Question for forumites

My thoughts are known on the ETA to actual delivery date issue. Nuff said.

1) Eliminate several of the different steels being used. If one is the best at a price point, go with it. Seeing competing claims of quality within the same product line is confusing, and takes credence away from all of them.

2) Drill holes to allow clips to be changed between tip-up and tip-down. I'd like my Starmat much better tip-up, but I know that lots of folks would scream bloody murder. A choice (even after years of ownership) would be nice.

3) Use something other than phillips head screws on the Lum tanto!
 
Spyderco for a number of valid reasons has been reluctant to design/produce pure fighter style models. However, with the intro of AKTI and Spyderco's role in it, I think Spyderco needs to 'come forward' and create an official Martial Bladecraft line-up or catagory of models, and market them as low key as you want, but make it solid and real. I don't know how much more of a repectable company image Spyderco needs, or can get as a 'knife' company. Other companies don't fuss much about advertising 'fighter' models to the mainstream, but knowing how responsible and conscious Spyderco is to the mainstream public as well as to it's 'specialty' crowd, I think you could and should pull it off. Keep the numbers small, distribution limited(and definitely include internet dealers), advertising obscure(maybe not at all), maybe a magazine article once in awhile or something and that's all. Making clear that these are hard to get a hold of and the 'reason' why(as opposed to low quality brands pushing dirt cheap 'pure fighter'junk products for fast profit).

Ken
 
ekaagan had the best post yet IMHO. I second all that he said, except I do like micarta handles and would enjoy pieces with titanium or even stag or exotic woods.

I own about 10 spydies (and the Sharpmaker) in my collection with more to come.


[This message has been edited by JerseyCitySteve (edited 27 August 1999).]
 
Actually there isn't a whole lot that Spyderco needs to address other than cursory issues of keeping the website current. Something I loved was being able to get the several basic SKUs at the exchange when I was in the Army. Hopefully you will consider moving into the more mainstream market, Wal-Mart, etc.

Cut down on the number of steels, ATS-55 seems to be a pretty decent low end steel, and my personal jury is still out on CPM-440V, but after sharpening off the facytory edge, the Starmate seems to keep a SUPERIOR edge, MUCH longer. Wire edge from the factory maybe?

Reintroduce synthetic handled models in different colors. Black gets old, and can be a tough to find in the dark or in the bottom of a bag. Anyone else see the need for an orange handled Endura? Hmm, 50/50 serration pattern works awesome, please introduce on more knives, or at least keep it on the Endura, maybe intro on Military. On the Military, add a spacer to the space inbetween the scales, one of the things I like about the Starmate, keeps it from snagging on clothing and removed any flex. Deep pocket clips are always a plus, black or any subdued shade would be welcome as well. Keep and or expand metal handles. Al and Ti would be very welcome, esepecially a Ti scaled Police.
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Blade coatings. There has to be something that works. I have asked before what happened to TiN coatings that actually work. Microtech uses a pretty decent one, but I still miss the old Paragon autos that had an almost satin TiN finish that was bullet proof. I never had any corrosion of the several I carried. Have a gold TiN coated ATK02 that is just beautiful and is three years old, and looks new, even after much use. If it only had a pocket clip and the blade didn't have so much lateral play. Anyway, every coated Spyderco pretty much sucked, as the all rusted easier that the satin finish blades, but perhaps I take too many unintentional swims or have caustic sweat. You have stated before that Spyderco has steered away from coatings as they create customer service problems. Easy, don't warranty the finish. No other else does, to my knowledge.

Please try to keep the SKUs as varied as they currently are, but the paradox is that most buyers will never get to see any of the models other than Endura, Delica, and Rescue and assume that is all the Spyderco line is. I always have buddies ask me where I got a Spyderco that they had never knew existed. There is a huge untapped market due to dealers not being able to afford to carry a wide range of models, or not selling them because they refuse to drop below MSRP. My ignorance about the retail market is complete, but it appears that higher dollar knives are quite a challenge to sell.

