Are spyderco knives overpriced?

[Fanglekai]

I have owned and have some of the Taiwan models and I must say I think highly of them and most of them are price IMHO spot on . My only issue with spyderco is that they say they can't build a knife like the southard for 240 in the USA . So how come Zero Tolerance can build knives like the 560 and the new 0562 for the MSRP $250 . Even the Domino $200 when you have ZT 801 $170 MSRP . I like the dominio but I won't buy one unless I can get it at the exchange for a good price

In fairness to spyderco they do make the blade steel in the USA and have to ship them over sea and then get then shipped back .

They probably could build a Southard in the US if they had larger manufacturing facilities, more employees, etc. Spyderco isn't even keeping up with demand for the PM2. The company needs to grow, but it has to do it slowly. They can't simply triple their manufacturing capability, build huge new facilities, purchase tons of equipment, hire and train dozens of new employees and everything else that goes with it all at once. It'll take time. Someday Spyderco will probably be a lot larger and able to offer more US made models.

For now most of the materials are made in the US and then are shipped to Taiwan, processed/machined, and then shipped back to the US. That's a huge reason why the knives cost what they do. These knives use premium steel, titanium, carbon fiber, etc. They aren't cheap knives using cheap materials or labor. They're using premium materials just like other companies, obviously skilled workers are producing the knives, and they're being sold at price points that, for the most part, people find reasonable.

Look at it this way: The ZT 801 and Spyderco Domino are fairly similar. Both have titanium frame locks and ball bearings. The ZT uses Elmax. The Spyderco uses CTS-XHP. The Spyderco has carbon fiber. These are both knives using premium materials and they're fairly similar in price. I just looked up the ZT 801 on a well known knife site and it's selling for over $190, which is around what the Domino sells for. The 0562 on that same site is around $200, which is on the higher end of what the Domino sells for. That knife has Elmax, G-10 and titanium.

The Taichung workers make close to what US makers earn. Shipping costs have to be added into the price. The premium materials in the Taichung Spyderco knives are similar or the same to premium materials used in other premium knives............it makes sense that the prices are similar to prices of other premium knives.

 

[HwangJino]

I predict that spyderco will up their prices because of demand.

This is when quality will fall (people will buy it anyways)

 

[miltmaldo]

They probably could build a Southard in the US if they had larger manufacturing facilities, more employees, etc. Spyderco isn't even keeping up with demand for the PM2. The company needs to grow, but it has to do it slowly. They can't simply triple their manufacturing capability, build huge new facilities, purchase tons of equipment, hire and train dozens of new employees and everything else that goes with it all at once. It'll take time. Someday Spyderco will probably be a lot larger and able to offer more US made models.

For now most of the materials are made in the US and then are shipped to Taiwan, processed/machined, and then shipped back to the US. That's a huge reason why the knives cost what they do. These knives use premium steel, titanium, carbon fiber, etc. They aren't cheap knives using cheap materials or labor. They're using premium materials just like other companies, obviously skilled workers are producing the knives, and they're being sold at price points that, for the most part, people find reasonable.

Look at it this way: The ZT 801 and Spyderco Domino are fairly similar. Both have titanium frame locks and ball bearings. The ZT uses Elmax. The Spyderco uses CTS-XHP. The Spyderco has carbon fiber. These are both knives using premium materials and they're fairly similar in price. I just looked up the ZT 801 on a well known knife site and it's selling for over $190, which is around what the Domino sells for. The 0562 on that same site is around $200, which is on the higher end of what the Domino sells for. That knife has Elmax, G-10 and titanium.

The Taichung workers make close to what US makers earn. Shipping costs have to be added into the price. The premium materials in the Taichung Spyderco knives are similar or the same to premium materials used in other premium knives............it makes sense that the prices are similar to prices of other premium knives.

I think Spyderco is scared of growing they been in the knife business for over 30 years so when I hear they have to grow slow and it takes time to me it means they are happy with what they are and don't want to grow there USA factory . I know they are looking into expanding there factory but this is a 30 years business not a 3 year factory like Survive Knives . Maybe it's all the extra stuff that come with employing people or other reasons . But one thing I know for a fact it's not demand we love Spyderco knives and we will buy them .

 

[Stays Sharp]

I think Spyderco is scared of growing they been in the knife business for over 30 years so when I hear they have to grow slow and it takes time to me it means they are happy with what they are and don't want to grow there USA factory . I know they are looking into expanding there factory but this is a 30 years business not a 3 year factory like Survive Knives . Maybe it's all the extra stuff that come with employing people or other reasons . But one thing I know for a fact it's not demand we love Spyderco knives and we will buy them .

