Lizard King - the cutlery industry is a large industry. When you take into account all the manufacturers, custom knifemakers, retailers, purveyors, suppliers, and publications; it all adds up to a lot. Just attend the Blade Show and you'll see the magnitude of the scope of the knife industry. And in some respects, you can include the enthusiasts/collectors in with the above listed as well, because without them, none of those will be in existence. A lot of non-knife folks I talk with - who are mainly curious about my hobby - are surprised to learn that the knife industry is as big as it is. If you want specific numbers, AKTI might able to supply you with that information. Though, Will Fennell probably can supply you with some of that information. His father, Wallace, is a cutlery industry veteran and currently is a salesman with Camillus. Will himself has been in this industry for a long time, probably longer than some folks may realize. In regards to publicly held knife companies, there are none. All are owned/operated by individuals.
As far as companies publishing data like sales figures for the month/year, that information is classified as confidential and just like Benchmade, that info does not get leaked out to the public.