For example the largest selection of Spyderco knives in Arkansas to my knowlege is a gun shop in Little Rock. They even had a Lum sitting in the display case. Anyway, they still have a bunch of plain edge ATS-34 black TiN coated Militaries, priced over two hundred bucks. The salesman I spoke with said they had sold two, in two years. Same with that Lum, I know that is six months it'll likely still be gracing the case.

Guess there was more than I thought. Sal, I thank and commend you for soliciting input on the forums. Did I mention a Ti scaled police?
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"Women bring life into the world
and much death, for they sway the
destinies of men." -Anneas


[This message has been edited by chrisJohn (edited 27 August 1999).]
 
Hmmm.. I would advise updating the website like the rest of the others mentioned.
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Other than that, I don't see any "flaws" in Spyderco as a company that we all learned to really love and respect.
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Dan
 
Ok, in general I didn't much agree with MDP's post either. No offense MDP.

When we are all debating the subject of the Spyderco product line, under the direct "What's wrong" question from Sal. Please forumites look past your own desires and wants. This also not a kiss butt session either, sounded like Sal wanted serious response.

I can understand and agree with your voice if your involved with Internet biz, I can even understand your excitment for continuous new products from Spyderco. I am a lover of their blades also. But if Sal is looking for growth improvements, "the cold hard truth", and doesn't want us to hold back, we have to be objective and stand back from our personal veiws, and look at the whole big picture. Ya sure I want to see 20 new Spydie SKU's a year, but that's not happening, and truthfully would that be a good thing for Spyderco? According to the recent past, don't think so. If that were true, Spyderco wouldn't be cutting back a large amount of knives for 2000.

There are very few dealers (non internet) that have the room, or the bank to show and stock Spyderco's full line, and let's face it, whether a company has 10 SKU's or 100, there not ALL going to sell. Why would any dealer want to take up precious space and $, to show products that don't sell. They wont and don't. They may try a few new products, but if they don't sell through, they wont re-order. That is obviously what is going on.

Correct me if I'm wrong here Sal, but your probably cutting back your line for no other reason than the soon to be discontinued models are not pulling there economical weight. It has become some what clear that certain SKU's were "dumped" to wholesalers, cause you were not able to get them off the Spyderco shelves to your own dealers. Again, correct me if I'm wrong, but when I see a number of SKU's (discontinued or not), being sold at way below wholesale prices by distributors to dealers, I, and others can read between those lines

I like the fact you come to the user for info, but the dealers in my humble opinion, would offer a lot differt input. They are the next step closer to the ELU and extension of your Spyderco sales. Maybe there is a void between Spyderco and their dealers? Hook up closer with them, and the information hwy has just added another lane. The ELU can only be educated and have knowlege in certain and limited aspecs of the Spyderco biz, the dealer has a whole other, and much more insightful perspective. I would also go to them for help. If you haven't already, start collecting your dealers E-mail addresses and start asking questions.

MDP do you know how much coin it would cost to do "Special", "Test" and "Limited" models for SFO? In a perfect world maybe.

My veiws are only an opinion offered up for the betterment of Spyderco.

I'm out.
 
Sal,

Thank you for asking us.

I would suggest adding a Virtual Company Tour to your website. The site is very efficient and has a lot of good material. It's really not missing anything. However, a personal touch like the Company Tour with some pictures of some of your loyal, longtime employees at work or at knife shows or doing some company related work would add a personal touch. Just a small thing, but I like seeing the people too!

Placing a face with a name for service or engineering work or quality control, or whatever other activities are deemed appropriate would give your site a bit of a personal touch.

Just my .015
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The one thing that I hear a lot about is the release info on news coming too early and being inaccurate. Other than that I can't think of anything else. Spyderco is on the rite track from what I can tell.

Regards,

Tom Carey
 
I only read the first few posts so I don't know if this has been said. I showed my wife James Mattis scan of the pink Delica and she said 'cool'. She then took a closer look and saw the serrations and said no thanks. I asked as have others if there was a plain edge version and the replys back was no and maybe later. Why do you insist on serrations only on a knife targeted towards a group of people who will not like serrations???