You do not know what goes on with the company. None of us knows what goes on behind closed doors of a business. They were almost bankrupt in 2005 and was very close to closing up shop. They have learned a few things. As Sal said, they are a small company by design and stay in touch with their customer base. They arent just looking into expanding the Golden facility, they are in the middle of doing it and we'll hopefully more see new products and old ones like PM2's pumping out of there soon.

[video=youtube;mLcTWwh1Cpc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLcTWwh1Cpc[/video]

 

[Stays Sharp]

Size of the company.
People seem to forget that Spyderco started off making NO knives (importer).
Now they have a factory where they can make some knives.

But, people want MORE knives...and more models...
Which involves the CONTINUATION of importation in order to meet the demand.

Do you not want more variety? Spyderco could produce a few models in the USA at decent prices (think Yojimbo 2 and Military), but there wouldn't be the wide range of models to choose from.

Just like the grocery store; if you limit yourself to things from the country you live in, you limit the options.

Exactly...

 

[ghostlyinternational]

Frankly benchmade is one of the companies that comes to mind when I think of overpriced knives. The full size griptilian is $15 less msrp than a paramilitary...what?

 

[Fanglekai]

Frankly benchmade is one of the companies that comes to mind when I think of overpriced knives. The full size griptilian is $15 less msrp than a paramilitary...what?

Most of the Benchmade models I look at seem overpriced IMHO. Seeing 154cm and D2 for the same price as CPM-M4 and CTS-XHP from Spyderco........yeah...

 

[JNewell]

I predict that spyderco will up their prices because of demand.

This is when quality will fall (people will buy it anyways)

That's nice positive thinking...I predict that as long as Sal and Eric and their families run the company, you'll be wrong.

 

[Shao]

That's nice positive thinking...I predict that as long as Sal and Eric and their families run the company, you'll be wrong.

I don't want to stir up a hornet's nest and maybe this isn't the thread for it, but I've known Sal and Eric for years and always had the utmost respect for them.

Sometime last year, I sent a very passionate and logical e-mail to Sal, telling him of a new folding k-bit collab I was working on with Jason Brous and Warren Thomas. I told him that it needed to be waved and that if he made this knife, it would be a fantastic seller. I normally get a response back from Sal, but this time I did not. Approximately four months later, the Karahawk was announced as an in-house design by Sal. It COULD be a coincidence. I've been collecting and carrying Spydies since the mid 90s and have always felt fortunate to be able to communicate directly with the honchos at Golden. But Sal, if you're reading this and you stole my idea to keep from having to pay royalties, then you suck. A Brous/Thomas designed waved Spyderco K-bit would have put the Karahawk to shame both aesthetically and functionally. If it was just an amazing coincidence, then you still rock. There, I said it. Call me a blasphemer... I speak only the truth.

 

[DavidZ]

Overpriced? That is a personal question for the individual to answer with his wallet, not a question to be discussed like science, politics or religion. If it is worth it to you, then buy it. If not, then don't. No one is being forced to buy.

 

[wazu013]

I'm like KOWAN in that I don't own any Spydercos only because the signature style doesn't appeal to me but I have held several and I've always been impressed with their fit and finish. Knife World just had an article about their new pacific salt model that's calling me because of it's H1 steel's anti corrosion properties. I live on the Gulf where the air is loaded with salt and I saltwater fish all the time. I've seen what happens to knives so it would be nice to buy one that lasts more than a year or two.
Back on topic I think the Spyde Salt is very fairly priced. The MSRP is $129 but Amazon has them for about half that.

 

[Screwdriver]

Most of the Benchmade models I look at seem overpriced IMHO. Seeing 154cm and D2 for the same price as CPM-M4 and CTS-XHP from Spyderco........yeah...

I do not own any Benchmades atm, had a mini grip for awhile, but the value and sex appeal does not do it for me.

 

[GatorFlash1]

Well first of all I'd like to start off by saying follow my Instagram account for knife pics and some of the knives in my collection @__penetration__ and second of all this isn't meant to offend any spyderco fans (I am one myself) but these are opinions. So do i think spydercos are overpriced? In certain cases yes for example the spyderco bug. A more keychain decoration than a functional knife, cost $15 when for $5 more you can get a although cheap china made, bigger, actually functional knife. Now other examples is when spyderco raises the price of a knife by $100 just because this version sports a fancy colored aluminum scale instead of a g10 scale but I'm not saying everything's overpriced I do believe you are paying for what you get in some cases but others it doesn't make since to me. What are your opinions?

This is a very easy business or economics question to answer. If they were overpriced Spyderco would not sell any and they would be out of business. So no, they are fairly priced and plenty of customers are buying them. Do they have competition, you bet. Most successful businesses do. This keeps them from gouging (overpricing) the customer for their product or services.

If you really feel they are overpriced, and making too much profit, why don't you gather up some investors and go into the knife business and make a little less profit, but lots of money?

