When is a knife company, a knife company?

[DaveH]

I need some help understanding this, I could sketch some knife design on my screen, send it to a company for a quote, have them make some, set up some advertising, have some "order fulfillment service" ship them to customers, all without leaving my chair.

Is that a "knife company"? Am I "making" knives? Theoretically, we could all be our own "knife companies" if we wanted to.

For some reason I only consider a knife company "real" if they make a substantial portion of their knives themselves. That is they must be involved in the manufacturer of the physical goods.

Comments?

DaveH

 

[Jeff Clark]

Several companies started the way you describe. There are many solid contractors in Japan and Taiwan that will produce high quality knives if you pay them to produce high quality knives and refuse to accept bad stuff. As long as a company upholds quality and value standards I've got no complaints.

 

[Walt Welch]

Even more pertinent: when is a knifemaker a knifemaker? After the passing away of the great Bob Engnath, a vicious rumor circulated to the effect that a lot of custom knife makers had to order a much greater number of grinder belts than usual.

Walt (of course, I neither confirm nor deny the truth to this rumor)

 

[Sal Glesser]

DaveH - Who accepts responsibility for the knife if there is a problem?

Where did the designs originate?

Who paid for tooling, Advertising & product?

Would the knife exist without those efforts?


Walt - Some say a knifemaker is not a knifemaker unless he uses only hand tools.

Some say a knifemaker is a knifemaker if he programs his own CNC machines.

I know knife designers that don't make knives with their own hands.

I know knife makers that don't design the knives they make.

Who's to say? and who's to say who's to say?

sal

[This message has been edited by Sal Glesser (edited 07-06-2000).]