I would like to see more liner locks in the $50 - $75 range.

I would also like to see a mega folder with a 5" to 6" blade. The only option right now that I can find is CS VG and REKAT SIFU. The REKAT looks promising but I would rather have a Spyderco
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I second the motion for a more available source for knives. There is only one store here in Anchorage that carries Spyderco beyond the basic models (Delica Endura) and they charge more than mail order.

EOR

P.S. I have figured out every acronym or have been able to look them up except one. What the heck is ELU?

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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb


 
David, my chance to contribute.

According to Spyderco's website, they refer to us as End Line Users.
 
You guys are offering more plain, so that is good.

How about serrations at the belly, like the Krait and Mad dog variants.

In a perfect world... Well I figure that one should do their level best ot bring the perfect world to life.

MDP
 
Wow, good ideas so far!
I like the email newsletter idea, course it would inevitably fall in MY lap, but that's ok. It wouldnt take much time, i don't think. A virtual tour...excellent idea.
I had a couple of ideas, but not sure it's appropriate....so I'll just say "amen, brothers..." Keep it coming!
Danelle
 
Sal,
Just a few quicks.I second the notion to have threaded clip holes at both ends of the knife.I would love it if my starmate and military were tip-up.I`d also like to see more cpm440v used.It is awesome! I don`t think the price point matters as much as the quality of the product.If you keep the quality as high as it is,you will always have a major following.
Thanks,
David

AKTI#150
 
My only complaint is I wish Spyderco made more LEFT-HANDED models. A huge majority of the zytel handled knives are ambidexterous, but I am talking about the lock backs that are made of micarta: Calpyso, and Goddard for example. It can't be that hard to drill and tap three more holes on the other side can it? Some may complain it is ugly seeing the hole - use some filler screws to hide them. Lefty liner locks are a RARE breed indeed - not many are made period. Some lefty liner locks in the Military, and Wegner would be super!
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How about Spyderco CUSTOM SHOP??!!! Remington Arms does this, why not have a custom shop for the Spydies?? Special colors, modified for tip up/tip down, special location for clips, diffent style clips.....list can be endless. Set up a flat rate for whatever service. I would be willing to pay more $ for a knive made to exactly how I wanted it to be.

Spyderco Customer service is #1. How can it be made better? Quicker turn around time for repairs is a PLUS - this is NOT saying you are slow by any means. 3 days in house would be awesome! Ship repairs via USPS Priority Insured (I am not sure who Spyderco normally uses...lol). Don't get me wrong, Danelle does a super job, but she is just one person, hire another person
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. Benchmade NEEDS to learn something from Spyderco about caring about what customers needs and concerns are!

Spyderco = MY favorite production knives!

Ray 'md2020'
 
First...I love Spyderco knives.

Second...although I am a righty I really would like to see left handed models for the custom collaboration projects.

For instance, I just tore some major thumb muscles in my right hand and I can't use that hand for knife use if my life depended on it. I now have to use and carry on my left side. Since I am not very adept at left handed folder operation, I am carrying a right handed automatic (Microtech also does not make lefties) on my left side as a last resort. I did have a Native but I gave it away as a gift (to a close friend who is a leftie). I considered the Delica and the Goddard lightweight, but I choose to hold out since I am now primarily a higher end knife buyer.

Ex. - I just handled a Zowada at Paragon Sports store in NYC and I really loved it - I was actually quite surprised how beautiful it was. Anyway, since my right hand is inpoerative I had to handle it with my left hand. If the knife was built for a leftie, I would have bought it on the spot for the MSRP! (I never buy knives at MSRP!)

Another reason for my search for leftie knives is that I have many right handed knives - too many. And I carry three sometimes four blades at a time for utility and self defense. Asa martial artist, I feel compelled to have my left side equally armed. "Equal" being the key word. For example, I will carry a Lum fixed blade tanto IWB and a Lightfoot 460 Mag or a Military on my right side. A carbon fiber Dragonfly in my back pocket - and on my left side? A Delica or a Native? Although it is a viable and respectable option, I would much rather carry a Military, Starmate, Zowada, Civilian etc. Why compromise for left hand carry?

