Boo to Tactical Knives

Originally posted by Boink
Slightly off-topic, but - I never read Fighting Knives Magazine and feel like I missed out. Why did this magazine cease publication?
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The same reason that most companies go out of business; they couldn't sustain profitability. They just couldn't sell enough magazines to remain in business.

Greg, you are correct that people that know Strider and want a Strider knife would never consider purchasing a Linton. The problem is that people that see these knives may in the future equate them with Strider. After all, we're not talking about knowledgeable knife people and they look the same. "My friend bought one of those knives and it only cost $100.00, this Mick guy is trying to get $300.00 for the same knife". These people would have no reason for knowing that Strider makes a far higher quality knife.

This scenerio can cause another problem. If the Linton knives are poor quality, aren't very tough and can't hold an edge; when somebody who has experienced these problems sees a Strider, in their minds they just may think that Strider knives are going to have the same problems. After all, they look like exactly the same knives and these are not knowledgeable knife people we are talking about here. I had exactly this happen to me once. I took my Buck 110 out to open a box and one of my co-workers said to me, "I used to have one of those and wow, what a piece of crap it was!". Of course he was referring to a cheap Pakistan made knockoff, but in his mind it was the same knife. Even after explaining the difference between the 110 and his POS knife I don't think he ever really thought of the Buck as a good knife.
 
Greg Walker leaving may well have been the cause and Blade magazine purchasing them the result, but the reason that Fighting Knives disappeared was that they couldn't maintain profitability.
 
Originally posted by joeshredd
And now??? Well, I'm considering legal action against Blade for false advertising: my subscription expires soon, and while I'd like to continue with my subscription... the last two letters offer me "the Absolutely Best Deal" on a renewal... only to find it's the exact same rate as printed on those little postcard insets trying to get you to subscribe... and of which I still have them from several editions of Blade, along with their two letters...
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The fact is that the deal that they give to you and the deal they give to get new subscribers may well be "The Absolutely Best Deal" that Blade gives. A one year subscription for $19.98 may be the best they will do. If they do not offer a lower price to someone else then it is not false advertising to tell you that you are getting "The Absolutely Best Deal", even if they are offering this same deal to everyone else.
 
I might still read TK magazine, but I won't buy the cheapo copy knives. Hey Jeff, I really miss your articles From TK magazine. Maybe you should start your own knife magazine. Sign me up for a subscription if you do.;)
 
Jeff, I really miss your input here. Please spend more time on BladeForums, I always enjoyed what you had to say.
 
Originally posted by XRAYED
...you just gotta expect it...
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Greg,

This is EXACTLY the thing we need to try and put an end to. You DON'T "gotta expect it." Just because it happens now doesn't mean, as an artisan, that you just have to accept it in the future.

DO SOMETHING about it now and, perhaps, we can change enough minds in places that really matter that we can prevent the knockoffs from being profitable enough to continue making.

Why do I keep hearing the message of "It's just always going to be there so why bother?" Don't allow it to be that way. Why must it be more complex than that?
 
Wunder,

I doubt I will ever write for TK again. In fact I hardly write for any mag write now except the occasional piece in Blade. Not that I'm upset but we just have so much going on that time's an issue.

Keith,

Once again that was one of idiot "passionate" moments when I left here :D

The way I see this whole magazine deal is it's an entertainment business. In fact a new knife rag is about ready to shut down operations since they didn't get the advertising support they needed. It's a hard business. You have to have as much advertising as possible to pay for the mag. Magazines do not live on subscription price alone. Once you get major advertisers then they expect articles to be run on their product, or they pull advertising.

Again, I could be wrong but I don't think all of this is the editor's fault. There are money men that pull strings who probably don't know a damn thing about knives and just looking at dollars.

Obviously everyone here (including me) is looking for "truth in reporting." Obviously we're not getting it, but just remember that if it's too truthful the magazine goes out of business (just like members leave bladeforums :) I see it as a catch 22 for the magazine. They lose advertising either way...so I go back to the old thought of when in doubt always speak the truth. I know I wouldn't mind (as an advertiser) if an article was truthful on one of our knives.

Of course EVERY article is subjective so that creates yet another problem. Our knives fit my hand...will they fit the writers? We put a working edge on our knives. Is the writer expecting perfect edges as part of his "testing" criteria? Is the writer biased to a particular company? Does the writer know the difference between 1000 dollar customs and 70 dollar production knives or does he treat them all the same? Hey, just look at internet forums. Not everyone here agrees about the same knives, so no matter what happenes in the print media someone's feelings are going to get hurt.

I think we're trying to take politics out of something that is solely run on politics and dollars - knife industry.

Hopefully there is a compromise to be reached between makers and magazines. If TK folds tomorrow then that's representative of the knife industry as a whole and somewhere down the line it will be KI, then Blade. Personally I don't want to see that, but I don't want to see blatant knock-offs getting glowing reviews either. Catch 22.
 
