bellyfulls
BANNED
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2008
- Messages
- 966
Empty Boat
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Is suspect the significant difference would have been the switch to junk steel. I would like to know what steel Mr. Wallace had originally proposed for the knife."Significant differences?" More like "tweaks."
If it was significantly different, no one would need to explain it.
All opinions are valid, but I respectfully disagree. I think there's a lot of value in this sort of thread. IMHO, its shown another typical aspect of "business as usual" in corporate America. We've all seen changes in Cold Steel since GSM acquired it, many of them predicted well in advance because we've seen this movie before, and this debacle is yet another.This whole beef would have been better served if it was kept in-house.
Airing grievances like this to the public is not helping either party.
My opinion only of course.
There is no way GSM is going to attach the name of a former in house designer to a significantly modified prototype knife that they are angling to be a promoted product for their bladesport sponsored celebrity contestant, especially when said in house designer is now designing four other places. This is just business.Since then my opportunities have greatly increased and I’m currently working with four other manufacturers in design, prototyping, and production.
Just to reiterate, Wallace never wanted his name attached to anything, nor did he want credit. He just called BS on GSM saying Jimislash designed it. He did nothing more than call out deception with some pretty solid documentation. Shining a light on darkness is something we need much more of, not less.There is no way GSM is going to attach the name of a former in house designer to a significantly modified prototype knife that they are angling to be a promoted product for their bladesport sponsored celebrity contestant, especially when said in house designer is now designing four other places. This is just business.
There is no way GSM is going to attach the name of a former in house designer to a significantly modified prototype knife that they are angling to be a promoted product for their bladesport sponsored celebrity contestant, especially when said in house designer is now designing four other places. This is just business.
There is no way GSM is going to attach the name of a former in house designer to a significantly modified prototype knife that they are angling to be a promoted product for their bladesport sponsored celebrity contestant, especially when said in house designer is now designing four other places. This is just business.
That’s sums it up perfectly.Just to reiterate, Wallace never wanted his name attached to anything, nor did he want credit. He just called BS on GSM saying Jimislash designed it. He did nothing more than call out deception with some pretty solid documentation. Shining a light on darkness is something we need much more of, not less.
Okay, but there is no way getting around saying "that guy didn't design that knife" without attaching another name to it.Just to reiterate, Wallace never wanted his name attached to anything, nor did he want credit. He just called BS on GSM saying Jimislash designed it. He did nothing more than call out deception with some pretty solid documentation. Shining a light on darkness is something we need much more of, not less.
The problem is the inconsistencies:Very corporate. This sort of thing is going to be something cold steel fans need to accept as their new reality
This is either one or the other. Both are mutually exclusive.It is and always has been our goal to continue the Cold Steel legacy that Lynn created.
We may not approve of GSM’s business model for Cold Steel, but Mr. Wallace, IMO, has no reason for his demands.
I work for a very large company and do many things for them including R&D. When we come out with a new product, my name does not go on it as the designer because I am on the company’s payroll. The company owns all the IP. I’m fine with this. As an employee, I cannot patent, trademark or lay claim to any of my ideas while employed by my company.
Would it be nice to have recognition? Sure, but really, who cares. I try to not have a “big head” or a sense of entitlement.
This whole thing is blown out of proportion, IMO, and isn’t winning either side any of my business.
In my opinion, there is enough difference between the two knives, but it really doesn’t matter.
BF sure loves drama.
Happy Thanksgiving All!
What demands am I making?
I apologize if I am incorrect. I was under the understanding that you are asking for recognition of this particular chopper design?
I’m not demanding recognition. I’m just stating that someone else is getting credit for work I did. It may be legally acceptable to do this but most find it distasteful. I worked for Cold Steel when Lynn was the owner, I was a paid designer, not doing contract work. Lynn gave me credit for every design I did while employed. For a company that claims to want to continue Lynn’s legacy I would assume GSM would do the same. I guess I know what happens when you assume.
Oh and no apologies necessary. You are invited to comment and question.
Let me preface this post by saying that I believe everyone who has participated in this thread has a reasonable perspective on the matter. No one is suggesting that Cold Steel or Jimislash has committed any crimes against humanity, or taken food out of the mouths of Mr. Wallace's children, lest anyone suggest that we have blown this matter out of proportion.
This post is on a somewhat different, but directly related topic.
