Try something new

When I started making Handmade Damascus Steel Hunting Knife, the entire process was foreign and new. I learned to become better at forging, grinding, finishing, installing, carpentry, forming, all by jumping directly into the application and knowledge of the book I gained by reading or watching videos.

When you made your first knives, no matter how beautiful they were, I learned something. Usually you can apply to make the next knife better, but often you will find a trick made some part of the process easier or better somehow.

Now because this was your first knife, it was new. Because it was new, I learned something. This principle applies to whether you have made five knives or five hundred.

So what I like to do is every time in a while, is to build what I call a "new project."

The novel project is something new or unfamiliar to me. Can be a katana, can be a chef's knife, can be a folding knife.

I now have basic knowledge and experience I have a good idea about what to do at every step, but I did not do it before forcing me out of my comfort zone and finding new ways to overcome the unique challenges, especially those that are unique to me and the tools available.

The best thing about a novel project, is if you go back to try it again at a later date, the second time is much better than the first one. This is because of the experience and knowledge gained the first time, in addition to my natural improvements from other projects over time. I fully realized this when I went to look at some of my old work photos. These are all the daggers I have made, four in all, with nearly a year in each.

The sequence of images is a bit untested, but it is quite clear in which order they were made. Bottom left, top left, top right, and finally bottom right

Now I'm talking about using a novel project to get the best, to stretch your skills and gain your skills. That is all true, but to be truly honest, the catalyst for them is to enjoy. That's really all it is. A new project is usually stimulated by sudden inspiration, which is actually a revival of my first love of art. Everything else is a bonus, a great bonus as it is.

Of course it is good to stick to one style for a while; my favorite was the small bowies, but that is about the benefits of doing a new project.

Now to continue my previous point: the first project novel in a certain type (says chef knife) dips my toes in the water, often a complete failure. The second type is usually acceptable, but not salable. Third, I can improve the points and errors you made the previous time. Fourth, I can focus on details and try to excel. At this stage, the novel project became familiar, and if I liked it, I would continue to implement it, but it was no longer a new project. About this time I will get the error to experience something different, says Katana.

Over time all this adds. Every time you do something that becomes a little more familiar, you will gain a little more skill. It's pretty much like a video game. As the game improves and plays a lot, you can unlock new characters and levels harder and harder. So it is with knife making. When you make knives, if the attempt fails, you have learned enough to correct them the next time. When you get better, you will gain the skills to try new new projects that were impossible to do 12 years ago.

This, along with trying to make each knife better than the past, is the real way to improve. After all, it's all about fun. We put more effort into work when we enjoy it.