I emailed Stickman

[Vlade]

I think you just have to get used to the fact that the old CS is dead, and there's only a faceless, souless brand name left behind.

You're so right. Teach them the lesson that they need to learn

 

[Josephldoyle]

GSM isn’t a knife company. They are a company that sells Chinese made deer feeders.

I am sure that Stickman is trying, but at the end of the day he works for a large corporation that is only interested in “unit” sales. It’s a soulless corporation. Every move they make is focused on market share and investor profits.

Say what you want about Lynn Thompson, but a lot of Cold Steel was based on what he thought was cool, Impractical bowie knives, oversized folders… stuff that no other major knife company dabbled in.

The soul is gone. They don’t care. Even if they did care, people who market game calls don’t have a history with edged weapons and tools. They couldn’t be the Cold Steel that we once knew if they tried.

The Demko/Thompson days are gone. Cold Steel as we knew it is gone. They might pay occasional lip service to try and convince you that it is still the same, because lip service is cheap. But, in every meaningful way… Cold Steel is gone.

I am hoping that Demko steps up and fills the void.

 

[Vlade]

GSM isn’t a knife company. They are a company that sells Chinese made deer feeders.

I am sure that Stickman is trying, but at the end of the day he works for a large corporation that is only interested in “unit” sales. It’s a soulless corporation. Every move they make is focused on market share and investor profits.

Say what you want about Lynn Thompson, but a lot of Cold Steel was based on what he thought was cool, Impractical bowie knives, oversized folders… stuff that no other major knife company dabbled in.

The soul is gone. They don’t care. Even if they did care, people who market game calls don’t have a history with edged weapons and tools. They couldn’t be the Cold Steel that we once knew if they tried.

The Demko/Thompson days are gone. Cold Steel as we knew it is gone. They might pay occasional lip service to try and convince you that it is still the same, because lip service is cheap. But, in every meaningful way… Cold Steel is gone.

I am hoping that Demko steps up and fills the void.

Chinese made deer feeders. That's going to do me a lot of good.

 

[Josephldoyle]

Exactly. I love Cold Steel … the way it used to be.

But, they are priced similar to (and often more expensive than) knife companies who offer a semblance of after sales service and warranty.

$459 for a Trailmaster? And it comes with a garbage sheath? And you will have zero recourse of the guard becomes loose in a few years? Or the handle comes off…

Basically, Lynn Thompson sold his legacy to a corporation who knows nothing about knives. They couldn’t continue the magic that was Cold Steel even if they wanted to.

And they obviously don’t want to. They will market themselves as Cold Steel, but they could care less about their customer base. Honestly, they probably don’t want the Cold Steel fanboys as a customer base. It’s more cost effective to market themselves to the non-knife community, not people who have high expectations. Of course, the non-knife community folks are probably not interested in a lot of their offerings… huge bowies, oversized folders. I expect them to become more hunting focused over the next couple of years… sub-4 inch folders and such.

They will probably keep some of the established legacy models like the Recon 1… but, what are they going to do going forward? It’s easy to do things like put out new color combinations on preexisting models. That’s handled with a phone call to their supplier. But, who is going to be responsible for new designs?

 

[Vlade]

Exactly. I love Cold Steel … the way it used to be.

But, they are priced similar to (and often more expensive than) knife companies who offer a semblance of after sales service and warranty.

$459 for a Trailmaster? And it comes with a garbage sheath? And you will have zero recourse of the guard becomes loose in a few years? Or the handle comes off…

Basically, Lynn Thompson sold his legacy to a corporation who knows nothing about knives. They couldn’t continue the magic that was Cokd Steel even if they wanted to.

And they obviously don’t want to. They will market themselves as Cold Steel, but they could care less about their customer base. Honestly, they probably don’t want the Cold Steel fanboys as a customer base. It’s more cost effective to market themselves to the non-knife community, not people who have high expectations. Of course, the non-knife community folks are probably not interested in a lot of their offerings… huge bowies, oversized folders. I expect them to become more hunting focused over the next couple of years… sub-4 inch folders and such.

