"Mr. Sandman, bring me a 2024 Forum Knife!"

eisman said:
So I'm going to come back to the issue I find worst about this whole process; 75% of those who sign in to buy a forum knife never do a dang thing else in the forum. I feel that the fact that Spark has been trying to sell an added 14 knives for 6 weeks now emphasizes this. The fat majority of the forum knives no longer go to forum participants.

I have no idea on how to fix this. But the way I see it there's maybe 200 people who participate on a regular basis with this forum, not 500+, and that's who we should be aiming the annual knife at.
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Meh, as long as all the regular contributors get a crack at one I don't mind how many are made. I think the extra left over are more due to the retail price being more than what could be fetched on the secondary, that and the pattern doesn't seem to be super popular, not yet at least.
 
bbfish said:
...that and the pattern doesn't seem to be super popular, not yet at least.
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The humpback is what kept me from buying one. I've never had a chance to hold one, and it just doesn't look like it would be comfortable to hold and use. Maybe it would - maybe I would love it. That's the downside of today's market place. I miss the days of going down to the local I. Goldberg Army Navy store and chatting with the guy at the counter while he kept passing me knives over the glass on the rubber mat to handle and see what clicked with me. That also allowed you to feel the walk and talk, see the grind, and pass on something that just didn't feel right to you.
 
Culprit99 said:
The humpback is what kept me from buying one. I've never had a chance to hold one, and it just doesn't look like it would be comfortable to hold and use. Maybe it would - maybe I would love it. That's the downside of today's market place. I miss the days of going down to the local I. Goldberg Army Navy store and chatting with the guy at the counter while he kept passing me knives over the glass on the rubber mat to handle and see what clicked with me. That also allowed you to feel the walk and talk, see the grind, and pass on something that just didn't feel right to you.
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Man wouldn't it be something if you could still do that with GECs? I bought one, just because I've bought one the previous 4 or 5 years and I like this place and wanted to keep the streak goin I'm a single blade guy myself and it just doesnt feel too comfortable in hand. No worries, I'm thankful for the chance at a forum knife, and as the saying goes, theres always next year.
 
bbfish said:
I think the extra left over are more due to the retail price being more than what could be fetched on the secondary
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Right. So the limited edition knife was made in numbers that exceeded the market for it. That's not normally a good thing. And as to the price, if you look back at the fights to keep the price below $100 this is ridiculous. The Congress Jack was the most expensive knife offered before and after, and there were only 120 of those made, and many members bought multiples. And it's still not gained any major traction on the secondary market after a decade. (I really don't care, as it's one of those I carry often, but you have to admit that's a major consideration.) So here we are, with 650 pieces, no secondary market, and a forum knife that mostly went to folks who have no interest in the forum. I don't know about you, but to me that's a problem.
 
eisman said:
Right. So the limited edition knife was made in numbers that exceeded the market for it. That's not normally a good thing. And as to the price, if you look back at the fights to keep the price below $100 this is ridiculous. The Congress Jack was the most expensive knife offered before and after, and there were only 120 of those made, and many members bought multiples. And it's still not gained any major traction on the secondary market after a decade. (I really don't care, as it's one of those I carry often, but you have to admit that's a major consideration.) So here we are, with 650 pieces, no secondary market, and a forum knife that mostly went to folks who have no interest in the forum. I don't know about you, but to me that's a problem.
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Spark spearheaded it and got us a forum knife, for that I'm thankful. However he wants to go about doing it is up to him, its his site, his company name stamped on the blade; you'd have to take your complaints directly to him. If anything I would say the only person who actually has a problem is Spark, with the unsold knives. Hopefully he made enough from the sale of the others to cover his costs.

I only mention the price/secondary price because setting a price above what they could be flipped for is realistically the only way to keep flippers away, not that a high secondary price is what drives me to buy the knife in the first place.

I still got my fingers crossed for a sabre grind sheepfoot 15 for 2024. Whos with me?
 
eisman said:
So I'm going to come back to the issue I find worst about this whole process; 75% of those who sign in to buy a forum knife never do a dang thing else in the forum. I feel that the fact that Spark has been trying to sell an added 14 knives for 6 weeks now emphasizes this. The fat majority of the forum knives no longer go to forum participants.

I have no idea on how to fix this. But the way I see it there's maybe 200 people who participate on a regular basis with this forum, not 500+, and that's who we should be aiming the annual knife at.
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Please make standard GEC production knives more available so I can participate here more. 😉
 
I am probably in the minority here, but if we are wishing for a GEC forum knife for this year I would love to see a beer and sausage knife. I love how weird it is with a comb, bottle opener, and fork. A clip point blade would be a good addition too.
 
I really enjoy the forum knife, and enjoyed the process even more on a few of them.

If we are lucky enough to get a shot at another one this year...

I would like to see something with two springs and no blade crinking.

For some strange reason, I prefer when the blade stays aligned with the handle.

