A question for Sal

[fudo]

I think that you might have a better bead on this because of your experience with the mule team project - I never buy raw steels, or heat treat them, so I have no idea how much it would to buy,do basic shaping and heat treating for steels that would be common, e.g. 1095, m4,4116 krupp, AUS8, 440C? Everyone says that the better steels cost more to produce. I understand that the steels that have a complex mix of elements cost more due to the cost of elements, higher skill needed to accomplish the task and additional wear and tear on equipment that is harder to shape, and the extra time to do it. What I don't know is what is the relative cost of these knives (generally) if all the blades are made identically?
Thank you for your time.

 

[Sal Glesser]

Hi Fudo,

As strange as it seems, there is a really wide range of costs.

1. The steel is purchased by the pound and might be as little as $8 / lb, with some steels running in the $40+ per pound. A mule team is about a pound of steel to begin with.
2. The country of origin makes a big difference. If we purchase the steel and build in Golden, we have the dollar conversion to deal with. If we purchase a foreign steel and build in that country, then the conversion as well as the makers costs make a difference.
3. The cost of turning the material into a blade varies. Some steels are harder to cut, grind, heat treat, sharpen, etc. by as much as triple.
4. The number of rejects at the end of the run affect costs.
5. The cost of shipping the material or finished blades.

sal

 

[fudo]

Thanks, Sal.