They will probably keep some of the established legacy models like the Recon 1… but, what are they going to do going forward? It’s easy to do things like put out new color combinations on preexisting models. That’s handled with a phone call to their supplier. But, who is going to be responsible for new designs?

That was very interesting, it just don't make sense, the cold steel Fanboys is what made Cold Steel what it is today. I have some friends that tell me cold Steel knives are junk. But he's a ZT man so take it for what it's worth. I'm trying to piece together GSM sog and Cold Steel purchase. How are they going to make new knives? Under whose Direction? This could put a company out of business. I could see the future just like you can. Small camping knives that a father and son would take turkey hunting. But then again like you said who's going to be the new designer? But like I said before I've got enough Cold Steel Knives to last me 200 years. I'm going to try not to buy anymore. But this is going to be a tough addiction to kick.

 

[Josephldoyle]

They just bought the name “Cold Steel”, the designs, and any existing stock. It isn’t like they bought a factory or a huge amount of tangible equipment. Then they didn’t keep anyone on… Lynn Thompson still pops his head up…but, that was probably part of the sale agreement.

They don’t probably have too much invested in the brand.

They bought a recognizable name brand…and now they will use that name brand to pedal products that have nothing to do with the older levels of Cold Steel quality.

The desired end result will be Walmart price point items that can be sold as basically disposable items… sold under a name brand that non-knife enthusiasts will vaguely recognize as being associated with great knives.

 

[Vlade]

They just bought the name “Cold Steel”, the designs, and any existing stock. It isn’t like they bought a factory or a huge amount of tangible equipment. Then they didn’t keep anyone on… Lynn Thompson still pops his head up…but, that was probably part of the sale agreement.

They don’t probably have too much invested in the brand.

They bought a recognizable name brand…and now they will use that name brand to pedal products that have nothing to do with the older levels of Cold Steel quality.

The desired end result will be Walmart price point items that can be sold as basically disposable items… sold under a name brand that non-knife enthusiasts will vaguely recognize as being associated with great knives.

Walmart that says it all.

 

[Chris_Texas]

Well I tried my best. Apparently Stickman is not coming. Perhaps somebody else can email him and try him. I've gotten nowhere. I kind of feel like I was made a fool of. Oh well time to try a different brand. And yes I'm a little annoyed.

The only ones who look foolish are the folks at GSM and their "influencer" Slickman.

 

[Chris_Texas]

If GSM doesn't give a hoot about Cold Steel why in the hell did they buy it? They've got this brand so screwed up the only way to get back at them is to stop purchasing their products. If you have no customers you have no business.

Can't speak for GSM or this particular deal, but the game usually goes something like this.

They find a company with a solid reputation and great brand loyalty. The predatory company borrows or invests their own money into buying the target. When the sale goes through they then borrow against that target and use that money to immediately pay themselves back, so they are out nothing. Next, they slash everything that can be slashed, cut every cost and corner, to maximize short term profit and cash in on the newly acquired and now struggling brand. They then ride that horse into the dust. If it dies, so what, they have already been paid. It's just one of a hundred little companies they own.

Note: GSM is owned by Gridiron Capital.

 

[Vlade]

Can't speak for GSM or this particular deal, but the game usually goes something like this.

They find a company with a solid reputation and great brand loyalty. The predatory company borrows or invests their own money into buying the target. When the sale goes through they then borrow against that target and use that money to immediately pay themselves back, so they are out nothing. Next, they slash everything that can be slashed, cut every cost and corner, to maximize short term profit and cash in on the newly acquired and now struggling brand. They then ride that horse into the dust. If it dies, so what, they have already been paid. It's just one of a hundred little companies they own.

Note: GSM is owned by Gridiron Capital.

So that's how the game is played. I guess I wasn't thinking of it that way. I looked them up they own more companies than Carter just got liver pills. Cabinetry company Wellness Foundation company. And of course GSM among 90 something others. Can't win this fight.