Forums and Success

all the major knife manufacturers are going to do just fine with or without presence on this or any other forum....it is naive to think people here are going to make or break the sales on a production knife; marketing and the performance/quality of the product will see to that...

now a custom knife maker, that's a different story...
 
At work, I always need high level feedback on my product.

I see a company's presence here as a major research tool for them.
The level of honest feedback from the expertise of the members here would not be something, I working in development, would let go of lightly
 
I believe that with this age of web 2.0-3.0, an online presence is critical. Not so much forum mods or the like, but people have to be talking about your product. I have no idea how many BMs or Spydercos are moved at brick and mortar, and I wonder if it compares at all to online sales.

If you're just selling a knife, then maybe it doesn't matter too much. But if you're introducing new steels, new locks, new handle materials, new collaborations, moving prices upscale... are there more people educating themselves about this through magazine subscriptions or online surfing? The end user will create content for you, but not in advance, and not always accurately. The back and forth of a forum makes some of us have warm and fuzzies about what we buy when we can talk to the people that know.

Performance/quality isn't evaluated very often without the web when there are a tenth as many mail order catalogs, local specialty shops, or magazine circulation. (no, I don't know if 1/10 is accurate)
 
dextersp1 said:
I think a forum discussion can go either way - help or hurt the company. I tend to think it leans to hurt a company.
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I agree 100%. The absence of a forum has never stopped me from learning about and buying cool knives from a given manufacturer. On the other hand, when I see a forum presence not handled well, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Two examples:
The SOG forum, where often an issue or question is handled by Chris with a sanitary, no real-info, my boss won't let me say much approach.
The Swamprat forum, where questions can hang out for a couple of days or more before Eric chimes in.
 
OldDude1 said:
I have noticed that my sons, age 20 and 22, rely heavily on peer opinion and group participation via intensive internet networking when contemplating many purchases. They both seem to place less importance on manufacturer generated advertising and information than on anecdotal experience promulgated by their peers. [...] Neither appears to place much trust in the honesty or accuracy of corporate controlled copy.
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I'm new here and to the general Forum community, but the above post reflects exactly my attitude. I don't have a Kershaw knife, neither am I planning to buy one soon. My past and future purchases have all been based on what I read and discussed on internet manufaturer's forums: no forum, no buy. The only exceptions have been my William Henry knives. BTW, I'm in my late 40's, more than twice as old as OldDude's sons.

Just some food for thought...
 
Cisco Kid said:
I'm new here and to the general Forum community, but the above post reflects exactly my attitude. I don't have a Kershaw knife, neither am I planning to buy one soon. My past and future purchases have all been based on what I read and discussed on internet manufaturer's forums: no forum, no buy. The only exceptions have been my William Henry knives. BTW, I'm in my late 40's, more than twice as old as OldDude's sons.

Just some food for thought...
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So you only buy products that are juried and approved by fan boys and zealots. ;):D...... I'm joking of course, but, you are missing out on alot by not going out and trying things for yourself. I used to be stuck in a rut and bought knives the same way..... turns out that I don't agree with most people's notions about knives.

Example: People love the Kershaw Blur and the RAM..... I don't like them at all. People seem to love Sebenzas and Striders.... didn't like the vast majority of them. Folks say that the Spyderco Manix, Dodo, Yojimbo...et, et, et are the best things since sliced bread..... didn't like any of them. Most folks will tell you that recurves are hard to sharpen and generally are not worth your time.... I disagree.

I think you might want to consider trying something out w/o reading about it first, then compare your thoughts with those of others..... group think causes alot of trouble. The only true up-side to group think: Resale Value ;):D
 
CL01 said:
Having said that, I do think the Forum served a purpose, but probably more along the lines of specialty knives, sprint runs, & stuff like that.
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Don't worry, everyone gets told (usually after we have one in our possession) ;)
 
My EDC knife is a Kershaw Leek. Why did I make the decision to buy and use a Kershaw? For several reasons, I will list them in order of importance:

-Kershaw makes all their knives in the USA.

-I had read numerous stories in forums and online reviews of people getting extremely fast customer service from Kershaw on those rare occassions when there was a problem or the knife broke. Reading one particular review on Amazon was perhaps the pivotal moment for me when I decided to buy Kershaws. A man wrote of using his leek as a throwing knife, he threw it into a tree and the tip broke, and Kershaw still honored the warranty and sent him a new one despite not being obligated to. I don't condone abusing the warrantly like that, but that shows us that Kershaw places customer satisfaction first and profit second.

-Winning all the awards at the blade show, and the Rainbow Leek winning overall knife if the year, solidified my decision to get one.

-Finally I'm an avid MMA fan and noticed that Kenny Florian was sponsored by Kershaw. Despite Florian not really being a favorite fighter of mine, I think this is really clever since he cuts people with his elbows.

I am very happy with my Kershaw Leek. The fit and finish are excellent, I have never used a Sebenza but reading how people describe their Sebenzas I think all of that applies to my Leek as well. It is very smooth action and has a very tight lock up. I've also opened it thousands of times and the assisted opening torsion bar hasn't seemed to weaken at all.

