growing weary of the sprint run game

Remember there is always the custom route. Pretty much anything you want if you have the coin to pay for it.
 
yes the custom route.... i have an xm24 on the way and a sacha thiel custom liner lock ppt with corrugated cf and elmax at 61-62. cant wait for both of them. most anticipated production knives are the 0560 flipper and the tuff
 
The only thing that bums me out about these sprint runs is that Spyderco keeps producing these knives, and they're just being flipped/not used. Who cares how nice the steel is if you've never even tried it out?
 
My issue is definately not with the Sprint Runs themselves but with me. I have precious little willpower to resist the various Military variations & I can usually rationalize their EDC rotation and use.

Except the S90V/CF I purchased some time ago. This Military is the poster child for perfection; fit, finish, lock action, centering, etc. It resides in my safe because I just know if something foul were to occur it would be with this sample. Meantime it gets out about once every several weeks and I'll admire it, work the action several times, & generally just admire it for all the things it is.

Then about once every couple of months I'll have a moment of cerebral relapse & consider putting it up for trade for a CRK or some such on the rationalization that I would trade for something that I'd actually use, as if I didn't have a half dozen users already. Then I'll take it out , wipe it down & flip flop again.

I've finally come to the conclusion that some things are just worth having because I can and meantime it's not going to be replicated or depreciate. And that is why I do like the Sprint runs.

Ruff Cobb
 
Spyderco makes very good knives, but the sprint runs have something that makes them special. I only get some of them, the ones that suit my needs, but I think that the extra work is worth it. And, like some have said in other threads, they are not that difficult to get. Occasionally, I miss one I would like to have, but that's not a big deal. My problem has always been the fact that there are too many knives I like and I can't afford them all.

I don't have a problem with others that resell the knives with a profit. I've bought a few, I've sold a few. In the end, I like the overall sprint run concept, and I like the hunt for a rarer specimen. It makes collecting more exciting.
 
The Gray/Carpenter Para 2 is the only sprint knife I've ever payed an inflated price for, and I don't regret at all. It's a great user and one of my all time favorite knives. I don't have the time, money, or patience to collect all the sprints. I just try to pick the one's that suit my needs best. I'm very glad that Spyderco produces all these options though, as most companies don't. Kershaw seems to be catching on though.
 
Of my 13 Spydercos, 8 are Sprint runs, whenever I even hear mention of a new release I contact my dealer within the hour probably about 6 of those I was the first to tell the dealer about the sprint, for example as soon as the Spyderco catalog was released, I pre-ordered all the sprints I was interested in within the hour the catalog first showed up. I've pretty much just decided to buy sprint runs of popular staple models like the Military, Manix2 and Para, because why buy a Para in S30V when you can have it in S90V? However, If I miss one like the Manix 2 S90V I set a price I'm willing to pay and will only buy one if I see it at that price or less, for the Manix S90V its $250, probably won't ever find one at that price, but I don't really mind too much since I have S90V already and a couple manix 2's already. I also wouldn't pick up a sprint with a less than or equal to steel than the regular production, for example I probably won't get the new S35VN Para 2 coming out because its almost exactly equal to S30V, but I prefer Black G10 to Brown G10, I also wouldn't get a Military sprint in 8cr13Mov even if it was priced accordingly.
 
The pre-orders are what bug me. The speculators get to reduce the supply (without even a down payment) before a release date is even decided on. I wish Spyderco wouldn't announce the sprints months out, then users would have a better chance at getting them.
 
mucklechumps said:
Sprint run knives remind me of Beanie Babies. For Adults. Part of me knows I shouldn't get sucked into the frenzy but I just cant help myself.
Click to expand...

And you all remember what happened to the price of Beanie Babies, right?

Spyderco is playing a dangerous game with these sprints... one that can tarnish their reputation and burn a lot of people collecting these knives for speculative value or a quick flip.

