No Bladeforums.com Carnivour? Say it ain't so-Spark.
- Thread starter Daniel
- Start date
- Joined
- Oct 2, 1998
- Messages
- 15,117
Thanks, Daniel, but as I said earlier, it depends on whether we have enough orders as to whether or not we can get them. Currently we have around 20, and this isn't enough.
Spark
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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com
Insert witty quip here
Spark
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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com
Insert witty quip here
The problem is the bad timing. Most of the people interested in buying a bladeforums knife got the Spyderco Native, which was with $100 already a lot of money for most. After that they simply weren't willing to spend $169 on a Carnivour. Besides that it wasn't a special edition (like the blue G10 handle). It just had the engraving, which doesn't make it too special IMHO.
Despite that I would have liked to buy one, I'm not good at winning (I think I used up all my luck to find my wife...)
Despite that I would have liked to buy one, I'm not good at winning (I think I used up all my luck to find my wife...)
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 3,264
One problem with special projects of this sort is that they require that a rather large percentage of the forum's core constituency participate in order to work. Not everybody can afford to pay $99.95 or $159.95 in any given month for a new pocket knife, no matter how much they think, out loud, that it's a cool idea. I remember when I thought I was "treating myself" to a high-end knife with a new Endura. So it should be no surprise that the number of people who will say they want such and such a Forum Special during the discussion stages, or say they'd prefer this configuration to that configuration, may be greater than the number of people who will actually submit their credit card numbers to get one.
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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
stjames
Sebenzanista
- Joined
- Oct 26, 1998
- Messages
- 6,465
Just wanted to bounce this back to the top. Is the project dead? I am considering getting one of the BF Natives, since it looks bad for the Carnivour and the Sifu is just not my cup of tea. I would love to support the forum, but I have to like the blade
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James
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James
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 883
I'm no marketing wizard, but the following ideas have occurred to me.
1. You can't put out too many "special" knives too fast, and still have them be perceived as "special".
2. Moderately priced knives are going to sell more than more expensive ones. "Special" models should be better than normal production, but not excessively so. Upgrading the Native to G-10 rather than FRNR, and to CPM-440v rather than Gin-1 is the right approach, rather than, say, fossilized-dinosaur-poop scales and meteorite -and-crushed-Rolex Damascus blade. Making the Native blue was a nice added touch to make the knife unique without adding to the cost.
3. Knives that appeal to a wide variety of users will sell better than outrageous or quirky designs. I'm not going to get in the habit of telling Rekat how to make knives, but I believe more people would buy a Megafolder if it didn't look like a Gil Hibben-Worf collaboration.
4. There are a couple of ways to approach the decision of what to offer as a special knife. On the one hand, you could offer tried-and-true models that are already popular among forumites, such as (slightly) upgraded Militaries, Enduras, Calypso Jrs., etc. The possible drawback is that a person who already ones one or more of the standard production version might not feel the need to add another "special" one to the collection.
I already have two Delicas, for example, If the Blue Native were a Blue Delica, I don't think I'd be able to justify buying it. On the other hand, you could look for one of those excellent "sleeper" knives that are appreciated by cognoscenti such as Joe Talmadge and James Mattis, but that haven't been widely embraced by the knife buying public. Pick out a sleeper and make it special, and maybe the forumites will buy it. This would be a good knife that most people don't already have. Make it a little bit better than normal production issue, and maybe we'll buy it. The Native was a good choice in this respect; most of us don't already have one, and it looks like a good design, both in terms of form and function. Another good choice for a later date might be the Rekat Pioneer. Get Benchmade to do a flat ground drop point Stryker, and I'd be all over it. (These are just a few arbitrary examples that occur to me--knives that should sell themselves to any intelligent person.
)
5. A survey of who's interested will give you a less accurate representation of actual interest than would an actual deposit. Special projects such as the Sifu could be done with a fair amount of confidence if people will "subscribe" with a nominal payment up front.
6. I'm wondering if adding the "BladeForums.com" to the blade will make the knife sell better or worse. Personally, I think I'd just as soon not have that etched on my Blue Native. I like BladeForums as much as anybody, but it might make me think twice about buying another one as a gift for my dad's birthday.
These are just things that have occurred to me recently. My views may not be representative of the majority of forumites, but I know what I like.
Thanks for giving us the Blue Native. It's gonna be like the best Christmas ever!
David Rock
1. You can't put out too many "special" knives too fast, and still have them be perceived as "special".
2. Moderately priced knives are going to sell more than more expensive ones. "Special" models should be better than normal production, but not excessively so. Upgrading the Native to G-10 rather than FRNR, and to CPM-440v rather than Gin-1 is the right approach, rather than, say, fossilized-dinosaur-poop scales and meteorite -and-crushed-Rolex Damascus blade. Making the Native blue was a nice added touch to make the knife unique without adding to the cost.
3. Knives that appeal to a wide variety of users will sell better than outrageous or quirky designs. I'm not going to get in the habit of telling Rekat how to make knives, but I believe more people would buy a Megafolder if it didn't look like a Gil Hibben-Worf collaboration.
4. There are a couple of ways to approach the decision of what to offer as a special knife. On the one hand, you could offer tried-and-true models that are already popular among forumites, such as (slightly) upgraded Militaries, Enduras, Calypso Jrs., etc. The possible drawback is that a person who already ones one or more of the standard production version might not feel the need to add another "special" one to the collection.
I already have two Delicas, for example, If the Blue Native were a Blue Delica, I don't think I'd be able to justify buying it. On the other hand, you could look for one of those excellent "sleeper" knives that are appreciated by cognoscenti such as Joe Talmadge and James Mattis, but that haven't been widely embraced by the knife buying public. Pick out a sleeper and make it special, and maybe the forumites will buy it. This would be a good knife that most people don't already have. Make it a little bit better than normal production issue, and maybe we'll buy it. The Native was a good choice in this respect; most of us don't already have one, and it looks like a good design, both in terms of form and function. Another good choice for a later date might be the Rekat Pioneer. Get Benchmade to do a flat ground drop point Stryker, and I'd be all over it. (These are just a few arbitrary examples that occur to me--knives that should sell themselves to any intelligent person.
5. A survey of who's interested will give you a less accurate representation of actual interest than would an actual deposit. Special projects such as the Sifu could be done with a fair amount of confidence if people will "subscribe" with a nominal payment up front.
6. I'm wondering if adding the "BladeForums.com" to the blade will make the knife sell better or worse. Personally, I think I'd just as soon not have that etched on my Blue Native. I like BladeForums as much as anybody, but it might make me think twice about buying another one as a gift for my dad's birthday.
These are just things that have occurred to me recently. My views may not be representative of the majority of forumites, but I know what I like.
Thanks for giving us the Blue Native. It's gonna be like the best Christmas ever!
David Rock
- Joined
- Oct 3, 1998
- Messages
- 883
James, you are a saint.
I must say I am in favor of supporting Bladeforums, but I am sorry to say I will not be getting the Carnivour. I would have chosen the Carnivour over the Native had I known it would be offered, but I have already commited to the Naive. I think a little more organization is in order.
Nick
Nick
- Joined
- Oct 12, 1998
- Messages
- 1,647
Mr. Rock, I'm quite disappointed in you. I happen to *like* fossilized-dinosaur-poop scales, however I would prefer the damascus blend to be Unobtanium and Stupidium to make it a true one-of-a-kind special edition.
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Don LeHue
The pen is mightier than the sword...outside of arm's reach. Modify radius accordingly for rifle.
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Don LeHue
The pen is mightier than the sword...outside of arm's reach. Modify radius accordingly for rifle.