just a question for any input. what are everyones oppinions on the feasibility of a bladesmithing career is it really possible to have a full time job and buisness at the forge and can we compete with the large market of manufactured knives???

There are a lot of individual makers to compete with too. It's hard to make a name for yourself so your blades will pull big bucks.

That's what I found when going to shows with an amateur bladesmith a few years ago, anyway.

Good Luck!

Go ahead and learn the bladesmithing the knowledge will be benifical to you , But remember there are more knife makers than knife buyers

thnx for the posts guys in my four year career as a smith ive sold maybe 3 dozen knives but that was only as a hobbiest creating my own business is a dream of mine and so is making blades and hamering steel figured maybe put em together but ive been pretty discouraged at the lack of interest of the general public and the unwilliness to spend more then ten bucks on a knife even when i tell them its forged from xxI crane cable they say its very pretty but no thnx ill buy a gerber.

Bladesmithing as a career can be done, but being able to make marketable knives is only part of the equation. The "business" side is what most good makers have trouble with (including me). In my opinion there will always be a market for sharp, tough, affordable knives. You will also have to love it, as the fun gets knocked off pretty quickly ;-)

Generally speaking to make a small fortune in Bladesmithing you must start with a large fortune. In am not saying it can't be done, many have, but it is a very competetive field and most people don't appreciate the quality of a hand made custom knife. They prefer a $5.00 made in China throw away.

consumerism would be great if the average person had any taste

Maybe a defeatist attitude but I like to keep my hobbies as hobbies and not turn them into careers. When that happens then the gloss is very quickly knocked off. I would say make beautiful and functional knives then display them at shows and enjoy.

You cannot compete with the large companies ,,and maybe you dont want to try. But what you can do is make the best you can make and get it into the market. A key ingredient in this is that you are only as good as what you let leave your shop. A knife that leaves must represent who you are and what you make. That is not to say what you make in the future has to be equal to your work now. WE all expect to grow and learn and have it show in our work. Start attending knfe shows or gun and knife shows ,,as many as you can. L:ook at what others make ask questions , let them know your goals and see what they charge. Note what they are selling and pay attention so you can learn what the market is in your area. If you can get to Vegas in January there are a lot of the best makers at that show at the Riviera. Most of whom will spend some time with you. I will be there and glad to introduce you around a bit. And...dont quit your day job.

there are like 4 bladesmiths in australia that i am aware of...and most of them are about 500km apart each...my grand plan is to make kitchen knives eventually...and try and sell them to a franchise like King Of Knives (a boutique knife chain in AU)...lots of certifications and stuff to be done but even if its just by word of mouth i reckon you could atleast make ends meet...

perhaps this doesnt apply in the US though...

does it have to be blades? why not making forged furniture to order? sell your wares at a market or something to start with...small things like candle holders and chandeliers and tools etc...then as your renown grows you should get bigger and more lucrative projects...you can make an absolute MINT doing this down my way...

Edited August 22, 200817 yr by inazuma_x

as far as bladesmithing it would be hard to make ends meet but if you did decorative blacksmithing alongside of that like inazuma said, then you could probly do okay. i was over at my aunts house and she was talking about this hand crafted candle holder she bought and how beautiful it was. she paid $80 for it and i could probly makeit in an hour or less. all it was was a peice of twisted bar stock with 3 legs that were flatened to form feet at one end, tacked on it. its amazing how much money could be made with simple decorative things like that, signs holders, candle holders, stands.

thanks everyone for your input i dont intend to quite my day job and if it ever does turn into more than a lucritave hobby it wont be so one dimensional as knives i hope to someday have a general steel fab shop and cater to a larger consumer base.for now people who are interested and know good work when they see it will keep me busy at the forge doing what i love

Rich that would be great im only a few hours drive from vegas if you would be so kind as to let me know of the actual dates i would love to get down ther and speak to other smiths and knifemakers as ive never really met anyone else in the industry in person.
right now my smithing pays for itself and im happy to leave at that.....for now

Edited August 22, 200817 yr by tantrum86