People pay more attention to brands rather then materials and craftsmanship

[Amoo]

I'm not saying how him or anyone should spend their money.

I am saying people buy things based on name brand and place of origin, overlooking materials and craftsmanship.

Buy whatever you want but then don't tell the person buying a Chinese clone how to spend their money. If the copyrights licensing is legal it's the pot calling the kettle burned.

This is the illogical part of your argument that you can not seem to, or flat out just refuse to grasp. You can only ASSUME people are overlooking quality of materials and craftmanship. You have no evidence which points one way or the other and honestly it is evidence that would be impossible to gather as EVERY SINGLE PERSON has a different reason for buying what they buy and why they buy it. You're basically building a straw man argument based on opinion and hoping we take it as fact all so you can throw veiled shots a Benchmade and whoever disagrees with you.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

What is the difference between that facebook grouos and this forum? They both are dedicated to knives. The facebook group caters more to knife making. I'm not sure how many members are part of this site but that facebook groups has 55 thousand members.
I find it a bit contradicting to use the word biased in your statement. You make it sound like everything on facebook is wrong because it's on facebook. And that if it's on a forum it must be true.

My point isn't that the forum isn't infallible. My point is that it is more cultivated and governed.

FB isn't bad. It hust need to be taken with a massive grain of salt. Maybe i could join these 55k "professionals"?

After all, I've got over 30 decades of collecting experience, I've been published in articles, and I have spent the better part of a decade giving inside input to knife design and marketing of one of the major manufacturers on this forum.

Sounds pretty impressive, doesn't it?

Nope

I have been accumulating knives since I was 6 years old, I have had a few of my posts here quoted in online articles, and I have been asking the fine folks frequenting the HI board what they would like to see produced.

See, anyone can wordsmith their resume. But on BFC I can't just hang up a shingle and claim it to be true. Too many folks here have known me long enough to know that's BS.

Everyone on FB can be a special little snowflake.

 

[Knicked Digits]

The thing I'm really struggling with is, why? Why in the name of everything is this even a thread, and three pages to boot? The whole thing just seems beyond pointless.

 

[craytab]

Take for example a benchmade 527SBK that is a sub $100 dollar knife and it's 440c steel. For that price point I expect much better steel.

Do you know how many offerings cold steel has in aus8 for a price range of $25- $60 bucks.

I mean anyone who studies steel knows aus8>440c.

I feel like cold steel product's get bashed for having the stereotype of mall ninja gear when they show craftsmanship and materials, yet certain brands like benchmade sell just on the butterfly logo branding.

This is a vast oversimplification of what your topic is trying to be. There are many many more factors involved. Looking at brand and steel is far too simple of an example. Sure branding is an effective marketing tool. Weak minded people are made to part with their money for tons of reasons.

Edit to add what GB said below: "For me, reputable brands are a good way to get started in researching a new folder to buy. From there I lean towards personal preferences such as steel, handle materials, astetics etc." This is a more reasonable way to go about it rather than brand x offers steel x for x dollar = dumb people getting fooled by branding.

I mean anyone who studies steel knows aus8>440c.

You could not be more wrong.

I asked a knife making group on facebook which steel was better and the group has 55 thousand members many professional blacksmiths. Not one person said 440C over aus8. I took pics if you want to see the comments. Literally every person said aus8 was better out of about a dozen comments not one said 440c.

Is this a joke? Facebook?

 

[GB940Rookie]

The thing I'm really struggling with is, why? Why in the name of everything is this even a thread, and three pages to boot? The whole thing just seems beyond pointless.

Actually, posts like this are pointless.

OP, put a little more thought in how you word your threads and I believe you would get more thoughtfully engaging replies. For me, reputable brands are a good way to get started in researching a new folder to buy. From there I lean towards personal preferences such as steel, handle materials, astetics etc.

 

[palonej]

Actually, posts like this are pointless.

