Interchangeable Groove

Sookie said:
I can't see it making Kershaw more money.
But ya never know, Barbie and her innumerable ensembles sure have sold well over the years.
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actually it could. if they price it right, and sell it right, people will look at all the available "sets" of blades, think to themselves, "gee i would love that style of blade or style of grooves", and will buy it. if its priced right, they may think, "hey, why not get the other versions too? i may want to use them for some reason." or "gee this pack has the style of blade i like, but this other one has the grooves i like. ahh what the heck? i'll just get both."

maybe not package it as one huge set, but maybe as a 2 blade/2 handle set with matching hardware?
 
Good idea. Make the blades available one by one at one price, but at a discount if you buy a set. Maybe a hunter's set of drop, gut hook, saw. A kitchen set of spearpoint, short paring blade, thin filet blade.

Sets could come in a three slot sheath.

It's not all about massive profit if the idea is popular enough to serve as advertisement for Kershaw creativity (as if THAT'S in doubt :D )
 
How about you offer one of the interchangable blades with an edge angle half of what you guys normally do? :D

I think it's a pretty nifty idea. Sort of like what BM did with the Rukus handle scales, except I like the idea of doing it with blades better. Gives you more options.
 
There's a thought to make the darksiders happy.
In addition to the various blade shapes you could offer some other grinds (particularly in the super steels).
Really thin grinds with an appropriate disclaimer.
Or (since setting up to do a thin grind for such a limited run is such a PITA) maybe see if you could contract out a run to Krein? (Priced appropriately of course.)
 
Thomas W said:
The concept would be that there would be a universal handle, and the user would have the option of buying multiple blades[...]
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Hi; first post... :)

I've been struggling with a sort of "which Kershaw knife to buy as an EDC-folder"-text for about a week now (trying to not make it sound too much like a ZDP/Ti-Leek-weaknesses-related tantrum ;) ); and when I read this post of yours I didn't so much think about the way I want to be able to buy a knife "in parts", as the way I want to be able to chose among/buy a single knife.

Instead of scrolling through several pages of knives (or searching, or picking a feature and then scroll etc), like I've done these past 1-2 weeks, I want a more web2.0-type of page; one that allows me to have columns/lists where I in its most basic form would first chose product name, then I at the next column/list get available options of handles and then a list of type of blades.
(In practice there'd of course be more options, like picking material of handle and then color, or the steel of the blade and then coating and then shape etc.)

This way it'd be easier for me, the potential buyer, to quickly find out what is available; but it'd also allow for a custom build-option, where you as a buyer could get more options and then pay extra for a combination currently not available as a standard model.

Yeah, I know, initially the custom build-option sounds like a nightmare as more and more people want something unique, meaning that it'd take forever to put all these knives together; but you balance the workload by adjusting prices and the extra time the customer would have to wait before he'll get his unique knife.

For the experienced user it might be, at least initially, both cheaper and quicker to buy two knives and exchange parts, but having these extra options you'd get feedback allowing you to change your line-up based on what people actually buy.
Not to mention that something like a limited edition-knife wouldn't have to result in, or be preceded by, as many post like "I wish it'd been with a..." - as you could release a new blade or handle and let the customer pick what to combine it with.
You could of course also hand out codes to the most loyal buyers/forumusers allowing them to get even more options, like only 10 people being able to buy one knife each with a brand new blade, as a field-test a month before you get a full batch of them; or a commemorative-knife/handle without the headache of what blade to use etc.

Just a few ideas (there's of course stuff missing, like how you standardize the way pictures are taken of your products, to allow this webpage/orderform to show pictures of any combinations, no matter if you've actually put one together yet or not etc).


Now I'll go back to being quiet again, sitting here all alone complaining about why I can't get something like... oh, I dunno... a plain edge-tanto-13C26/ZDP-189-Leek with Ti-handle and my name engraved in gold... :D
 
Sounds like an interesting concept !

Everyone likes to fiddle and customize things to thier on tastes!

