3D printing death of commercial and custom knife making industry?

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Wolf7

Joined
Jul 11, 2006
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I was surfing Youtube and came across videos of 3D printed all metal fully functioning Colt 45 shooting hundreds of round without any damage.

That got me thinking in 5-10yrs most households will have affordable/cheap home 3D printers, like we have ink printers now, that can print out all kinds of materials ex: metal, plastic, wood, etc.

Just imagine, you will be able to design and print out fully functioning folder or fixed blade that is custom tailored to your individual specifications!:D
Think of all the possibilities available to you ex: different steels, custom scales, maybe different locking mechanisms, new blade shapes, bigger/smaller blades/handles etc!!!!
In 24-48hrs you could print out whole new custom tailored knife!

You no longer will have to settle for something that is not perfect fit or function for you, from one of the big knife manufactures or even custom knife makers that make designs they like!

Now you will be able to finally build your dream knife, "Precious" one knife to rule all knives!!!!:D

I believe this will radically change our industrial society and knife making industry in particular!
It will significantly cut into commercial production of folders and fixed blades and eliminate majority of custom knife makers.
I think it will have very little effect on mass produced kitchen cutlery, most people buy cheap kitchen knives anyway!

What do you guys think?
 
3d printing is great for prototyping, if you're technical-minded enough to learn how to do it. So a 3D printer will likely become a tool for knife makers/manufacturers to aid their designs. But 3D printing is very uneconomical for mass production of a product. Thus, it won't change a thing.
 
The other key thing here, is that while its easy to design a knife shaped object, a LOT more goes into a knife than just the generic shape. A lot of what you're paying for in a custom knife is the makers knowledge about the best geometry for the edge, etc. I'd not expect most people to take the time to learn what it takes to make a "perfect" knife.

Not to mention I'm pretty sure that 3d printers won't be able to print fully Heat treated steel any time soon.

I have thought about trying different handle scale shapes on the 3d printers at work though, as that seems like a better "fit" for the current technology.
 
Don't be so quick to dismiss 3D printing because you guys don't want to believe in "new" tech. In the past people believed that a 10 passenger jet would be the largest plane ever built.
 
I agree it's not and most likely won't be for long time to come economical for use by large knife makers for mass production.

But, I'm talking about knife nuts like us on this forum who are the primary or only customers of most custom knife makers!
And we know just as much or even more than they do about edge geometry that works for us users!

Haven't you ever wished that big manufacturer make knife that you love with different blade shape or grind that you know would work much better for your individual knife cutting needs?

Regarding heat treatment of steel, I think with this new 3D printing technology that fuses individual molecules together it may not be as important as it was before.
Think of powdered steels production process changed how steel is made and yet these type of steels are considered premium now!
I know they use heat and pressure to fuse powder together, but 3D printing fuses individual molecules on atomic level, that might make it just as strong or stronger than regular steel.

Besides, if 3D printed steel gun can withstand gas pressure from exploding bullets, in the barrel and slide, than I think it can withstand pressure of most normal cutting jobs.

Obviously, any metal no matter how it was made can be broken by severe abuse it was not meant to be used for!

I was watching discovery channel show about breakthroughs in new advanced technology where they are growing nanotubes to make materials that will be stronger, lighter and more durable for production of buildings, machines etc. Stronger than steel and harder than diamonds!
 
all hail nanotubes... until the technology is to the point that these machines can make knives in steels that are as good (tough, strong, hard, wear resistant) than what we can make with current methods and do it cheaper, i don't think we are in any real danger of a major breakthrough
 
Not really. 3D printing is like 3D TV. It was supposed to be a revolution. But both have gone nowhere in the private sector and the public has lost interest. Both currently exist as kind of a novelty, like chia pets.

The problem with 3D printing isn't it's utility or potential. In an industrial setting it has applications. But for home use, the main limiting factor is that you lack the ability to manipulate most materials with a 3D printer. You are limited to only soft plastics and the like. If you want to shell out a few grand for a 3D printer to make a plastic knife, you can do so. But you wont be cutting steel with a 3D printer in your home.
 
