Why knife manufactures don't give us what we want?

dsalazar said:
The skinny actually has a thinner blade and frame. I had an xm18 with a rek regrind dam what a slicer. I threw pb washers on it and tuned the detent. Man that thing was nice.
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Nice to know! REK is doing me right too. I had some knives moded by Josh and he's doing some serious work out there.
 
Tommy-Chi said:
There are several manufacturers that have me miffed, but I'm a very small segment of their sales. I don't think they care at all, yet I completely realize that my wishes are not simple to do, or cheap.

I've emailed the CEO, VPs, and even joined their forums and dropped on them what I was looking for and never heard a peep back.

They are either blind morons and cannot see the potential or they are as dumb as rocks.


KA-BAR/EK
- I asked them to manufacture a fully exposed tang KA-BAR fighter out of S35VN...or heck, whatever, just better than 1095/440C and a rat tang.
- I asked them to rerun an allotment of EK knives in S35VN again.

SPYDERCO
- I asked them to create a Custom Shop, as done by many other top tier knife manufacturers, and slow the use of sprint runs. This would allow them to sell a knife with 2 or 3 different steels and handles for 6 months to a year...as opposed to selling 500 knives and never selling that knife again. This allows buyers the opportunity to save and buy the knife they want. That would result in more esoteric steels getting in to the hands of clients.
- I asked them to please make more fixed blades, and with nickel/brass single hilts. Most of their fixed blades have handles slapped and glued on and I want a better knife using their awesome blade steels. I'm going to buy whatever I have too, but the knives are dangerous. If your hand slips...it will be down on the blade!
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Do you really think knife manufacturers are going to change their business models just to suit YOUR individual wants? Really?
 
dsalazar said:
Maybe to build suspense. So when it comes out it sells out fast. Maybe smooth titanium is to smooth and not in. Hell i want a xm18 3.5 skinny with no choil. Then scales on both sides. One can only hope.
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sorry it's dlttrading not gp
 
Tommy-Chi said:
There are several manufacturers that have me miffed, but I'm a very small segment of their sales. I don't think they care at all, yet I completely realize that my wishes are not simple to do, or cheap.

I've emailed the CEO, VPs, and even joined their forums and dropped on them what I was looking for and never heard a peep back.

They are either blind morons and cannot see the potential or they are as dumb as rocks.


KA-BAR/EK
- I asked them to manufacture a fully exposed tang KA-BAR fighter out of S35VN...or heck, whatever, just better than 1095/440C and a rat tang.
- I asked them to rerun an allotment of EK knives in S35VN again.

SPYDERCO
- I asked them to create a Custom Shop, as done by many other top tier knife manufacturers, and slow the use of sprint runs. This would allow them to sell a knife with 2 or 3 different steels and handles for 6 months to a year...as opposed to selling 500 knives and never selling that knife again. This allows buyers the opportunity to save and buy the knife they want. That would result in more esoteric steels getting in to the hands of clients.
- I asked them to please make more fixed blades, and with nickel/brass single hilts. Most of their fixed blades have handles slapped and glued on and I want a better knife using their awesome blade steels. I'm going to buy whatever I have too, but the knives are dangerous. If your hand slips...it will be down on the blade!
Click to expand...

Spyderco/Sal/Eric are blind morons and dumb as rocks because they didn't jump to do with their business what some random dude says they should? Surely you're not serious?

OP, I will offer the one gripe I have, that I feel is reasonable, in line with your question.

Benchmade make the 943, but offer no variants to the ali handle.
They also make the 940, with ali, CF and G10 handles.
Surely it would be easy for them to put 943 blades (which they already make) into some 940 G10 handles, and give us a 943-2. The handles for 940 and 943 are the same.
I have previously asked this, of the Benchmade rep here.

But no, it's not a happening thing.
The stated 'we don't sell enough 943s' doesn't seem right to me.
Put a bunch of 943-2 together, see how it goes. The parts are already there.
I mean, if the 943 is still in production, it has some sales doesn't it?

That Benchmade doesn't seem interested enough to do this annoys me.
But whilst what I suggest may seem obvious and simple to me, perhaps there are other factors I am unaware of, so I stop well short of calling them 'morons' so bluntly.
 