Just might work, I like the groove paterns your coming up with .
 
Hey Thomas,

Didn't I ask you about this for the Leek about a year ago:D .

Great idea, go for it. Your fixed blade interchangeable knives have always worked very well, time to try it with a folder.
 
I really like this idea and would def buy one and multiple blades, there are some really good points in this thread. But personalization is what appeals to me the most, having something that can become MORE unique, even though its a production knife.
 
pink blades for the girls, blue for the boyz:)
 
Not blades -- G-10 inserts!

For the girls, a blade with a nail file on one side
and a mirror polish on the other. :D
 
I like the idea a whole lot Thomas.

Since you want some feedback here is mine.

Would love to see some various blade shapes. Clip point, drop point, Wharncliff, sheepsfoot, gut hook option maybe, and perhaps a spear point as well.

Also, various blade grinds available in the shape and blade steel the buyer prefers ie: Flat grind, hollow grind, saber grind, and perhaps some various thicknesses of the primary grind as well. ie,: Options for thinner grind ZDP189, or SG2 as well as the standard blade grind. The reason I bring that up is because it would be difficult for the end line user to reprofile a Groove blade to a thinner primary profile without messing with the look of the grooves in the blade terribly.

Just a thought but I'd suggest you could start out that way, see what sells the best or the most and pull what doesn't at a later time due to lack of sales.

Some handle scale options have been mentioned. I like that idea also as well as some options for colors like hunter orange, olive green, camo patterns, multi colored G10 and stuff like that. Maybe even a G11 option too since that is a neat strong material as well.

Perhaps a bit much to ask but worth a try. :D


STR
 
I like this idea, my thoughts and wants

-different blade shapes
-especially a wharncliffe

- a full on serrated stock shape, the serrations could even be
incorporated into the grooves

-thumb disk option

-thumb stud option

-wave aka "the bottle opener" option

-plus 2 on STRs colored scales esp the hunters/safety orange

- a thicker blade with spacer option(not sure if it would work with the
liner locks lock up tho)

Why not carry this concept over to the JYD 2 which I prefer by a smallish margin over my groove.

Thanks

A
 
I think that having providing a kit with different shapes of blade may compromise the clean design of a fairly dialed and sweet looking knife. After all, a knife like most things is a sum of it parts and changing one part will affect the whole.

I personally don't think it's a great idea, simply because utility is not the directive, it seems more like a fashion oriented thing. I know a lot of guys are slaves to fashion, and may like the interchangeability feature because the knife can look different when they change the blade out, but many of us buy a knife because of how it speaks to us, and adding different 'languages' to it in order to reach a broader market I think diffuses the purity of the initial design.

I think it's much more important to have the option of a coated blade or serrations, like most manufacturers offer, and it would be cool if Kershaw could offer aftermarket blades in this variety to those who choose to swap their blades around. Providing it as a kit will add a lot of expense, and the vast majority who don't even sharpen or clean their knife, are unlikely to swap out blades simply because of the way they look.

I think encouraging people to take apart their knife is a mistake in general, for reasons already noted.
 
Has there been any more development of this idea? I still think it would be awesome to have some kind of modular parts-swapping capability.
 
I'd be down... assuming you could pick the knife parts seperate. I'd hate to have to buy a complete knife only to have to buy a new blade and new inserts to make it the knife I want.

I don't really like the current groove pattern that much but some of the options pictured above, particularly the ones with a feather like pattern I really dig.
 
dedguy said:
I'd be down... assuming you could pick the knife parts seperate. I'd hate to have to buy a complete knife only to have to buy a new blade and new inserts to make it the knife I want.
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I 2nd that idea. It would be nice if you could pick the initial knife options 1st then pick from add-ons. That being said, I'd still be in as is. :thumbup:
 
Kershaw could always do a build to order website, it might be the most practical option.
I know that most retailers hate having extra SKU's. And then you'd have dealers that would only want to stock the most popular parts.

Configure a complete knife the way you want it initially, with the option to purchase any additional parts as they become available.
 
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