As to WHY great knives get discontinued!

[ndmiller]

Since most manufacturers/makers don't have infinite funds, they have to make choices. On one side keep only existing product line that sells well to the other side new introductions/discontinued product regularly to spur new interest and customers. It's all the balance they choose to keep the business moving, neither being right or wrong, just different business models based on this choice and limited funds. It's why manufacturers/makers will add new facilities, warehousing, production lines, so they don't have to make that choice and can do a little of both, again limited by funds.

And with all this going on it simply could be "management is stupid". A retail adage where decision makers lose sight of the goal (i.e. selling what their customer wants) and make contrary decisions to solve to another problem not goal related (i.e. we want to attract a different customer). Also known as going off the rails/reservation, losing sight of the customer, lack of customer focus, bad management, and ultimately bankruptcy.

 

[whp]

So here we are knife knuts and we can't have some of the greatest blades ever known to man due to them being "discontinued".... and WHY? I'll tell you why, it's because the brands want it that way but why is that you say?

IT'S SO THEY CAN SELL YOU, ME, US MORE KNIVES!!!

That's right. Think about it, many of us finally after extensive search and evaluation focus on one or just a few knives that we want to use, that we super like and know what to expect from, collectors aside therefore if we are good with say, a ZT 0500 Mudd, we lose it, break it, whatever we will just order up a new 0500, done deal, BUT NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! they won't be havin that, nope, they want to continue with buzz, more models to answer more "needs" ....more, more, more!! If you lost your mainstay awesome gets it done jabber stick it's TOO BAD except there is this NEW model you might try.....They really would not sell as many knives if they kept the best and brightest, though I suppose there are exceptions to this rule.
Examples: Benchmade AFCK, Cold Steel American Lawman, Spyderco Gayle Bradley 1 the list is of course gigantic, I am just being brief.

Anyways, this pisses me offf!!! I really need and want a ZT 0500 but not bad enough to pay ransom on evilbay!

This is my theory and I am standing by it, the brands don't care a hoot what we want them to keep making, and they know the models will still sell or am I simply an ignorant knave??

Discuss!!

The American Lawman hasn't t been discontinued. Has it?

 

[sabre cat]

I hope not. It's the best knife that Cold Steel offers.

 

[Mike Large]

Well, one knife that does piss me off a tad is the mammoth sabenza. I want that knife so bad and the only place to find it now is secondary market with almost a doubled markup. Insane. From what I understand they still have plenty of ivory and bark, as they are still filling orders for certain dealers. Im sure it is something that is limited it being as rare as it is but.... it was worthy of a rant

 

[Insipid Moniker]

I don't think there's any conspiracy behind DCed knives, but I do think folks are oversimplifying a bit. Sales numbers are certainly going to be an important factor in the decision to continue making a knife, but profit margin is another. Most products are designed to hit a price point. If you find out in production that said product costs a bit more to manufacture than you originally thought, that cuts into your profits. At which point it can make sense to discontinue even a popular product in order to allow production of one that may be comparably popular, but less expensive to make.

 

[Dr Heelhook]

"They F you with the cell phones!!!!"

 

[Velitrius]

Just because you like a knife doesn't mean it sells well. Knives that sell out get more made. When they stop selling as fast as other models, they get retired and something new takes its place.

Business 101. Do I want an AFCK? Damn straight I do. I'd buy a new one every time. Most folks didn't, hence the "decline" phase.

There are models that keep selling, many of which people have pointed out. And they ride in one of the first 3 phases there.

But we are a discerning folk, willing to spend 3 figures on a folder. And we're somewhat rare as far as the entire market goes. We can't possibly hope to keep a profitable level of demand for every model out there by every manufacturer. Just a bummer when your favorite gets the axe is all. Some of mine sure have.

 

[22-rimfire]

"Great knives" get discontinued because they don't sell to the masses who don't recognize their greatness.

A case in point is the Becker BK-15, an absolutely splendid knife that excels in the kitchen, the camp and in the field; it's a great knife! However, trailing points just don't sell to the masses. They are not tacticool, sexy or whatever else it is about the appearance of a knife that makes one pull the trigger.

Me, OTOH, and I would suspect most of us here look at things like the steel, the grind, the edge geometry, the tip, the balance point and whether the knife "works." We also analyse (sometimes too much) the intended tasks for a knife and then evaluate the properties and personality of the steel to see if they mesh. Having comfortable handles - not too grippy, not over jumped ... something that will not develop hot spots over longer use sessions - these are the things we look at. We are a vast minority of knife buyers and obviously didn't buy enough BK-15s or, for that matter, BK-5, a fantastic bigger cousin of the BK-15.

To a woodsman - someone who, you know, really goes out and gets some dirt time now and again, the BK-4 is brilliant. To the uninitiated, it might appear weird and different. long and short, sales numbers killed that "great knife" as well. There are many others, but my familiarity with these favorite Beckers of mine were the easiest to use in commentary without too much deep thought.

Yeah. I'm a fan of the BK-15 too. It is my favorite. I think it's an extremely useful knife in the woods and all you really need for hiking support. I suspect we'll be seeing a Becker Kephart in the future. I'll probably buy one. I hope they do it in 4" and 5" versions, but I don't see that happening.

I honestly don't understand why the BK-2 continues to sell. I guess there are still a lot of people who's pupils dilate when they first pick up this knife, just like me several years ago. Certainly feeds into the survival knife craze. The BK-15 didn't do that unfortunately.

As mentioned, from a business point of view, it is all about sales and profits.

 

[BitingSarcasm]

Actually, I think it's because I have a hidden superpower of obsolescence. All I have to do is like a restaurant enough, or decide that I want a certain model of knife, and kapow, it's gone. I am now going to cry over my only BK-15 and look in the sofa for my lost and discontinued wharncliffe Subcoms.