Knife industry big 3

MikeC

MikeC

Joined
Sep 16, 2005
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Like the auto makers, we have Ford, GM and Chrsyler

In the production knife world, who would they be.

My guess is and not in any particular order but

Benchmade

Spyderco

Buck or Kershaw not sure which one

What do ya'll think whos our big three?
 
I would say no Spyderco and no Benchmade- these are not like Ford, GM, etc. They are more like BMW or Audi. They aren't cheap
I would say:
Buck
Gerber
SAK (Vic and Wenger)
This is for the population as a whole.
 
jim preston said:
I would say no Spyderco and no Benchmade- these are not like Ford, GM, etc. They are more like BMW or Audi. They aren't cheap
I would say:
Buck
Gerber
SAK (Vic and Wenger)
This is for the population as a whole.
Click to expand...

I agree. Walk into a most retail stores and you'll see Gerber, Buck, and Vic/Wenger.
 
Agreed with Buck, Gerber and SAK (including Leatherman + made in China knock-offs in the SAK category)
 
comparing to Ford , Chevy and Chrysler.... I would say that
Kershaw ,Benchmade and Spyderco. Reason being those all offer both low end , mid and high end models. Audi or BMW would be like Chris Reeve or Strider.

Buck , Gerber and SAK would be like the older Hyundai.
 
I would agree with Gerber, Buck, and SAK/Leatherman being the big 3 or 4 of the knife world. Gerber is probably the biggest of them all.

I see Spyderco, Benchmade, and Kershaw to be the BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus of the knife world, as someone stated before.

The clones and the likes of Winchester (walmart) make up the Kia range of knives.

Chris Reeve and Striders are the exotics, like Lambos and Ferraris.
 
What are the criteria for rating these companies? Price of their product, total volume of sales, gross income of company or what?

As I recall, Kershaw is owned by Kai of Japan, and the last I heard, Gerber was owned by Fiskers, both of which dwarf Benchmade and Spyderco combined. Wenger and Victorinox are quite probably larger companies than either Benchmade or Spyderco.
 
I'm thinking three American based Companies that are the big kids on the block, new models, models offered, price range of models offered, technological inovation, etc. Benchmade, buck, kersahaw and spyderco are all amercian based and I think three of the four are american owned. I'm not talking about the three most popular are largest volume dealer, hell toyota sells more cars in us than does any of the big three.

so theres the criteria, maybe we should start over.
 
John T Wylie Jr said:
comparing to Ford , Chevy and Chrysler.... I would say that
Kershaw ,Benchmade and Spyderco. Reason being those all offer both low end , mid and high end models. Audi or BMW would be like Chris Reeve or Strider.

Buck , Gerber and SAK would be like the older Hyundai.
Click to expand...
Buck would be like the older Hyundai???

I think that you're seriously mistaken.
Buck offers knives that are just as nice as as knives offered by Benchmade, Kershaw, or Spyderco.
 
This is a tough question to answer, as most of the American knife makers just aren't that big anymore. Buck, Ontario, and Case. Benchmade and Spyderco make excellent products, but are too small in comparison. You can walk into some grocery stores and find Buck and Case knives.
 
A generation ago, the big 3 american auto makers dominated the world auto market. Today they are struggling to stay out of bankruptcy and losing market share by the day. Some similar things have happened in the knife industry. I'd say that Camillus, Schrade and Case are the equivalent of the big three domestic auto makers.
 
I would have to say that Victorinox and Wenger are the Honda and Toyota of the knife world. It's all most people really need, and they have a wide range of models.
 
allenC said:
Buck would be like the older Hyundai???

I think that you're seriously mistaken.
Buck offers knives that are just as nice as as knives offered by Benchmade, Kershaw, or Spyderco.
Click to expand...

i whole heartedly agree!
my buck alpha dorado "rosie" is way nicer than any hyundai:D
did they ever paul bos heat treat a hyundai? yeah didnt think so:D
ivan
 
Yes buck would be like the older Hyundai ( just my opionion ) and here is why I think that way , their older stuff was no frills workhorses , yet both have evolved into both a solid workhorse as well as having a modern-ness to them.

Wasn't a slam against them at all. And certainly NOTHING against the best Heat Treater in the biz , Paul Bos ( who I send all my blades to for HT ).

Rather than comparing knife companies to automobile manufactures , we could compare them to beer. Taste great ? Less Filling ! ;)
 
i like that much better:D
the car thing can get touchy with me, my dad was an autoworker, didnt work out so well for him:grumpy:
Hey i wasnt really offended, still dont like hyundai's though
still love my dorado:D
cheers
ivan
 
Kershaw, BM, Spyderco. Just for the fact that for anyone who understands knives, they most likely have a knife from one of these 3 companies. They provide the best in warranty, quality, and choice out of any other companies.
 
Big three population wise Gerber, Buck, and Vic/wegner, leatherman is closing the gap too i see more and more with every new generation of Totin Chips

Big three for enthusiasts: Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw

Big three Luxury(Note i have none of these so i'm just venturing a guess based on recomendations) Busse, Chris Reeves and Bark River, or possibly Strider
 
Like others, I would say Gerber, Buck, and SAK. I don't know anybody that doesn't have at least one or two of those.
 
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