Agree? If not, why not?

 

[JNewell]

I don't want to stir up a hornet's nest and maybe this isn't the thread for it, but I've known Sal and Eric for years and always had the utmost respect for them.

Sometime last year, I sent a very passionate and logical e-mail to Sal, telling him of a new folding k-bit collab I was working on with Jason Brous and Warren Thomas. I told him that it needed to be waved and that if he made this knife, it would be a fantastic seller. I normally get a response back from Sal, but this time I did not. Approximately four months later, the Karahawk was announced as an in-house design by Sal. It COULD be a coincidence. I've been collecting and carrying Spydies since the mid 90s and have always felt fortunate to be able to communicate directly with the honchos at Golden. But Sal, if you're reading this and you stole my idea to keep from having to pay royalties, then you suck. A Brous/Thomas designed waved Spyderco K-bit would have put the Karahawk to shame both aesthetically and functionally. If it was just an amazing coincidence, then you still rock. There, I said it. Call me a blasphemer... I speak only the truth.

I'm sure you're aware that Spyderco has had similar knives in the catalog before. I don't think there's anything suspicious about a new version of an existing knife appearing - nor about an unanswered email. You're entitled to your own opinions, of course.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

As a matter of fact, Shao, Spyderco already did a Warren Thomas collaboration karambit. I've got one. Stainless steel framelock.

You could have called Sal out in his own manufacturer forum more politely. You sent him one email. Are you sure he even got it? Relax, he does a lot of collaborations, a lot of ethnic styles, he is always clear about who he works with. Why would he diss you?

 

[AddictedToGear]

I do not find them overpriced at least for the standard models of their knives.

 

[RamZar]

Other than supply/demand, perceptions, etc. overpriced also brings forth why some models are discontinued. If they don't sell is it because they're overpriced for what people are willing to pay? Sometimes a model is discontinued because people's moods change (look at all the ones recently discontinued because they're ComboEdge). There are also external forces as some have mentioned. Benchmade's de facto recent price increase of about 30% by enforcing MAP pricing only helps Spyderco and others. At the same time ZT's lack of such enforcement has driven their prices to astonishingly low levels and thus making some Spyderco models seem relatively overpriced.

 

[Stays Sharp]

I'm sure you're aware that Spyderco has had similar knives in the catalog before. I don't think there's anything suspicious about a new version of an existing knife appearing - nor about an unanswered email. You're entitled to your own opinions, of course.

Sal probably gets a 1000 requests a day from posts, emails, and calls. New item or sprint, there is a good chance that it's been requested before.

One thing is for sure, Sal's not the type a guy to hose someone from their idea/invention. If that's the case then the dozen or so collabs we see per year from Spyderco wouldn't be collab's would they... And the RIL for example would be named the Sal-o-lock lol.

 

[Sal Glesser]

I don't want to stir up a hornet's nest and maybe this isn't the thread for it, but I've known Sal and Eric for years and always had the utmost respect for them.

Sometime last year, I sent a very passionate and logical e-mail to Sal, telling him of a new folding k-bit collab I was working on with Jason Brous and Warren Thomas. I told him that it needed to be waved and that if he made this knife, it would be a fantastic seller. I normally get a response back from Sal, but this time I did not. Approximately four months later, the Karahawk was announced as an in-house design by Sal. It COULD be a coincidence. I've been collecting and carrying Spydies since the mid 90s and have always felt fortunate to be able to communicate directly with the honchos at Golden. But Sal, if you're reading this and you stole my idea to keep from having to pay royalties, then you suck. A Brous/Thomas designed waved Spyderco K-bit would have put the Karahawk to shame both aesthetically and functionally. If it was just an amazing coincidence, then you still rock. There, I said it. Call me a blasphemer... I speak only the truth.

Hi Shao,

Sorry for your disappointment. As I remember I had responded to your email. My explanation was that we had designed a K-bit more than a year before and it has been protoyped, tooled and we were waiting for production. Sorry you didn't get it.

For me to steal your idea and create a design, engineer, develop, protorype, refine, tool up and produce a production piece in 4 months would make me a superman. Most models take 2 or more years from concept to production. (most more, some way more). I believe any of our collaborators can verify that. We made a dozen or so refinements on K-bit models before a steel version was created. Then we studied the market before even deciding. Once we decied, we made and modified prototypes for 6 months.

To add, we did make a Warren Thomas K-bit a while back. Sales were ok, but not great. I felt that the concept of a k-bit was open to interpretation and wanted to create one with my interpretation. We'll see how sales are. Hope that helps.

sal

 

[conwict]

Here's what I don't get about Shao's post

If his pitched kerambit would have "put to shame" Sal's design, how are they even similar enough to raise concern about intellectual property theft?