DDR Shop tour

Wulf, MN Dart, Anthony, Steve and All,
Thanks for the great words and the questions that Steve asked.

All I can say is that we try to provide the very highest quality knives that we can. I have a fetish about precision. I want the best for my customers.
I feel knives should be made with a theory.
Precision, Design, Attention to detail and the very best Materials.
Steve we are building on to our shop right now to add machinery that will allow us to make our own screws, pivots, bushings and other parts. The goal here is to make all of our knife parts and do all of our assembly and finishing under one roof.
I will be glad to make anyone a one of a kind knife. Just ask. I do it all the time.

Chuck
Yes you see the the Zaza inlays for the mm3 and one of the 7 inch bali handles and blades.

The discussion about cnc is simple. It is all what the knife maker believes in and wants coming from his shop.
There is room in the industry for people who forge steel from ore - people like me that want to have the very highest precision coming from thee shop.
We are all knife makers.
The cnc helps make very nice knives. But the hands have to do all of the finish work on my knives.
The statement about using the very best to make my knives is true.
My Son "Ryan Bailey" and I invite anyone who wants to come to the shop of a visit .
Just give us a ring.

Thanks Dan for posting the tour!
 
I also enjoyed all the pictures. Very similar to my shop, except for the multiple CNC's. You guys must really work hard to keep them all busy. I have my hands full with just one! Rock on!
What is great about the follow-up posts on this thread is the recognition of the benefits of properly applied CNC technology. Just a year or two ago, threads like this turned into a battleground with people accusing the users of this technology of not actually making the knives, "cheating", etc. Now, the appreciation of the extra work (yes, extra work) and the enhanced precision is really there, which is what we, the makers, envisioned all along.

Darrel and I speak of this frequently, and it is rewarding to know that our customers have come to embrace this effort and ideal that we have dedicated ourselves to. I know that personally, having a CNC has greatly expanded my enjoyment of knifemaking. The stress and worry of "Will this knife go back together the way it did before I took it apart?" is now completely gone, and, all that energy can be applied to other areas of knifemaking.

Keep up the good work Darrel!
 
RJ,
Yes the machines are hard to keep up with for sure.
We make not only the parts for our folders and fixed blades but offer sub contract machining to others from time to time.
That is what Virgil does in our shop. I trained him to run the mills so that we could make knives.

I really enjoy the networking that you and I have .
We are easy going and the relationship is honest and straightforward.
This is hard to find in life RJ.

Your a great person to know and a forward thinker.
My kind of person!
 
What The!?!?! You mean all this time Darrel was telling me he did all of the work with needle files, he was actually using CNC?!?:p ;)
 
That's it I'm getting an AXD. Can't stand it any longer.

Darrel - I just sent you a form request via your website.
 
I can not wait until my AXD NG arrives!!! Darrell, I wished I lived closer, so I could take a tour of your shop, and more inportantly meet you!!
 
Thanks for all the kind words from you good folks.
I hope that these pictures explain the way we do things.
Most folks have a vision of white lab coats and clean benches.
It would be nice to work that way but it is just not possible in this business.
 
Darrel you are a great knifemaker, a gentleman, and more importantly a friend. Thanks for all you give back to us. BTW, can't wait to see ya in Dec. My new Gunhammer is gonna be the Piece De Resistance.
 
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