Brilliant & Terrible Ideas! Custom Makers & Models for the Next Taiwanese Spydercos?

The Tighe stick is definitely a great looking knife but like the Mambo, which I also like, it will probably be offered only in some ridiculously expensive materials which are totally uncalled for. Does anyone really think that VG 10 and G8 scales wouldn't be more than adequate?
 
Grapeshot said:
Is it just me or does that GB2 look hollow ground like the original? The liners sitting proud of the scales and the overall weight were the only things that made the GB1 a nogo for me. If they could fix that it'd be about perfect.
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It is hollow ground. Most of the design carried over, just tweaked here and there. I highly doubt that the proud liners will change. Those are too iconic to Gayle Bradley to change. The GB2 by all accounts is lighter, so there's that.
 
Larry Turko said:
The Tighe stick is definitely a great looking knife but like the Mambo, which I also like, it will probably be offered only in some ridiculously expensive materials which are totally uncalled for. Does anyone really think that VG 10 and G8 scales wouldn't be more than adequate?
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It looks like it won't be made in Japan, so VG-10 can't be used.
 
Larry Turko said:
The Tighe stick is definitely a great looking knife but like the Mambo, which I also like, it will probably be offered only in some ridiculously expensive materials which are totally uncalled for. Does anyone really think that VG 10 and G8 scales wouldn't be more than adequate?
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I'm a fan of ridiculously expensive and uncalled for materials. I also like Spyderco's more reasonably-priced folders using VG-10/G-10 (I haven't heard of G8 so I'm guessing you meant G-10; correct me if I'm wrong though). I've really started to look forward to the Taiwan factory's high-end designs. Colorado and Seki City make the more conservative, time-tested and reliable knives (it seems wrong to call Spyderco knives 'conservative', but the Endura, Delica, Police, and Military have been around for a long time, constantly adapted and updated), but the most exciting new knives are being made in Taiwan. That statement sounds almost blasphemous, but it's true (at least IMO). I like titanium, and carbon fiber, and trendy, expensive steels. If I wanted an inexpensive version of a Brian Tighe design, CRKT specializes in turning great custom models into Chinese-made pieces of shit; they're like reverse-alchemists, turning gold into garbage, and they've worked their magic on several Tighe designs already. VG-10 is a decent steel for a decent price, and G-10 is awesome stuff. But there's a lot of G-10, FRN, VG-10 and S30V already.
 
I'm a big fan of these collabs. I prefer when there's no blade hump for aesthetics. That said, I'm most excited about the GB2 because I love the original. On the GB2 I miss the negative blade angle of the original. Also, I think they should have angled the plunge like on the Ion so that the edge "hangs down" if you will - would make sharpening easier and look better IMO.
 
AF said:
I'm a big fan of these collabs. I prefer when there's no blade hump for aesthetics. That said, I'm most excited about the GB2 because I love the original. On the GB2 I miss the negative blade angle of the original. Also, I think they should have angled the plunge like on the Ion so that the edge "hangs down" if you will - would make sharpening easier and look better IMO.
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+1

I'll miss the negative angle most, too.
 
Hi Sikael,

Most of our collaborations are the result of submissions. We get about 10 per month, sometimes more. Almost all of the collabs were from custom makers licensed to use our trademark. Custom makers are easier to work with because we like to show the models at selected shows for a while before making a decision, and custom guys can build a working model. We rarely go to a maker. We've gone to makers in the past (Bob Terzuola, Wayne Goddard, Michael Walker, Jess Horn, etc.) but we've also had makers turn us down and even be insulted that we would want to do that, so we have to be more cautious. Don't want to offend. Not everyone likes Spyderco.

sal
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi Sikael,

Most of our collaborations are the result of submissions. We get about 10 per month, sometimes more. Almost all of the collabs were from custom makers licensed to use our trademark. Custom makers are easier to work with because we like to show the models at selected shows for a while before making a decision, and custom guys can build a working model. We rarely go to a maker. We've gone to makers in the past (Bob Terzuola, Wayne Goddard, Michael Walker, Jess Horn, etc.) but we've also had makers turn us down and even be insulted that we would want to do that, so we have to be more cautious. Don't want to offend. Not everyone likes Spyderco.

