Best cheaper Spyderco wannabes?

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Kirk_Ferentz

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Feb 16, 2010
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So, Spyderco has such a great name in the market ... there HAVE to be a few manufacturers who have tried to occupy the "get 95% of spyderco without paying for the name" position in the market, right? I know that there are many knock-offs out there, so I'm really just asking who the good ones are.

As background, I'm just thinking I should get a small or medium sized spyderco-esque folder to throw in the car for emergency seat belt situations, etc. It doesn't have to be a doomsday survival knife, but if I'm going to buy one, might as well buy quality and not junk. Good steel and good construction/design.
 
Why would you ask for Spyderco-like knock offs? Spyderco already offers all kinds of knives at low prices. The way you phrased your question, you won't get too much love on this forum. As FMB says, better get your boots on.
 
But if you want quality and you want something reasonably priced, why not just look at some of Spyderco's cheaper models? They have offerings that can be found in the $15 - $40 range online.
 
yes!! No Love for you

Buy a spyderco Tenacious $30 - rivals the quality of knives costing 6x as much
 
Tenacious or Persistance...

For a bit more there's the Delica and Endura.


Look, man, you obviously appreciate their designs, why would you stab them in the back and buy from someone who has put zero effort into "designing" it?
 
I agree with those suggesting the Tenacious or Persistence. Don't let the "China" tag on the blade fool you...fit and finish is almost on par with anything out of Golden or Seki City. They have G10 handles, steel liners, decent gimping, 4 way clip, and decent steel (it's equivalent to AUS8 according to most). And it is a real deal Spyderco for around $40...what more can you ask for?
 
^I set up camp there. The Spydie guys snatch up knives to quick. I'll have to keep a wider eye peeled.
 
Kirk_Ferentz said:
... might as well buy quality and not junk.
Click to expand...

If the knockoffs were willing to build Spyderco quality, they'd be willing to charge Spyderco prices. As the others have said, Spyderco themselves have affordable models superior to the classless competition.
 
Yeah, I certainly anticipated the backlash for daring not to pay tribute to the wonder that is Spyderco haha. I mean seriously, even suggesting that I am trying to stab Spyderco in the back? As if there is some principle that if a manufacturer comes up with a design, you shouldn't partake in the improvement and efficiencies that come from natural competition once that design is out in the marketplace? So does that mean that you stuck with betamax and laser discs? I'm not an expert, so I may be mis-speaking here, but it seems that this is sort of what Bark River is doing--I don't think they were the first knife manufacturer to come up with the idea of making great knife designs with top level steel. Their innovation seems to be more in their pricetags than their knives.

But I guess I didn't foresee that so many Spyderco loyalist would feel the need to cram this post up with non-responses. I guess I am used to photography fora, where people simply cannot afford to dismiss reasonable competitors as junk (e.g. someone who thinks that a Nikon lens will always be a better buy than a Sigma). High prices force people to try out competitors who are trying to offer more for less, and they find out that Nikon isn't the only company that knows how to make good lenses for their cameras. And this competition only makes the Nikon lenses better and more affordable--they don't die from being stabbed in the back.

Maybe the spyderco type folder market is highly irregular, but if it isn't then Spyderco will be charging more for its knives than it has to, since it has such a popular name in the market. And they have been around for many years and sold a lot of knives, so, unless the market isn't functioning correctly, competitors have gotten the bright idea that they might be able to make something that is an equivalent (or maybe a little less, or maybe a little more) without charging for the well-regarded name.

I think a lot of people are ignoring the fact that this should apply to ALL spyderco models. If the affordable Spyderco model is $30, then maybe I can get the equivalent of a BETTER Spyderco model for that same price.

But anyway, at least some on-point replies are getting through, so thank you.
 
Just get a box cutter. Most of us here have respect for companies that innovate and turn out a quality product at reasonable prices. What we don't like are companies that offer products that they have specifically designed to make money off other company's quality products by offering something that is supposedly as good but is in fact made up of inferior materials with inferior fit and finish.

This practice is called pirating. It kills innovation because honest companies may well stop innovating since their research cost will merely go down the drain when they put out a superior product and some unscrupulous company is just going to knock off the design with a POS product. When people buy these POS products they are approving this practice and hurting the company that introduced the innovation.

And that, my friend, is why you got a lot of flak.
 
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Completely disagree with you. To improve upon a design is not the same thing as ripping off a design with no credit going to the original designer.

This is nothing to do with Spyderco, I would say the same of any knock-off of any company.

Jump back to Esav's last post. MTech, I'm sure, has a bunch of Spydie clones.

Should you be giving them your business? No. Are they innovating? No.

What the hell does this have to do with laser discs? Is not as if Mtech is producing Blu-Rays.
 
Why does it have to be Spyderco knock off? :confused: Unbelievable.
Go buy a Frost knife and get the real deal:rolleyes:

I bet if you ever created a product, something of value, and then others rushed in with copy cats blatantly infringing on patent and copyright laws, you will be singing a different tune. Free market enterprise will always offer good better best products. Spyderco makes Byrd knives, which is what you asked for (what it appears to me). What else do you want? Should Spyderco help the knock off companies in their R and D dept's too? Maybe then the cheap knives will have better quality so you can bag on them too!:rolleyes:

Your attitude is fascinating......
 
Kirk, I think the problem here is you used the word "knock-off". When people hear that word they think you mean counterfeit knives made to look like the real thing from somewhere in China.

If you're looking for alternatives, then there are well known companies out there that make models similar to certain Spyderco offerings. The Sogzilla from SOG comes to mind. Looks very similar to the Spyderco Endura but comes in a little cheaper.

I suspect most would have no problem if you're buying from a reputable manufacturer. It's the counterfeiters no one likes.

Good luck in your search for a new knife and do let us know what you pick up :)
 
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