How many knives do you build a year?

Atlas Knife Company

Atlas Knife Company

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Feb 16, 2010
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I just read an old post from a well-known member here stating that they make "50-75 fillet knives a year". This made me wonder. . .How many knives do you knifemakers build a year compared to us hobbyists?
 
I'm a hobbyist. Last year I finished one whole knife :thumbdn: (because I set up my hot shop and started forging). The year before it was 9 or 10. I hope to set a new record this year. We'll see if I succeed.
 
I make between 200 and 350 a year. Best year for me was 2008. Lost count but I know it was over 350.
Scott
 
Hello: I can do 10 or 12 simple RR spike knives a day....but hey are like a 15 minute knife start to finish for me...

"regular stuff"...I average about 15 or so a week...Swords are 4 in two days or so

NVHammerhead
 
I am a hobby maker too. Last year I made less than 10 knives but spent a lot of time on building tools, gadgets, benches and turning a garage into a shop. This year it will be definitely more. If I am happy with a quality I will start selling my knives this year.
 
I think the question has so many variables it's extremely hard to answer. What type of knives do you make? Some guys here specialize in simple utility knives that they sell in bunches, 10-20 at a time. Is knifemaking your sole source of income? If it is, I'd image productivity would be a very high priority. Some guys do swords, art knives, etc. Your output just depends on your circumstances, time, and goals. With all of that said, I've probably made around 60 knives in 6 years, although my output is really slowing because I'm moving into swords and more ornately furnished knives.

Dave
 
David, please don't take it as a challenge or contest. I was just curious (and figured others might be also) about how busy people are at making them in their hobbies or occupations. This also explains why we rarely see presentations of knives past the first 10(Now introducing my 13,853rd knife, by Bladsmth, hehehe). I truly had no idea that people made such high volumes of knives. Knowing that some people have been doing it for 30+ years at 200+ per year is a LOT of knives.

Then again, 15 years repairing computers at 1500+ computers per year. . .I guess I done a fair volume in my profession as well.
 
Ah, another similarity.

I've been in the computer industry since 1979... so 31 years now. I have been a programmer, system programmer, system manager, network manager, cluster manager, sales support specialist, documention writer, and now a manager of engineering programs. In my spare time I also build computers for family and friends... and work on web sites, database projects, and several other hobbies (obsolete currency, pocket watches, radios, telephones, and so on).

Perhaps the diversity of my interests would explain why I only devote about 1 - 2 hours per day to knife making (except on weekends). And that might help one to understand why my output may never exceed 1 per month, regardless of how simple the end product may appear.

I get a certain primal "manly" satisfaction from this hobby that the others don't provide. :)

- Greg
 
I finished 30 in the last 12 months, 10 were commissioned and 6 were gifts. I was experimenting with designs and handle materials. I'm getting an oven soon so I can heat treat a little more more efficiently and move into higher end steels (Currently sticking to 10-95).
 
I've done 59 since I started 8 months ago, but haven't finished one in about a month. It depends on how much time I've got. In general I think I can manage between 1-5 a month, depending. If I didn't have anything else to do it'd be more like 15 a month, which I did when I was off school during December. That was WORK though and kinda burned me out for a while.
 
I just finished my 2009 taxeslast week and tallied up my sales........

36 knives
4 backpacks
16 pouches
12 sheaths
 
I am making 26 for the BladeShow. Shipped 10 neckers a few weeks back, have 9 in process for jobs. I really have no Ideah how many I make a year. As many as I can fit in with out getting burned out. Im a weekend worker so not as many as some I am sure.
 
Zaph, nah, I didn't take it that way at all. Just passing on a few opinions. I lost a whole week this month due to a neice getting married. No shop time at all. It was like a heroin addict going cold turkey.:)

Dave
 
I am a hobby knife maker...I tell folks it is a way to blow off steam after a less than stellar day at the office, hitting the gym, etc. I am closing in on 1500 knives after 20-something years. Currently making about 40 a year.
 
I basically work 8 hrs a weekend in total. What I do that helps my numbers is when I profile - I spend all weekend JUST PROFILING. Then I get way more patterns I plan to finish and it speeds up the next go around. Also just try and get all steps streamlined and work on each knife untill that step gets complete before moving on. Takes longer to get the batch dont but way more in amount when there actually done.
 
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