New Blade Production- Unrealistic?
Has anyone in the forum considered having a steel fabricator make a production run of blades to their specification? I haven't been here long but I have seen a couple of attempts to sell new production straights to members. The last post I recall was from someone who ordered their blades from an unnamed Solingen manufacturer (everyone guessed Dovo, which was probably right), fitted some scales to them and etched their name. Kamakazi? Kumatsu? Something Asian or other (I remember a dragon). I recall the reseller wanting to charge some rediculous price for an unproven blade and the blade not doing to well in terms of sharpening and quality control (three were provided to honemeisters here and all three found the blade unsatisfactory for the price point).
If anyone has or has considered such a venture I'd like to hear about it. I'm curious what problems one might run into. I can appreciate fine hand craftsmanship but I'm wondering why there isn't a reliable American presence in the market. I'm wondering if the costs are just too high to justify new production and what other factors are holding such a project back. I think this forum definitely has members with the know how and I think there are some outstanding machinists in this country who could match to specifications. I'm just trying to figure out the gap between know-how and product.