It's a great knife company you've helped to build Thomas. A knife company that has quality rivaling the handmade Sebenzas of Chris Reeve for a fraction of the price, while keeping production here and making jobs for US workers. Jolly good show mate!
 
spiralarchitect said:
So you only buy products that are juried and approved by fan boys and zealots. ;):D......
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Yeah, pretty much. :D

No, what I mean is that one of the criteria to scrutinize the myriad of possibilities out there is by reading what people have to say about them, the good and the bad. Absent voices get pushed lower in the priority queue. Unfortunately, I can't go to a shop and borrow a knife for a couple of weeks of EDC before making a purchasing decision.

I know what you mean about Spyderco knives. I always thought they are butt ugly. My place of employment is 10 min from their factory outlet store (been there since 1996), but thanks to the fan boys and zealots in several forums I finally decided to go there for the first time in September. I now own 5 Spydies and am waiting for their November specials to get two more. But I have to agree with you on the Dodo and Yojimbo... I also don't like the Sebenzas. Now I feel like a blasphemer, thanks.
 
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I really miss the Kershaw forum. It was my favorite.

I can afford to buy about 2 knives a year, I buy a few for gifts, and help friends buy between 5 and 10 knives a year. So, about 15 a year.

The easiest way for me to see feedback to help others is by reading reviews, etc. on the forums. If a company doesn't have the forum, the reviews, action pics, etc., pop up a lot less frequently. Also, I plan my purchases based on what is coming up next and what looks cool in the future. If there's no forum, it's a little more difficult for me to find this information.

I have two leeks, a ZT, and a Titanium Tyrade (graciously won on a contest). I love Kershaw products*. It's just a little more difficult for me to know what is coming up next without a forum.

*Please continue to make more knives without AO!
 
Forums reach afficiandos. The sales attributed to a forum presence would be minimal, but it keeps Kershaw at the top of mind amongst the most passionate, informed, and vocal/influencial of knife buyers.

Everyone posting here is one of the "knife guys" in their circle of friends (and possibly the only one.) When they pull out a Kershaw knife or mention one, it may stick when that friend is looking at the blister packs in WalMart.

Personally, one of the reasons, I hold Kershaw, Spyderco, and CRK above other manufacturers is due to their presence here. I tend to favor them when making purchases.
 
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Excellent quality and fair price are a must...but I bought a YJD-II composite , a Speed-Bump, a Leek, and a ZT300 because I learn from the experiences of my fellow knifenuts here in the Bladeforums
 
I have not read the thread, except for Thomas's post. Sometimes I don't read before I answer, so my answer may have already been said. I think Kershaw will do fine here. Thomas W. makes a regular appearance here. But Kershaw has so many folks on the forum praising their knives, I am one, that they will always be in the forefront. Just look at how many times Kershaw knives are suggested when someone ask about a new edc. No, I can't see Kershaw losing out just because they have no official forum.
 
spiralarchitect said:
So you only buy products that are juried and approved by fan boys and zealots. ;):D...... I'm joking of course, but, you are missing out on alot by not going out and trying things for yourself. I used to be stuck in a rut and bought knives the same way..... turns out that I don't agree with most people's notions about knives.

Example: People love the Kershaw Blur and the RAM..... I don't like them at all. People seem to love Sebenzas and Striders.... didn't like the vast majority of them. Folks say that the Spyderco Manix, Dodo, Yojimbo...et, et, et are the best things since sliced bread..... didn't like any of them. Most folks will tell you that recurves are hard to sharpen and generally are not worth your time.... I disagree.

I think you might want to consider trying something out w/o reading about it first, then compare your thoughts with those of others..... group think causes alot of trouble. The only true up-side to group think: Resale Value ;):D
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Nicely said spiral.
 
As others have said; Kershaw's absence from BF probably won't have a huge impact on their sales, but why risk losing any sales. Those of us who are knife enthusiasts are often quick to share our new purchases and opinions with friends and family. In many cases others come to us for help in purchasing decisions. I don't think less of Kershaw for not having a forum here, but I do think of them less. So when I get ready to make a purchase Kershaw is seldom one of the brands I consider because I've spent the previous month or two on BF reading about Spydercos or other knives that are featured here more prominently.

I actually discovered BF as the result of a Google search for info on a Kershaw Barrage I had just purchased. I was led to some posts on the now defunct Kershaw section of BF. I'm sure the reasons for Kershaw leaving were valid, but I wish the Kershaw forum was still active. Come back Thomas W.:)
 
As has been said before the online knife community is relatively small and I can't imagine that Kershaw not having a forum here would impact their overall sales much.

I personally really liked the Kershaw forum and checked it daily. Having so many opinions and user experiences concentrated in one place meant that I was more aware of what new products Kershaw was putting out and therefor more likely to buy those products. The quality of people involved in that forum also reflected positively on the company as a whole.
 
James0723 said:
-Kershaw makes all their knives in the USA.
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This part is not entirely true.
Kershaw makes the majority of their knives in the USA.
They do have a few items made in other countries.

Just wanted to clear that up a bit.


Jason
 
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