Okay, I have kept mum on this one for awhile. I have already made my view clear in previous threads.
From my point of view, I think that there are 2 issues essentially at hand here-
1. Should LT and CS posted the Strider info in question?
2. If the info is accurate, then so what?
1. As I have said before, LT is the UberKnifeKnut. He not only runs a major knife company, but lives for knives, guns, hunting, martial arts and the like. The whole reason he started CS was his dissapointment with the general quality and performance of mass-produced knives and their inability to meet the needs of tougher users.
That being said, you will not find a knife producer more commited to research and testing of product. He wants them to perform as promised and meet not only his high expectations, but that of the customer. Reputation and and the ability to back-up your promises is very improtant to LT. Like him or not, he does everything in his power to live up to his own high standards.
Is he a muckraker? Does he stir the pot? Does he get up on his soap box and challenge others to do the same? Yes. He makes no apologies for that and does not make statements he won't back-up.
So it just stuck in his craw that Strider was getting his ass-kissed by the knife media and community when his entire reputation- the reputation that he built his business on- was a lie! Read LT's entire letter to the public on the site. While he may not have been a fan of the end product of SKI, he didn't say anything because it was not his place to besmirch someone who had "been there-done that" in the military when LT had not. Then it comes out that Strider had lied about his history, and the knife community and media still kissed his ass and acted like nothing had happened.
LT and CS has been a friend of the military and law enforcement since the company's inseption over 25 years ago. CS has made both special runs of "sterile" knives and specially engraved knives for specific military units requesting such, donated thousands and thousands of $ worth of product to the military and bends over backwards in the cust. svc. department when dealing with military personell. Does he advertise that? No, that was either a gift or support to our fighting men and women- not a PR stunt. He will advertise that the SRK is the best selling knife to the military- because he has PX purchasing and order information to back that up. He did advertise (if I remember this correctly- forgive me if the details are a bit fuzzy)that the SRK was standard issue to BUDs because he had purchase and order information to back that up. Why not advertise such? It is true and promotes the company in a very positive light with both the military and the public. At no point did LT ever intone or imply that his product is superior due to the fact that he had "been there- done that" with the military and/or spec ops. That would have been a lie. Not something to build a reputation and a business on.
Then Strider comes along and makes false claims about a military background and hsitory to build a business on. He implies by said history that he knows about the needs of military personell and knife users because of his extensive experience as a "high-speed operator". He talked hard-working people into giving him their money- a lot of money- for his product based on a lie. I don't care if the product can walk on water if I purchased it based on a lie. Especially if that lie dishonors those who deserve the most honor and a debt of gratitude from us. How dare he try to steal the rep from our fighting men and women.
No one in the knife industry or media was slamming Strider for said lie. No one was calling him on the carpet for his deception. Well, LT had finally had enough of it and stepped up on his soap box and called a spade a spade. Do you detractors honestly think that LT did not know the risk to his own rep and that of his company? Do you honestly think he didn't calculate every possible outcome? He did. He knew the risk. But the truth was more important to him than that. Was it his place to do so? Well, if the choice was to either let this just get swept under the rug and continue to allow Strider to act with impugnity and BS the knife community and the military, or for someone with some guts to stand up and cry foul, then, yes, it was his place.
2. There have been several on this thread and others that have said, "so what?" They don't care about the reputation of the maker as long as the product does as promised. Fine, then do not bitch either way and you really do not have much of an argument in this debate. You should also not care where a product is made, what the rep of the company or its management is, what they do, how much they pay, or who they hurt to make said product. So, you should also not care about that company's detractors. Just sit back and enjoy your apathy. Let the rest of us who actually give a damn beyond our own selfish interests debate here.
So, for those of us who actually care, how can one defend the business practices of someone who built their rep on a lie. What if you wanted to buy a piece of property and hire an inspector. His ads read "best inspector", "most experience", "former contractor and developer". You hire him for said rep, he inspects your property, advises you it is fine, and you spend your money to buy it. Then, you find out that this inspector lied and was never a contractor- but worked on a constructoion crew one summer while he was in high school. Would you trust his judgement in the property you already bought? Wouldn't you feel ripped-off by this person- even if the property in question was in perfect condition and his judgement was accurate- based solely on his fabricated reputation? I know I would.
CS has, as expected, received calls and emails regarding this turn of events. Many have been negative and angrily so. But, of those who have been positive, most have been from military, veterans, and families of such. Many of these responses have been thank-you's for exposing the truth and honoring those who really deserve the reputations they have earned.
I have not spoken to LT since this has gone online. But, I bet that those thank-you's from military folks is worth all the hassle to him.
be my guest. I guess plain english will never be enough for some people.
) Unfortunately, once you scratch the surface you find out that the facade is just a coverup that doesn't withstand scrutiny
