[TheForge] RE: Tool Steel

[Steve Smith]

It depends on demand in your area also. First, let me say that I do this 
for a hobby, so I'm repeating what I've heard.

Here in New England the people hardest hit seem to be fabricators, where 
materials cost is a high proportion of the customer's bill. Some 
fabricators I know are doing more blacksmithing because the final bill 
has a higher proportion of time, so materials aren't as high a 
percentage. This doesn't mean they are raking in the money though.

I took a class a couple of years ago with some guys who do metal 
building fabrication in the Lake Tahoe, Nevada region. This was maybe a 
year after steel really went up in price. I asked if they were having 
problems as a result of the increase in steel cost and they looked at me 
like it was a really strange idea to them. "No, we just tack it on to 
the bill". Lake Tahoe is a pretty rich area, apparently their demand was 
high enough that steel prices didn't matter.

Steve

Stephen Viola wrote:

> Well none of you are setting a pretty picture about the future of self
> employed blacksmiths. Still I suppose as we are at the lower end of
> the metal trade scale we can always use someone elses junk metal. I
> suppose all we have to do is raise our prices as suited.. then it's
> the consumer that cops the cost at the end. Poor bastards! :o)
> 
> I couldn't even imagine what 1,9 million tons of steel would look like!
> 
> Stephen
> 
> On 29/12/06, Jerry Smith <jerry_smith at anvilsandinkstudios.com> wrote:
> 
>> Guys,
>>
>> We should end this thread, unless we are forging the
>> stuff.
>>
>> The tools that I buy now whether it be Sears or HF are
>> pretty much junk these days. I think HF has a better
>> return/exchange policy than Sears.
>>
>> I have my father, pre WW II, pre depression 1/2 inch
>> and 3/4 inch ratchet sets. They don't do all sorts of
>> things like the new ones do, but they sure are strong.
>> Probably cost an arm and a leg to make this quality
>> today.
>>
>> Jerry
>>
>> --- Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer <artgawk at thegrid.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > respectfully;
>> > It's scrap to them,
>> > Garbage back in return...pf
>> >
>> > schade at acegroup.cc wrote:
>> > >
>> > > On Dec 28, 2006, at 4:08 PM, Jerry Smith wrote:
>> > >
>> > >> Don't you guys know that Harbor Freight is the
>> > >> ultimate in recycling America!.
>> > >>
>> > >> Jerry
>> > >>
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > scrap to them and scrap back to us.
>> > >
>> > > Bob
>> > >
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>