How do these guys do it?

S

SkaerE

Joined
Sep 9, 2001
Messages
428
production knife companies? how do they put out sooooo many blades so fast? CNC mills? other CNC equipment?

how about semi-custom? folks like Dozier and Strider, they just hand grind them all very fast? do they use jigs? or is it just multiple knife-makers all in the same shop turning out knife after knife?

just wondering, cause it sure takes a long time to make one knife for me...
 
There are some makers out there having all the knife parts laser cut and then they just grind the blade and slap on a handle. Some folder makers are also doing this. Keeps it from truly being handmade. Lets just call it an upacale kit.
 
I'm not too sure about other makers, but I think Strider laser cuts blanks and then hand grinds them...
 
I have wondered the same thing. I think they spend alot of money for CNC etc. and hire people to run them. I cant do it that way. I would be happy to just get a bigger lathe at this stage.
 
AT A KNIFE SHOW LAST SUMMER, I over heard someone telling someone else that he sends all his steel to company L. to be lazer cut. The steel is then sent to G co. where it is ground on a CNC grinder. G co. then sends the ground blades to heattreaters inc. to be hardened. The blades arrive back at Mr. Smith-jones's shop at about the same time the Liners bolsters and scales all pre-cut drilled tapped etc. do. The KNIFEMAKER? then assembles finishes and adds his mark then takes them to the post o place where they are shipped to his customers. who have just bought their first custom.
 
That is exactly what Rob Simonich does on a lot of his new products, and he correctly sells them as MIDTECH knives, some other well know "custom" makers are not so honest about their product.
 
made some calls today:

heres the deal

Bob Dozier still cuts all of his knives with a bandsaw then handgrinds them. dont consider themselves semi-custom because everything is done by hand. fair enough.

Strider uses EDM for their semi-production knives, bandsaw or chopsaw for customs. all are still ground by hand.

Busse uses laser cutters for their blade blanks.

so thats the deal fer these folks. guess they just have people working for them that grind to help take up the slack.

Bill, who does that? its like acting as a knife "general contractor" who deals out all of the work to subcontractors... doesnt seem right to call that custom/charge custom prices...
 
Originally posted by SkaerE
Bill, who does that? its like acting as a knife "general contractor" who deals out all of the work to subcontractors... doesnt seem right to call that custom/charge custom prices...
Click to expand...

Sorta like swimming pool "companies", huh.
 
You get a bunch of guys helping you make the knife,you just created a factory,I think.I don't mean to offend any maker,just an opinion os some of us independent"small-time makers".If you have to kick out a run or something,what help you hook up to is certainly your own business.You surly will continue to build some knives entirely by yourselfs, which still qualifys you as custom far as I see.
 
sorry, but I DO NOT FEEL AT LIBERTY to discuss this any further. I have not seen any of these knives personally and was just repeating what I overheard in answer to the opening question.:(
 
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