Spyderco hole all up in your face

When I see a round hole for opening a blade I think Spyderco. It's iconic, it works well, and I much prefer it to other opening methods. As amusing as it would be for Spyderco to make a folder with an axis lock when the patent expires, I don't really see the appeal.
 
I owned a BM 555 but ended selling it because I just couldn't get past the fact BM was using a feature that just so totally Spyderco without giving credit where credit's due. I thought it would no longer bother me, but found out it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. The thing that has always left me scratching my head is why another company would really want to use such a distinguishing feature that pretty much everyone associates with Spyderco? In the past, BM even stated in their advertising the oval hole was better, and I thought it looked pretty cool. With the oval hole, it was never gonna be mistaken for a Spyderco. With the Round Hole, not so much...
 
Benchmade is not a 100% American company. They pulled that illusion over your head by rebranding their China brands as HK or Harley Davidson etc etc. Sorry, but your favorite brand is also paying Chinese people to make knives :) Probably more than Spyderco in volume. It's founder is Filipino who started his knife career making Filipino knives. It's not exactly an all American apple pie story. Nothing wrong with that but dont frame your brand like it has this aura of American-ness lmao. I brought up MAP pricing because you got on your soap box about competition being a good thing. Your brand doesnt even allow knives to be sold competitively in the open market.

Yes the hole isnt a big deal to you or Benchmade, that much is obvious. It doesnt mean that it isn't an identifying attribute to Spyderco for others and if the roles were reversd and BM had something protected and others thought werent a big deal, Im sure you would have your Oregon juices flowing up in arms for it.

Yes you shouldnt care if the Axis lock gets used by other companies... For one, it supports your argument here and two the patent will expire next year anyway so disagreeing wont win you anything anyway.

Chris Reeve allows anyone to use the term integral lock. For one, any patent he had on it would have expired anyway. BM calling it monolock which may even be trademarked like its their innovation is the problem here. Of course, thats not a problem to you since its BM all day.

H&K are 100% American made...they were not always...my point with BM is that they did do overseas manufacturing, but decided to move it back home. Let's see any other company do this and survive without increased prices. Who cares if the owner is Phillipino by blood, he lives in America, and makes American knives.

When it comes down to it, I wish BM would just ditch to stupid hole as it is far less reliable than a thumbsud for deployment ( bet someone will argue against this too ). And really isn't even necessary when an Axis lock is present.

You all have fun here, pretty well said all that needs to be said, and no one anywhere ever will convince me a circle should be trademarked.
 
H&K are 100% American made...they were not always...my point with BM is that they did do overseas manufacturing, but decided to move it back home. Let's see any other company do this and survive without increased prices. Who cares if the owner is Phillipino by blood, he lives in America, and makes American knives.

When it comes down to it, I wish BM would just ditch to stupid hole as it is far less reliable than a thumbsud for deployment ( bet someone will argue against this too ). And really isn't even necessary when an Axis lock is present.

You all have fun here, pretty well said all that needs to be said, and no one anywhere ever will convince me a circle should be trademarked.

A circle isn't trademarked in the knife industry Firestrike. Benchmade can laser etch a circle on their blades, free from fear of litigation or frowning from the knife community. Like it or not, shapes, colors, etc can be trademarked to identify within an industry. It's 100% American law, speaking of 100% American.

I wish it were true regarding thumbstuds being as reliable. I really do. Makes it easier to make narrow streamline blades which I do like. :thumbup: There are hundreds of thumbstud variations and many are inferior to some others unfortunately.

I just checked Benchmade's website and they still have HK's that are in 8cr13Mov steel, four of them I recall. Also, one in AUS8...I'd gather that they are still made in the People's Republic and your company is still wiring the Chinese their paychecks every month. I don't care where Les is from either but if you're gonna rub American 100% in our face... We ALL have ties overseas one way or another. Humble beginings coming from the production of foreign style knives. You can easily buy American made with other brands as well including Spyderco.

Yes have fun bye.
 
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As far as Axis locks and BM goes I could care less if Spyderco had it or anyone, I would still prefer BM all day.

No offence, but it does seem just a bit trollish when you come into the Spyderco manufacturers forum ranting about the spydie hole, when its clear you have no interest in Spyderco's.

I don't feel any hard core Spyderco fans would go and do such a thing in the Benchmade forum.

I'm certainly not looking to argue with you about anything, but I just don't understand the reason for it.
 
When it comes down to it, I wish BM would just ditch to stupid hole as it is far less reliable than a thumbsud for deployment ( bet someone will argue against this too ).

Hard to say...I've never seen a thumbsud...

But yes, the hole is better than a thumb stud in certain situations...like when wearing thick winter gloves.

If you live in a place without winter then that won't matter, but many of us do live in places that get cold, and we still want to be able to easily open our knives.

Of course, your posts were only troll attempts, so whatever. :)
 
Oh, you mean like when apple tried to patent a rectangle?

If someone really wanted to use Spyderco's trademark as a functional opening device, there's not much Spyderco could do legally. It's not a patent. This was exemplified by benchmade using the hole as an opening device despite Sal obviously not being happy with it.

A shape that serves as an identifying function can be enforced as a trademark. The Coke bottle and Ipod for example. Trademark distinctiveness is an important part of trademark law. In this case, the Spyderhole is described as an "acquired distinctiveness" where consumers in the marketplace exclusively associate the mark, as used on the identified goods or in connection with the identified services, with a particular commercial origin or source (i.e. the trademark owner Spyderco)
 
Oh, you mean like when apple tried to patent a rectangle?