If, IF, 3D printing does start to cut into the custom knife market, then that will just be the new baseline. Custom providers will probably start offering what 3D printing cannot (rare materials that cannot be generated through available technology, proprietary parts that have not been published as 3D computable code yet, finishes that must be applied manually, etc.)

If technology advances, then that just becomes the new baseline for service providers and craftsmen, who will then use their ingenuity to provide something that machines cannot. It is the way the world has always worked, and it brings our standard of living up.

Technology usually only makes products better, or improves life for consumers (because consumer dollars fund technology that makes life better - people don't buy what they don't want, after all.)

I personally can't imagine I would prefer to print off my own knife, unless it was strictly utilitarian (gardening, cooking, etc), and I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into a good pocketknife. That said, I am interested in seeing all the new applications that smarter people than me can come up with!
 
We've been playing with the machines at work,,, they are SLOW.
It can take hours, often overnight to make something.
Now Glowforge,,, that's a different story, it's a 3D laser printer,, but to my knowledge it can't cut thick steel.
CNC is much faster.
 
Wolf7 said:
I agree it's not and most likely won't be for long time to come economical for use by large knife makers for mass production.

But, I'm talking about knife nuts like us on this forum who are the primary or only customers of most custom knife makers!
And we know just as much or even more than they do about edge geometry that works for us users!

Haven't you ever wished that big manufacturer make knife that you love with different blade shape or grind that you know would work much better for your individual knife cutting needs?

Regarding heat treatment of steel, I think with this new 3D printing technology that fuses individual molecules together it may not be as important as it was before.
Think of powdered steels production process changed how steel is made and yet these type of steels are considered premium now!
I know they use heat and pressure to fuse powder together, but 3D printing fuses individual molecules on atomic level, that might make it just as strong or stronger than regular steel.

Besides, if 3D printed steel gun can withstand gas pressure from exploding bullets, in the barrel and slide, than I think it can withstand pressure of most normal cutting jobs.

Obviously, any metal no matter how it was made can be broken by severe abuse it was not meant to be used for!

I was watching discovery channel show about breakthroughs in new advanced technology where they are growing nanotubes to make materials that will be stronger, lighter and more durable for production of buildings, machines etc. Stronger than steel and harder than diamonds!
Click to expand...

I'm still waiting for our flying cars, any day now. Not to say "it can never happen" for 3d printers, it's just not realistic.

but for knife nuts like us CNC machines are better suited to produce your own 1-off knife. And they're somewhat affordable now. Some guys are using them in The Custom Shop subforum in the exchange.
 
Flying cars :rolleyes:;) they already exist, just google it!

CNC machines are too expensive and won't be in every home anytime soon! Most people don't need them!

But I do think that 3D printers will become so cheap in 5-10 years like every other technology before it, including regular ink printers, that they will be in every home!
They are future "great-grandfathers" of Star Trek replicators, that I believe will eventually be in every home!

3D printing technology is growing by leaps and bounds.
In the beginning, it was only printing fragile plastics, now few years later it's printing stronger, tougher plastics and metals!
Who can say what type of materials it will be able to print in 5-10 years time?

I was reading investment prospectus for one of the 3D printing companies and their vision for this new technology is like having fax machine that can printout physical material products on demand anywhere in the world ex: Arctic base, boat in the ocean, etc. all you need is compute/phone and 3D printe!

For example you go online order car part or any other non living product, and it's automatically printed out on your home 3D printer within minutes depending on complexity of detail!
No more waiting for UPS guy to bring you packages!

Even now, there are few companies that let you design product on their website and printed out in their factory and shipped to your home, sure there are some limitations on materials etc but it is getting better all the time.

We are not there yet, but getting closer with every year!
 
3d printing is indeed improving.

Regarding heat treating. Its not that metal 3d printing doesn't fuse metals together "atomically" its that the grain structure of an metal changes when it is heat treated. Heat treating a knife has never been about making sure the metal is all fused together, its been about reaching certain hardnesses, and getting certain grain structures in the metal itself.

