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loon#r

loon#r

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Mar 10, 2008
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Sleep and work have been awful for what seems like months - I don’t want to piss off or on anyone, and not to be a turd, but I must riff. Obviously Spyderco’s sales stats, user community, proto trials, etc. guide them well, but IMO there are plenty more models that can be discontinued to narrow focus on better selling models whether currently offered or in the works, and perhaps keep MAP increases at bay (like I know better than spyderco knows :rolleyes:). Doesn’t it make sense to do away with more of the ho-hum models and focus on say a spyderco slysz swayback, something that would be sought after by all walks of life in the knife guy-and-gal universe and have better lasting power sales wise?

No one competes with the variety of models Spyderco offers, no one. They’re the best in the business and the whole knife community knows it. But has the portfolio become too bloated with the top to bottom categories of offerings? Or are they actually benefiting from it? For the past five or so years I’ve been shocked at the pace they turn out new models - some jewels, some middling, and some duds. Is doing so becoming their burden? And I don’t mean the different steel releases or scale colors offered on this and that model, Spyderco knocked it out of the park by doing that.
 
So you want them to quit making what sells and concentrate on making what you, personally, want? Just making sure I understand what you are trying to say.
 
Little niche knives will never sell a lot but they'll fill those little niches. I appreciate the stuff like that even if it doesn't suit me.
 
Please keep them coming, my weird ones are why I buy Spyderco. PM's, Delica's ho hum, ATR, Chinook, Matriarch, Firefly, Dyad, Jumpmaster and the other oddballs enrichen my life and give purpose to it.(plus it has got to be a lot of fun designing these oddities for us). Happy knife maker, happy life.
Get some sleep and work in a vacation soon.
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi Loon,

thanx for the advise. However, I must confess that are doing OK with the way we're doing it.

sal
Click to expand...

No not advice. Just rambling that should have remained a bunch of thoughts instead of thread...clearly. Spyderco is absolutely doing great. I can’t think of another knife making entity that matches Spyderco’s spirit and approach to knife design and philosophy. And I happily contribute to its success, albeit a measly contribution, with dozens of spydercos, many of them coveted knives in my collection.

But what do I know, according to dude up top’s interpretation, I just want spyderco “to quit making what sells and to concentrate on what I personally want”...which would be more great knives which I buy from spyderco? Obviously hit a nerve there.

Maybe my real point/question/concern WAS this: does Spyderco feel or has it felt pressure to churn out totally new designs and many of them very often? Has this pursuit ever become a challenge or negative for them to the point where it caused manufacturing obstacles and drained time and resources away from developing fewer but arguably more worthwhile models? (yeah I know knife preferences differ and it’s not all about what I want, but that’s not my point). Or rather has the challenge only been of having plenty of new designs to decide on producing and the rest has been gravy?
 
Sal has said in the past that they usually have a dozen or so new models in-the-works at any given time. He loves knives like we do, probably more (I didn't chose knife manufacturing for a career). I suspect the real burden is knowing he can't make all of the new models he wants to. Production capacity is a limiting factor, which is why everything isn't made in Golden. He farms out production all around the world to get the production needed to satisfy demand. But if it were feasible, he'd probably be introducing new models as fast as he had new ideas. Most of them wouldn't appeal to everyone, but all would appeal to someone. That's pretty close to being a custom maker, but that's not what Spyderco does. The company was founded on innovation, but they still have to sell product to keep the lights on.
 
Let's discontinue the Paramilitary 2 and 3 so better ethnic designs flourish. :D
 
I think Jack has it spot on. All companies compete in their own way with what they have to offer. We are fortunate to be able to be innovative and we've attracted a number of innovative designers. Innovation, quality, performance, ergos, communication with ELU's (End Like Users) are some of the important values for us.

sal
 
I love that Spyderco is willing to make eccentric designs that may not have mass appeal. Presumably their core models sell so well that they can fund this innovation.
 
Spyderco's very willingness to do this is primarily why they are my favorite production knife company. I adore the weird/unusual stuff and every now and then they hit absolute home runs by trying things that nobody else would.
 
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