Another unrealistic idea for Spyderco--but this one's really good

Shmackey

Shmackey

Joined
May 5, 2000
Messages
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Some of you already know about Pete's Custom Knife Shoppe at Buck Knives. For those who don't know, you can use their nifty Web site to create a custom Buck 110 with choices for blade steel, handle material, and the like.

At first, I had grand thoughts for a Build Your Own Spydie site, where you could create anything with an opening hole, but then I got a little more realistic. How could Spyderco implement this idea while maintaining production-line efficiency? Easy! Keep it to one blade shape, one lock, and one handle style--let customers choose handle material, blade finish, and miscellaneous features.

With this in mind, I humbly suggest the Build Your Own Calypso Jr. site! Spyderco could make handle blanks (with steel bolsters!) and let people choose the handle material (really just an insert into the bolster/frame). Hmm...colored micartas, wood, G10... And you could choose the finish on your VG-10 blade: mirror-polished, satin, stonewashed... Perhaps a choice of pocket clip style, Boye cutout, and the like...

If this doesn't immediately have you drooling, click the Buck link above, design your own 110, and realize that you'd actually buy it if it were a Calypso! And keep in mind that Spyderco would only have to produce one body blank (the frame/bolsters to receive a rectangular scale insert) and keep some different scales on hand. I'd pay double or even triple the cost of a Calypso Jr. Ltwt. for my own custom version. (That would be polished rag micarta, polished blade, silver clip, Boye cutout.) Oh my...I would definitely pay for that.

Sal, please take my money!
 
Great but too nice dream to come true.

If this idea would come true, I would again bother Spyderco staff with my eternal wish to get titanium handled Calypso (preferably large). This design should be linerless so it might not fit in this blank Calypso idea.
 
Yup, Tommi brings up an awfully good point -- reaching agreement on the Spyderco model to use for these choices would be extremely difficult. Given the high sales #s for the Buck 110, I'd guess that it would be best to use it on the best-selling knife on the roster. So, think Delica, not Calypso, Schmackey. Though I would prefer the Wegner, truth be told.
 
The concept of a "custom" spyderco is a good one. The main concern would be which spyderco model
to based it on. The Calypso is by far the most effecient of all the spyderco models, but it suffers greatly
from a lack of understanding by the ELU. My guess is that personal perferance will preclude any spyderco
custom in the near future. Unlike the Buck 110 which is a well established classic Spyderco has no such
knife. Their marketing has always been "new" products almost every year. If I were to vote on just one It
would have to be the calypso also,but as this thread will show, in time, it's not everyone's choice. To pick
one Spyderco would be a really tough call at best.
 
PCKS is the best idea Buck has had since the 110. I think every company should do something similar, and I don't really see why they don't.
 
Shmackey,
I Love Ya Man!
All I've ever asked for was a Calypso Jr with VG-10 flat ground blade and Micarta handles.
It would be nice to get the Micarta in a color other than black, but I'm not too picky.
Lenny
 
There was a thread on the spydrco forum awhile back that talked about the use of different color handles
on sypderco knives. It gathered quite a bit on interest at the time with the calypso as the most mentioned
knife. Considering that the original calypso run (large and small) were micarta it really isn't a large jump
to a custom shop at spyderco. With the calypso as most often mentioned favorite precut slabs of micarta
in pre selected colors should be an easy inventory set up to market. At a premum ....of course. I'd be more
that willing to bet that spyderco could sell all that they could make. I'know I'm in for a burgandy handle.
 
Hi Shmackey. It is an interesting notion, which has in fact come up in the past. At this time, it would not be possible for Spyderco to do this practically.

The only way that I can see such a project really happening is for a custom maker to work in some type of collaboration with Spyderco. A model(s) could be selected. We could provide ground & heat treated blades, locks and whatever else would simplify production to the maker. Orders would go directly to the maker with copies going to Spyderco (to handle all of the legal and acctng requirements).

We would not have the time or manpower to manage the project or even to seek and select a maker. The maker would have to have close tolerance folder making skills and would have to approach us. I guess the forum could be used for basics.

That's the only realistic way that I could see such a "custom shop" develop.

sal
 
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