Boo to Tactical Knives

Wow had a moment to think. Sorry I am on T-3 for pain after a car accident last week. OK I am by the short and curlies. I like reading the knife mags whichever they may be. I don't agree with TK for doing this. Shoul really stop posting when not fully coherent. Anywho, I do think as consumers we need to be informed. Thankfully we have forums like this to vent our hobby info and don't have to take magazine articles as gospel. What was I thinking. Take Care!!!
 
Danbo,

TK is generally 6 <deleted/>-packed issues a year.

Like every other magazine I have ever read, it's a catalog for a wide variety of manufacturers, shops, and individuals. Like every long-running magazine I've ever read, the articles are drawn out advertizements for one or more products. Ever notice that there are never any disparaging statements about commercially available knives or knifecare products? "The sheath was designed to hold water and sea salt tightly against the blade. I enjoy the deep patina it gives to my knives"

Since most people won't spend jack on knives, it's not surprizing that the cheapo knockoff places are buying ad space to appeal to the tight-fisted cutlery market. On the plus side, there's a slight trickle-down effect into the lower-end market. At least one low-end cutler contracted Darrel Ralph to design a really nice framelock for them. That's a good sign.
 
"Just about every knife is a copy of another one in some way. If someone is copying Strider why is that no more offensive than when Blackjack made "Randall #1's" or everyone else copying Terzuola, Emerson, etc?"


It isn't MORE offensive.

Its EQUALLY offensive....but has not changed, and its because of people like you who support their sickly crap.



"Oh well ya know...lots of those Jews ride the train anyways"...."

Sorry....but this is the kind of mindset that drives me crazy!

Why is it okay only because it has occurred before?

m

Post Script: i actually understand the whole knock off issue. Some people have to do what they have to do. BUT We don't need to support it from our end!
 
I waived goodbye to KI when Jeff Randall had a falling out with them. It left me with nothing to bother reading in what was once a good magazine.
 
Thom, you are supporting them indirectly by buying a magazine that let's the knock off artists have their CRAP shown, which in turn some people buy. It makes me sick.

The last straw I had was the whole Jeff Randall thing. Then I heard about the Hayes Tomahawk incident that was a slap in the face to Andy and ATC. It is BS to the extreme.
 
Dan,

Are just the buyers of the magazine to blame or is anyone associated with the magazine, such as through advertizing in its pages, also to blame?
 
Thom,

We, as knife buyers, users, and collectors, have to take a hard-line stance on the issue of knockoffs. By purchasing a magazine that advertises knockoffs you are condoning the manufacture of STOLEN designs.

If you buy a product from a company that carries knockoffs you are condoning the manufacture of STOLEN designs.

Mick can't take it upon himself to chase down those stealing his designs because he wouldn't have the time to make knives. It's also prohibitively expensive to chase down knockoffs through the courts. As soon as one company is taken down another pops up in its place.

If we stand against the knockoff companies and those who choose to do business with them we CAN have a significant impact on the future of those companies.

It takes an email, a letter, or simply a commitment to never again spend a dime with any company who chooses to look the other way when it comes to the issue of knockoffs. You can act or you can look the other way. Either way you are taking a side.
 
Thom, I think it is a trickle down thing. By buying the magazine, the door is open for their advertising to everyone. Purchasing the magazine lets the magazine still operate so the advertising space is open. I think it is BS, and I personally will not buy another mag from them period. I am sure some other knife junkie will take my subscription and more people will buy it at the newsstand. I might be a small fish to them, to each his own. I pretty sure they do not lose any sleep at night knowing that by letting the knock off artists take up advertising space they are royally pi$$ing of the the makers who have worked hard on their OWN original ideas and are trying to put food on their tables.
 
Brian, you and I posted at the same time. But you are a much better writer than myself.

Nicely written:)
 
Originally posted by thombrogan
Mick,

Are saying that we're supporting knockoff artists because we buy TK magazine?
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Nope! Not at all. I think you should buy and read whatever you want to.

My issue isn't there at all. Its in the thought process of "its okay to steal from someone because it happens all the time".

