What To Look For When Purchasing Custom Made Moulding Knives

Whether you're looking to bring a new design selection to your customers or looking to reproduce an antique pattern, it's important to know your options when seeking out a custom made moulding knives supplier. Before making a decision, you should understand the quality of material used, production and shipping times, and of course the pricing for their products and services. So how do you maximize your return on investment when making your decision?

Before you go all-in on custom made moulding knives, it is important to note that most suppliers provide an array of prefabricated, ready to ship blades. You should first ask yourself if you need to go with a custom made blade in the first place. Look through as many supplier catalogs as you can, and request samples of any blades that you think might meet your needs. This can potentially save you a great deal of time and money.

If you cannot find an existing blade that meets your requirements, the next step is to ensure that the supplier you are researching provides solutions for the make and model of moulder that you're using. There are a number of different manufacturers, includes Willams & Hussey, Jet, Woodmaster, and more. Due to differences in design and application, they are generally not all supported by the same suppliers. You don't want to get carried away looking up material grades and shipping prices for a supplier that doesn't support your machine, so this should be the first thing to check. 

Once you know that your machine is supported, it's important to understand your needs based on your level of production. There are many different grades of steel that are rated for varying depths of cuts, wear lives, hardness, and accuracy which must all be taken into consideration for your operation. A good moulding knife supplier will be able to provide you with a wide range of material options, as well as valuable recommendations depending on the scale of your operation. 

With this information in mind, there are a few final considerations to be made when purchasing. What is the company's turnaround time? How do they ship their product? Is there a quality guarantee, return window, or warranty? This information can sometimes be harder to come by via a simple search of the company website but should be an essential part of your purchasing decision. Nothing will eat into your budget faster than weeks or months of sunk costs due to blades being damaged or lost in shipping or a product that doesn't work for you that cannot be returned. Take this information with you, and find your supplier with confidence!

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