I understand this frustration
I think most of may have experienced it one time or another :)

But actually I am quite fine with that
I préfère manufacturers to stay true to their vision rather than following global trends.
Maybe I will be frustrated on the short term but I can deal with it and it may bring me more satisfaction on the long term

I fully backup the concep of custom shops or ordering process however as it is more a technical possibility that modern technology makes realistic
Almost the “dark side” of the “give them what they want”: it is quick, easy even though it is not more powerfull ;)

Everything considered stores are allready full of <<full ti framelock flippers on bearing with 3.5” blade M390 and 4” handle at 4.5oz>>.... sometime I would like more diversity and not just “what people wants”.

In this perspective I like spyderco, they also gives what people wants but they focus on the function rather than on the shape/materials. As an user of my knives I really like that.

Over time some great brands have disappointed me on the long term by not offering a vision or not defending a statement... only satisfying a kind of “marketing survey” agenda.
They still do great knives by the way but I am not anymore into it

As a conclusion I understand the frustration when we think a manufacturer is so close to make our grail knife that we cannot understand why they don’t make our dream real
However I appreciate to trust the expertise of a company in providing what is actually the right tool even if at one time I didn’t realised it was the right way to build this knife


And who knows maybe my tastes will change, or the perspective of the manufacturer will evolve ;)
 
Demand.

As "knife knuts" we are not most knife company's main customer base.
We make up a very, very small percentage of their annual sales.

What we want is not necessarily what the vast majority of their customers want, and/or more importantly, are willing to pay for.

Therefore, they make what the masses want and with features the masses are willing to pay for.
To do otherwise would put them out of business rather quickly.
 
Therom said:
I understand this frustration
I think most of may have experienced it one time or another :)

But actually I am quite fine with that
I préfère manufacturers to stay true to their vision rather than following global trends.
Maybe I will be frustrated on the short term but I can deal with it and it may bring me more satisfaction on the long term

I fully backup the concep of custom shops or ordering process however as it is more a technical possibility that modern technology makes realistic
Almost the “dark side” of the “give them what they want”: it is quick, easy even though it is not more powerfull ;)

Everything considered stores are allready full of <<full ti framelock flippers on bearing with 3.5” blade M390 and 4” handle at 4.5oz>>.... sometime I would like more diversity and not just “what people wants”.

In this perspective I like spyderco, they also gives what people wants but they focus on the function rather than on the shape/materials. As an user of my knives I really like that.

Over time some great brands have disappointed me on the long term by not offering a vision or not defending a statement... only satisfying a kind of “marketing survey” agenda.
They still do great knives by the way but I am not anymore into it

As a conclusion I understand the frustration when we think a manufacturer is so close to make our grail knife that we cannot understand why they don’t make our dream real
However I appreciate to trust the expertise of a company in providing what is actually the right tool even if at one time I didn’t realised it was the right way to build this knife


And who knows maybe my tastes will change, or the perspective of the manufacturer will evolve ;)
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Thanks for sharing! And I totally agree your opinion. I love spyderco as well, they are my favorite company together with CRK. I think the main source of our disappointment is the lack of that final touch that makes the knife perfect in our own opinion. And what I would consider the most disappointing fact is that hinderer is pushing their knives to be modularize, there are tons of stand offs, clips stabilizers and scales in all kinds of flavors. Yet they refuse to bring Ti scales to the market. I’m not asking something out of the blue, I’m asking what they should have provided long time ago based on their market strategy, and it’s missing for years.
 
afishhunter said:
Demand.

As "knife knuts" we are not most knife company's main customer base.
We make up a very, very small percentage of their annual sales.

What we want is not necessarily what the vast majority of their customers want, and/or more importantly, are willing to pay for.

