How to become a fulltime knifemaker (my story)

Less or more monotony & routine now as a business with socials etc?!

I take my Hat off to you young man!!
Keep up the good work..!!

I’ll make it happen. I’ve been dicking around for too long thinking I’d never be able to run a knife company. I’ll be old and pissed I didn’t take the leap. Great information, thank you very much.

hey man. i am so inspired by you and this video! i am still in High School and i hate a lot of it (mostly math) and I am very interested in getting into knife making. This video is a fantastic introduction to knife making so thank you!

All I heard for the first 4 min, was you trying to convince people not to become knife makers. I can understand stating how hard a business is and how much you have to put into it but to drag on and on and on for 4 friggen min about it ?? that's not just explaining how much it takes to become a knife maker, what you are doing is trying to shatter people's hopes of doing this and get them to either give up or never start in the first place. I am not sure what else you talked about because the first 4 min was such a downer I just paused the video to write this comment and then left the video. I don't think I could have handled any more telling me how hard it is and how many people fail and how much it sucks, I mean listen to yourself again, if you haven't really watched your own video just turn it on and listen to your self again.

Im 17 and i always wanted to make knife last week i made my first and its look very good.the only thing about knife making is it takes long to make n good knife espesialy the temper of the blade

So I have been making knives since last October when I turned 16, and I really like it. I have been selling the last few months to get a couple hundred dollars, and I think I want to go professional. Your video is super inspiring. Thanks man!

i gave up my carpentry business and went back to work....now i dont work at weekends! but i miss being in the worksop for sure

Most blade smiths are retired guys from a machining background. If you add forging skills, abilities to repair or fabricate your own equipment, marketing and networking skills. Most young people simply don't have the experience in any of these areas. But what they do have is unstiffled creativity. Sadly, that is never enough. I worked labor and maintenance jobs many years saving money and building skills as a hobbyist knife maker that I would need to eventually realize my goal of blade smithing at a positive cash flow. You sir are a very rare exception. Be careful of burnout, it is a real phenomena that often hits one just as you "make it to the big times". Trust me, "everything in measure" is the best way of life in everyway possible. Good luck with your business, and I hope your able to continue your input into your passion! Well done video! Thanks for the valuable time you put I to it.

I love your vids

What is the tools that you use the most in your shop.
What is the most essential?

Great job thanks

Man that hit deep. I hate being told what to do, I hate having a job and being forced to work with people I cannot stand. If I ask to work with someone else? I get fired because they dont want the hassle. I hate being told when I can eat my lunch. I hate sitting there waiting for quitting time. Spending more time making someone else money than with my own family.

I was not built to work a job with others. I hate people and I want to make my own money, set my own schedule, eat when I want to eat, sit down when I want to sit down. I will go full time very soon whether I'm ready or not

the way you talked about why you want to be self-employed is exactly what i thought to myself too and i turned to knife making, i do sell a few of them every week but i am trying to work in a company too people there are annoying at best but i mostly work alone there

Hey mate where can we buy your knives

Everything worth doing is difficult. There are so many people doing so many things that all fields are saturated. Try being a graphic designer today, there are thousands. 10 full time knife makers in the whole of Australia? Sounds like good odds.

Not to take away from the challenge and work this must take, but for those who are put off by being told something is hard...everything is hard, period. And 'earning a full time living' is absolutely dependent on the kind of life you want.

Making money is partly hard because you get paid by knife and being a handcrafted knife maker you can only generate so many knives by a certain time. If something goes wrong it can be very costly with a knife and ruin that product/machine or cause bodily injury easily.

That was really really great. I love your down to the earth attitude and I can always highly respect people who really love what they are doing. Please keep up the good work and keep those Stories about your life coming. I, and most likely a lot of people, really love them.

Good real chat sir. Cheers

Thanks for sharing that was very inspiring. All the best for you and your company!

Live that dream Dom!!, nothing was built without hard work mate very inspiring video and stay safe👍👍👍

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, you are the next Chris Reeve.

Thanks for the tips, i'm a 16 years old bladesmith from france, i'm working has a fabricator for the moment. I want to try one day to become fulltime bladesmith, buts has you said, it's really difficult

Inspiring to say the least! I think a lot of people feel defeated before they even start because they see other makers with all the high dollar equipment and feel you have to have it to succeed! In reality we all start with nothing and work up from there. Great interview! Thank you sir, cheers from Aleeknives!

Budget knives !!!

Holy shit that was inspiring.... I didn't realise you'd been making knives for so long, great idea with the budget knives too.

good luck i hope business keeps coming in

Great video. Good to hear all this from a knifemaker. Makes it abit better that how my business has been going the last 18months sounds like normal progression in knifemaking.

the most shocking thing about this video is that you're 23. good stuff

Great story and love to see where you have gotten to with desire and hard work.

Super grateful you taking the time to make this video. I recently left my place of work to pursue knife making. Looking at this video I am more motivated than ever. We will definitely do a collaboration video some time soon. Your drive and work ethic is sickening! and its awesomely lol. Happy to learn you safe and healthy. Thanks again for all your content. Looking forward to your next vid explaining how you started knife making :) Much respect from South Africa.

can u make me a knife

i know what u are talking about i went from knifes to blacksmithing knifes and horse shoes and i did that about 3 years and once this pandemic hit and i am now looking for a new blacksmithing job oh i started when i was 13 in my back yard i wasent a fulltime