I agree with Powernoodle... this sprint thing is getting very tiresome. I've decided that I for one am not going to contribute to this madness. If something becomes available that I want at a store I happen to be doing business with at a price I think makes sense then I may order; I will not chase a sprint, nor will I pay some silly premium just to tell others I purchased something made in limited quantity solely to engineer price appreciation (and likely to be followed by another similar but slightly different sprint).
 
brownshoe said:
Per "If Spyderco were just in this for money", what do you think Spyderco is in business for? Charity?

Spyderco started as a tool company, but a number of years ago, they started to chase the collectible market. Much of their line and and most of the sprint runs are collectibles first and tools second. You should expect the prices to be high for what's hot and low for what's not. That's the collectible game. If everyone can get the "hot" items, it's not as collectible, thus a good sprint run has just enough knives to feed the frenzy, but not so many as to allow all the fish to be satiated. This drives the frenzy for the next round of collectibles. That being said, there is a risk in reprising too many old models...people may start too think their collection is being diluted and lose interest.
Click to expand...

Well said.
 
Sprint runs allow for variety. If Spyderco went into full production we wouldn't see nearly as many models and combinations as we do. It's not too hard to get a sprint on reserve on one of the good online stores if you are moderately diligent in keeping up with the news.

Also, Spyderco couldn't do some of the sprint runs in full production even if they wanted to. Steels like S90v, are hard to get and expensive to work with.
 
Reeper22 said:
Also, Spyderco couldn't do some of the sprint runs in full production even if they wanted to. Steels like S90v, are hard to get and expensive to work with.
Click to expand...

Everybody seems to forget all the S60V/440V models that Golden used to produce and they are no fun to grind either, the same has been said about ZDP-189 and now there are a few ZDP models in permanent production. An S90V limited or regular production would be very appreciated by Spyderco's users.

Bo
 
brownshoe said:
Per "If Spyderco were just in this for money", what do you think Spyderco is in business for? Charity?

Spyderco started as a tool company, but a number of years ago, they started to chase the collectible market. Much of their line and and most of the sprint runs are collectibles first and tools second. You should expect the prices to be high for what's hot and low for what's not. That's the collectible game. If everyone can get the "hot" items, it's not as collectible, thus a good sprint run has just enough knives to feed the frenzy, but not so many as to allow all the fish to be satiated. This drives the frenzy for the next round of collectibles. That being said, there is a risk in reprising too many old models...people may start too think their collection is being diluted and lose interest.
Click to expand...

1. Spyderco is involved in several charities (read the catalog).

2. Fixed margins. Price is directly proportional to production cost.

3. Look at the Mule Team project, most companies aren't willing to add a new steel type more than twice a decade, where Spyderco does it at least twice a year. Some people are just passionate about what they do, the people at Spyderco fall into this category.
This is what separates the leaders from the followers, in any industry.
 
Joshua J. said:
1. Spyderco is involved in several charities (read the catalog).

2. Fixed margins. Price is directly proportional to production cost.

3. Look at the Mule Team project, most companies aren't willing to add a new steel type more than twice a decade, where Spyderco does it at least twice a year. Some people are just passionate about what they do, the people at Spyderco fall into this category.
This is what separates the leaders from the followers, in any industry.
Click to expand...

1. It's brownshoe

2. Ignore him.
 
I don't mind the cost. I don't moms looking for them. I do mind when the QC is letting things out the door that have uneven grinds, blade play, and other f&f issues. That's why I'm not playing the sprint game anymore.

It's like playing the lottery. You may get a good one and you may not. There is not way to have it replaced or repaired thru Spyderco if it has problems.
 
Simple, but often overlooked, fact is that Spyderco cannot control who purchases their products. For the past couple years at least, most of the highly sought after Sprints have not been the "re-runs" of discontinued models, but the "big three" of their US made knives, the Military, ParaMilitary, and Manix 2, in exotic steels. Those are the ones that skyrocket in value almost from the day they're released, probably because they are attractive to all three groups - users, collectors, and speculators. More than a few of the "re-run" types, which attract mainly collectors and speculators, never fetch more than their original discounted prices and almost all the rest have yet to show more than a modest increase.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top