Perhaps something good will come out of all this. At the very least this thread has succeeded in convincing someone from Cold Steel to visit this forum, someone who appears to be in a position to actually answer questions. And although we may not like the answers, it's more than we had before. So congrats on that, we'll see how long it lasts, and if it proves to be of any real value.
My hope is that from reading the posts in this thread, and others in this sub-forum, that our visitor from Cold Steel, and perhaps the company, will gain some insight into the mentality of at least a segment of the Cold Steel buying public. And although we who frequent this sub-forum may be a minority, we buy Cold Steel products, and many have purchased several (I have purchased fifteen CS knives, 14 over the past 8 years, and never returned a single one).
For the most part, the members of this forum are serious knife enthusiasts. Not overly serious, by "serious" what I mean is we don't buy knives just because they look cool, or because some internet celebrity endorses them.
The members of this forum are mostly mature adults, many in their 50's, 60's and even 70's. But members of all ages here place a high value on things like quality and customer service. And although old-world values have been abandoned by many in this world, they are alive and well here at Bladeforums. The members here still care about things like loyalty, treating the customer right, and company integrity.
When we buy a knife, we put a lot of thought, time, and research into our purchase, and we want to know that the company that sold it will stand behind their product. We want to know that when we contact them with a problem with their product that they will make it right, and not just give us the brush-off, or some carefully crafted corporate excuse.
Because when we feel that a company is only interested in taking our money, with no real concern for our satisfaction, and an empty void where customer service should be, many will spend their money elsewhere.
As longtime fans and buyers of Cold Steel products, ones who have frequently promoted Cold Steel and convinced countless others to buy their knives, we aren't looking for any special treatment, or discounts, or anything unreasonable, what we want is a company that values us as loyal customers, and brand ambassadors, as much as we value the Cold Steel products we buy.
Like I said, maybe something good will come out of all this. One can hope.
New Designed Cold Steel Axis machete… oddly “similar but totally different” compared to the Gerber Gator Machete Jr, but the grip is different and many other changes were made so it’s ok. More of the same BS blister pack garbage.Okay, but there is no way getting around saying "that guy didn't design that knife" without attaching another name to it.
Also, I'm still in the boat that there are significant differences between the designs. We have an expert here saying there is. There were other in house designers involved with and wthout wallace. Sounds to me like gsm came up with a template, asked slashi to make it his own, and moved forward with a multi pronged marketing campaign. Very corporate. This sort of thing is going to be something cold steel fans need to accept as their new reality, unfortunately.
Thankfully that one I had no part of. Could be the work of the elusive “Three Man Design Team”New Designed Cold Steel Axis machete… oddly “similar but totally different” compared to the Gerber Gator Machete Jr, but the grip is different and many other changes were made so it’s ok. More of the same BS blister pack garbage.
I think your assessment is on point. The original sin is the assertion that Jimislash is the designer of this knife, when clearly, he is not. I think Wallace was able to make this point.Random thoughts from some guy on the internet who has read most of the last 13 pages..
Mike Wallace acknowledges that he was employed by GSM and his designs while employed by GSM are the intellectual property of GSM (this is really the be-all-end-all here.. right or wrong, by signing an employment agreement with GSM, Wallace has given up any personal stake in this design, or any other of "his" designs while employed by GSM). Mike Wallace acknowledges that Jimislash reached out to him, interested in the design, offering to buy it. Wallace acknowledges that he informed Jimislash that the knife design was GSM IP and advised him that any deal must go through GSM. Jimislash and GSM arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement which gives agency over the design to Jimislash. Design tweaks are made with input from Jimislash.
Regardless of Wallace’s sour grapes and the personal opinions of random folks on this forum.. right, wrong, or indifferent.. the sequence of events listed above, which appear to be generally agreed upon by Wallace and GSM, all seem above-board to me. Sometimes that’s just how business works. When you’re employed by a company like GSM you give up any agency over your designs. My advice to Wallace (not that I expect he'll take it) would be to move on.. for sure, to stop talking about this nonsense on the internet.. and maybe re-read any employment agreement that was signed while employed by GSM. At a certain point, sharing so much propriety information about the company may be flirting with legal action..
It's nice to see a GSM rep participating in the fray, I understand it’s not something that has been consistent around here.. I imagine the warm response he has received here will endear him to stick around..![]()