WTF is Fusion-Mogging?
uh, let's not get into that now. it's kind of like a cross between fusion logging and derving undergirders with a mokume-style laminate.
WTF is Fusion-Mogging?
Ahh, I should have known that, it's just like it sounds...
Sounds like a really really bad idea and fast way to loose all your investment money quickly. Not that my opinion means much but i have run numerous businesses over the last 25 years, some big some small, some did well some tanked. from what i read in the thread, id say do a proper business plan cause the realities of manufacturing are far from the blissfull success your probably enjoying with this idea in your head. I do wish you the best tho.
Man, I just wish I could make a knife for only $55 in material.
Nevermind time, expendables, and the cost of outfitting the workshop.
No sir, I would not.Would you spend $8 on materials and spend 3-7 hours, start to finish on one knife, and sell it for $55?
Ok I admit that this would be difficult in a "real" production set up, but consider
1. Liners, copper. cost $0
2. Blade steel / spring steel, cost $0
3. Wood handles, cost $0 (I cut or gather and process my own sustainable woods from my property)
4. Pins, cost per knife: $1-2
5. Cost to heat treat: I do my own heat treating (simple, perhaps crude method, but it makes a serviceable blade), cost of oil, neglible. Cost of propane, per knife $1.00
6. Finishing supplies, per unit: $5 (includes sandpaper / sanding belts / oils / etc.)
TOTAL COST (for one knife, parts only): ~$7-8
Labor, tool amortization, electricity, etc., are not figured in at this point.
Just a couple of things that cross my mind:
You start out by saying that it would be "difficult in a 'real' production set up"... I don't think it would be difficult, so much as impossible. That being said, making a "green" knife out of "100% recycled materials" could be an additional selling point for you.
Speaking of "green" however, I hope your not planning on using green wood from your property to start making knife scales. Even dead trees need to be taken to a certain moisture content, if not then stabilized, before they make anything that will be remotely useful as a knife scale.
I also think it's interesting that you are planning on purchasing what should arguably be the cheapest part of your knife (pins) and nothing else?
"Labor, tool amortization, electricity, etc... are not figured in at this point."
When exactly do you plan on figuring them in?
At any rate, without repeating what others have already said, you really need to sit down and factor in all of those things that you haven't already. I'd also recommend that you sit down and talk with somebody that has already achieved success making production runs of folders, fixed blades (or whatever else for that matter) and glean whatever helpful advice you can from them.
I've noticed at least one or two have already offered some in this thread alone.
I'm truly curious to see the end product (and price) that you come up with, as well as what you learn during the process.
When I get the first one done, I will post a photo and you guys tell me what you think.
I am sort of at a loss as to how to word what I want to say (as sooo many have added what I would have said), but feel driven to do so. Holiday, your original two posts don't really ask specific questions besides requesting a critique of what you are thinking about doing, and asking about where to purchase a stamp. As you have read, folks have provided critiques, and I believe it was Stacy who provided a source to purchase a stamp... so it sounds like you have received answers to your original questions; but the rest of your responses seem to be somewhat defensive (which is understandable) and thread is starting to spiral out of control, IMHO. You need to understand that you are asking a large group of knifemakers, some of which are very successful and well established, their opinions of how to go about not making but manufacturing knives, even before you have spent a significant amount of time (by most peoples estimates) learning how to be a knife maker... kinda like wanting to run before you learn to walk (your cryptic answers about your history leads folks to think that you don't have much experience). It's logical that the feedback that you are getting isn't totally positive, as what you are planning to do is to produce lower quality knives which goes against every fiber of a custom makers being. That said, if your goal is to produce lower quality, lower cost knives, then I think you need to analyze your "manufacturing" process, of which is totally in a concept phase as this point, and compare what your practical, real cycle time is to your ideal cycle time. I am near 100% confident that you have drastically underestimated the time it takes to produce a slipjoint, and 110% confident that you underestimated the cost of materials. And to be frank (though my name is Bob )it sounds like your manufacturing plan is more like a custom maker plan- you are cutting your own blades, and doing all the work yourself. I assume you don't have the equipment for manufacturing runs i.e. larger CNC equipment with automated part loading systems, batch heat treatment equipment, precut stock of material etc, so your time required to "manufacture" goes up as you are cutting and processing each individual piece. Sourcing parts in batches gets complicated when you get into commercial contracts/ agreements, vendor selection (finding a good source in China... do you have prints with allowable dimension for the components?), payment terms, purchase orders/ invoicing, lot sizes and delivery times, start up tooling costs, customs, etc. Unless you already established as some sort of manufacturer, with all these items/ processes in place, these will be challenges.
I hope you take the opinions of all with a grain of salt, and do the recommendations of making a batch of ten first, then talking a step back to look at what worked and what didn't. This way you can make changes and drive improvement in your process and quality prior to being committed to the rest of the 100 or 1000. I wish you luck and will be following this thread.
I look forward to it, honestly, I really would like to see the product of your planning. But Sadly, I think you will never come back with it and will either move onto something else or just not come back at all.