(I say this while a SAK Farmer X sits in my left pocket. Main blade is canted).
 
bbfish said:
I only mention the price/secondary price because setting a price above what they could be flipped for is realistically the only way to keep flippers away, not that a high secondary price is what drives me to buy the knife in the first place.
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The evidence doesn't seem to support this. GEC knives sell for more at retail than they ever have in the past, and thus get flipped for more than they ever have in the past - and seemingly in greater numbers. One clearly has an impact on the other, but if the goal is to curb flipping - raising prices appears to be ineffective. Seems to me that all that would happen is the knives would be going to different people with deeper pockets and the majority of regular forum participants would be priced out. That doesn't seem like a benefit to, or a way to honor, the BF Traditional community.
 
birdsbeaks said:
The evidence doesn't seem to support this. GEC knives sell for more at retail than they ever have in the past, and thus get flipped for more than they ever have in the past - and seemingly in greater numbers. One clearly has an impact on the other, but if the goal is to curb flipping - raising prices appears to be ineffective. Seems to me that all that would happen is the knives would be going to different people with deeper pockets and the majority of regular forum participants would be priced out. That doesn't seem like a benefit to, or a way to honor, the BF Traditional community.
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I would say the evidence certainly supports it. Secondary market pricing is below current retail ($200) for these specific BF23 knives Not all GECs, there’s definitely still room for flippers on most of their releases. I’m not saying I’m glad or mad the last batch is priced at 200, I don’t really have a dog in that fight.

And I would also say the secondary market has substantially softened for pretty much the entire market. A year ago you would see brand new releases marked up 100 bucks sell immediately all day every day. Recently the mark up is much less than that. Still not great, but it’s certainly slowed.
 
MolokaiRider said:
For some strange reason, I prefer when the blade stays aligned with the handle.

(I say this while a SAK Farmer X sits in my left pocket. Main blade is canted).
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I know what you mean- never a big fan of blade krinking. I have a lot of knives with it, because sometimes it just be that way, but it’s not my favorite cutler trick.

One thing I love about some of GEC’s single-spring-two-blades is how they will use asymmetrical grinds to accomplish a similar feat. This can be seen on a number of them- #35’s from 2017, #33’s from 2020, and last years forum knife.

Its still asymmetrical, but it seems less wonky and somehow more sophisticated.
 
I like having a GEC, the only GEC I get my hands on in the Primary Market is an annual forum knife and I am appreciative of Spark making one available to us. Alternately, I would love to see a Buck Knife again, understanding that the fixed blades and the lock-backs are problems in some areas of the country and overseas, I'd like having a Buck 303 Cadet (Medium Stockman) to match the 2018 Buck Forum Knife in the upgraded steel, flat grind on the blades, and with elk handles, but with the traditional three blades. OH
 
Old Hunter said:
I like having a GEC, the only GEC I get my hands on in the Primary Market is an annual forum knife and I am appreciative of Spark making one available to us. Alternately, I would love to see a Buck Knife again, understanding that the fixed blades and the lock-backs are problems in some areas of the country and overseas, I'd like having a Buck 303 Cadet (Medium Stockman) to match the 2018 Buck Forum Knife in the upgraded steel, flat grind on the blades, and with elk handles, but with the traditional three blades. OH
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It’s curious that we don’t see more elk handles. I would think it would be easier to source than sambar stag.
 
Old Hunter said:
I like having a GEC, the only GEC I get my hands on in the Primary Market is an annual forum knife and I am appreciative of Spark making one available to us. Alternately, I would love to see a Buck Knife again, understanding that the fixed blades and the lock-backs are problems in some areas of the country and overseas, I'd like having a Buck 303 Cadet (Medium Stockman) to match the 2018 Buck Forum Knife in the upgraded steel, flat grind on the blades, and with elk handles, but with the traditional three blades. OH
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When the Oracle speaketh, we should listen!

(except when he speaks of upgraded steel - no powder metallurgy, please - something that responds to a hard Arkansas stone and a ceramic rod would do nicely. I'd like to see Buck do something in AEB-L, or a 425M throwback, or 5160, or... I'm really not picky - just don't like the powder stuff) :)
 
bbfish said:
I would say the evidence certainly supports it. Secondary market pricing is below current retail ($200) for these specific BF23 knives Not all GECs, there’s definitely still room for flippers on most of their releases. I’m not saying I’m glad or mad the last batch is priced at 200, I don’t really have a dog in that fight.

And I would also say the secondary market has substantially softened for pretty much the entire market. A year ago you would see brand new releases marked up 100 bucks sell immediately all day every day. Recently the mark up is much less than that. Still not great, but it’s certainly slowed.
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The secondary market here for them is lower in my opinion, because the original price most paid was $160 and when members resell them they are trying to get their money back and avoid looking like a flipper. I commend that myself, it’s nice to see forumites doing right by their brethren instead of trying to make a profit.

If we had all paid $200, then no one would be reselling for under that amount.
 
Hatchet_Jack Hatchet_Jack
I am not a paying member currently and can still see the ad for available forum knives at the top of the page, it’s impossible to miss as it takes up half a mobile screen to scroll past.
 
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