If someone really wanted to use Spyderco's trademark as a functional opening device, there's not much Spyderco could do legally. It's not a patent. This was exemplified by benchmade using the hole as an opening device despite Sal obviously not being happy with it.

Wait, what's your point..Are you disagreeing with what you quoted me on? Because it was mostly copy and pasted from http://www.uspto.gov sooo.... if you have problem with it, email them or better yet go to their office in person and talk to them about it.

Oh, you mean like when Apple trademarked the word "apple"? Apple, in the computer industry has also patented words like Bonjour, and the name Mac. They even have a trademark on a bitten apple shape.

Reminder:
A trademark can be a word, phrase, symbol, or design that distinguishes the source of the goods or services. Also, as trade dress, it can be the appearance of a product or its packaging, including size, shape, color, texture, graphics, and appearance

As far as function you are correct I guess but it would also be hitting on the trademark at the same time. FYI, this went into litigation and an agreement was made behind closed doors. No one was ever able to squeeze the goods from either side so we do not know what this agreement entails. Why we do not see other brands do this without permission suggests that the trademark hole in the application of knives still stands. Seems like those who collaborate with Spyderco or asks permission is granted limited use. BM is known for taking things without citing its sources. Monolock. LMAO so this fit their MO to the tee.
 
When it comes down to it, I wish BM would just ditch to stupid hole as it is far less reliable than a thumbsud for deployment ( bet someone will argue against this too ).

... yes, I will argue against that. Different people prefer different things, but I've always found the Spyder hole to be far easier to work with.

You all have fun here, pretty well said all that needs to be said, and no one anywhere ever will convince me a circle should be trademarked.

Well, since you're not the one that officially decides what should be trademarked or not, I don't think your opinion on it really matters anyway.
 
No offence, but it does seem just a bit trollish when you come into the Spyderco manufacturers forum ranting about the spydie hole, when its clear you have no interest in Spyderco's.

I don't feel any hard core Spyderco fans would go and do such a thing in the Benchmade forum.

I'm certainly not looking to argue with you about anything, but I just don't understand the reason for it.

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I own Spyderco knives bro, all the chinese crap in the pic are gone though...of the folders I have owned only the Spyderco and Benchmades remain. it isn't that i do not think Spyderco is a good knife, just that the hole is a stupid thing to be discussing like someone owns it.

edited to add video of thumb stud vs hole. This is for the purpose of backing up my opinion on the Thumb Stub being more reliable.

[video=youtube;nwOpQMxehg0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwOpQMxehg0[/video]
 
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Firestrike, I was wondering -- being the super Busse fan you are -- what do you think about Busse having a patent/trademark (I don't remember which) on the hole (Talon Hole) in their blades?
 
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Firestrike, nice Orange Monster, I'm wearing a gen2 right now.

Regarding thumbstud vs spyderhole, its going to come down to personal preference. I am totally ok and use/own both but if forced to choose if there is one that is "easier" and more reliable for me altogether, I would have to say the Spyderhole. Stud has too many variables/variants knife to knife, shape to shape, handle etc etc.
 
Ahh in the video, you're mistaking flickability with reliability. To you, the thumbstud is all around better, I have nothing against that. Others may be more adept at flicking Spyderholes at will. Ever thought of that? All you have demonstrated is that YOU are more adept at flicking the 940 and do not have the dexteric ability to flick Spydercos....The 940 in my experience is one of the best studded flickers out there for sure. :thumbup:

However, there are MANY thumbstud AND Spyderhole users that do not flick their knives for daily tasks. You have to keep that in mind. Also, backlocks like your Endura are generally not flickers...Backlock thumbstud knives like can give you problems as well. Peope who DO like the Spyderhole unlike you, typically either have no problems flicking these knives, or dont flick altogether.
 
2016, the Axis patent reaches 20 years. Its going to be interesting for Benchmade and the competition.

The trademark hole appears even in their fixed blades. Even in mules. Even in folders like the upcoming Ion that cant utilize the hole as a FUNCTION. So it is a valid trademark as well.

A shape that serves as an identifying function can be enforced as a trademark. The Coke bottle and Ipod for example. Trademark distinctiveness is an important part of trademark law. In this case, the Spyderhole is described as an "acquired distinctiveness" where consumers in the marketplace exclusively associate the mark, as used on the identified goods or in connection with the identified services, with a particular commercial origin or source (i.e. the trademark owner Spyderco)

There is NO spyderhole on the Temperance 1, a knife Sal has his mark on... I know because I own and love one.
 
Firestrike, I was wondering -- being the super Busse fan you are -- what do you think about Busse having a patent/trademark (I don't remember which) on the hole (Talon Hole) in their blades?

I do not buy Busse because of a hole, nor do I feel it should be pattened or trademarked. For the record even a Gerber Bear Grylls ultimate has what resembles a talon hole.
 
You need to practice your flick with those Spydercos bro. You should be able to do both equally. It's not very hard.
 
You need to practice your flick with those Spydercos bro. You should be able to do both equally. It's not very hard.

I can wrist flick a knife just fine, the point was to demonstrate ease of doing so. BM clearly does so better..were I to add gloves the Spyderco would do better.
 
..were I to add gloves the Spyderco would do better.

Yep. :)
I found that out really fast the first time I tried opening my knives with heavy gloves (thin gloves still work fine with studs).

"Better" is often situational.
 
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