2013 Forum knife?

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Guess I'm having a high school flashback, because I was just sketching out some ideas on the desk with a pencil (paper's overrated). I liked the smooth undyed bone or ivory micarta idea. As well as, the single spring idea. So, I was mostly playing around with the #68 white owl and #33 conductor frame with different blade combos. Gotta have a classy frame to go with a classy handle material. I'm kinda sold on a wharncliffe secondary. Of course, with swedges and long pulls. It looks really good drawn on table top.:D
 
A hunter would be nice....

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A Hunter like that would cost, in that large of a frame would be nice but we're talkin' big $ than.
 
If we're going to do a limited run (say 250) then I don't see where cost is an issue. We sold out this year's complete run at @$125. I've seen a few sell since then with little or no discount which bods well for increasing value as a collectors item.

We can try and make a knife for everyone, but ask Spark how well that worked with the other forums.

Or we can do like the Custom guys did and just make 15. Those sold in hours. At over $500 each.

I don't believe there's a lot of collectors or regulars on this forum who don't spend $100 a month on their hobbies. As such, I don't feel the price of last years knife was excessive. Certainly the sales pattern for the knife holds that the pricepoint was good. If anything it should have been a little higher.

Something special or unique should be somewhat exclusive and require some sacrifice; that's what instills value.
 
Every year the money thing comes up. Every year half want cheap and half dont care. If we had a sodbuster made for us this year and it cost $50 then could the next year be a 4 blade $200 knife? I dont think so, no matter the price point it will sell. Lets just come up with the best idea and go from there. If its a 4 blade then it will have to be 1095 with a cheaper cover. If its a soddie then it can get some better steel or covers. Arguing money at this point will not get anything going and be counter productive.
 
We have a lot of "regulars" who spend less than $100 per month on knives.

I believe that in past years we have aimed for $100, even though we got a bit high last year. We can talk about it, but my opinion is that $100 is a good target.
 
For me personally money is a factor, has been the last few years, that being said if it gets above $100 i'll bow out again, not a big deal...
last 2 years have been a struggle to keep a 2 bladed knife at around $100, so logic dictates that a 3 or 4 blade is gonna get expensive quick and money is a concern as the price rises the pool of people willing to buy gets smaller, that and the time this usually hits is near the holidays, also a concern.
I dont think money should be the only factor but to ignore it and go hog wild would be a mistake.
just my opinion
gene
 
IMO, every year the ceiling has been set around $100 and I think it should stay that way, to keep a sense of availability to all. $100 isn't much to some people, but it is almost what I paid for knives all year last year. I think that a $100 ceiling is reasonable for mostly everybody. If one wants, then custom makers will be willing to take substantial amounts of money from an individual. We also have to keep in mind that there are a good proportion of people that will buy the knife regardless, even if the pattern isn't exactly what they want. Asking somebody to pay much more than $100 for a knife that might not meet their aesthetic demands might see a decrease in orders as well- people are more likely to be happy with small discrepancies, but will not be as forgiving with a $200 knife.

Again, just how I personally seethe situation, as somebody who has been part if the process and have chosen not to get the particular years pattern, although I'm hopeful that this year will be the first I participate in.
 
Number one way to save money would be to use an existing frame. The two blade from 2012 was a new design. Heck I am going to go out and say that it sucks to see GEC's regular version is significantly cheaper, main difference being the blade grind. Get rid of the r&d of a new frame and it will be way cheaper.

How are we supposed to know what a company will charge us for it? Why dont we come up with what we want, whatever it is. Then shop it around and take the companys price and decide what our best option is?
 
eisman said:
Seriously, we need to do a smaller knife.
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This.

I have not been around for any but the 2012 version. Even if the price had not been prohibitive (it was for me), the size kept me from buying. When I showed my wife Jack's picture to explain the idea of a forum knife her comment was, "They keep getting bigger." While not exactly the case, there is a general movement toward larger knives, which for some folks are not comfortably pocketable.

I would like to see us go back toward the 2008 knife size.
 
Other than the knives, I don't know what I like better - a good cup of coffee or the "Add to Cart" button and once I hit that "Add to Cart" button, I don't give it a second thought. However, we have a lot of youngsters in not only this forum but all the forums at Blade Forums - college studens, new enlistees in the military, etc. and they have to give a lot of thought before they hit the "Add to Cart" button. Many of them can't afford a knife that cost $100 let alone $125. That goes for some older members of the forum too. So, for my .02¢ let's be a little more sensitive to those guys and gals in that situation. Just because Spark or anyone else can sell out a string of 250 $125 knives doesn't mean that that ought to be the price we shoot for and as a result, leave guys and gals behind who want to participate and have a forum knife.

Frank's target of $100 is a good target. I hope we can stick to $100 this year - perhaps even a bit lower.

Now where's that "Add to Cart" button??
 
Doug Add said:
This.

I have not been around for any but the 2012 version. Even if the price had not been prohibitive (it was for me), the size kept me from buying. When I showed my wife Jack's picture to explain the idea of a forum knife her comment was, "They keep getting bigger." While not exactly the case, there is a general movement toward larger knives, which for some folks are not comfortably pocketable.

I would like to see us go back toward the 2008 knife size.
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That's a good point and I have to say I like the idea - 3 1/2" to 3 3/4" "Congress Jack" (both blades opening from the same end). BUT we have to consider the size of our custom tang stamp. The tang of whatever knife we choose must be big enough to accomodate our tang stamp which would eliminate some smaller patterns.
 
I am with you Ed, I cant afford $150 for a knife right now. I have to use GEC as my price guide because thats what I buy. Right now three blade knives in different frame sizes can be had for less than $85. How does one know how much we would be charged to add or take away a blade? Who says another company wouldnt give us a better price? So many variables involved, we need an idea first and then the details can be formed from ballpark pricing from a few different manufacturers. I love GEC but they are not the only ones around.
 
An idea for using an existing frame. Take the GEC 79 frame and make it into a Tl-29. Or the new Barlow frame for a little smaller version.
 
Personally, I'd like to see any company other than GEC make our knives this year. They've had their turn. Maybe the Daniels' family (new owners of Queen) would give us a shot and a deal.
 
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Yes, I mean Canal Street. I feel we should move to a different company also. It would be great to see what the Daniel's family could do for us.
 
It seems to me that we went over the $100 mark by quite a bit on the 2007 Canittler, and not many were ordered. For those of us not made out of money, price is always an issue. That said, we're not talking about second mortgage or trade in your car on it money here. If you can't scrape up $10 a month for the forum knife, maybe you shouldn't be hanging around here. I probably spend that much on Altoids, and I know I leave more than that in tips when I eat out.

Yes, the knives have been getting bigger. The 2012 Trapper has gotten all the way up to medium sized in my hands. I've actually used some from the last few years. If the majority wants a peanut, I'll buy a peanut. The blades might as well be aluminum, because I'll never carry or use it, but I'll buy it.

I think a single-spring knife would be a nice change of pace, either single-blade or two blade. I also think it might change some minds about larger knives not fitting carry habits.
 
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