Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Faca de ponte or just a souvenir of Brazil??

RobT · 17th February 2022, 02:13 AM

[QUOTEI would agree with Robins last post, these Solingen knives get exported to South America and the scabbards are made in the local style.[/QUOTE]

Detlef,
While you may be correct, I think that the economics of the situation make it unlikely. Labor costs in Germany are far higher than those of Brazil so a good knife made in Brazil would cost considerably less to make than a cheap knife made in Germany. Added to that, a large segment of the Brazilian population isn't just poor, it's desperately poor so the only market for an imported German knife would be the middle to upper classes who would want (and could afford) the cachet and status of a quality German product. Those people are unlikely to want a cheap knife of any sort. Due to the aforementioned labor cost discrepancy, local manufacturers would be better positioned to serve the needs of the less well off. Certainly, here in the US (which generally has a higher standard of living than does Brazil), I have not seen cheap German products of any sort for sale. I can see a German manufacturer dumping an inventory of items for which there is no longer a market (eg model 1840 cavalry sabers) but that is not the case with these modern made daggers.
Sincerely,
RobT

17th February 2022, 02:13 AM	#21
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 452	Possible but Not Plausible [QUOTEI would agree with Robins last post, these Solingen knives get exported to South America and the scabbards are made in the local style.[/QUOTE] Detlef, While you may be correct, I think that the economics of the situation make it unlikely. Labor costs in Germany are far higher than those of Brazil so a good knife made in Brazil would cost considerably less to make than a cheap knife made in Germany. Added to that, a large segment of the Brazilian population isn't just poor, it's desperately poor so the only market for an imported German knife would be the middle to upper classes who would want (and could afford) the cachet and status of a quality German product. Those people are unlikely to want a cheap knife of any sort. Due to the aforementioned labor cost discrepancy, local manufacturers would be better positioned to serve the needs of the less well off. Certainly, here in the US (which generally has a higher standard of living than does Brazil), I have not seen cheap German products of any sort for sale. I can see a German manufacturer dumping an inventory of items for which there is no longer a market (eg model 1840 cavalry sabers) but that is not the case with these modern made daggers. Sincerely, RobT