I think a good case in point would be the ZT 0909 to make my argument. A knife DOES have to have a bling factor to be successful today. The 0909 is a great work knife, absolutely no frills. Well thought out, it has heavy enough jimping to be useful when you are wearing work gloves, the blade steel is excellent, and it has G10 handles on both sides. Frame locks are awful to use for long periods of heavy use for me (XL hands) as the overall thickness is too small, and the lock side is slippery and uncomfortable when my hands are really sweaty. The 0909 solves this with G10 both sides, and the small, but completely competent pocket clip that doesn't dig into you hand with use. I like it enough on the job site I bought a spare!
So what was the downfall of this knife? I read it here, read it on independent reviews, etc., and all the same thing: not enough flash, not enough bling. Reviewers said the jimping was too heavy and didn't look refined but more like an afterthought. The black only G10 was a turn off to some. People complained loudly about the size of the pocket clip and it works just fine, but too small for their design tastes. Few liked the hex nut on the pivot, but I though it was a genius touch to enable easy field repairs. Some thought it was too heavy and could have benefited from some aggressive milling here and there, some titanium, and anything to make it more pretty. I think the knife was one of KAI's shortest run ZTs.
It seems to me most people here are collectors. ZT now offers limited run editions with peacock colored titanium, bizarre blade shapes, "peep eye" see through pivots, carbon fiber scales on knives that were already lightweight, and pocket clips that get attention to let folks know you are carrying a ZT. The Kershaw branded line has even more collectors. Great designs, great distribution, pretty good quality and reasonable price. With new designs all the time, it makes them a perfect knife to collect. If your highest use if a knife is described by "it is one of the smoothest flippers I own" or "it flips faster than my XXXX" then a knife if more of a toy or fidget spinner than a tool. And how many here judge a knife (just look at the posts) by how well it flicks/flips...
Gimmicks sell, especially to collectors. New colors, a new feature, etc. Look how many here have multiple versions of the same knife and are proud of it!
I am disappointed that Kershaw and CRKT don't offer more steels. But I certainly think they know their markets, and seem to be doing fine without catering to my desires. But there have been some epic designs from both that have begged for better steels... just begged... and not only do I think they would have had a great seller, but would have made a knife that could be made for many years.
Why can't someone like KAI do what they did with the Blur? It started out with some steel I don't remamber. Then went to SG2. I bought one in 420hc many years ago and it was a helluva buy. There was something in between, maybe more than one steel. They now offer it in 14C28N and S30V. They have offered that knife serrated, satin finished, stone washed, and DLC coated. And too many colors of handles to count (someone here has posted all of them). All of them sell or they would be discontinued.
I agree that CRKT is the worst. They do a lot with their steel (I say steel as there is predominately only ONE) but for those of us that like a particular design, especially one that is useful (like the Carson designed hunting knives) it would be great to have an offering of better steel in this day and age.
Like many here, I am passed the baseline performing steels, even though in truth I have used them for years. But now, life for me is too short for "OK" steels unless a knife is purpose bought for a specific reason. And truthfully, with all the CNC, wire cutting, plasma cutting, heavy duty stamping, automated grinding and injection moldings I don't understand why it is so hard or expensive to make multiple offerings of the same knife with little problems. I don't get it because even though I like today's knives as work knives a great deal, in reality (skipping all the business about a knife having a soul like your favorite hunting dog) it seems to me that today's knives aren't much more than a pile of screwed together pieces that should be pretty much interchangeable within a manufactured model.
Robert
