Who's good at knifemaking efficiency?

Maineiac1 said:
You mean like a certain step in the making process? For example: having someone hand sand the finishes on the blade for you? That makes sense, because if there is a step you hate doing and you loose the will to continue in the hobby then yes I see how finding someone to do a certain step or two to save you the pain can help!
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Kinda, not exactly. Outsourcing is only one solution.

Let me put it this way, because this is how to frame the issue regardless of what your style is or what you want it to be, from one-off artist to high end batch producer; you're an individual. You most precious resource is your time. Anything you can do to eliminate wasted time in your process without compromising your personal standard will make you more efficient. Simplify and standardize things that are not critical to making your product unique. Outsource (when that service is available) the things that don't require your individual attention to meet your standard of personal touch. Organize your work area to minimize time spent looking for tools and components. Think about your order of operations and do them in a way that minimizes the number of changeovers you have to make. Throw abrasives away when they're no longer efficient. Throw scrap away when you have to dig through it to find what you really need. If a tool can produce something you do now by hand more efficiently and repeatably, buy it. If a tool you own does not do anything well, get rid of it. If there's a unique product that will do a unique thing you don't need very often, weigh whether it's worth the space consumption or if it can be tucked out of the way and still be ready on demand against how badly you need to actually do that thing. When you have a problem or a failure, stop, ask "Why?" until you've gotten to the root cause, then Plan how to correct it, Do the plan, Check the results, Act on those results.

Everyone can apply these concepts regardless of their style or business model.
 
I think some people confuse fast with lean. Lean is trimming the fat. Fast doesn't always mean lean. It also doesn't always mean high quality, either.

Buy materials in quantity - that saves money on bulk discounts, and time in replacing supplies when they run out. Having plenty of supplies on hand also makes a person not use a worn belt or material with an issue (eg. - wood with a flaw).

Waterjet/laser cut blades you make repeatedly. It costs to do this, but you ca have 50 blanks in the box whenever you need one.

Make things in batches. It is easier, faster, and cheaper, to make a batch of ten knives that it is to make ten knives one at a time. Do each step on all oof a group before moving to the next step. This works best in batches of the same knife. It may be less efficient to do a batch of ten different knives together.

Use quality materials. It is false economy to try to skimp on material quality. Good quality costs very little more than average/poor quality and best quality is usually only slightly more. Customers want the Best knife, not an OK knife. Buying wood in board or large block form and cutting your own handle stock allows you to pick the premium handles from a batch. You can sell the ones that are not the best, use them for hobby projects ( I turn pend and bottle openers from them), and burn the lesser ones in the fireplace.Having a large batch of handles stabilizes is also cheaper than one or two blocks.

Most Important Lean Process - PLAN EVERYTHING. Plan the build from start ti finish. Make drawings ( and keep them). Make templates of blades you make frequently. Plan things like machinery maintenance ( when did you last do oiling, brushes, motor fan cleaning, waxing slides, etc???)

Second most important - Don't Rush. Work at a smooth and even pace. This allows longer work sessions and more consistent quality. Take breaks, and when you get tired, stop.
 
Are we talking dozens of knives or hundreds?
 
All what kuraki kuraki just said and Stacy too. Time is your best tool and your worst enemy.

Working in batches is what I do and have always done. I average 50 odd knives in a batch but have done as few as 10 and as many as 102 over the years. I use to go to sleep and wake up to how can I be more efficient. Don't so much anymore. But I've learned lessons that really work for me. Maybe they would work for ya too don't know. Any specific questions?
 
Horsewright said:
All what kuraki kuraki just said and Stacy too. Time is your best tool and your worst enemy.

Working in batches is what I do and have always done. I average 50 odd knives in a batch but have done as few as 10 and as many as 102 over the years. I use to go to sleep and wake up to how can I be more efficient. Don't so much anymore. But I've learned lessons that really work for me. Maybe they would work for ya too don't know. Any specific questions?
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Just wanted to point out something I forgot, and this is the perfect example. Habit forming. Discipline is only hard until it becomes habit. Forming efficient habits makes efficiency effortless.
 
I am pretty good at ’efficiency’, and can turn out at good speed. But I dont.
I spent years at my regular job where GO!! was order of the day. I was good at it, not a step wasted. Everything done as a ballet of motion.
Nowdays its self therapy to bumblefuck around on making things when thats not what pays the bills.
 
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I enjoy poor efficiency in knife making by making only about two "one of a kind" knives per month. I marvel at Ray Ennis and his methods but what he does is WORK and I just want to selfishly please myself while making knives. Larry

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HSC /// said:
but in my experience it's the finishing work that takes the most time for every knife. A
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A saying from the past was that, "the last 15% of the work takes 70% of the time". Found that to be true in a lot of different endeavors.
 
DanF said:
A saying from the past was that, "the last 15% of the work takes 70% of the time". Found that to be true in a lot of different endeavors.
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That principle 15%\70% can be seen in Late WW11 German & Japanese pistols & rifles. They ran lean on Finish work to increase production. ———————Now I want to have a presentable finish on my knives. But I cut out the profiling work by having them Water Jet Cut..
 
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