CS/GSMO is asking for your input on your favorite discontined CS knife

desmobob said:
No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I didn't say anything about responsibility; those are your words.

If you're hoping to influence the direction the company will take, do you think nasty comments are more effective than polite conversation? The company is likely going to do whatever it wants, but trying to open a friendly line of communication would seem like a good idea...
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See, the trouble is, there hasn't been any conversation. Nature hates a vacuum and will fill it.

I don't consider Lynn's video or this one to be any kind conversation.

And yeah, if people are nasty, it should tell the new owners their approach has been lacking and they need to step up their game. I'll go ahead use my term again, it is their responsibility to reach out.

From the Cold Steel site:

COLD STEEL PRIDES ITSELF IN IT'S ENTERTAINING MEDIA AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY. WITH OVER 300,000,000 YOUTUBE VIEWS AND REACHING OVER 80,000,000 EYES PER MONTH, OUR CONTENT IS SURE TO BOTH ENTERTAIN AND EDUCATE YOU. STAY CONNECTED WITH US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS FOR A CHANCE TO BE FEATURED!
 
jlauffer said:
Does anyone really think GSM even knows or cares about BF?
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They might... BF is by far the largest knife forum on line, right? I guess people tend to pay more attention to social media like Facebook and Instagram these days. Other knife companies have established a presence here, so maybe it is on their radar...
 
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Eli Chaps said:
See, the trouble is, there hasn't been any conversation. Nature hates a vacuum and will fill it.

I don't consider Lynn's video or this one to be any kind conversation.

And yeah, if people are nasty, it should tell the new owners their approach has been lacking and they need to step up their game. I'll go ahead use my term again, it is their responsibility to reach out.

From the Cold Steel site:

COLD STEEL PRIDES ITSELF IN IT'S ENTERTAINING MEDIA AND ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY. WITH OVER 300,000,000 YOUTUBE VIEWS AND REACHING OVER 80,000,000 EYES PER MONTH, OUR CONTENT IS SURE TO BOTH ENTERTAIN AND EDUCATE YOU. STAY CONNECTED WITH US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS FOR A CHANCE TO BE FEATURED!
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Isn't the video asking for patterns we'd like to see back in production their opening the conversation? Companies have no responsibility to reach out. Most do product and market research, provide products, advertise, and then the consumers either buy them or not. It sure is nice when they do try to engage the consumers, though.
 
desmobob said:
Isn't the video asking for patterns we'd like to see back in production their opening the conversation? Companies have no responsibility to reach out. Most do product and market research, provide products, and the consumers either buy them or not. It sure is nice when they do try to engage the consumers, though.
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We can have different opinions of conversation but that video doesn't meet mine. If they were here engaging people, being open to their concerns, offering responses and having a real back and forth, that would be conversation.

See Sal Glesser.

Are they engaging people in the comments of that video?
 
Spyderco's Mr. Glesser is a wonderful exception to the norm! Maybe Cold Steel is working on picking just the right person to wade into the snake pit here! :)

I think you might have to give them a minute. For one thing, the video just came out. And they were recently purchased themselves and they only just recently bought Cold Steel. I would imagine things might be a bit hectic there.

Still, the video was at least something. More than anyone heard from Schrade, Gerber, etc., right? If they don't respond directly to comments on the video but start production of any of the knives suggested, that would certainly be what I would consider a "conversation." It might also take quite a bit of time. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
 
I see this video as free fluff. It caters to nostalgia of what people liked about Cold Steel, and this "who knows? Might. Maybe" verbiage allows them to easily choose not to follow through.

"You say want a Carbon V Trailmaster with a leather sheath? Oh man, those were cool, weren't they? Yeah....... Well your going to love our new 2021 Trailblazer. It comes in an actual 400 series stainless steel so you never have to worry about rust. It even comes with a compass in the handle and an emergency whistle molded with in the sheath! This ain't your dad's Trailmaster."

I look at the video as nothing more than those dumb Facebook posts that are like, "Quick! Name your favorite breakfast cereal you liked to eat while watching Saturday morning cartoons!"

About the only marketing I can see this helping is that enough people ask for something and they still have the tooling collecting dust somewhere...maybe.
 
desmobob said:
Spyderco's Mr. Glesser is a wonderful exception to the norm! Maybe Cold Steel is working on picking just the right person to wade into the snake pit here! :)

I think you might have to give them a minute. For one thing, the video just came out. And they were recently purchased themselves and they only just recently bought Cold Steel. I would imagine things might be a bit hectic there.

Still, the video was at least something. More than anyone heard from Schrade, Gerber, etc., right? If they don't respond directly to comments on the video but start production of any of the knives suggested, that would certainly be what I would consider a "conversation." It might also take quite a bit of time. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
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Sal is exemplary in his communication but don't forget, CS has an account here and they had a mod that did engage in conversation. Just like Buck and others.

