Jack Wolf Knives - Back on Track

brownshoe said:
Another theory is the manufacturer has high to low grades in their production capability and doesn't want their name associated with their lower grade product.
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That makes a lot of sense. There are a lot of gas station knives out there and we all know where those are made.
 
Jack Wolf Knives said:
hi AntDog, I talked to several manufacturers and there are others who would have required confidentiality as well. I think it is a relatively common practice in the OEM world. What I have I learned is that most of these knife makers are from the same town, draw from the same labor pool, and use a lot of the same suppliers. So I don't think things are as clearly delineated by manufacturer as is apparent to us overseas. I would not be surprised if a lot of work was done by subcontractors for various brands. Ultimately that is their trade secrets and I respect their desire for confidentially. My ability not to disclose is honestly a double edged sword. Sure, you could make the case that it benefits me. But people often buy for the factory, so by not being able to disclose, it casts doubt on my products. I appreciate the feedback on the Vampire! And by the way my favorite Jason movie is Jason Lives!
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Privacy of the manufacturer is very, very common in the contract manufacturer (co-man) space. It's broadly and liberally applied in all industries. A big reason is so the manufacturer can make products for companies who are competitors. In the food industry, it is really common for a co-man to make products for many companies, like Walmart, Costco, Kellogg, etc. Within the same facility. Pretty much any product that has "distributed by" as the owner of the product didn't make that product.

Co-man and co-packing, the latter just being repacking or relabeling a product, is likely more common than a brand making all of their own products to begin with.

More often, the brands don't want the manufacturer saying anything about who's products they make.
 
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bikerector said:
Privacy of the manufacturer is very, very common in the contract manufacturer (co-man) space. It's broadly and liberally applied in all industries. A big reason is so the manufacturer can make products for companies who are competitors. In the fof industry, it is really common for a co-man to make products for many companies, like Walmart, Costco, Kellogg, etc. Within the same facility. Pretty much any product that has "distributed by" as the owner of the product didn't make that product.

Co-man and co-packing, the latter just being repacking or relabeling a product, is likely more common than a brand making all of their own products to begin with.

More often, the brands don't want the manufacturer saying anything about who's products they make.
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That’s very interesting and makes things a lot more clear, thank you for sharing!
 
Here is the revised prototype for the Sharpshooter Jack in Natural Micarta. This has a closed length of 3.74” (95 mm), and a blade that is 2.93” (75 mm).
🐺
Video at the bottom.










 
Jack Wolf Knives said:
Here is the revised prototype for the Sharpshooter Jack in Natural Micarta. This has a closed length of 3.74” (95 mm), and a blade that is 2.93” (75 mm).
🐺
Video at the bottom.










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I vaguely remember the original thread, but I figured it would take a while to get it all worked out when I originally saw your ideas. I love these, the Blade/handle ratios, overall designs, and finishes look great! Most important in my mind is that they are different than anything else. They don’t necessarily share that “handmade” look that GEC produces, they are much more subdued than most of Case’ new offerings, and I love the “darker color scheme” that is different than modern slipjoints I’ve seen from Italy.


I think there is a demand for modern slipjoints, however I also think in the future you may find it beneficial to look into offering a more traditional Carbon steel. Simply because of the rationale that it seems like most “traditional knife guys” like a traditional steel as well. Just think of how nice that gunstock would look with weathered bolsters, worn down micarta AND patina!!

As far as the maker, I think it’s easy to get hung up nowadays because we have the internet, and can research every decision a manufacturer has ever made much easier than in the past. I’m always surprised when I find an older product without any sort of manufacturer label, just the branding. I also think that a certain point, the product has to stand on its own, regardless of country of manufacture or which company built it. If the fit and finish of the actual product is close to those of the prototypes- I’d be thrilled. Well built traditionals are getting harder to find, thus I would not put so much stake into where it was made as I would if there were a flurry of options.

As far as the actual Knives are concerned, I would offer this advice- with the caveat that I don’t have a knife business and this observation is completely anecdotal- it seems like lately small knife producers are swamped with demand as soon as they are “discovered”. Especially if they have a strong social media influence (photogenic, hard to get, etc.). As soon as the next big thing comes out they are kind of pushed to the side. So In short, understanding the difficulties with working with a manufacturer and the limits that may place, I’d recommend that you keep looking ahead and trying to innovate as you go. Think of GEC- it seems to me that they are pushing the envelope more and more on what they will produce. These knives look great, and I’d hate to see them take off only to fall by the wayside once everybody’s gotten one!
 
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This image really caught my attention. The way the grind seems to thin out in the swedge area then a little bit more meat at the point. Very cool.
Also I note how slim the covers appear to be, any thoughts on doing some with just the titanium and maybe adding a little texture for grip?
 
AdamFuzzyballs said:
I vaguely remember the original thread, but I figured it would take a while to get it all worked out when I originally saw your ideas. I love these, the Blade/handle ratios, overall designs, and finishes look great! Most important in my mind is that they are different than anything else. They don’t necessarily share that “handmade” look that GEC produces, they are much more subdued than most of Case’ new offerings, and I love the “darker color scheme” that is different than modern slipjoints I’ve seen from Italy.


