Create Something

Create something today. Like most of us I am happy to sit on the couch watch tv, surf the web, checkout Facebook or play a video game. However I find a greater sense of accomplishment and learn far more when I try to create something.

Knife making for me started well over a decade ago. I had purchased a small custom knife at an outdoor show. I knew nothing about custom knives just liked it and the price was right. It sat next to my living room chair and had a quiet life of opening mail and taking out the occasional splinter. Until that one night…..hmmmm I said to myself I wonder how you make a knife. Before long I found knife forums online and bought a few books. Then I found myself in my shop. Now before you go thinking well you have a big shop with lots of tools to work on a knife. Just forget that. At the time I think I could scrounge up a hand drill, a circular saw, misc. hand tools and one radial arm saw. Not much for knife making mind you. The first knife I made was made out of the wrong type of steel, I heat treated it in the wood stove, which kind of worked. I used an old hanger for pins and some oak I had around for handles. I did most of it with a file. I knew it was nothing that would ever be in the local art history museum or beautiful knives of the world. But it was mine, I created it. Little did I know then I would make well over 100 knives and still be going strong.

Leather work started because of the knives I need sheaths, for a while I had two very nice fellows make them for me, but then I moved. So I started to try leather sheaths, those first ones sure were not much to look at. But here I am knee deep in lots of leather things.

The above is my journey but I have made lots of other things or at least tried. I think many times we get caught up in excuses, I can’t make that there is no way I could do it that well. I don’t have any time. I don’t have the skills. I don’t have the tools. I don’t know where to start. Its easier to sit here. I still fall in these traps at times, but it is far better to start and try. In time you will find you improve and before long whatever it is you tried starts to look really good. You will also learn what things you can do best and what things are harder.

So I encourage all of you get out there and create something there really is some magic in just trying to create. Don’t worry about what it looks like worry about learning and doing. Above all else have fun with it.

Have a great week everyone

Ross

*The above picture is of my first and then 100th knife, I'll let you guess which is which.