Their choice to be absent from this site speaks volumes to me.
 
Well... you guys can be negative. I prefer to be positive and give them a chance and some time. I'd rather be hopeful than mad while waiting for this to play out. I'm not expecting it to happen (good or bad) overnight....
 
desmobob said:
Well... you guys can be negative. I prefer to be positive and give them a chance and some time. I'd rather be hopeful than mad while waiting for this to play out. I'm not expecting it to happen (good or bad) overnight....
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Not mad at all.

I also don't see it as negative but rather an evaluation of what GSM has presented. But I won't relinquish the notion that they owe the consumer and the burden is on them to up their communication game if they actually care about the long term fans.
 
Eli Chaps said:
But I won't relinquish the notion that they owe the consumer and the burden is on them to up their communication game if they actually care about the long term fans.
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I don't believe any company owes the customer anything, other than honesty in product description/advertising. Why would they? What they do for the consumer is provide a choice or an opportunity, nothing more. If it's a good one, they'll have a chance to profit. If not, they won't.

Here's an article from the Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2010/05/business-owes-the-world-everyt.html
 
desmobob said:
I don't believe any company owes the customer anything, other than honesty in product description/advertising. Why would they? What they do for the consumer is provide a choice or an opportunity, nothing more. If it's a good one, they'll have a chance to profit. If not, they won't.

Here's an article from the Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2010/05/business-owes-the-world-everyt.html
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You brought up conversation. That's what I was referring to. The company doesn't owe the consumer conversation, but if you want conversation, then the onus is on them to initiate and control it.
 
Eli Chaps said:
You brought up conversation. That's what I was referring to. The company doesn't owe the consumer conversation, but if you want conversation, then the onus is on them to initiate and control it.
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You just said you wouldn't relinquish the notion that they did owe the consumer... that's what I was referring to. Now, you're saying they don't. Maybe I misread it.
Eli Chaps said:
But I won't relinquish the notion that they owe the consumer and the burden is on them to up their communication game if they actually care about the long term fans.
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Anyway, no matter. I'm just going to be hopeful and wait it out with optimism. The worst thing that can happen is that I'll be a little disappointed (and my Cold Steel knives will increase in value!).
 
1.Bring back the old school japan(or where ever (TAIWAN)you can make quality made voyagers)(esp. the large clip point blade) with triad lock and steel pocket clips that are screwed into metal not just the plastic handle
2.code 4 in g10 xhp steel or m4 w/different colored g10 scales
3.keep most of the blades hollow ground they are super slicers esp. the Recons
4.please work on your customer service all you guys can learn from Benchmade
 
Eli Chaps said:
Their choice to be absent from this site speaks volumes to me.
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Not sure I agree, at least not yet. As was mentioned, things are probably quite hectic right now, and if the person(s) that was the CS mod is gone, it may take awhile, if they even know/care. Their priority was to get their hostage video out to try to calm things down and buy time...addressing BF, if they even realize we're here, is probably pretty low on the priority list.

When my current company was bought out years ago, the company that bought us didn't even realize until afterwards that we owned another company (that they now owned and had to figure out what to do with). And that was a $6 billion deal! So much for due diligence. At the company before that, I used to post on a couple related forums, figuring it might help increase sales, but I took it upon myself to do so...after I left no one continued it.
 
jlauffer said:
Does anyone really think GSM even knows or cares about BF?
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I don't know. Given how prolific other social media is right now... SnapFace, Insta-chat-Book, what have you... we might not even be a blip.

I've been wrong before though. Heck, I'm wrong about stuff all the time.

It would be nice to have a moderator come back though. It really isn't any effort at all when you think about it.

And it IS a way of reaching more of your customer base. Seems as though it would be worth a few minutes of the Media guy's day.
 
desmobob said:
You just said you wouldn't relinquish the notion that they did owe the consumer... that's what I was referring to. Now, you're saying they don't. Maybe I misread it.


Anyway, no matter. I'm just going to be hopeful and wait it out with optimism. The worst thing that can happen is that I'll be a little disappointed (and my Cold Steel knives will increase in value!).
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If I miscommunicated, I apologize. I still believe GSM has the responsibility to take control of the communication process and be aggressive about it.
 
desmobob said:
.....Companies have no responsibility to reach out....
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Nor do they have a responsibility to stay in business. There are a lot of good and innovative knife makers. These guys can engage or they can shut the lights off and lock up the shed. I don’t care either way. They already destroyed LT, which was the brands primary asset; and they fired the staff, and screwed with the warranty. So I don’t see a lot of good will laying on their shelf. They can either step up and tell us how they plan to support the product, or they can come to terms with the fact that they paid the purchase price for nothing.

n2s
 
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Oyabun, talwar folder, and the flanged mace head
 
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