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Inflation within the knife market
- Thread starter Gideons
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Spyderco Endura 4 Lightweight FRN Flat Ground PlainEdge Knife
Price varies by handle colour; the only high price (over $100) was from an outside seller.
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I'm confused
1.06($130)=$137.80It's not inflation, it's demand. It's really that simple.
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Could it be, that since you are viewing from Canada, the prices you see are skewed compared to us in the US?
I'm confused
It's not inflation, it's demand. It's really that simple.
I updated the Endura math, and typo city. 2008 - 2016 is 110.6%.
I updated my post with correct math, please check it out
Sorry since I am doing quickly I am really not double checking my hours.
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Now if you compare CRK sebenza pricing from 2006-2016.... Blues Bender is spot on IMO most of the increases are demand driven. There are a lot more guys on this forum now than when I joined, and I'm a newbie compared to many.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Blues Bender is spot on IMO most of the increases are demand driven. There are a lot more guys on this forum now than when I joined, and I'm a newbie compared to many. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I rembering hearing you could get in 2008 Griptilians for $80 - $90 USD. Now they are approximately $110 - $120. Matching USD inflation the Benchmade Griptilians 2016 price would be - $88.48 - $99.54. The actual increase is price is around 135.3% larger than in 2008 meaning the increase in price compared to USD inflation is 3.3x larger or an increase of 333%.
There is tremendous demand today, at least for some brands and models. So I think supply and demand has allowed prices to increase.
I've been buying and collecting knives for a long time. Recently I decided to see a lot of my knives bought 15 or more years ago. I looked up the cost data, maybe the CPI, and IIRC from about 2000 to present prices had increased about 40%. I notice that most of the knives I bought used 15 years ago were hard to sell today for 40% more than I paid for them 15 years ago. So this does not prove out the apparent inflation.
But OTOH since I've been back into buying a lot of knives over the past 4 years I've noticed that the used market pricing for the Para2 has gone up about 20%.
I've been buying and collecting knives for a long time. Recently I decided to see a lot of my knives bought 15 or more years ago. I looked up the cost data, maybe the CPI, and IIRC from about 2000 to present prices had increased about 40%. I notice that most of the knives I bought used 15 years ago were hard to sell today for 40% more than I paid for them 15 years ago. So this does not prove out the apparent inflation.
But OTOH since I've been back into buying a lot of knives over the past 4 years I've noticed that the used market pricing for the Para2 has gone up about 20%.
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Benchmade has a hard MAP policy. So does ZT and Spyderco. Those are going to make a bigger difference in terms of price than inflation is.
Is there any chance you've misplaced your decimals; any chance at all?
Including inflation, cost of everything goes up.Electricity, internet, water etc People get raises So do legacy costs. Look at Colt or the big car companies.
However, companies know people are willing to pay more for knives so companies raise their costs accordingly.
However, companies know people are willing to pay more for knives so companies raise their costs accordingly.
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Secondary market drives prices.
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Honestly, I would use Spyderco. Prior to their shift to MAP they were very transparent about pricing and it was set to be the same percentage profit for each knife, so they offer an excellent look at how materials cost has had an effect vs labor costs
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whitty
Dealer / Materials Provider
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I think you have to look at several things when looking at price increases.
1. Material cost have gone up. This in part is do to gas prices over the years going through the roof. That adds a price to everything including steels and plastics. Plus delivery charges have gotten higher because of gas.
2. Map pricing is certainly to blame. While people might hate map it was becoming very necessary. One of the biggest complaints I hear on the internet is the lack of decent brick and mortar knife shops. While people might be upset with Benchmade, Benchmade was trying to save the industry as a whole. Anyone with a computer and knowledge to build a site was opening an on line knife shop. They would also sell on ebay. When sales were tight they would just dump their inventory on ebay to help recoup the mad cost they had in to the knives. This started making it damn near impossible for the bigger knife companies and brick and mortar stores to compete. Why did prices go up with Map? The knife companies now have to pay someone extra to research and find those who break the policy and they made a little more room (not much) for knife stores to actually make some money.
3. Improved materials and customer service. Major knife companies are now offering higher end materials including super steels, titanium and carbon fiber. They are also offering better warranties, free sharpening services and more. This means your knife will perform better, stay sharp, and always be covered. Basically they added a little insurance/shipping cost to every knife they sell. Most major companies now atleast have one or all of the above.
4. Patents/trademarks/knockoffs. All these major makers now have to get patents for new ideas, trademark names, trademark design features and constantly have a team of lawyers on hand ready to go after the next company ready to knock off their design. I know of at least 3 times in the past 2 years where major designs were ripped off and being made in foreign countries before the manufacture in the USA had even started making the prototype. These lawyer fees and chasing after these knock off companies is not cheap but necessary to keep some money in the pockets of those that actually come up with the original idea.
That is all I can think of for now but I am sure there are many more reasons that have not even crossed my mind.
Whitty
1. Material cost have gone up. This in part is do to gas prices over the years going through the roof. That adds a price to everything including steels and plastics. Plus delivery charges have gotten higher because of gas.
2. Map pricing is certainly to blame. While people might hate map it was becoming very necessary. One of the biggest complaints I hear on the internet is the lack of decent brick and mortar knife shops. While people might be upset with Benchmade, Benchmade was trying to save the industry as a whole. Anyone with a computer and knowledge to build a site was opening an on line knife shop. They would also sell on ebay. When sales were tight they would just dump their inventory on ebay to help recoup the mad cost they had in to the knives. This started making it damn near impossible for the bigger knife companies and brick and mortar stores to compete. Why did prices go up with Map? The knife companies now have to pay someone extra to research and find those who break the policy and they made a little more room (not much) for knife stores to actually make some money.
3. Improved materials and customer service. Major knife companies are now offering higher end materials including super steels, titanium and carbon fiber. They are also offering better warranties, free sharpening services and more. This means your knife will perform better, stay sharp, and always be covered. Basically they added a little insurance/shipping cost to every knife they sell. Most major companies now atleast have one or all of the above.
4. Patents/trademarks/knockoffs. All these major makers now have to get patents for new ideas, trademark names, trademark design features and constantly have a team of lawyers on hand ready to go after the next company ready to knock off their design. I know of at least 3 times in the past 2 years where major designs were ripped off and being made in foreign countries before the manufacture in the USA had even started making the prototype. These lawyer fees and chasing after these knock off companies is not cheap but necessary to keep some money in the pockets of those that actually come up with the original idea.
That is all I can think of for now but I am sure there are many more reasons that have not even crossed my mind.
Whitty
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I agree to an extent. The one up with CRKT is that they never went with a MAP, but I have personally always used the delica to compare prices between dealers over the years. If you really want to screw this up look at hinderer pricing on the secondary market over the same span.
Edit: Just read Whitty's post, it hit all the nail heads. I'd add that not letting the average free market prices set the MAP was a mistake in my opinion, BM particularly blew it.
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