What's happening in the David Mary Custom shop?

Now I'm sitting here redesigning my wakizashi for a future run. I like the current version, but it's kinda small. Not a bad thing, they are nimble and slicey, and so far the guys who own one have told me the love them! I know the current one I'm working on looks like it's chopping well, and it is - for its size. It will never go through 2x4s as fast as a taller bladed dedicated chopper though.

So I am wondering, the guys who are interested in a wakizashi when I make new ones, would you be willing to have to source your own sheaths if I made something with a blade longer than 18"? Because a 23" long, slightly taller bladed wakizashi with my geometry will even hang with the dedicated choppers. Still get out performed by them because it's still a sword and not a chopper, but not embarrassingly so.

Like the wakizashi I'm working on now will cut those 2x4s in half. But probably take three times as long to do it as the Barax would, and even it is not a "heavy" chopper per se. But a big wakizashi would out chop the Barax.

Don't mind me. I've been sitting in front of the CAD program playing the "balance of compromises" game for hours. Maybe my current 18" blade design is what you want, and I've been "wak"ing my braing into the wee hours for nothing? 🤣

Also, I am thinking of going back to how I did runs in the past, i.e. where I will grab a single sheet at a time, and parcel out spots on the sheet for customs. I liked doing that. It was a lot more tetris like (which is fun for me!) and it gave more of you opportunities to get your own designs made (which is fun for me and you!).

After the Sparkling Smile and variants. NJSB sheets are 48" x 15", so I would be able to get a large number of blades onto it. The other benefit is that if there is a consensus on what steel to force me out of my comfort zone on, it would be a lot harder to say no if, for example, 15 guys said "He we want 'Cru'Wear David", as opposed to one or two guys saying "Hey will you ever offer 'Cru'Wear?".

2025 has been the year of massive speculation, and moving a lot of my favorite models, having a few left to do as I please with, but also ending up with a bunch of steel that I have seen zero demand for so far, though I am sure I can eventually turn it around. I'm looking at you, ulus and leatherworking knives! And to think I cut a lot of designs out of the 2025 run in a bid to be "responsible". So I intend to tighten up the production planning for next year so I can maximize my turnaround of steel the comes in to the shop. I doubt I'd have a problem moving a 6+" Chinese style cleaver though.

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For now, though, anyone want to order a dozen each of ulus and leatherworking knives? 🤣
 
Finding another friend to make a sheath for a longer wakizashi is absolutely fine by me. As I've told you many times, I trust your judgment and if you feel longer is better for this design and use case, then sign me up for one. But I'll be happy with either design. Whatever it ends up as in the future run, I'll take one.

Also, love the idea of whole sheets again for all the reasons you mentioned!
 
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