I think there is a demand for modern slipjoints, however I also think in the future you may find it beneficial to look into offering a more traditional Carbon steel. Simply because of the rationale that it seems like most “traditional knife guys” like a traditional steel as well. Just think of how nice that gunstock would look with weathered bolsters, worn down micarta AND patina!!

As far as the maker, I think it’s easy to get hung up nowadays because we have the internet, and can research every decision a manufacturer has ever made much easier than in the past. I’m always surprised when I find an older product without any sort of manufacturer label, just the branding. I also think that a certain point, the product has to stand on its own, regardless of country of manufacture or which company built it. If the fit and finish of the actual product is close to those of the prototypes- I’d be thrilled. Well built traditionals are getting harder to find, thus I would not put so much stake into where it was made as I would if there were a flurry of options.

As far as the actual Knives are concerned, I would offer this advice- with the caveat that I don’t have a knife business and this observation is completely anecdotal- it seems like lately small knife producers are swamped with demand as soon as they are “discovered”. Especially if they have a strong social media influence (photogenic, hard to get, etc.). As soon as the next big thing comes out they are kind of pushed to the side. So In short, understanding the difficulties with working with a manufacturer and the limits that may place, I’d recommend that you keep looking ahead and trying to innovate as you go. Think of GEC- it seems to me that they are pushing the envelope more and more on what they will produce. These knives look great, and I’d hate to see them take off only to fall by the wayside once everybody’s gotten one!
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Mr. Fuzzyballs (lol),

I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts! And I appreciate the compliments. You have picked up on some things that I've focused on: Blade to handle ratio, quality finishes, and producing something that really isn't being offered on a production scale. Not only from the standpoint of the products being different from GEC and Italian offerings in materials and execution, but also in the product packaging concept which I will show in more detail here soon. I've really put a lot of thought and effort into that and I hope you guys like it.

Regarding a steel that patinas, yes I agree with your sentiment that it would be a very nice touch. I felt, from a risk standpoint, that it was safer out of the gate to go with a high performance stainless, since I am not only trying to appeal to the slipjoint regulars, but also the modern knife guys who I want to bring into the slipjoint fold. But if I can get this thing up and running, I think bringing in some K390, for example, would be well received.

Regarding the quality of the production models versus the prototypes: Expect the same. These prototypes are made on production CNC tooling so what you see is what you are going to get. This is different from production knives that use dies and stamping, where prototypes for those are typically one-offs made on CNC and may not exactly match the finished product once dies are made and stamping commences. And I agree, I want the quality to speak for itself regardless of who or where it was made.

Regarding your advice, I am considering that very carefully. I am taking the approach that I want this to be a long haul project. So when I courted the new manufacturer, it was important that they were on board with my long term vision, which includes evolutions over time of the product line. I have already committed financially to 6 model runs, so this way I can build momentum and keep the thing rolling so long as I have enough initial success to do so. In addition, I will be designing more models to go along with the 11 that are already developed or near completion of development. Lastly, I am working hard on establishing a made in the USA product line with different styling and aesthetic. But this has been quite difficult so far as OEM services basically don't exist for what I want to do. Either way, that is what I spend a lot of time thinking about, how I can keep this fresh, interesting and ultimately fun for my customers. You will also find me at 4-6 shows a year so that I can keep my finger on the pulse of the knife market and gather the invaluable feedback from folks like you all.

Thanks again for writing, I really appreciate it! -Ben
 
sitflyer said:
View attachment 1742856

This image really caught my attention. The way the grind seems to thin out in the swedge area then a little bit more meat at the point. Very cool.
Also I note how slim the covers appear to be, any thoughts on doing some with just the titanium and maybe adding a little texture for grip?
Click to expand...

You are correct about the covers being thin. This allowed for a more sturdy knife and also gave more room for thread engagement for the screws underneath the Micarta. in regards to full Ti, I am getting a lot of requests for it so it is definitely on my mind. One thing I want to do for sure are variations over time, so this is a logical one indeed.
 
JohnDF said:
The dark Titanium is not my favorite, especially with the light green Micarta.
But they look well made, so I wish you luck with your business.
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Thank you for the feedback and the kind words! I have thought about doing polished bolsters in the future as a variant.
 
unwisefool said:
I'd dig a long pull lockback with a 3.3" blade. Probably never happen, but I can wish.
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3.3" blade is about a 4.5" which would certainly be on the large side of things. But if I am successful, nothing is off the table! As far as a lock back, I would love to design one, but first I have to learn how!
 
Jack Wolf Knives said:
3.3" blade is about a 4.5" which would certainly be on the large side of things. But if I am successful, nothing is off the table! As far as a lock back, I would love to design one, but first I have to learn how!
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Can't be that hard. Take knife, glue lock on, bam! millionaire!

I know that's on the bigger side, but that's definitely a more useful size for me. I have my great uncle's old knife and that thing is huge, so I know they made them that large before.
 
unwisefool said:
Can't be that hard. Take knife, glue lock on, bam! millionaire!

I know that's on the bigger side, but that's definitely a more useful size for me. I have my great uncle's old knife and that thing is huge, so I know they made them that large before.
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Why didn’t I think of that?!?

I appreciate the suggestion about the biggun and will keep it in mind!
 
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