My own fixed blade design

[Pete1977]

Hello Everyone-

I have not had access to a computer for the last six or so months, and I've been quite busy over the summer and fall, but having recently bought a new computer, I've returned to bladeforums. In my absence I did not stop thinking knives, and two experiences on the boat this fall led me to design one of my own.

My drawing skills are subpar and my access to drafting tools is nonexistent, but I managed to draw the knife from different perspectives, and I believe the drawing is quite close to actual size.

The knife is a fixed blade intended for last ditch survival or rescue situations, and is meant to be carried on one's person in an easily accessible place. The original intent was that the knife was to be used in a marine environment so I planned it to be in H-1 steel. The two experiences aboard the boat were entanglement situations, one when the trawl was coming into the boat and jumped from the pot hauler, and the other was during setback, but either could have resulted in the loss of life, or even severe injury. I've had a design in my mind for some time, and these were the catalyst for me to actually put them onto paper.

I have carried spyderco knives daily since about 1993, and have a bias towards them that led me to want spyderco to take a look at my design.
Several years back, I went through the process of submitting a design but after recieving a packet from Joyce Laituri my situation changed and I was unable to procede further. However, now, four years and infinately more commerical fishing experience has allowed me to tweak this design to what I believe can be a practical safety and rescue tool, and I'd like to pick up where I left off in '02.

My email is petegold2004@yahoo.com.

Thanks for your time, and any input is greatly appreciated.

Peter

 

[Sal Glesser]

Hi Pete,

We are always open to new designs and look at hundreds per year. The place to begin with with Peter Jhones (peterj@spyderco.com). He can get the process open.

But I must also warn you that historically we've not had great luck with fixed blades, so our reluctance is there.

Many will design a FB model that is ideal for "their needs", and the design may be a great design, but is the market large enough to sustain the high cost of bring a new knife to the marketplace?

I would suggest that you have the design made by a custom maker first. This will give you some "real world" experience with the design. More often than not, after some use, designs get refined, again and again until they're "right".

I would suggest 440C for your water environment. Maybe not as resistant as H-1, but more accessible.

Hope that helps.

sal

 

[Pete1977]

Thanks sal

 

[Pete1977]

Sal
I just recently (yesterday evening) dropped an email to Peter Jhones to get the process started. I have 3 or 4 designs in mind. The late response is because this project was put on the back burner for a while.
again, thanks for the help.

Pete

 

[Ken Cox]

In most communities one cannot carry a fixed blade knife openly, for social reasons; nor concealed for legal reasons.
I think this partly explains the popularity of folding knives.

I have a fixed blade design in mind, which Spyderco may or may not find interesting.
I plan to have Gene Osborn make my design and send it to Spyderco, and I hope then on to me.