Did Kershaw jump the shark with OCC?

D

DeckardB26354

Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
43
Kershaw isn't the first or the last major knifemaker to partner with another brand name like Orange County Choppers. Recently Benchmade put the Harley Davidson name on a line of knives.

An iconic American motorcycle like HD is a better partner than OCC, the flash in the pan custom builder of rolling corporate logos, but either one cheapens a brand, rather than strengthening it.

How do these business deals change the image of knifemakers in your view? Or do you just look at it as a necessary part of surviving in these hard times?
 
DeckardB26354 said:
Kershaw isn't the first or the last major knifemaker to partner with another brand name like Orange County Choppers. Recently Benchmade put the Harley Davidson name on a line of knives.

An iconic American motorcycle like HD is a better partner than OCC, the flash in the pan custom builder of rolling corporate logos, but either one cheapens a brand, rather than strengthening it.

How do these business deals change the image of knifemakers? Or do you just look at it as a necessary part of surviving in these hard times?
Click to expand...

To answer your initial question...no...I don't believe Kershaw jumped the shark by putting out some OCC knives. I like the OCC Leek.....I've not handled the OCC Blur so I can't speak about it.

Are you more concerned about Orange County Choppers or Kerhsaw as a brand?

Kerhsaw's quality didn't drop when they put the OCC knives out. Kershaw also produces Snap-on branded knives....I guess if you didn't like Snap-on tools you would like Kershaw's Snap-on knives either.
 
morrowj_98 said:
To answer your initial question...no...I don't believe Kershaw jumped the shark by putting out some OCC knives. I like the OCC Leek.....I've not handled the OCC Blur so I can't speak about it.

Are you more concerned about Orange County Choppers or Kerhsaw as a brand?

I am more concerned with Kershaw's image than OCCs. OCC's image is to build a bike for any corporation that puts up the money. That's the American way, hats off to Paul Sr. for running with it.

When I buy a knife, it's because of the name and reputation of the knifemaker, not some other company's name which has been added to a knife.
Click to expand...
 
I don't go for it, when I buy a spyderco I want it to say Spyderco and nothing else and it goes for any brand of knife. Look at it the other way, will HD put anything else than HD on their bikes....I don't think so.
 
DeckardB26354 said:
morrowj_98 said:
To answer your initial question...no...I don't believe Kershaw jumped the shark by putting out some OCC knives. I like the OCC Leek.....I've not handled the OCC Blur so I can't speak about it.

Are you more concerned about Orange County Choppers or Kerhsaw as a brand?

I am more concerned with Kershaw's image than OCCs. OCC's image is to build a bike for any corporation that puts up the money. That's the American way, hats off to Paul Sr. for running with it.

When I buy a knife, it's because of the name and reputation of the knifemaker, not some other company's name which has been added to a knife.
Click to expand...

I understand where you are coming from but Kershaw didn't change anything other than aesthetics when it comes to the OCC knives. The OCC Leek and Blur are standard products with some different clothes on. :)

Kershaws reputation is solid so you can buy with confidence. If you don't like the OCC knives...there are plenty of non-branded Leeks and Blurs to choose from.
Click to expand...
 
i dont care for logo versions of knives for myself ,like occ,harley,snap on,but if it keeps these companies afloat,then i think there is no problem with it.if they go the gerber/crkt route & wind up with 99% of their products made in china,then that i do have a problem with.....
 
goldie said:
i dont care for logo versions of knives for myself ,like occ,harley,snap on,but if it keeps these companies afloat,then i think there is no problem with it.if they go the gerber/crkt route & wind up with 99% of their products made in china,then that i do have a problem with.....
Click to expand...

Both the OCC Leek and OCC Blur are made in the USA...just saying. :)
 
These knives are not intended for you or me, but for OCC/HD/whatever enthusiasts. It enables Kershaw, Benchmade, etc. to make more money, which pays for more interesting knife R&D (or for that company to survive with a more diverse customer base) which in the end will benefit you and me.

While I would probably not buy any of these, it does not bother me in the least as long as they continue to put out the same quality product I have come to expect.
 
Vicarious Reality said:
Like Ka-bar getting much of their profits from being the ''USMC knife''?
Click to expand...

K-Bar earned it's reputation by supplying over a million fighting knives to the Marines and all branches of the military during WWII. The company's name and reputation are synonymous with toughness and durability.

Using that reputation built in WWII and Vietnam is quite a different marketing strategy than putting a popular TV show's logo on your company's knives.

My point was not that there is any physical difference between an OCC Kershaw knife and a regular Kershaw, but that it creates a perception that the company has "sold out" to a certain extent.

