Least Innovative American Knife Manufacturer?

Professor, That would be more an improvement than an innovation, and maybe something that CRK should look at. I am all for making a great knife better. Have you brought this up with Chris, and if so what did he have to say?

Keith.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by lifter4Him@aol.com:
Brian Turner,
Does this mean that S and W has sent Darrell Ralph an apology and the royalties for the hundreds or thousands of knives they sold of his ripped off design?
Didn't think so.</font>
Click to expand...

They'll do that right after every liner lock maker sends a check to Michael Walker. In the meantime, I think that if you were to ask Darrel, he'd tell you that he's not particularly out of joint over it.

Look. I'm only talking because the knife has appeared in public at the SHOT show - I was sworn to secrecy until then. But I'm going to be discrete, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone (although all of the pieces are on BFC...). But it will become quite obvious that Darrel and S&W have no problem with each other at this point.
 
It seems a little weird to look for "least innovative" maker. Was the thread started in hopes the responses would slam your least favorite company?

I think the real test is whether it both sells, and WORKS. The world's greatest fighting pistol was made in 1911. Many fiddle with it, and I like my alloy framed Kimber with Ashley Express sights, but the basic design is about as "non-innovative" as you can get in 2001.

It would be interesting to look at sales figures of companies that make both "same old thing" and "new & innovative." Buck makes some of the same knives they sold 30+ years ago. How do their sales compare with their newer designs?

Hey, how about Cutco? Their line of kitchen knives hasn't changed much.

Lane
 
Colonial Knife Co. from Rhode Island.
For the price of a basic SAK you get crap. I am talking about the incredibly poor fit of their knives (even the Made in China chease soft SAK knock-offs have better fit and finish).
Case is a close second. The fit and finish is better than on the Colonial products but you would expect much more for the price you pay. Blade to handle angles on the completely open knives are frequently odd and vary from piece to piece in the same pattern.
However I disagree that Case was not innovative enough. They were, but this effort was put in the HANDLE materials (mainly bone). Ask any material scientist, it is NOT THAT easy to produce stable colored bone which will last. There is definitely a demand for this, and most knife buyers are not knife nuts.
My first American knives were Case folders and sure I was disappointed, especially because of the price I have paid for them. For the same price you can get better quality European customs.
IMHO innovativity means not only easily visible designe change but increasing quality too. These two companies are quite a long time in business, so there is no real excuse for the poor quality.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Keith Montgomery:
Another American manufacturer that has not been very innovative is CRK. He has stuck with excellent, well made, tried and true designs, and that is just fine by me.
I have nothing against innovation. Trying to make something better is a worthwhile endeavor, but sometimes the status quo is the way to go.
Keith.</font>
Click to expand...

I'm not taking Keith to task here. But I would like to point out that, in addition to the other responses on the Sebenza (integral lock, out of a body half! Innovation!), Chris took the concept of a hollow handled "survival knife" and made it respectable. Most of the survival knives are much less (some insanely so) durable than Chris' "Machined/milled out of one block of A2" design. Chris took a great idea and has slowly improved a couple things about the design over the years.

I'd like to see, our course, a similar knife out of something tough and stainless or nearly so, but I'm not sure I would want to afford it either. I understand his design goal... tough, easy to sharpen A2 at Rc56 or whatever (this is a little low on hardness scale for my tastes).

Anyway, in his own very CNC-driven way, Reeve has offered one significant innovation (integral lock) and one substantial improvement (one piece hollow handle). That's not bad for a guy who's still in business.
 
OK,OK, I surrender. Never did I mean to infer that CRK did not do some very innovative things. What I was trying to say was that those ideas came back in the beginning of his company and since then he has stuck with the tried and true. I would sat that it has been awhile since chris has a new innovation.
Please forgive me if I have ruffled a few feathers here. I never once intended to say anything bad about Chris's knives. They are great, and when I get my wood inlay Sebenza I am sure that I will love it.

Keith.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top