Brand Loyalty

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bobnery

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Mar 16, 2008
Messages
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Insert "your brand of knife here"

Are you uber loyal to one brand? Are you the infamous "fanboy" for a certain maker?

What makes you loyal to brand "X"

I've been thinking about this for the past few days.

I had an experience with ESEE years ago where I snapped a Rat 3 by prying, purposefully prying. They replaced it no questions. I was really taken back by the fact that I mistreated a knife, and they replaced it. I still recommend them when appropriate for those looking for a fixie that fits the ESEE line.

I can understand that sort of loyalty

I'm trying to wrap my head around other types of loyalty. In the end we are giving a maker or dealer money for something, whether it is good or bad in the end at times it seems as though some brand loyalty is just unfounded?

I'm not sure customer service is a good reason for loyalty when it comes to defects. Isn't the company merely correcting an error that they made?

If you are loyal to a particular brand more so than others (not just a knife nut) I'd like to hear why. What is it that made you loyal?

Is it an ESEE story like above?
Is it a made in America loyalty?
Did a particular knife save your life?
 
I have none. I give knife companies money to give me well built sharp things. I will praise them for well built sharp things, I will condemn them for poorly built sharp things. To be fair, things like transparency, ethics and innovation also play a big role in the companies I give my money to, but for the most part I think brand loyalty is a suckers game.
 
I'm a creature of habit, but I wouldn't say I am a brand 'loyalist.' I have 6 user knives, 3 are BM, 2 are Spyderco, and 1 is a lowly Skyline. I haven't used the skyline since I bought my 2nd knife, the Delica. :)
 
Because I'm simple minded, I like to stick with what I know. I work too hard for the money I make to realize that it was wasted on a product I don't have confidence in. There are very few things left that I have a choice when it comes to buying American products, I like having options. Customer Service makes all the difference in the world, who wants to buy something, have issues with it and get someone who is pissy to deal with?
So yes, I'm a fanboy of certain brands of American made products that have decent customer service. In today's market, it speaks volumes.
 
I'd have to say that I'm "loyal" to ZT/ KAI. I really have a tough time finding other brands' knives that I feel measure up to my ZTs. That being said, if I could get my hands on a Hinderer XM, I'm sure my mind would change.
I like ZT for their collaborations (mostly with Hinderer), blade thickness, build quality (USA), and their customer service. I also like a heavier knife. I have 4 of theirs: 0200ST, 0301, 0560BW, and a 0550. My wife has a 0350TS.
 
For me being fanboy is a disease.

Sometimes someone should have courage to point some mistakes. If some brand is uncritically worshiped, and that brand is for example sloppy in details - they don't change for the better. ;)
 
I'm a diehard CRK fan, due to many reasons. They're not meant to be Tacticool or fancy, they're meant to be trusty knives. The rich history of crk, the excellent warranty and CS are also important to me.

I'm also a big fan of South African Knifemakers, their designs really speak to me. I don't see anybody else with designs so sexy:) Chris Reeve hails from SA too:thumbup:
 
I'm not a fan of any particular knife company, but there are brands I trust for having consistent high quality.

- Kai
- AG Russell branded knives
- Great Eastern Cutlery
- Benchmade
- Spyderco
- Technocut
- Boker
- Case
There are may others...
 
I have been a diehard Benchmade fan for years. Regardless of the MAP pricing policies and the firestorm that it produced I love their knives. Probably the two biggest draws for me would be their designs and the AXIS lock. As of late I haven't seen too many new Benchmades that I thought I had to have but there have been a few and that keeps me coming back year after year.
 
I would have to say that KAI is my go-to brand and has been for a while. However, I have been acquiring many new knives from several companies and I love them all.
Lately I've been on a Spyderco and Benchmade kick which I don't see an end to.

For me, this hobby (or addiction) is about discovery, appreciation and camaraderie.
 
I tend to be the "anti" fanboy. I prefer Spyderco and CRK in general for their simple, elegant designs but both make some knives I don't care for.
 
I own knives by Spyderco, Kershaw/ZT, Cold Steel, Boker, Ka-bar, Ontario, Condor, and various other companies. I just buy what I like, if something about the knife appeals to me, and I know it's by a maker that's generally trustworthy and reliable(I'm a lot more likely to buy from the companies I listed than I am from Gerber or SOG for example), and the price is acceptable to me, I'll buy it. Don't care who makes it as long as it's from a company I know is usually reliable, and don't care where it's made.
 
Exactly what I was going to say.

GronK said:
I prefer Spyderco and CRK in general for their simple, elegant designs but both make some knives I don't care for.
Click to expand...

Oh and I have thing for the American lawman and AK 47. Always will.
 
I like some brands and makers more than others.

There are a few on a short list of brands and makers that I do not like for various reasons.

I limit my collecting to a couple of brands that I have found to favor, again for various reasons.

If you try to be completely brand agnostic, and you like to collect, you will soon find yourself the focus of a "hoarding" reality show.

best

mqqn
 
I appreciate and own knives from a few other manufacturers, but will admit that I'm loyal to KAI.

Their Kershaw and ZT brands produce knives that just speak to me. I don't worry if they aren't someone else's cup of tea.
 
mqqn said:
I like some brands and makers more than others.

There are a few on a short list of brands and makers that I do not like for various reasons.

I limit my collecting to a couple of brands that I have found to favor, again for various reasons.

If you try to be completely brand agnostic, and you like to collect, you will soon find yourself the focus of a "hoarding" reality show.

best

mqqn
Click to expand...

This is so true. I used to buy whatever looks "cool" or whatever was the latest flavor of the day until I started collecting customs from specific makers.

My hoard of production knives feels so lifeless now that I've refined my taste down to a few makers...
 
Wheh it comes to factory knives I can not simply go by "brand loyalty". Each knife maker offers a range of knives, someattractive some not. I see a post above that mentions "Gerber and SOG" being avoided. Back in the day both of
those makers produced knives that were considered the top end. Things change, yes.
Many people today simply buy the higher end models and skip the low end models completetly of most major brands.
 
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