All of the 3d printing things that I've seen have attempted to heat a given material enough to soften it so that it can be extruded/sprayed to shape, then bond with itself. The problem with this is that even if this was done with metal, it would be by definition annealing it (softening). Unless the 3d printer also happens to have the ability to raise the entire piece being printed to ~1600-2000 degrees Fahrenheit, and keep it there for a while (not to mention tempering, quenching, etc), it will not be able to do heat treating as it is done now.

So, I'm not saying its impossible, it just sounds very, very specific, and I doubt that most consumer grade level 3d printers (even in the future) would be equipped to handle something like that.

As it is right now, CNC machines are the closest we have to what you're doing.

Also, my "argument" that much of what you're paying for in a knife is the manufacturers/makers knowledge about what makes a good knife. So for most of the public, they wouldn't be making knives of their own anyway. More likely is similar to what you described, where you "buy" something, and it prints out a copy for you at home.
 
Wolf7 said:
I agree it's not and most likely won't be for long time to come economical for use by large knife makers for mass production.

But, I'm talking about knife nuts like us on this forum who are the primary or only customers of most custom knife makers!
And we know just as much or even more than they do about edge geometry that works for us users!

Haven't you ever wished that big manufacturer make knife that you love with different blade shape or grind that you know would work much better for your individual knife cutting needs?

Regarding heat treatment of steel, I think with this new 3D printing technology that fuses individual molecules together it may not be as important as it was before.
Click to expand...

Mass production and customization are 2 different things. Making made to order pieces is not how mass production has ever worked for any product.

And this 3d printing fuses individual molecules together?!? You sure about that?
 
Wolf7 said:
Flying cars :rolleyes:;) they already exist, just google it!

CNC machines are too expensive and won't be in every home anytime soon! Most people don't need them!

But I do think that 3D printers will become so cheap in 5-10 years like every other technology before it, including regular ink printers, that they will be in every home!
They are future "great-grandfathers" of Star Trek replicators, that I believe will eventually be in every home!

3D printing technology is growing by leaps and bounds.
In the beginning, it was only printing fragile plastics, now few years later it's printing stronger, tougher plastics and metals!
Who can say what type of materials it will be able to print in 5-10 years time?

I was reading investment prospectus for one of the 3D printing companies and their vision for this new technology is like having fax machine that can printout physical material products on demand anywhere in the world ex: Arctic base, boat in the ocean, etc. all you need is compute/phone and 3D printe!

For example you go online order car part or any other non living product, and it's automatically printed out on your home 3D printer within minutes depending on complexity of detail!
No more waiting for UPS guy to bring you packages!

Even now, there are few companies that let you design product on their website and printed out in their factory and shipped to your home, sure there are some limitations on materials etc but it is getting better all the time.

We are not there yet, but getting closer with every year!
Click to expand...



Well I could dispute almost every point made above, but for the sake of comradery, i'll simply say: If the day ever comes when I 3D print my own steel cutting utensil in the confines of my own home I will remember this day and smile. :)
 
Last edited:
Wolf7 said:
I was reading investment prospectus for one of the 3D printing companies and their vision for this new technology is like having fax machine that can printout physical material products on demand anywhere in the world ex: Arctic base, boat in the ocean, etc. all you need is compute/phone and 3D printe!

For example you go online order car part or any other non living product, and it's automatically printed out on your home 3D printer within minutes depending on complexity of detail!
No more waiting for UPS guy to bring you packages!
Click to expand...

And where do the "cartridges" come from? So lets say. like you say, these things fuse individual molecules together. So you have a cartridge full of, say AUS-8 molecules sitting around? Then another titanium cartridge for your scales? And one for each of the other alloys used in the knife?

Not making sense.
 
You could get your 3D printer and a subscription to a few knife makers. Once a month the machine would fire up and buzz out a new blade, and scales, and sheath. You might have to do some finishing and detail/assembly work.

Wouldn't even have to worry about the TSA. You could fly to another city and use the printer in your hotel suite to print out a knife.
 
jrawk said:
Well I could dispute almost every point made above, but for the sake of comradery, i'll simply say: If the day ever comes when I 3D print my own steel cutting utensil in the confines of my own home I will remember this day and smile. :)
Click to expand...

And I will print out my hat and eat it.
 
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