are production knives becoming more "customized"?!!!

M

martin j

Joined
May 16, 2001
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This forum has more discriminating knife users than "average guy (or gal)"- are we starting to demand and expect "customized" style selection from production co's?
I see many questions now especially in Makers forums, liike " I like your 7 and 9 inch knifes, but when are you coming out with 8 inches?" or "your Ats34 version is great, it would be even better with S30V!" or "the improvements to knife X is great, however I think older clip is better, can you make it with the older clip......and tip down too?!!!!" Or "it is perfect EXCEPT the handle (or the Sheath) is poor, can you improve by doing x, y, and z, please?" and so on.
These are questions I believe which were asked to custom makers only before, now they are asked frequently to production companies. Sometimes I see these questions, I think "production co's make their knives for masses of users, not for YOU, so shut the phk up and talk to a custom maker now!!!" (Until I notice that I was the one who posed the question):p
These demands & expectations, are they REASONABLE or do they show that we are winers who expect/ demand too much? I am curious what our representative s of prodction companies think about this, as well as other "users" comments-
Thank you,
Martin
 
Benchmade seems to be having success offering a variety of "custom" runs for collectors. Cammilus upgraded the steel on the very popular EDC folder to 154CM as well as offering runs in Talonite and D2. Never hurts to ask!
 
I think the manufacturers like to get as much feedback as possible. If enough people want something there is a good chance that a company will act on the requests. It is better to let a company know what it is you would like them to do. That way they can look at possible changes or additions to the models that they make based at least somewhat on the feedback they receive.
 
I agree with Keith--feedback is always good. It's just that there is a line between suggesting someting and demanding something. stjames is right--it never hurts to ask. As long as we are trying to provide constructive criticism (constructive being the operative word), then I see no harm in suggesting ways that a knife could be better. I think that if I was in their position, I would want to hear from the general public how I could make a product better and more appealing, otherwise I doubt you would see so many makers and manufacturers on a forum like this one.
 
Martin, I've said it once and I'll say it again... as the customer, we have the right to be picky and demanding.

You don't satisfy customers by telling them that they aren't in the majority.

For example, I own no SOG Knives because I detest comboedge, and the few models that come in plainedge I have little interest in, if they decide that they make more profit by producing comboedge only versions of most of their knives, more power to 'em, but they can forget me as a customer (no offense Ron, if you're lookin' in on this.)

It's my hard-earned money, and if a factory company can't please me, I'll take my money elsewhere, this is how capitalism works.

I know this is a bit less of a cohesive idea than I'd like it to be, but I'm fighting off the insomnia, so I hope you'll all just bear with me :)
 
As said, there is a fine line between suggestion and demand. Also, I think there's a fine line between constructive criticism and personalization. When someone suggests to a maker that they can make one of their work knives more durable by adding some more steel towards the tip, I can understand that. But when someone else says the company should turn their hard working knife into a gents folder, I think they've missed the point of the exercise. Also, people need to accept the fact that not every design they like is going to be produced in small, medium, large, tip-up, tip-down, plain, serrated, combo, etc etc.
Just counting those factors, that's 18 SKU's for one model! And then people start talking about special runs, fancy handle scales or bolsters, "collector" this and that, lovely colors. I just think that some people on this forum are starting to lose touch with what production companies can offer.
"I want a special run of this with (fill in color) scales made of (fill in fancy material), with a (fill in size) blade made of (fill in uber steel), etc etc etc!!! WHAT?!?! I have to pay more than $75? Well forget it then!!! Why can't it cost the same as your plastic lockback?!?!"
A perfect example is the BFC Blue Native. It was created to the specs of the forumites, with tons of feedback. Then it was finally made and sold at a price barely over $100. What happened? It took over a year for 300 of them to sell! All that demand that people claimed on the forums wasn't there in reality.

People love to create pipe dreams and post them but when it comes down to it, they don't want to pay for it. I think some companies have found this out the hard way.
 
ThinkOfTheChildren raises a good point...

And I think it all comes down to what you really want, if you just *HAVE* to have X color of Y handle material with Z uber-steel, then you should go with a custom and not compromise.
If, on the other hand you look at a design and say "I mostly like it, but if I were doing it, there's a few things I'd change", then buy it anyway, provided those things are overlookable.
A real good example of this is my Kershaw Blackout... generally speaking I don't like coated blades, Polymide (Kershaw's name for Zytel) sure isn't my favorite handle material, 440A is hardly the best steel in the world, and it's only got what I would call a just-at-par Liner-Lock. Did I mention it's also one of my favorite knives? The reason is because the ergonomics and especially the grind of the blade are spot on, my Blackout may very well be the sharpest knife I own (though my Spydie Endura might give it a real run for it's money).
I like the Blackout because it feels good in the hand and cuts exceptionally, sure I'd like to see several things improved, but I like it alot the way it is, and that's good enough for me.
 
So far I agree with everyone :D
Of course I think feedback is good too, however on this kind of forum I wonder if there is so much asked of comapnies, at some point the requests become bewildering for manufacturers and they cannot separate geuninely broad user preferences Vs. preferences of small if loyal group? Perhaps the blue forum Native is a good example- "build it and they will come?!!!"- obviously not always!!!!
Martin
 
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