MontanaSteelMan said:
Codger:
I am disappointed that you are casting dispersions on someone that has passed on to their great reward (whatever it may be). Mr. Parker is dead so why bring him up in this matter?
It is regretable that Mr. Parker is deceased, but that is the lot in life of every man. We can only hope to conduct ourselves during our lifetime in such a manner that when our time has come, people will remember us for our positive contributions, not the negatives. My reference was in regard to a marketing method which appears to be common to both. I did not know Mr. Parker (or Mr. Taylor for that matter), so I can make no comments about them as persons, only as their history in business indicates. I am sure they are/ were both fine gentlemen. I do not agree with the business practices of either. If calling attention to those business practices (as I see them) is dissapointing to you, then so be it.
MontanaSteelMan said:
I am a Schrade dealer, and I know for a fact (because I called Taylor Brands) that when Taylor assumed the company he originally used the graphics designer from Schrade. This was explained to me to have been an oversight on the part of Taylor, and not an attempt to deceive anyone. I believe that I was the first person to bring this issue to Taylors attention, and he agreed with me 100%, and promised to change the packaging. I know for a fact that he has done this, because I just received a new shipment from them, and the U.S. Flag is not on the boxes or clam packs. If this was an attempt to deceive, Mr. Taylor would not have accepted a phone call from me, nor would he have made these changes. I would appear that you have one of the first production runs of these knives. If you truly want to do an un-biased comparision, then look at the new issuance of knives (post graphics change).
Well, first off, as of 2004, there are no Schrade salesmen or dealers. Imperial Schrade Corporation is no more. You are a Taylor dealer, selling his imported knives marked with the Schrade name. Fine. I can accept that. What I cannot accept is that TBLLC spent untold dollars on packaging for their imported product without first approving the artwork for the packaging. That defense doen't hold water. Yes, he has changed the packaging, and the package I got tricked into buying (my bad, not Stewart's) is likely a collectable "first production run". Though I do not know of a single collector of modern chinese made knives, regardless of the brand stamped on it. I am sure he got wind of a lot of angst over the flag on the packaging, possibly even from complaints to the FTC, and I am glad the he, for whatever reason, has made the boxes and clampacks more readily identifyable.
MontanaSteelMan said:
Is it possible that YOU can do a un-biased comparison.
If this is a question and not a statement, yes, it is possible. You evidently have not read the comparisons I have already done on the TBLLC products here, always with the genuine article the TBLLC knife or tool was copied from on hand. In every instance, the chinese copies were very poorly made in both fit and finish. The best I could say is that they resembled the U.S. made Schrades, until one is allowed a close comparison.
MontanaSteelMan said:
For your interest, my sales rep has given me current news that new Schrades will be made in Tennessee and also Taylor is backing a new factory in Pennsylvania. So you will see the Taylor company expanding into manufacturing in the United States.
That is good news. I understand Arrowhead/Mr. Hall is a good manufacturer of United's American made product. Don't know about the company he has picked to SFO for him in Pennsylvania though. Is TBLLC building their own factory and getting into manufacturing?
MontanaSteelMan said:
I don't want to drag up the worn out topic of U.S. vs China products, etc. Like it or not, Schrade Knives and the brand are being carried on, and you will see people collecting these knives whether they are made in China or in the U.S.
I guess that on this point we shall just have to agree to disagree. I can see where since you have a dog in the fight (a financial stake) you would promote the chinese copies as genuine "New Generation" Schrades. I understand that better than you might think. It does not mean that I agree with it though. Had someone bought Imperial Schrade, the whole Banana (the way the seperate cutleries were purchased by the Baers), and then continued to operate, or moved the location and reorganized (as Albert did Imperial), then I might consider some continuity was involved.
IF, as a TBLLC dealer, you want the successive generations of chinese (and possibly U.S.?) TBLLC knives and tools reviewed here by me, then send them to me. I will not waste another dime on these knife-like objects (on purpose anyway). If you will take the time to read my reviews, you will see that I leave politics and personal prejudices about the origins out, and do a good job of sticking to the facts. If you can refute the facts I posted in those reviews, I invite you to do so.
Codger
