Collaborations are a good way to introduce variety and selectivity into a manufacturers product line. All manufacturers are makers and they tend to lean toward a certain pattern or style that pervades all of their designs. All of Spyderco's basic knives have the same general shape and profile. There are some variations but, still, a Spyderco is absolutely recognizable for what it is.
Collaborating with other makers can help to drive a company out of the "rut" that can develop after awhile. The designs by Terzuola, Zowada, Herbst, Lum and Goddard add a freshness and zest to the line that makes people take notice. Without "new blood" every now and then things can stagnate. Sure, people still buy the popular brands but there is no booming demand.
Witness Buck Knives. For years they were loafing along on designs and patterns that were decades old. They were so established that when something new was tried, most folks were shocked and aghast at what was coming out of their plant. Sales were declining because the buyers were going after the new and exciting stuff. There weren't enough traditionalists left to sustain the company. Buck knew that they had to do something and they did it. Joining with makers like Kit Carson and Strider,while working up some new designs in-house as well as discontinuing the old, outdated and poor sellers has helped Buck come back from the brink of being bought out by a major offshore company. Collaboration and innovation were the solutions in that case.
On the other hand, collaborating with a well known maker isn't a guarantee of success. The Outdoor Edge version of Darrel Ralph's Krait, the Impulse, is a good example. It's a great knife, true to the original design, well executed and built very well, not to mention a bargain as well. The only problem is, they dont sell, at least not in my market. Don't know why. Maybe its the fact that they are made in Taiwan but I don't think so. Columbia river is doing quite well and almost all of their stuff is made in Taiwan. The point is, a well known makers collaboration is no guarantee of success. Heck, even Chris Reeves deal with Al Mar wasn't all that much of a barn burner. I could go on but you get the picture.
As for a Chris Reeve collaboration, I think that is wishful thinking. If they produced the Sebenza It would not make it out the door at half the price of the real one. That knife/lock cannot be produced and fitted at a price point much lower than Chris Reeve, especially with their quality control.
Look at Benchmade. They tried knocking off the Sebenza with the 750 series. It's a fairly well made knife but it doesn't sell, even at a heavy discount. I have had them for a long time and have only sold 1 or 2. I have sold almost 20 Sebenzas during that same time. In Fact, I use the BM as a sales aid to sell Sebenzas. They handle that one and then I show them the real one..no contest. There is a reason that the Sebenza costs as much as it does and that is workmanship. It is also the reason that it outsells the BM knock-off by almost ten to one, at least for me. Based on that, a CRK and Spyderco joint effort is not likely anytime soon.
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Dennis Wright
Wright Knife & Sporting Goods
1-800-400-1980
("Have a knife day!")
wrightknife@ixpres.com
[This message has been edited by Dennis Wright (edited 02-06-2000).]
