• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

BladeForums 2024 Traditional Knife

Modoc ED said:
Wonder how many of these 2024 BF knives Kevin Spark Spark has left. I've already had two but might buy more for handouts the Wagon Wheel Cafe and the Modoc Stock Yards.
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waynorth said:
You must have some good friends in those places!! 😲 ;)
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Haven't heard a peep so I'll withdraw that idea and pursue it another way.

It's a way I have to introduce youngsters to traditionals Charlie waynorth waynorth
 
I finally retrieved my new Stockman from the mail:

1000016346.jpg

Thanks to Spark for sending me another serial number corresponding to a rifle caliber. I had to look it up, but there is a rare, proprietary Hornady cartridge chambered in .330 Dakota. Works for me.

I'm almost sad that #330 is going into storage indefinitely, but I'm glad I got at least one spare. I'd like to have 4 more of these.
 
So is the price really $250 ? A good Case or Hen & Rooster goes for less than $100. What makes these worth $250? Sorry if I'm naive.
 
BicSix said:
So is the price really $250 ? A good Case or Hen & Rooster goes for less than $100. What makes these worth $250? Sorry if I'm naive.
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No apologies needed.

1. These were made by Great Eastern Cutlery whose prices are generally higher than Case because they have better fit and finish and work in smaller batches: smaller scale production + higher quality = generally higher prices.

2. This is a new pattern for GEC, so they had to prepare new tooling and do a little R&D before production, increasing production costs.

3. Stockman knives are evidently tricky to produce correctly; 2 springs and 3 blades take a lot of tweaking to get right. GEC has produced several excellent stockman patterns in the past, but this one is a new pattern posing new challenges, especially given that GEC doesn't have Stockmen in regular production (see Item 2).

4. This is a special order for a private organization. Special orders usually aren't economically viable for manufacturers unless they charge higher prices to make up for increased production costs (see also item 2).

5. Costs have generally increased for everything and knives are no exception.

6. Spark, the owner of BladeForums, prepaid for the entire run of these and still has a large stock left. Unlike a normal retailer, my understanding is that his original goal was not to turn a profit to keep costs down for BF members. So the price he's charging is probably pretty close to what he paid to GEC, therefore he has little incentive to reduce the price.

It is worth pointing out that these stockmen are excellent quality (setting aside for now disagreement in matters of taste). I've bought 2 and my only regret is that I can't afford to buy more at this time.

I think it can't be overstated that GEC doesn't really have any knives in regular production, so each new pattern takes significant time, effort, and resources to tool-up. This is not the same for Case who regularly produces dozens of patterns. (See again Items 1 &2).

I'm sure there are plenty of other reasons, but these are the ones that come to my mind.
 
oldmanwilly said:
No apologies needed.

1. These were made by Great Eastern Cutlery whose prices are generally higher than Case because they have better fit and finish and work in smaller batches: smaller scale production + higher quality = generally higher prices.

2. This is a new pattern for GEC, so they had to prepare new tooling and do a little R&D before production, increasing production costs.

3. Stockman knives are evidently tricky to produce correctly; 2 springs and 3 blades take a lot of tweaking to get right. GEC has produced several excellent stockman patterns in the past, but this one is a new pattern posing new challenges, especially given that GEC doesn't have Stockmen in regular production (see Item 2).

4. This is a special order for a private organization. Special orders usually aren't economically viable for manufacturers unless they charge higher prices to make up for increased production costs (see also item 2).

5. Costs have generally increased for everything and knives are no exception.

6. Spark, the owner of BladeForums, prepaid for the entire run of these and still has a large stock left. Unlike a normal retailer, my understanding is that his original goal was not to turn a profit to keep costs down for BF members. So the price he's charging is probably pretty close to what he paid to GEC, therefore he has little incentive to reduce the price.

It is worth pointing out that these stockmen are excellent quality (setting aside for now disagreement in matters of taste). I've bought 2 and my only regret is that I can't afford to buy more at this time.

I think it can't be overstated that GEC doesn't really have any knives in regular production, so each new pattern takes significant time, effort, and resources to tool-up. This is not the same for Case who regularly produces dozens of patterns. (See again Items 1 &2).

I'm sure there are plenty of other reasons, but these are the ones that come to my mind.
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Great explanation! That was a learning experience for me as I own both this knife and a 75 pattern large stockman from Case and was wondering the same thing. Thanks!
 
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