

Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM): high tolerances, repeatable, but not as easy as it looks.Computer-aided Design (CAD) (excellent results, repeatable, but new skills are required).Ready-made templates (good results, fairly repeatable).Hand drawn design on paper (quick, decent results, not repeatable).


Clients can in turn expect a higher quality product.

In truth, knifemakers have to varying degrees already adopted modern technology for improvements in consistency, tolerances, and streamlining their processes (time). Today you’ll still potentially see knives hanging in shops but they are probably precut knife blanks fresh from laser cutting or the water jet. In the past, if you walked into a knifemakers shop, you expected to see knife templates hanging from hooks all over the shop. Does computer-aided knife design ultimately take away from the knifemaking art or result in knives that can’t be considered handmade? It is a debate that comes up more often than not as custom “handmade” knives are in some eyes, no longer as handmade as they used to be.