It doesn't have to do with TK. I will however pull my advertising money and spend it elsewhere.

m
 
I was going to suscribe to TK, even sent in a postcard... for which they PROMPTLY sent a bill. BLADE magazine by contrast sent me a magazine before I even got the bill. Guess which magazine I still get, and which one I never sent the bill payment in for????
I think I'll go to Borders over lunch and read TK.....
Yeah, they lost me when the F'd over Jeff Randall, RAISED the already ridiculously high price, gave space to ATC-bashing Hayes, and now this crap?
How is TK going to turn around this downslide? Are you reading this stuff Mr. Dick? Here's some advice... give real (i.e. not flattering fluff) reviews. One's that reflect a little more than chopping a 2"x4" and cutting a couple feet of hemp rope. It's good to focus on the tactical bent... realistic carrying FB's and folders, but I also like the occasional outdoors angle. I appreciated the past forays into camp knives, axes/hatchets, etc. How about an article on how to make various BOB's: an urban BOB, a hiking/camping BOB, a vehicle BOB. How about some interviews and articles about real military men and the knives they are using. Yeah, it may show that more soldiers are using Bucks, CS, and other "lower end" stuff as opposed to Striders, Emersons, and other "higher end" knives that we associate with the military man. How about articles on spy stuff and other secret service type knives? I know I would read those type of articles, even though I never would be in a military or spy type situation.
And lastly, don't pander to the knock-off artists. The knowledgable knife knuts are INSULTED even by their ads.
Nuff said.
 
Obviously time to renew my subscription I must have missed something interesting.
 
Originally posted by Mick Strider
I will however pull my advertising money and spend it elsewhere.
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Bravo Mick!

Once the makers who advertise in TK understand that we are no longer interested in reading TK it no longer makes sense to advertise with TK. A certain percentage of a maker's revenue goes toward advertising and they want to get the most bang for their buck. If that bang is minimized they will start to look elsewhere with their advertising dollars.
 
Originally posted by Mick Strider
My issue isn't there at all. Its in the thought process of "its okay to steal from someone because it happens all the time".

It doesn't have to do with TK. I will however pull my advertising money and spend it elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. I don't even let people borrow albums or movies if I think they're going to make a copy of them, but I do buy mags that take money from advertizers and buy from stores that sell knockoffs along with the wares that I buy.

Brian_T and DBH,

I appreciate what you're saying, but I'm willing to bet that less than 1% of the people here or on other forums walk the talk that stringently. That is, we won't buy knockoffs, but we'll sometimes buy from stores that sell knockoffs along with the good stuff and read mags or go to forums that have knockoff sellers or makers as part of their sponsorship. Since a lot of great companies and individual makers also get the word out through these venues, drawing the line as deep as I think you have would have you missing out on most every production and custom piece you have or have ever wanted.

In fact, 1SKS carries knives from a company that has a knife that's seemingly too similar to Spyderco's Dyad model (1SKS doesn't sell that model, though). If I understood you correctly, and I'm admittedly an error-prone guy, neither of you should have been here to reply to me.

edited for grammar
 
Hmm, what would happen if everyone contacts all the legitimate knife makers and manufacturers that advertise in TK and ask them to take a stand against knock offs and to pull all their advertising from TK?

They even make it easy as there is a list of advertisirs in the back.

THAT might actually get their attention.

Maybe TK stands for "Tactical Knockoffs"?
 
I first saw this thread on another Forum.

As I've said there, I was about to subscribe to Blade and Tactical Knives when I read this post topic.

I will NOT be supporting Tactical Knives with my money.

This kind of violation is one which goes against one of the most sacred of unwritten code among not only knifemakers, but also blade-enthusiasts from all-around the globe. To knowingly support an enterprise that profits from this type of business practice is in my mind unethical.



Allen
aka DumboRAT
 
Originally posted by thombrogan
...I'm willing to bet that less than 1% of the people here or on other forums walk the talk that stringently.
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A vocal 1% can still be extremely effective if the 99% who choose to look the other way don't get in the way of the 1% who are trying to improve things.

Since a lot of great companies and individual makers also get the word out through these venues, drawing the line as deep as I think you have would have you missing out on most every production and custom piece you have or have ever wanted.
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If the custom makers and production companies like Spyderco, Benchmade, and Kershaw understood that we were not going to read those magazines any more they would send their demo knives and advertising dollars to the other knife magazines. I can get information on new products and makers from Bladeforums, Knifeforums, USN, CKD, etc.

In fact, 1SKS carries knives from a company that has a knife that's seemingly too similar to Spyderco's Dyad model (1SKS doesn't sell that model, though). If I understood you correctly, and I'm admittedly an error-prone guy, neither of you should have been here to reply to me.
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Last I checked 1SKS and Bladeforums were different entities. They may run on the same computers but they are NOT the same thing. If BFC condoned this sort of thing you would NOT be hearing from me here--at least not for long. ;)
 
Originally posted by Mick Strider
I will however pull my advertising money and spend it elsewhere.

m
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More ad space for the knock off artists.

Who the hell reads these mags? Knife enthusiasts? The knock off artists aren't making any money off of you, they're spending it on ads. I don't see how buying a magazine supports the advertisers.
 
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