Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrisl
Hey, let's hope that worldwide demand for quality razor strops increases to the point that you can quit your day job! 
Chris L |
That level is already there but I am not a risk taker. I have been in my career field for 26 years and not about to give up a secure and rewarding position. It's fun to dream but fads and markets change too much to take that large a step.
I do feel that part of why I can offer the quality I do is in that I do not have to rely on this to live. If materials don't look or feel right, or my finished labor just does not result in what I am happy with I am not forced to make do just to pay the bills and salaries and hope no one notices. While it does interupt supply I can choose to work on product when I feel the mood to be creative and let it sit if I am distracted or occupied with family or my job. If I expand I need to hire help and then would loose control over each step I didn't do personally. Right now I do everything except the woodwork and that is because my Amish friends are far more talented in this respect than I am. I tried hiring out finish work on my strops and had to discard almost all of it. Oddly, my superstar in rounding and beading edges on my practice strops was a 17 year old Amish girl, Sarah. If we lived closer to each other I would hire her full time!
I like where I am at right now, really. Deep enough to be one of the leaders in this field, but to to where it controls my life as it has the past 3 years. Time is flying by too fast to miss a moment away from what is important to me, family and friends.
Tony