Knife Making Startup Costs....Need Input/Help

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I like you Adam! I am also a long time smoker of meats. Low and slow is the way to go!

I have had several experiences like you had. Folks think they can read about it and duplicate what they've had and enjoyed. Like many things, smoking is part art and a lot of things learned by doing it many, many times.

If often fascinates me when I find out about folks that have some of the same diverse interests that I do.
 
NC Biker said:
What time frame did you give them for delivery?
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I haven't given them one, we are going to discuss that as well as handle options, logo options, sheath color options & paracord color options in our luncheon meeting next week. I am probably going to give a due date of just slightly before 2015 hunting season.
 
I hate to be a turd in the punchbowl, but 3 years ago I wanted to start making knives. I thought the only tool that I lacked was a grinder. I purchased a Bader III 2 x 72 variable speed grinder and thought I was in business.

Now I will say that it appears that you are better organized and have a vision of what your goals are, but it isn't as easy as it seems. At least not to me. I couldn't wait to make a fixed blade knife. 3 years later I'm still waiting to make a decent fixed blade... Once I got my grinder I found a million other things I needed. The employees at Harbor Freight knew me by name. It was at this point that I realized why some knives are $400-$600. I couldn't have imagined the time and effort that a "simple fixed blade" knife took.

So, after a few dozen blanks I slowly resided to the fact that I would just do this as a "hobby". However, in my case, my "hobby" just acts as a heavy paper weight on my work bench (sadly). With 2 small children now, any free time I have, I want to go out and grind. But now my issue is that with such little time, I really don't want to spend what time I do have profiling blanks and surface grinding them on my platen. I want to grind! But the cost of water jetting for me isnt cost effective because I don't sell anything, and it's not worth the investment to buy the additional equipment.

I really hope you succeed and do well with this. I know there are countless people here that will do their best to help you also.
 
Really consider how to attach the scales. Epoxy. G/flex. You can never have enough spring clamps or c clamps. Good luck man. please keep us posted on here. really curious about how it works for ya
 
viral said:
Really consider how to attach the scales. Epoxy. G/flex. You can never have enough spring clamps or c clamps. Good luck man. please keep us posted on here. really curious about how it works for ya
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I'll be attaching the handles with epoxy and pins, and I got enough clamps to clamp together 100 knives at a time from all my woodworking history
 
You should at least make a few knives before you even begin thinking you will make a run of 50.

As with alot of other makers here I jumped in this adventure thinking I would be good at it right away because I knew what I wanted my finished product to look like because I have been collecting knives since I was a child that had to hide the knives I traded all my friends older brothers my dads booby mags for. :D

Its just not that easy.Listen to the pros, Make a few knives, and get back to us.

EDIT: Holy run-on sentence batman!!
 
Guys, It seems to me Madupree will not listen to good sense. He seems to hear our comments, but just like that guy a few days ago who wanted a stainless steel with a spring temper that he could heat treat at home, everyone's efforts are better spent elsewhere, talking to people who will listen to and heed the advice of those with more experience in this craft. While I wish you the best of luck, The dozens of makers here could be of more help to other people. Thank you for visiting the forum and please come back if you have questions.
 
hellspawn415 said:
Guys, It seems to me Madupree will not listen to good sense. He seems to hear our comments, but just like that guy a few days ago who wanted a stainless steel with a spring temper that he could heat treat at home, everyone's efforts are better spent elsewhere, talking to people who will listen to and heed the advice of those with more experience in this craft. While I wish you the best of luck, The dozens of makers here could be of more help to other people. Thank you for visiting the forum and please come back if you have questions.
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:thumbup:
 
Hellspawn.

If you delete some of the stuff in your in box I can reply to your PM.

Attention Mods, Sorry, Its the only way I can reply.
 
madupree said:
I cut out the template with a premade template using a guide bushing, then use a roundover bit. Finishing will be done by sealing them with a polyurethane most likely.the blanks will be cut out by wire edm not waterjet or laser and the choil will be finished out by hand. My blades will have a flat grind which from my understanding is 'flat' and your comparison of the the 'magician' you're talking as if the magician has never picked up a single musical instrument. Where as it might actually be a reality of one playing one instrument for half their life and deciding to play another instrument all while knowing the basic concept oof how to handle the instrument, just needin fine tuning in the end.
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If you are going to have a truly flat grind that means that there is NO distal taper to the point and I wish you luck with your diagram and no distal taper unless you change the tip to the "Americanized Tanto Tip". Even then there is a degree or two.