Other bike builders know that OCC is nothing more than a bunch of "Cake Decorators". They buy all the major components, slap a couple corporate logos on, give the bike a loud exhaust and a nice paint job, and the company that paid $150,000 eats it up.
 
Last edited:
You are looking at it from the angle of a knife lover, but the fact is we are a very small portion of society, those knives are made for fans of the the companies whose logo is stamped on the handle. It takes all kinds, and If someone who loves motorcycles wants to buy a HD Benchmade then at least they got a good knife and not some POS made in china that could injure them.
 
Sounds like you have a problem with OCC, not Kershaw. Hundreds of retailers have jumped on the OCC bandwagon. Does that hurt their rep? I doubt it very much. If you don't like it don't buy it. They are just filling a product niche, like many others. All the while making a quality USA product, maintaining American jobs and supplying a customer demand. How could this hurt their reputation? Do you think that there are that many people who dislike OCC so much that they will stop buying Kershaw products?
 
DeckardB26354 said:
K-Bar earned it's reputation by supplying over a million fighting knives to the Marines and all branches of the military during WWII. The company's name and reputation are synonymous with toughness and durability.

That is quite a different marketing ploy than putting a popular TV show's logo on your company's knives.
Click to expand...

I don't know about that. I love my USMC Ka-Bar with the Marine logo on the sheath, but it's very subtle.

But I don't like knives that slap an American flag on the handle or blade just to ride the wave of patriotism. It's no different than Cheerio's putting their bee on a knife. It's advertising no matter what it is and I don't like it.

If it's an antique piece, then I don't mind an advertising knife. But modern production knives, I stay away from flags, motorcycles, slogans and all that.

Give me a nice clean blade.

But that's just my opinion. If you ride a Harley, why not have a knife with the Harley logo on it?

It's all a matter of you likes what you likes.

That said... if slapping some company logos on a knife exposes the brand to a wider range of people, I'm all for it. THe more people who see it, the more people will buy it. And we as knife lovers will benefit from it.
 
monsterdog said:
These knives are not intended for you or me, but for OCC/HD/whatever enthusiasts. It enables Kershaw, Benchmade, etc. to make more money, which pays for more interesting knife R&D (or for that company to survive with a more diverse customer base) which in the end will benefit you and me.

While I would probably not buy any of these, it does not bother me in the least as long as they continue to put out the same quality product I have come to expect.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly, they are just trying to sell thier knives to another group of people. People who may just pick up a product because it advertises something they're into.

The more knives Kershaw sells the more chance they have of staying in businees and the more jobs they create/maintain.
 
There are very few "names" I would want on my knife other than the manufacturer, but I don't see how it diminishes a knife company to make some knives of that type. Some folks may just love 'em.
 
Putting logos on knives is THE story in knifemaking. Read Bernard Levine: most "brands" are the marketer, not the maker. It is an old and honorable pursuit, without which much of the business might not have thrived. The production knife maker assembles a tool, finds a sponsor for one or more of his models, and adds handle slabs and name to suit the sponsor.

Many companies like Snap-On have knives made for their own catalog sales, without advertising the maker. Even that sells the maker's knives, though.

In the case of Kershaw and OCC, Kershaw itself has such a great reputation, that the sponsor not only wants his own name on the knife, he wants Kershaw's also. Both companies are helped by this partnership. Both Kershaw and OCC enthusiasts have something to enjoy.
 
Benchmade-NRA would be a better example than BM-HD... the HD knives are pretty unique when held up against the rest of the line up and that relationship is more akin to the BM Bradley deal.

Kershaw's affiliation with OCC is a move to draw more folks into the knife community. Think of it like knife companies building Wally World models. It is as much strategic as anything. They don't make gobbs of money off this stuff. If you really must rationalize it, go this route.........and you have to say it with me....."Sometimes companies I admire have to do things I disagree with so that they may bring me the things that make me admire the company"
 
I see the point several fellow knife knuts have made, that knifemaking is first and foremost a business, the OCC/Kershaw deal was made for no other reason to sell as many knives to a wider demographic.

So purists like myself who see that sort of bandwagon jumping as unseemly and cheap need to take a chill pill.

Thanks for your input, apparently I'm in the minority opinion!
 
Last edited:
DeckardB26354 said:
I see the point several fellow knife knuts have made, that knifemaking is a business, the OCC/Kershaw deal was made for no other reason to sell as many knives to a wider demographic.

So purists like myself who see that sort of bandwagon jumping as unseemly and cheap need to take a chill pill.

Thanks for your input, apparently I'm in the minority opinion!
Click to expand...

No worries......you have a good attitude and I hope you stick around.
 
I'll likely never buy a logo'ed knife but I'm not the only knife consumer on earth either. If it keeps the new designs coming by helping keep my favorite MFG's in business, then so be it ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top