What I do

Hello all, Since I make my living off my artwork I thought I would share with you what I do. The knife below was made by Ron Lake. The gold inlay and engraving was done by me. I get up every day and cut ornate designs and images into metal with tiny chisels.

Ray

That's really beautiful Ray!
I can't tell whether the inlay is on wood. If so, or not, what is it?

Wow Ray, that is truly beautiful! As a fellow artist, I know how much work goes into things like that -- I hope the appreciation for your time and artistry shows up in your "paycheck". Most of us have to be dead before anyone notices. (Or they think we are having way too much fun to be able to call it a job, so they figure we are already being paid by getting to play all the time!

If they only knew...) Anyway, great work! Where in Missouri are you, by the way? I'm in SW Missouri, down near Branson/Forsyth.

Wonderful work.

Thanks everyone.

Leila,

The Center inlay is Sambar stag antler and was put there by the knife maker. The frame of the handle is stainless steel and the gold is inlaid into the stainless. The black is an ink I use to color the backgrounds for contrast.

Deb,

I am in Festus right now about a half hour south of St Louis. I dream of moving to your area. anywhere in the Nixa, Cassville, Ozark, Monet areas would be heaven for me. My wife is checking to see if the university at Springfield has the graduate program she wants. If so we may actually move to that area.
I make a decent living. I will never be a millionaire doing what I do but I have a lot of friends raising a family on jobs they don't like making less than I do so I consider myself blessed.

That is some really nice work.

(I'll bet they don't sell that model in Walmart!)

Whoa that's the kind of knife that never has to do a hard days work in it's life! not to mention something as night as that will outlive any knife i know.
It's a fine art you do if only us that deserve such fine work could really afford the work you do, it looks like the kind of knife a railroad tycoon would cut an orange with.
Again great work!