Here are a few excerpts from the article for those who have not yet had the opportunity to see it:

Ralph Mroz likes his big words:

The .16-inch 440A chisel-ground blades all have wicked testosterone-enhanced looks, an image only exacerbated by the racy G10 scales and bead blasted bolsters.
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Here's his opinion and recommendation:
Should you need a large knife while hiking, or any other activity in which a fixed-blade knife on your belt would be uncomfortable or too eye-catching, then these large Linton folders are just right for you.
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...describing the Patszland (a blatant copy of the Lum Chinese folder) :
The fit of the handle to the palm, along with the ample ability to choke up on the blade with your thumb and index finger, give the Patszland a very different and seductively engaging feel in the hand.
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And finally...
Linton is a new name to the American market. They are providing some really neat, interesting, fun and practical designs for us enthusiasts. I'm glad I was assigned this article. My eyes were opened to the possibilities of really large folders, and I got to play with some nice new knives.
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Hardly a scathing review of a company that stole their "really neat, interesting, fun and practical designs."
 
BTW: here's the nicest knife rag in existence. Photo work is exceptional. Not a lot of advertising, and it's written in Chinese so you don't know whether or not it was a glowing review or a slam on the knife. :D From the photos mostly all I see is American makers and quality stuff written about.

Knife and Life Magazine from Taiwan

knifelife.jpg


Here's their link:

http://www.knife-life.com.tw/
 
Jack Crain has been ripped off to high heaven. He has had some of his most copied designs like the Predator Machete, Life Support System etc. patented. Even though his designs are copywritten and in some cases patented, all a rip off artist has to do is change the design 10% and there's nothing anyone can do about it. It's sad but true.

Isn't there a gun magazine with no advertisements? How do they do it? It can't be easy, but it can be done.

I'm with you guys, bring back Fighting Knives!!! I only have 2 of my originals left.
 
The only thing cool about TK is Van Cook! He's cooler than frozen doggy doo doo.
 
Where is the info that Fighting Knives couldnt maintain profitability coming from?And from what I heard the only reason Greg Walker was gone was because the mag was sold.

The way I heard it was that the publisher(Larry Flynt) was offered goodprice for it by Krause(publisher of Blade)and he decided to sell it as it was only one of many mags in his stable. I dont imagine any knife mag makes alot of money but thought FK was holding it's own.

Anyway, Greg Walker is a member here, maybe he'll check in and setus straight.
 
Some pics for your perusal:

Linton's Knife:
L16.jpg

Strider's Tiger:
tiger72.jpg


Another Linton original:
L14.jpg

Strider's Model HT (courtesy of MDTactical.com):
HT.JPG


Linton's version:
L17.jpg

Strider's Model MG:
mg-mainpic.jpg


I think you get the idea...is this a form of flattery or blatant theft of designs?
 
i bet mroz doesnt carry a linton, lol!??!

jerry van cook is a dork imho, talk about a squirelly dresser, i laugh every time i see one of his pics were he's posing like a tough guy, lol

anyway, i guess there are only so many knives to write about, but i dont care to read about linton knives, junk imho.

bad as it is TK is imho the best mag about knives.

greg
 
Once again, I say that I am not for anyone blatantly ripping off a design. But it is going to happen..whether you like it or not. Most of the time it occurs when the price of an item is prohibitively high for the common joe. You can click your ruby red slippers together all you want Dorothy, but it won't go away.

But I find it amusing that everyone here jumps on the bandwagon to punish TK for one article. I seem to remember alot of air time for Strider in TK....and it is that kind of publicity that really sells knives. How many sales has that generated versus any loss because of an article on the Linton? You'd have a right to get all bent out of shape if a mag told you how bad your knives sucked....but TK has done nothing but promote Strider. Strider has rarely done too many "art" knives compared to the sheer amt. of combat blades they do. I would hope to see their merits written about in a mag like TK rather see a mosaic damascus Strider with an engraved spine, wrapped in 14kt gold para cord as the centerfold in another magazine.

TK does this...it puts knives to work. It also shows us how knives are used...hunting, military, utility, and defense. You don't get this from Good Housekeeping, KI, or Blade nearly as much.

If you dont like the article.....write Steve Dick about it....that is what he is there for. It is his job to decide the content of the mag...and with whether he agrees with you or not...at least he will have the feedback. Just remember though, the man has put alot of mileage on knives of all types and has probably forgotten more about cutlery than most of us will ever know.
 
If the swords.ca people really like the knives from Strider, they should've just moved to the USA. After all, immigration is the sincerest form of flattery.
 
Originally posted by XRAYED
...it is going to happen..whether you like it or not. Most of the time it occurs when the price of an item is prohibitively high for the common joe. You can click your ruby red slippers together all you want Dorothy, but it won't go away.
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Greg, we know your feelings on the issue. Some people are prepared to stand up against what they know to be wrong despite the odds and others are willing to look the other way if the challenge appears difficult. That's fine.

This issue is NOT about running TK out of business, it's NOT about just Strider Knives, it's NOT about just Linton Cutlery. I use the examples of Strider/Linton because Strider Knives are what I know. It was a TK article in May '99 that convinced me to step up from my $40 Spyderco to a $325 custom Strider.

This issue IS about doing something, anything to try and stop the proliferation of knockoffs into our lives. As I've said before, choosing to do nothing is, in the eyes of a company like Linton, the same as condoning what they do. They'll do whatever they can get away with to make a quick buck and they obviously have no problems with simply STEALING the designs they'll use to that end.

TK gave some legitimacy to a company that has developed its dubious reputation by stealing the designs of other companies when it went to print with the May '04 issue. There must be some accountability for that decision. Every choice we make has consequences and this one is no different.
 
Thom> what does swords.ca have to do with it? Are they the only ones selling the Lintons???
 
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