Attempts to contact Mr. Emerson

STR

STR

Knifemaker/Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Aug 27, 2004
Messages
12,955
I've been trying to contact Mr. Emerson for appx 6 weeks now in an effort to work out a deal with him for permission to modify 16 various knife and blade forum members Spyderco knives (so far) to a "Wave" modification and post the pictures before and after on the Oupa and Friends Forum on the KF where I am a proud member of the 'back yard mechanics' and moderator. Needless to say the latest Self Defense forum knife done in limited numbers has caused quite a stir among many Spyderco fans.

I have tried to be honorable in this deal because I don't want to do these mods to fellow formite's knives without Mr. Emerson's blessings and have not. In my proposal I offered Mr. Emerson a cut for each one done but have not heard back from him. We could even set it up so the Knife forum and/or blade forum (depending on where the modification request comes from) recieved a donation for each one done also. I do not know if Ernest even recieved my attempts to contact him at this point as I am kind of in the dark about that. This is my last ditch effort to reach him in the hopes for a blessing to proceed with these modifications for other forum members knives.

My guess is that once I had Ernest's ok to do these modifications and did a few that were published on my homepage that word would get out and that there would be far more than the 16 requests I've had so far to do this mod to Delicas, Spyderflys, Calypso Jrs. and several Enduras as well as others and that it could actually help out those other forum members wanting this feature added to a knife they already own while making both Mr. Emerson and I, and/or the KF and Blade Forum some extra cash. Of course it is small change compared to knife sales but still a viable business opportunity for someone like me and a way to support the forums and our fellow members requests.

Anyway, I'm just a bit amazed that it takes so long to get a reponse. It would be nice if Emerson had an auto reply or something to at least let one know their inquiry has been recieved on their end: as the last thing I want is to be seen as a pest by numerous requests for an audience.

I would much rather see an auto reply than none at all personally, but at this point just a comment that it is being thought over would be grand. I'm easy really. Just looking to make a deal that helps everyone.

Please excuse and accept my apology if this type of post is not permitted here. Just delete or remove the thread if that is the case.

Thanks.

Steve Rice
STR/Moderator and back yard knife mechanic at Oupa and Friends Forum.
 
Have you e-mailed, or did you try calling emerson knives? I found that a phone call can get quicker answers...but I have never asked to borrow the wave feature before. Best of luck to you!
 
Indeed I have done both. Phone twice, email three times, and I even snail mailed but so far no reply. I would not have posted here at all if I had not covered all bases first in my attempts to contact him. I just don't think he has actually been given notice of my attempts to reach him.
 
imho he doesnt let everyone "borrow" the wave, say ya let some one "borrow" it and he starts making/modifying more knives than planned/selling them/etc, it opens a can of worms for him.


he might not wanna do it, might be too much hassle/liability/trouble for him to mess with it. not to mention requiring paperwork/lawyers/who knows??

of course maybe i am wrong, he outta let ya know 1 way/another, ya re trying to do the right thing.
 
I thought the same thing and I'm not suggesting that he would let everyone. I would hope that he would check out my work, and give me the audience to talk it over with him though. Apparently there are more than several other Spyderco owners that are more than aware that I am fully able to do this for them. I now have 18 requests as two more came in today.

This all started when I got my first request from fellow forum members that know the kind of stuff I do and have viewed or heard about me from what I posted on my homepage. When these requests came I just politely told them that is something that would require permission from Mr. Emerson and said no.

Some were persistant and tried to up the ante by asking if they sent two knives would it help me to feel better about it or if they paid me double.

I work with hardened steel everyday. It is one of my specialties. I recycle steel all the time and have never damaged the hardness or temper on anything I've worked on. Periodically I would have one checked by a local shop for rockwell hardness before and after in my early years of doing this. I have not changed the way I do anything and doubt seriously if anyone would have a problem. If they did they know I am a man of my word and that I would take care of it.

As for Mr. Emerson being liable. He is not responsible in anyway for stuff I do. If a knife I modified became an issue I'd simply purchase the knife or replace it. And as for his products getting mixed up with mine. No way. I would sign all of the knives I do with my initials. Probably with a "WP" behind that. (with permission) or some such thing. There would be no mistaking where it came from. You know it really is a minor issue. I just figured it was worth asking. It won't make a hill of beans to me one way or the other. I was just trying to help those less confident in their ability to do the mod themselves.

After the 16th request it was suggested to me by one of the guys wanting me to do this for them to just write and ask for permission. So I did. If I hear nothing from Ernest, I do nothing in the way of mods..ever, case closed. If he says yes then there are at least 18 guys out there that know I am honorable and capable and will do them right in the modification to thier knife.

If some of you have doubts just watch my dust if I get permission from Mr. Emerson to proceed.

Many people have trusted me with their knives over the years. Some much more valuable than these Spydercos I have been getting requests for. I don't think the issue of my hurting anything should be a problem for anyone that looks up my homepage and/or contacts me or asks to see my work.

I doubt seriously if any paper work would be needed. If Mr. Emerson knows and I know and it is an agreement between us that is all that will ever need to be said about it. Truthfully there are other guys doing this modification already and not just for themselves from what I understand, but for others. Whether or not they get paid, or recieve a "donation" is debateable. At least I was the first to go ahead and ask Ernest outright for permission instead of just doing it.

It is kind of like the same thing with some of the guys using holes for openers on their one hand folders. Most guys just go ahead and do it. To my knowledge the only guys decent enough to pay Spyderco a royalty for it and get permission from Sal were Lynn Thompson of Cold Steel and David Boye.

If I can't do it right and with permission I won't do it. if I thought for one second that I would harm the knife to do it I wouldn't even ask for his blessing to proceed. I don't care how much or how bad someone wants it without Ernest's express consent to do them all answers are no.
 
Ernie Emerson spends most of his time training law enforcement and military personnel. Don't expect an immediate response.
 
Sorry for the long lecture but your posts seem to be heaeded towards "well if I email and call enough and post here and Emerson doesn't answer it's OK for me to take on these customer requests."
Click to expand...

If you knew me you wouldn't even have included this statement. That is not what is happening at all. If it is that big of a legal hassle to give consent to someone so be it. I like to think some things are still done with no more than a 'hand shake' deal. We aren't talking rocket science patents here.

Sal talks of dealings he has had all the time where people paid him a royalty or worked it out and from the general sound of it there is no paper work going on between them, it is just an understanding between them the way I take it.

Even still, I have no intention of taking customer requests without proper permission.

The best thing you can do for your reputation is tell your potential customers that you won't do it.
Click to expand...

I believe I stated above that this is exactly what I do.

I doubt if you will get it since your 20 knives could represent liability risk they don't want to be exposed to.
Click to expand...

I fail to see how they are liable for my work. If I put new wheels on your car I am liable not the manufacturer.

If the general consensus is in favor of your view though, and Ernie and Sal don't want part in it then I'll gladly forget the whole thing. I only did this for the forum members wanting the wave mod done to their knives.
 
I now have had 20 guys contact me. I still would like to do this but have not heard anything from those can give me the go ahead. I'll keep you informed.
 
I understand that Ernie is aware of my request and has contacted Sal to talk it over and Derek tells me that I should know something soon one way or the other.

From the sound of it E.E. is thinking it over and if he does allow me to do this with his ok, there will be paper work and a fee involved from the sounds of things after speaking with Derek. This is fine with me providing I can afford it or justify it based on the number of requests I get once we get that far, if we get that far. I still have not heard from Ernie directly but at least I know he is aware of my request and thinking it over.
 
I now have Ernest Emerson's blessing to do these mods for anyone wanting one. See my homepage for details.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top