal "free" heat treater and has no clue it cost me a $20.00 increase in my power bill ever time I heat treat blades. He is a Baptist minister with a doctorate degree but he has taken advantage of me for the last time, not counting what he has cost me in the 9 months he has mooched off me.As soon as I lay eyes on him I am going to give him a bill for the cost to have my wheel retread and tell him to get what is his and get out. I agreed to teach him how to make a knife not to let him start a business using my equipment!!!



Maybe I'll rethink taking on an apprentice.  Gary


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## Strider (Oct 23, 2015)

This is like a dog starving between choosing two types of food :D


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## NYWoodturner (Oct 23, 2015)

robert flynt said:


> Scott, I will trade with you! I have an apprentice who should be on his on by now but thinks he is going to start his knifemaking business using my shop. He has dulled and damaged my metal cutting band saw blades, over tightened ever thing he put his hands on, almost set my shop on fire and the final straw was, day before yesterday I found he had cut the corner off one side of my 8" wheel, which is going to cost over $100 to retread. Every single thing I've warned him not to do, he has done and always tell me he forgot. Two day before he ruined my wheel I had warned him again to overlap the belt on the wheel on the side he was grinding from to prevent cutting the sharp corner off my wheel! He also seem to think I am his personal "free" heat treater and has no clue it cost me a $20.00 increase in my power bill ever time I heat treat blades. He is a Baptist minister with a doctorate degree but he has taken advantage of me for the last time, not counting what he has cost me in the 9 months he has mooched off me.As soon as I lay eyes on him I am going to give him a bill for the cost to have my wheel retread and tell him to get what is his and get out. I agreed to teach him how to make a knife not to let him start a business using my equipment!!!



Wow Robert. That stinks. I was very fortunate. This young man was very respectful in every way and never once caused problems with any of my equipment. The bandsaw (Both my 18 and 14") were the only piece of equipment he didn't feel comfortable on and was very open about that.
You would think that being a Minister he would be falling over himself to replace your blades and any damages.


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## robert flynt (Oct 23, 2015)

Never had this happen before and have learned a number of lessons. Give them a dead line to when they will have their own equipment and get out of your shop. Require them sign a waver excluding you from liability, in case they cut their finger off or something. Come to an agreement on material cost and utility bills. Make sure they know any damages they do will be at their expense and stick to it. My problem is, I was to good for my own good and kept letting thing slide before getting very mad and doing some thing about it, but you would thing a person in his position would have morals enough to know when he is taking advantage. I have always been a sharing and giving person. It bothers me a great deal to have to deal with this in this manner, it goes against my up bringing, but now all I have to do is look at the smut on my shop ceiling and my damaged grinding wheel as well as to many little thing to mention and I get so mad I could scream. So that is what I'm going to do, look at the damages I can see so far, when I know he is coming over next. One last thing if a student says he forgot and is sorry but continues to say that over and over get rid of him, don't let what happened to me happen to you.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Great Post 1


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