how many ???

Dan Gray

Dan Gray

Joined
Jun 25, 2001
Messages
8,474
guys,, just a question?
how long would it take a forging smith to personaly make 12,000 knives ?
 
If I were a forging smith, I wouldn't live long enough to get the job done.....and I hope to have at least another 20 years or so as a maker.
 
I want to add that I've seen this advertised on a web site and it's said to have done in 20 years
if you took 20 years to do this and worked 5 days a week 52 weeks a year you'd have to make over 3 per day everyday 5 days a week for the 20 years

considering the Damascus being made, shipping out knives, inshipping and ordering supplies, no sick time, and the other unforeseen things that take up time,, not to mention sheaths having to be made.. could it be done realistically? by a Master smith, we are talking personaly making them..
 
Sam Salvati said:
What style, size, steel?
Click to expand...


sam I'd say the average of what any master maker would make.. some with cored steel ,
but even if it were just one steel plain forged and finished could someone keep it up, see my last post..
 
I know one guy that averaged 500 knives a year for the last 25 years. He would spend 6 months making blades then a couple of months doing handles then a couple of months doing sheaths. He went to tons of shows and sold the knives he'd made the year before. Very production oriented.
 
I know that Herb Derr is making 400+ forged damascus knives a year, there is a dealer on ebay who has 25.

At his rate 400 a year X20 yrs =8000
 
Wondering why you want to know?? Is there a method to your madness?

I would assume that it could be done but quality would be lacking and they would have to be simple knives.

It would take me personaly two lifetimes!
 
I think I would go bugnutz crazy
even with the best powerhammer and press it would stop being fun, at that point I would have to find something else to do for a living. Pure production leaves me too dead for creativity, if I'm not going to be doing something creative for a living I might as well cubicle farm, and do art as a sideline, wait . . . that's what I'm currently trying to escape

I think if you have to do that many knives to make a living you should figure out what to do to be able to slow down and have fun with it and get more per knife.

Just my opinion, if it is physically possible for one man to really do that, and that's what makes him happy, his life not mine

-Page
 
Does this have to do with cracks in ivory?
 
Keithcellini said:
Wondering why you want to know?? Is there a method to your madness?

I would assume that it could be done but quality would be lacking and they would have to be simple knives.

It would take me personaly two lifetimes!
Click to expand...
well it's listed on a master knife makers web site.. that he has done this and claims to have sharpened over 40,000 knives also, I just can't see it being done.. I could be wrong

if my math is in tack..
with the figures of 12,000 in 20 years this works out to 600 knives per year.
with 261 working days a year at 5 day per week ending with 3.83 finished knives per day.. :eek: can it be done? or is there a little hype being added ?


Fiddleback more to do with hype.. and honesty.. I'm not saying it can't be done . but like said can you keep your quality at the same time if you could do this kind of production still stay within the ABS guidelines of the way a knife should be made :confused:
can you get disbarred from the ABS if you are less then honest with your knife making ability ?
 
There are some guys that are real prolific and seem to be workaholics. John Nelson Cooper made approx 100 finished knives per month. Where is this web site?
He is a good guy, I'm sure he would not make these claims if they were not true.
 
Bobby Branton said:
There are some guys that are real prolific and seem to be workaholics. John Nelson Cooper made approx 100 finished knives per month. Where is this web site?
Click to expand...
that would work out to the same amount ...

if a master got say a min of 400.00 per knife and was making 12000 knives a year, that would = $48,000.00 a year.. not bad in some parts of the world but for others not so good.. of course if knives was sold for 800.00 each , much better,, but time versa quality. factors in.. I couldn't do it that steady even stock grinding but that's me.....:)
 
Hi Dan, thanks for posting this.

Just an FYI though, 400/knife @ 12000 would end up being 4.8Mil, $480,0000 if you did 1200.
 
Might wanna check the math on the last post...$400/knife * 12,000 knives a year is 4.8 Million! If you meant to say 1200 knives a year...that's still $480,000.00. At $400/knife, 10 knives a month will get you your 48K.

Dang...too slow.
 
Dan,
I think you slipped a digit or two on your math, If the maker is making 1200 knives per year @ $400/knife that is $480,000.00. If he was making 12000 per year that would be $4,800,000.00. Thems lottery winnings... If I could make that kind of money in one year I might just take a little vacation. If he sold 1200 knives for $48 then he would be making $48,000.00. I know a guy who puts out at least 500 knives/yr and the quality shows. He gets $80-125/knife and does some cable damascus that sells for $250. but 12000/yr? That is a lot of work for a lifetime much less 1 yr.

Chuck
 
I Could Not And Would Not Because. I Love My Wife And She Likes To Go Camping On Weekends, And Take Two Weeks Off With Me And Lay Around
Vern
 
3 per day everyday 5 days a week for the 20 years

I guess I'm a bit slow, I've been working 3 long days already on 1 bowie and I only finished up making the damascus and got the blade forged to shape this morning. Guess I best get off here and get back to it, 3 per day x 3 days = I'm way behind. :eek:

Bill
 
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