The old Smith’s are really works of art. The old school craftsmen that made them are a dying breed, for sure.
I’m sure the new guns are great, functional, reasonably reliable… but I am into the old school craftsmanship.
I’ve had this conversation with various people.
I did a little math.
When the pre 29 came out in 1956, the average wage was about 3400 bucks.
The 29 cost $86.
About 2.5% of an annual salary back then.
Today, they are about 1300 bucks and the average annual salary is 66K.
This is all ballpark of course… but they can be made much more cheaply today… still,, they are affordable as they were affordable back, then using the old school methods and old school craftsmanship.
Why would old-school craftsmanship like it was back in the day? Be so cost prohibitive today?
Why could an American craftsman be paid enough to live on while charging an affordable amount that hasn’t changed significantly in terms of a percentage of an annual salary?
What happened to the economy/society where it is not viable any longer?
Is Smith just charging market price, yet making them for way way less than it cost them to make?
Are they making enormous profits for the shareholders instead of paying old-school craftsmen?
The same could be said with any manufacturing company.
Why is it no longer viable to pay a man for his time?
Yet the price is still generally in keeping with what it was back then?
I would love to see figures, and no, what smith would cost if it was made old school today, with a mind to still making a decent profit.
I’m sure the new guns are great, functional, reasonably reliable… but I am into the old school craftsmanship.
I’ve had this conversation with various people.
I did a little math.
When the pre 29 came out in 1956, the average wage was about 3400 bucks.
The 29 cost $86.
About 2.5% of an annual salary back then.
Today, they are about 1300 bucks and the average annual salary is 66K.
This is all ballpark of course… but they can be made much more cheaply today… still,, they are affordable as they were affordable back, then using the old school methods and old school craftsmanship.
Why would old-school craftsmanship like it was back in the day? Be so cost prohibitive today?
Why could an American craftsman be paid enough to live on while charging an affordable amount that hasn’t changed significantly in terms of a percentage of an annual salary?
What happened to the economy/society where it is not viable any longer?
Is Smith just charging market price, yet making them for way way less than it cost them to make?
Are they making enormous profits for the shareholders instead of paying old-school craftsmen?
The same could be said with any manufacturing company.
Why is it no longer viable to pay a man for his time?
Yet the price is still generally in keeping with what it was back then?
I would love to see figures, and no, what smith would cost if it was made old school today, with a mind to still making a decent profit.
