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Carl W.
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Posted: Fri 09 Mar, 2012 7:35 am Post subject: |
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Good luck on your new path Michael! If you ever just feel like banging out something more simple (perhaps a viking spear or axe :-) please let me know.
Carl
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Matthew Stagmer
Industry Professional
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Posted: Fri 09 Mar, 2012 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Michael,
I wish you nothing but the best brother. I think quite highly of your body of work and your skills. If you ever need to pick the brain of another smithy please feel free to call or write me!
Here's to new paths!
-Matt
Matthew Stagmer
Maker of custom and production weaponry
Youtube.com/ThatWorks
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David Wilson
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Posted: Fri 09 Mar, 2012 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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That is a relief! Other smiths have gone the same way, and it's been a good thing overall. By not accepting commissions you can really focus on what you want. And people will still be buying!
David K. Wilson, Jr.
Laird of Glencoe
Now available on Amazon: Franklin Posner's "Suburban Vampire: A Tale of the Human Condition -- With Vampires" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072N7Y591
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Luka Borscak
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Posted: Sat 10 Mar, 2012 4:28 am Post subject: |
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I totally support this kind of making business. You have great ideas and execute them beautifully. Why not follow your inspiration, someone will buy it since your talent and ideas are appealing to so many of us.
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Jean Thibodeau
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Posted: Sat 10 Mar, 2012 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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Luka Borscak wrote: | I totally support this kind of making business. You have great ideas and execute them beautifully. Why not follow your inspiration, someone will buy it since your talent and ideas are appealing to so many of us. |
I agree, a few of my Pikula pieces where my ideas for custom work and beautifully executed by Michael, but my two swords by Michael where purchases as available for sale pieces I fell in love with.
I would encourage Michael to occasionally continue making spear heads or other less work intensive pieces just as a change of pace between major projects: At times a maker can want to do a quick little project while thinking about other projects until an idea gels and matures as a new challenge.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Jarno-T. Pälikkö
Industry Professional
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Posted: Fri 16 Mar, 2012 3:59 am Post subject: |
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Hello Michael,
I have been thinking a lot about what you wrote above and I thought to share some insights…
I believe that we are dealing with very similar problems, you and I. I too have long been pondering whether I should quit taking commissions and start doing things in a different way.
The pressure to be able to maintain one’s own quality standards or even surpass them can over time become such an oppressive force that it starts to hinder the actual work. And when the stress overcomes the feeling of enjoyment that one gets from creating new things, the situation is quite serious.
Making commissions is in a way a two edged sword (!), on the other side there is the financial safety factor of “guaranteed income” in the form of commissioned work in the backlog. On the other side there is the possibility of stagnation – ending up making same sort of orders over and over again and fewer chances of creative work. – and still maintaining the standards everyone expects from you…
I have been tiptoeing around the same issues for quite some time – and I am still taking (and making) custom orders. Maybe the saving grace in my case is the fact that people order very different kind of things from me, everything from puukko-style knives to swords. So after a very demanding sword project I can unwind a bit by making some basic-model knives next. –Of course keeping in the agreed timetables with the orders can be a bit tricky at times.
I freely admit that the stress factor can be quite hideous at times – even in a project that is very interesting in itself. With pattern welded blades especially the emotional stress is in the high levels until to the very end when it finally is revealed whether there are welding faults in the blade or not. All swords and their heat treatments cause me heebie jeebies – will the blade be straight (enough) after the quenching, can I grind the fullers to shape properly, can I get the flex, the point of balance and weight of the blade all into the intended ballpark?
On the other hand, in order to progress in the making I believe a maker needs a challenge - and at least in my case, the challenges often come in the form of an inquiry about accepting a commission work. For example, I do not think that I would have otherwise tried my hand on those pattern welded inscriptions had it not been a custom order, even though I have been interested in them for a long time. (The fact that the customer did a runner and I was stuck up with the sword is another matter…!)
For me, the most nerve-wrecking commissions are those where I am required to copy my own work I have done earlier, sword orders with millimeter accurate plans come close second. Trying to make one meter long object accurate to half millimeter according to some drawing is simply something that pushes the pressures through the roof and kills all enjoyment of the work. A special mention as “top-stressers” must also be given to such custom orders in which some completely new technique or such needs to be used (successfully) for the first time.
So, in short what I am trying to say is that you are not the only one wrestling with these problems. In due time, it would be very interesting to learn how your change of direction worked out and what effect it had in your life as a craftsman.
Best wishes,
JT
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Jean Thibodeau
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Posted: Fri 16 Mar, 2012 6:37 am Post subject: |
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Jarno-T. Pälikkö wrote: |
For me, the most nerve-wrecking commissions are those where I am required to copy my own work I have done earlier, sword orders with millimeter accurate plans come close second. Trying to make one meter long object accurate to half millimeter according to some drawing is simply something that pushes the pressures through the roof and kills all enjoyment of the work. A special mention as “top-stressers” must also be given to such custom orders in which some completely new technique or such needs to be used (successfully) for the first time.
So, in short what I am trying to say is that you are not the only one wrestling with these problems. In due time, it would be very interesting to learn how your change of direction worked out and what effect it had in your life as a craftsman.
Best wishes,
JT |
Creating a new piece is very different than duplicating a piece, sort of like the difference of walking in snow and having to re-do the walk by stepping into the same footprints.
Maybe one should make a distinction between not " soliciting " commissions and not accepting a commission under any circumstances without exception: If someone proposes a project that is challenging and something the makers would really like trying to make, it might be something to consider accepting as a commission.
The idea being that accepted commissions would be very few and low enough in numbers so as to not interfere with maker self initiated projects.
In any case when changing one's business model it may be better to not initially make exceptions but what I suggest is the priority is to do what keeps you motivated and excited to make and reduces distracting obligations or stress. ( What makes you happy as a creative artist and still not starve. ).
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Jean Thibodeau
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Posted: Tue 20 Mar, 2012 1:47 am Post subject: |
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Just a suggestion: The Topic title might be edited to reflex that although commissions are no longer being accepted, Michael is still going to be doing new and original work, and still in business.
EDITED: Just noticed that Michael added a note to this effect to his first post, but modifying the Topic title might still be worth doing ? But not as important as I first though before re-reading Michael's first post.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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