Frank wrote:
OK, so what was that bullshit story you gave us in a previous post about trying your hand at knifemaking some time ago and not feeling up to the task?
Heh.
Well initial attempts were about 7 or 8 years ago. I blame the exuberance of youth for my failings back then. Making a knife (or pipe, or furniture, or guitar, or anything for that matter) requires patience, and only as I get older have I developed any.
Wasn't it you who told me even Masamune started out by chopping charcoal?
Uh.... maybe not.
You know, I'll bet he did. Nobody is born with that kind of knowledge. Which brings me back to what I touched on above.
I always used to find it odd that the Japanese have such strange opinions of age and experience. On more than one occasion I've seen (on Japanese broadcasts) someone in their late 20s say something like "When I grow up....". In this country, someone in their late 20s is expected to be a fully productive member of society. I used to think "What?! You *are* grown up!". The Japanese, however, seem to cling to the old ideas of long apprenticeship and experience before they can be considered fully knowledgeable in any given area. I used to find that very strange, but as I get older, I understand the thought process behind it. It might not be that youthful people don't have the knowledge, it's just that they lack the patience and thoughtfulness to put it to use.
Obviously, there are exceptions, and that isn't true for everyone. But I think it's a good generalization. For instance, I first read Wayne Goddard's books about 8 years ago. But I didn't actually *understand* them until some time in October/November of this past year.
Or maybe that's just me.
