Co. X makes Co's Z knives - Deceiving?

DaveH

DaveH

Joined
Dec 2, 1999
Messages
12,249
Is anybody bothered when this happens? Especially when it's not clearly stated?

It seems to me Company Z now just becomes a marketing (and maybe some design ) firm, drumming up "Brand Loyalty" for a product they don't even make.

Or am I just naive about how the real world works? ( A Distinct Possibility.)

DaveH
 
I don't know about knives but I worked for a tool company for 10 years,making punches,chisels,screwdrivers,etc.We made them for over 100 different compinies.I always laugh when I hear people say brand A was a better tool than brand B knowing that I made both to the exact same spec. Most all large tool outfits buy from 3rd party makers,usually on a low bid. They are in the busniess of making MONEY and will go whatever route will make them the most. We also made tools for the military,no,we did not get $600 per hammer but based on the asinine specs and rules we had to follow I can understand why it happens.
 
Hi Dave H...

I don't think it's deceiving really. This happens with all industry....

Cold Steel or at least some of them I believe are made by Camillus.

GM Sources out alot of their parts.
Craftsman Tools are surely not made by Sears...

Now it would probably be a different story if someone was claiming to make handmade knives as their own, and having them made by someone else....

I think we pretty well know that a lot of things aren't made by the name stamped on the side. We just pretty much come to accept it....

You know... I think I heard something about Lynn Griffith knives... I think his wife makes them..
smile.gif
(Just Josh'N ya Lynn)

ttyle Eric...

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Eric E. Noeldechen
On/Scene Tactical
http://www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel
Custom made, High Quality
Concealex Sheaths and Tool Holsters
Canada's Only Custom Concealex Shop!

 
I know what Dave means.
But it is a standard practice in many industries. In the motor industry, it is called "badge engineering".
The "Name" companies do (ideally) set the standards and insist on their being met. The contractor companies often make knives to different standards for different marketers and the marketer carries the can if an item falls short of ELU expectations. THEIR name is your guarantee that you are getting what you expect.
Cold Steel, Spyderco, AG Russell, Lakota, Al Mar and so on.....and, previously, Buck and Gerber.
Probably many others. then there are those who lend their name to other companies under licence. That is a bit "iffy" in my book.
I do remember one company which never produced a knife that used to refer to "our factory"...THAT bordered on dishonesty, IMO.

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BrianWE

I had no shoes and wept...until I met a man who had no feet. Cheapest pair of shoes I ever bought.
 
I know that in the consumer electronics industry it's a common practice. There are only a few companies that actually make the guts to VCR's. Car's too. Is it a Honda Passport or an Isuzu Rodeo? Same assembly line. Ford (Windstar sucks) and Mazda, etc.

But I agree with Brian, when they talk about 'the factory' or their 'tradition of craftsmanship', then thats another issue, and shame on them.


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E. Larson
Edmonds, WA


 
Sometimes us little guys(craftsmen), need the big Guys marketing expertise. It's what makes the world go round, and normally helps keep the end price down.
I can't be a craftsmen and a marketing expert. I guess I can be, but one or the other and usually both suffer. Thats how capitalism works. We all need and use each other. There are always those who take advantage of any situation.

John Yeackley

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http://www.toptexknives.com/yeackley.htm My contribution to the world of knife fanatics.


 
Here is a quick list of companies who contract out the making of some or all of their knives or most of the major components.

Al Mar
Berreta
Boker
Browning
Buck
Cas Iberia
CASE
Cold Steel
Columbia River Knife & Tool
Delta Z
Dragon Forge
FallKniven
Gerber
Kershaw
Round Eye Knife and Tool
SOG
Spyderco
United Cutlery

This list is in no way complete.

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Great list, Mike.....thanks.
Now, wanna give us a list of outsourcing manufacturers ? With or without attached contracting companies ?
We all know Moki and Sakai.....anymore ?

Damn!..I love these forums.

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BrianWE

I had no shoes and wept...until I met a man who had no feet. Cheapest pair of shoes I ever bought.
 
While it may seem deceiving to have one company marketing/selling another company's product under their own brand name, it does happen all of the time. Doesn't necessarily make it "right" but it is reality. And, if the product is good, meets or exceeds customer expectations (like Spyderco's knives seem to do), then I'd say it's OK.

As a consultant to numerous Fortune 100 organizations I can tell you that this trend of outsourcing the actual physical production of designs will continue to grow. More and more companies will invest in the design of new products, and let the manufacturing be accomlished by one of several firms who have the manufacturing processes & systems to produce top quality products effectively and efficiently. These "design" firms will then market/sell the products. This is all part of a "core competencies" strategy that most businesses are gearing up to follow. So long as we, the consumers, get the products we want & need, and those products meet or exceed our expectations (relative to quality, cost, delivery, etc.) then why would we care WHO actually manufactured them, or WHERE they were actually built or assembled?

In fact, we often get higher quality products at better prices when the "design experts" create the concepts & parameters/specs and the "manufacturing experts" build the products.

Just my $0.02 worth.

AJ

[This message has been edited by AJ (edited 01-13-2000).]

[This message has been edited by AJ (edited 01-13-2000).]

[This message has been edited by AJ (edited 01-13-2000).]
 
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