Are Spyderco Prices becoming unreachable?

F

Frank Morris

Joined
Aug 4, 2022
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279
Every year the price of Spydercos go up. I understand a little bump here and there.

With the new LW Lil Temperance at $176 and the Stretch 2XL cruwear at $285 Im thinking many people, my self included, will not be able to afford these knives anymore.

Spyderco is my favorite knife manufacturer and I hope they are not pricing themselves out of bussiness.

Also I have to mention I think theres a problem with Quality Control with knives being put out for sale.

I have had a few that I fixed myself, but if the price keeps going up, I will return every single one that is not perfect.

What does everyone else think?
 
I'm on record as saying post MAP Spyderco prices aren't a deal or a good buy with respect to what you get for the price, but picking two models and making a generalization about the brand as a whole doesn't make much sense. There are still cheaper ones to be had.

Also, a lot of brands try to fill a spectrum. Spyderco definitely tries to reach up as well as down. They aren't trying to make every model priced at the budget level so everyone can afford them. A wide range gives those who want better materials for a higher price stuff to buy, and lightweight and budget steel models keep some others affordable for those who need to watch their wallet.

That out of the way, like the two models you mention, everything out of Japan from Spyderco is horribly priced for what you get, and that's made worse by the constantly declining quality and consistency out of their shops there.
 
The cruwear stretch you mentioned is more than I can justify spending. But the pm2 and manix 2, for example, seem fine to me. I could justify a pm2 at $200.
 
Man it’s tough to admit as a dedicated consumer and fan of Spyderco(knives and the company in general), yes I think a lot of their knives are overpriced for what they are. Perhaps its just my unwillingness to pay what others are willing to but its tough to get excited about a new knife these days.
 
I have 13 Spydercos that I’ve narrowed my collection down to. These I won’t get rid of, but I also don’t see myself chasing anything else in the near future. The only exception being, if a Native Chief Salt is released. I may go after that.

It’s not just a Spyderco problem though. It’s all knife manufacturers. I have more than I can use in a lifetime already, so for now, I’ve decided to just focus on really special customs, if something comes along that I love.
 
Let's face it. Premium knives are a luxury. Not everyone can afford luxury. Not everyone should be able to afford luxury. If everyone could, it wouldn't be premium or luxury. Millions of people are content with their truck stop knives, which by the way are now $15 to $30 instead of $5 to $10.

Spyderco operates on fixed margins. Cost of production determines price. Everyone wants more money for their labor, which increases production cost, which increases price. Whining about it accomplishes nothing.
 
I guess it depends on your perspective and what you value. It cost me $87 to fill my truck the other day. The gas was gone in less than a week. With the cost of two tanks of gas and I can purchase a Spyderco that will last my lifetime and my children's lifetime. I took my family out to dinner (6 people) and it was a good bit over $100. Not to be graphic, but the added value of that leaves the body in 24 hrs. and is gone forever. Yes, I agree prices are climbing - EVERYWHERE and with EVERYONE. Would I rather purchase a Spyderco (or really any other quality knife) or would I rather go out to eat? Sometimes I eat, and sometimes I cave into my Spyderco craving instead.
 
I don't mean to be unsympathetic but, if you can't afford to pay, just don't play. 🤷‍♂️

It's called "inflation" and I don't think that most Spyderco knives are priced outside of the current market price for commercially made knives in general.

FWIW, when I started collecting knives just 3-4 years ago, the average price I that paid for a knife was around $100-150. Now it's around $300-350.

I also started paying more for knives because the ones that I wanted were more expensive but the "going market price" for most of the mid-market knives, like Spyderco makes, is still in the $200-250 range.

Frankly, if I didn't get the knife "collecting" bug, I would have been happy with the knives that I already owned, which included 3-4 SAK Explorers, a Buck 110, a Gen 1 Spyderco Endura and a Kershaw CRKT1840 Shallot. This is in addition to the many kitchen knives that I also owned and still own.

The rest is just extra.

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BTW, I'm old enough to have lived thru 3-4 major inflationary/deflationary cycles over the past 70 years and still recall when I had to pay 16% on a mortgage and we're not even near that yet! .We're just in another inflationary cycle now which, if you believe the pundits should be short lived.

Live long enough and there certainly will be another reversal down the road. ;)
 
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Looking at the rising prices of other knife brands, I don’t think Spyderco is out of line. I really like some of their designs and I trust their knives completely. I have carried one model or another for so long, that I am likely biased. I have carried them SCUBA diving, fishing, hiking, hunting in yucky heat/humidity, snowshoeing, and EDC used for all sorts of chores. Not once have I been let down. There are prettier folders and newer locking mechanisms, but they are my folders of choice and I will spend a bit extra for peace of mind.
 
Cherry-picking the Lil Temp for your complaint is misleading. When the G10 version was discontinued a few years ago, it was $211 (and would probably be around $250 if made today). Seki City has been expensive for awhile, especially when it comes to G10. Your other example is Stretch 2XL Cruwear, which is another Seki City G10 model. The recent expensive Ayoob is another Seki City G10 model. You can't use those Seki City models as representative of the entire lineup.
 
Japan in not a cheap place to live. If you want to pay for Japanese labor you're going to have to pay Japanese wages. Same applies to the US. If you can't afford to support wages in these countries there are other countries that produce knives that you should be able to afford.
 
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