I know the market is small but wouldn't it be feasible to cater to a small market while supplying the masses with the ususal high demand items?

Sal, let's see some left handed Custom collaborations (and some Civilians - a perfect leftie folder)!

I also disagree with ekaagan's suggestion on eliminating Seki craftsmen from the Spyderco family. I understand the patriotic notion of being self sufficient, but these makers really do make some top quality knives.

Thanks Sal for giving us this opportunity for suggestions.

[This message has been edited by Ronald Reagan (edited 28 August 1999).]
 
Hire me on full time to do your webstuff and let me telecommute from here so I don't have to deal with CO's cold weather and Denver's anti-gun idiocy.
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Other than that, I echo the comments about slimming and expanding at the same time, offering more and less colors and blade materials, and such. I do think offering different colors of Zytel is going to be a nice move though, because (quite frankly), I find black to be getting boring, and it can't be that difficult to just squirt another color into the plastic, can it? Yeah, the SKU's are a bitch, but it does offer some variety...

Spark

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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com

Insert witty quip here
 
Thank you for the kind words, JerseyCitySteve! I really tried to be honest and insightful without interjecting my own cravings into the equation. What Sal seems to be asking is more about his business than what we (users) want. Everyone wants something different, but in reality many people actually share the same tastes, that's why certain knife models out sell others. I too like micarta, and Ti, but to make as many models as Spyderco does, it just doesn't make business sense to sell three different versions of the same model. Let's face it, most people have a budget when it comes to hobbies (or they should), such as knife collecting, and some variations of these models are just too expensive for everyone. So, does it make sense to make several models that appeal to only a few ELUs? Practical business models say no. On the contrary, what you gain in sales/revenue you loose in innovation, and that is what sets companies apart. Finding the right mix is the key to a (financially)successful manufacturing business. Basically, right now, Spyderco is trying to make too many different models with too many variations. Variation is OK, as long as it is applied to certain (better selling) models.

And one more thing, the website needs a little improvement. Start by making the catalog easier to find and make it all inclusive. It took me a while to find the new models and they aren't part of the on-line catalog. Implement a "search by feature" tool that will allow users to find the product they want by specifying it's features. Update the contents more often, maybe add a weekly feature article about a new product or custom knifemaker. How about an editorial by Sal about the knife industry. Being a pioneer lends itself to some important insight in the industry.

Lastly, add some reviews to the site so everyone can see just how well-made your products really are. I'd love to see pictures of the factory, or the entire knife-making process. Don't leave out photos of those hard-working employees
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Thanks again.

EK

[This message has been edited by ekaagan (edited 28 August 1999).]
 
I think one simple thing that Spyderco could do would be to completely get rid of silver or shiny clips. I don't think anybody really likes them because they draw attention to your knife. Don't go completely high tech with your blade steel. ATS-34 and CPM 440V can awfully hard to sharpen under field conditions. Often a Gin-1, AUS 8, or maybe ATS-55, blade is easier to maintain for ELU's. What I don't like is seeing less expensive steel on expensive custom designed knives
like the Zowada and Viele which have list prices well over $100 dollars but have AUS 8 blades. Finally, I think that Spyderco tends to have too many knives in development at any given time. This results in too many delays that I just don't think are justifiable. For example, it took about two years for the Native to reach retail outlets. That is simply too long for a knife which is essentially another zytel lockback, the type of knife that Spyderco has done forever, too reach production. Obviously, the techncal aspects of putting this knife together were not that difficult, more than likely, production was delayed because there too many other knives that had not yet been produced. These types of delays are really frustrating not only to ELUs but to retailers also. The problem could be solved simply by reducing the number of knives in the pipline. It would also be nice for collectors like me since that way maintaining a fairly comprehensive collection will be more feasible.
 
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