What makes ham slicers valuable? (tier, buy, job, average)

[freemkt]

I read about a famous ham slicer who gets paid $4,000 to slice a leg of ham. Presumably, the 'average' or 'median' pay for ham slicing is considerably less than that.

So what makes this skill so valuable? Does his labor create tastier ham? Is his ham of higher aesthetic quality? Does he somehow employ a greater efficiency resulting in more mass or volume?

[Tourian]

What does the butcher at your local grocery store make...about 45k a year?

[Lowexpectations]

It's more like a performance most slicing the cured ham make about 250.00 per leg. I read an article about it earlier

[Electrician4you]

Because once cut you can possibly ruin the piece of meat. Too thick too thin too uneven cut the wrong way and people won't buy it.
I bet I can give you and a meat cutter a pig to butcher and you'll pretty much ruin the whole pig.
That's why he gets paid what he gets paid.

[Lowexpectations]

Originally Posted by Electrician4you

Because once cut you can possibly ruin the piece of meat. Too thick too thin too uneven cut the wrong way and people won't buy it.
I bet I can give you and a meat cutter a pig to butcher and you'll pretty much ruin the whole pig.
That's why he gets paid what he gets paid.

The OP isn't talking about a butcher. He is talking about a guy who is slicing cured Spanish hams

[freemkt]

Originally Posted by Tourian

What does the butcher at your local grocery store make...about 45k a year?

Maybe $25 or so an hour? Certainly not $4,000 for a leg of ham. And I'm okay with the job my butcher does.

Sounds like this $4,000 guy is one those experiential types who cater to the hoity-toity elites.

[Pub-911]

That would be Florencio Sanchidrián. You could also pay Gallagher $4000 to come over and make a watermelon salad for you.

[freemkt]

Originally Posted by Pub-911

That would be Florencio Sanchidrián. You could also pay Gallagher $4000 to come over and make a watermelon salad for you.

Or I could just roll my eyes like this

And make my own watermelon salad.

[Pub-911]

It won't be the same.

[freemkt]

Originally Posted by Pub-911

It won't be the same.

Somehow I totally doubt Gallagher could make a watermelon salad worth $4,000. What am I missing?