sal
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Thanks for clearing that up, Sal. I was wondering how much it had to do with the round hole. Once a maker creates a model using the trademark, it can almost serve as a prototype, no doubt. So if they haven't released a model with a hole in the blade, odds are very slim. If they have, it's much more likely, but still far from a done deal. I don't know why any maker would be offended by an offer from Spyderco, but I can understand why you wouldn't want to seek makers out. You've got a lot of talented makers who are very happy to work with you, so there's no reason to cold call makers who haven't used the trademark or expressed a clear interest.

I didn't expect any of these random ideas to go anywhere, even though some are more likely than others -- it's just idle speculation. Thanks for clearing up how most of these great collaborations get made... and for making so many excellent knives through the years. Spyderco just keeps getting better. :thumbup:
 
Given that information... the Kingdom Armory Samaritan is one I'd like to see. I'm cool with pointless mental exercises, imagining vague possibilities that may have already happened 23 billion stops from here on the Multiversal Transit Line. Earth No. 5966-42SPY8A-Pi-Omicron-4 has a Spyderco/Benchmade/Zero Tolerance/CRK collaboration that would unmake reality if some enterprising collector (looking for something rare to fill up the fifth Pelican case) managed to get it through a wormhole.

Unzipping space-time isn't necessary for this one, but it's still a long-shot in this continuum.

SpydercoYojimbo.jpg


This Crawford-Pirela collaboration -- the Defender -- might be unlikely too, since it bears some superficial similarity to the Nirvana. But it's a very nice design, even if it has a tip-down-only clip.

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Another tip-down Crawford, this time solo; I like that false top edge:

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And lastly this one, a Crawford Kasper with round hole, jewelled everything, and mammoth ivory. I have a feeling the mammoth ivory might be hard to swing with a production version...

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Sikael said:
What about the ZT and Kershaw Emersons? I'm not into Emersons, myself. The ZT 0620 looks pretty nice, but I skipped it. Even if Spyderco did one, I'd probably do the same. Emerson has a lot of fans, though, obviously.
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Nice but too small.
 
ZT Emerson's are too small? They are full size Emersons with much better f/f, steel, and deployment/lockup if you ask me, I have the 0620 and it is one bad mother hubbard...they are not the "super" Emerson but they are full sized.
 
coinbuysell said:
ZT Emerson's are too small? They are full size Emersons with much better f/f, steel, and deployment/lockup if you ask me, I have the 0620 and it is one bad mother hubbard...they are not the "super" Emerson but they are full sized.
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This is what I carry. It's gotta be >4.5" for me to rock!



 
Those are some deadly serious blades. Is that carbon fiber knife an Emerson? Warren Thomas? That's pretty cool... non-magnetic?
 
Sikael said:
Those are some deadly serious blades. Is that carbon fiber knife an Emerson? Warren Thomas? That's pretty cool... non-magnetic?
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Warren Thomas. Totally non magnetic.
 
I have found that while 6Al4V titanium maybe non magnetic, it sure can be detected by a metal detector and the courthouse.

sal
 
I'm not going to incriminate myself but not all metal detectors are created equally.
 
It depends on the settings, apparently. They go up to 15, but 7 is supposedly strong enough to detect small metallic items and whatnot. Pure, alpha-grade titanium is totally non-magnetic. 6Al4V titanium alloy contains 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium -- both non-magnetic elements as well, so it didn't make sense. Apparently, however, 6Al4V Ti also contains 0.25% Iron. That was a surprise. That's the maximum amount you'll find, however, so it probably won't set off most metal detectors set at 7 or less, but more stringent security might set it off. This was all news to me... I guess wrapping your knives in tinfoil's always an option, as long as it's pure tin. It's also perfect when you're lining your baseball caps, for obvious reasons. :D.
 
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