Therefore, they make what the masses want and with features the masses are willing to pay for.
To do otherwise would put them out of business rather quickly.
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I understand, but hinderer as a company is not like many other companies. They are selling a clip and a filler at nearly 100 bucks. They are aiming for higher end market based on price point. Just my opinion... :)
 
luh1202 said:
I understand, but hinderer as a company is not like many other companies. They are selling a clip and a filler at nearly 100 bucks. They are aiming for higher end market based on price point. Just my opinion... :)
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Could well be true. :)
I'm not one of those Hinderer is aiming for.
I normaly have difficulty justifying more than $30 or so for a knife.
My most expensive knives are this year's Buck 301 Blade Forums knife, and an SK Blades Lil'Jack Buck 112. Both were in the $70 range.
All my ancestors are probably rolling in their graves that I spent that much for a single knife -- and did so twice no less!
I may never hear the end of it when I get to where they are ... :(
 
It's called creating exclusivity. When you have to wait and you worry if you will ever get one the more likely you are going to cough the cash for one. Whether in this case it's intentional or non-intentional I don't know.

If you are patient you will get one!
 
Tommy-Chi said:
There are several manufacturers that have me miffed, but I'm a very small segment of their sales. I don't think they care at all, yet I completely realize that my wishes are not simple to do, or cheap.

I've emailed the CEO, VPs, and even joined their forums and dropped on them what I was looking for and never heard a peep back.

They are either blind morons and cannot see the potential or they are as dumb as rocks.


KA-BAR/EK
- I asked them to manufacture a fully exposed tang KA-BAR fighter out of S35VN...or heck, whatever, just better than 1095/440C and a rat tang.
- I asked them to rerun an allotment of EK knives in S35VN again.

SPYDERCO
- I asked them to create a Custom Shop, as done by many other top tier knife manufacturers, and slow the use of sprint runs. This would allow them to sell a knife with 2 or 3 different steels and handles for 6 months to a year...as opposed to selling 500 knives and never selling that knife again. This allows buyers the opportunity to save and buy the knife they want. That would result in more esoteric steels getting in to the hands of clients.
- I asked them to please make more fixed blades, and with nickel/brass single hilts. Most of their fixed blades have handles slapped and glued on and I want a better knife using their awesome blade steels. I'm going to buy whatever I have too, but the knives are dangerous. If your hand slips...it will be down on the blade!
Click to expand...


I got three words for you, fren: Custom knives


You're welcome. :D
 
It wasn't so long ago that you had trouble even finding a Hinderer XM-18 knife in stock anywhere .. and the secondary market was like selling gold bars for what they brought ...

Just go to some sites and sign up for notifications on the Ti smooth scales of the color you want and sit back and wait for an email that they are back in stock ...

it's the same with the colored hardware ... it's tough to find the full sets in most color options but two have come back in stock in the last couple months and sold out again ...

Hinderer sells ... I'm just glad prices have self corrected and supply is better even if you may have to wait a little while to get exactly what you want.

Whitty at USA Made Blade does custom anodizing ... but I know he wasn't doing any until at least after the holidays ... you could contact him and ask.
 
Tommy-Chi said:
There are several manufacturers that have me miffed, but I'm a very small segment of their sales. I don't think they care at all, yet I completely realize that my wishes are not simple to do, or cheap.

I've emailed the CEO, VPs, and even joined their forums and dropped on them what I was looking for and never heard a peep back.

They are either blind morons and cannot see the potential or they are as dumb as rocks.


KA-BAR/EK
- I asked them to manufacture a fully exposed tang KA-BAR fighter out of S35VN...or heck, whatever, just better than 1095/440C and a rat tang.
- I asked them to rerun an allotment of EK knives in S35VN again.

SPYDERCO
- I asked them to create a Custom Shop, as done by many other top tier knife manufacturers, and slow the use of sprint runs. This would allow them to sell a knife with 2 or 3 different steels and handles for 6 months to a year...as opposed to selling 500 knives and never selling that knife again. This allows buyers the opportunity to save and buy the knife they want. That would result in more esoteric steels getting in to the hands of clients.
- I asked them to please make more fixed blades, and with nickel/brass single hilts. Most of their fixed blades have handles slapped and glued on and I want a better knife using their awesome blade steels. I'm going to buy whatever I have too, but the knives are dangerous. If your hand slips...it will be down on the blade!
Click to expand...
This post makes me wonder just who exactly is the dumb-as-rocks moron in that dialog.
 
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