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Laser or Waterjet cutting?

I don't know much about waterjet cutting but my experience with laser cutting has been favorable. Laser cuts should have less than .005" kerf when cutting material in the normal knife blank thickness range. The burns are visibly more percise and clean than gas, plasma or hidef plasma cuts. They don't have lead in/lead out problems and the parts won't be covered in slag. A great way to achieve tight tolerances on a consistent basis when manufacturing.
 
An alternative to waterjet or laser cutting is wire spar erosion. This method is used for cutting lots of small parts and can be used on hardened tool steel without affecting the hardness or temper - or so I'm told by the folks who do the work!
I've seen small items with complex lines cut by this method, like small stamps as well as large gears and various industrial cutters.
These people start with a block of hardened tool steel and then hand over the finished item, maybe this is what Ed is looking for?

Roger
 
What is wire spar erosion? How does it work? I am totally unfamiliar with this method. Thanks.
 
What I meant to say of course was Wire Spark Erosion. Trying to type at that time of night was a bad idea!

It was all explained to me once but I can't remember the details. All I remember is that it's precise and expensive.

Roger
 
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