You are going to have a lot of fine tuning to do. We are not talking about going from playing a Trombone to Trumpet.

We are talking about going from playing a wood wind, like the Obo to making a Brass, like a Tuba.

Stay safe and have fun!
 
The general rule of thumb for small startups is that you can usually double or (more realistically) triple the anticipated startup expenses. If you are getting the relatively meager sum of $ 9500 (190x50) against your investment in your time, equipment, supplies, sub-contractors etc. your profit on this venture is likely to be a net negative. Add this to the fact that you have never actually made a finished knife and you have a short and very steep learning curve facing you in a precision manufacturing arena where experience is everything, this endeavor is tilting at windmills.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
If you are going to have a truly flat grind that means that there is NO distal taper to the point and I wish you luck with your diagram and no distal taper unless you change the tip to the "Americanized Tanto Tip". Even then there is a degree or two.

You are going to have a lot of fine tuning to do. We are not talking about going from playing a Trombone to Trumpet.

We are talking about going from playing a wood wind, like the Obo to making a Brass, like a Tuba.

Stay safe and have fun!
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Yes I do realize there will be a distal taper to the tip of the blade
 
monkapotamus said:
The general rule of thumb for small startups is that you can usually double or (more realistically) triple the anticipated startup expenses. If you are getting the relatively meager sum of $ 9500 (190x50) against your investment in your time, equipment, supplies, sub-contractors etc. your profit on this venture is likely to be a net negative. Add this to the fact that you have never actually made a finished knife and you have a short and very steep learning curve facing you in a precision manufacturing arena where experience is everything, this endeavor is tilting at windmills.
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Thanks for the input, but in the end I'm a numbers guy and a business plan is always going to have some unanticipated costs, with that in mind, I realize that starting out there is going to be some costs that have been unaccounted for, but for those costs to be 3x the figured startup cost is highly unlikely, this business startup isn't my first rodeo
 
madupree said:
Thanks for the input, but in the end I'm a numbers guy and a business plan is always going to have some unanticipated costs, with that in mind, I realize that starting out there is going to be some costs that have been unaccounted for, but for those costs to be 3x the figured startup cost is highly unlikely, this business startup isn't my first rodeo
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How'd the last rodeo go?
 
Don't worry everyone, after I get the first blanks back from wire edm and put em to the grinder I'll post pictures and all that good stuff and will probably have quite a few questions that will hopefully be answered to improve my grinding skills
 
Folks, I think Madupree is talking to the wrong folks. Not that there hasn't been some good advice, but the majority of makers here don't take on small production runs of this size. Let's face it, he is not making custom knives, he is not even making handmade knives. He is somewhere between mid-tech and full production at best. The problem is that he's tackling the job from the viewpoint of a hobby custom maker because he's limited his R&D research to whatever he can stumble upon on the web. He really needs to be talking to Mike Stewart at Bark River or the folks at TOPS. Mike especially has long experience with small production runs of this sort.
 
A cheaper alternative to a huge, expensive grinder is a craftsman( ewwww!) 2x42 belt sander. It is about $150 and it has lasted both me, and my mentor a very long time(we both have one). I don't know if you would want this but if your wife is...not happy, a cheaper grinder may help. Belts are cheaper too I would assume.
You may want a good Checkering. File as well so you can do the jimping.
 
xXBackyardCrafterXx said:
A cheaper alternative to a huge, expensive grinder is a craftsman( ewwww!) 2x42 belt sander. It is about $150 and it has lasted both me, and my mentor a very long time(we both have one). I don't know if you would want this but if your wife is...not happy, a cheaper grinder may help. Belts are cheaper too I would assume.
You may want a good Checkering. File as well so you can do the jimping.
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Well the wife is excited in general and I think with the 2x72 I have a lot more grinding options available (flat platen, small wheels, etc) and for a large production it will probably be best. This knife design will not have and jimping on it
 
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