OP, put a little more thought in how you word your threads and I believe you would get more thoughtfully engaging replies. For me, reputable brands are a good way to get started in researching a new folder to buy. From there I lean towards personal preferences such as steel, handle materials, astetics etc.

You're right brother, this thread is pointless. Mainly because the OP worded it incorrectly.
What he really wants to say is this......Benchmade wouldn't give me a free knife when I returned a 30 year old, out of production Bali that wasn't even mine in the first place.
So anyone that buys any Benchmade product is a fool.
Think that pretty much explains it.
Total troll.
Joe

 

[crom]

440C is an upgrade from AUS8, period. That's not to say AUS8 is crap; one of my favorites.

 

[KBA]

I'm not going to waste my time and try to wade through the drama that I am certain is within this thread.

Yes, there is brand loyalty. Companies depend on it, market around it, and study it. Every business does this and folks do not even realize how loyal they are until tested or pushed to buy something different.

I'll only buy a Ford, I'll only buy a Samsung TV, I'll only buy a Boshe, I'll only buy a fill in the blank....

Not all are loyalist, in all realms, but most are in one way or another to something. Heck, food industries push this daily. McDonalds is built on brand loyalty just study their business model and the happy meal. Why would the knife business be different?

Edit: Even BF dealers are looking for "brand" loyalty.

Just my 2cents. Back the scheduled drama post.

 

[needler420]

I don't know much about steel to have a good accurate opinion. I was just trying to go by a general consensus.

Now that is at a middle ground both groups say they are very comparable.

 

[Superdave1]

Take for example a benchmade 527SBK that is a sub $100 dollar knife and it's 440c steel. For that price point I expect much better steel.

Do you know how many offerings cold steel has in aus8 for a price range of $25- $60 bucks.

I mean anyone who studies steel knows aus8>440c.

I feel like cold steel product's get bashed for having the stereotype of mall ninja gear when they show craftsmanship and materials, yet certain brands like benchmade sell just on the butterfly logo branding.

I don't know much about steel to have a good accurate opinion. I was just trying to go by a general consensus.

Now that is at a middle ground both groups say they are very comparable.

That's a bit contradictory...read more (post less).

 

[craytab]

I don't know much about steel to have a good accurate opinion. I was just trying to go by a general consensus.

Now that is at a middle ground both groups say they are very comparable.

They are not comparable. Properly treated 440c is noticeably better. Another thing you left out of your simplified post: different companies are better at heat treating the same steel.

If you Don't know much about a topic it might be best not to start a thread preaching on said topic.

 

[22-rimfire]

With factory made knives, I generally put a lot of emphasis on reputation. Quality of construction is often more important to me than the specific materials used in that construction (within reason). But, there are limits to brand loyalty. Sometimes I want to just try something else and who knows, it might be a Cold Steel product. I purchased my first Benchmade knife a couple of months ago. I liked it. Years ago I was a big supporter of the SOG brand. Then they basically copied Spyderco (not that many don't) and having more of their products manufactured in China; it broke the spell. Now, they are one of the last brands I look at when choosing a knife. Cold Steel is another one I seldom consider.

The influence of advertising is important to a company in promoting their products. But, you know, I haven't seen a knife advertisement in a long time and I seldom go the manufacturer websites. So, reputation becomes paramount to me. Why do I spend more money for a Great Eastern made slip joint over another brand. Reputation and consistent quality of product.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

Whose fault is it if the buyer pays attention to the manufacturer's hype? I don't buy anything unless I do my research, I wanna know what's comparable, i wanna hear first hand and read as much as I can about whatever I'm buyin' and it's proportional to the value. the moe it costs, the more research I want to do.

It all starts with threads like, "Help me pick my new knife" or "What knife should I get next?" are people that lazy that they want someone else to pick their knives for them or is it that they want someone to blame when they don't like the choice everyone made for them? Then they go and trash the company for their knife and accuse everyone of a group think reason for them blindly buying knives. Wait, isn't that what they do when they ask the masses to choose a knife for them?

Funny thing happens when you research for yourself, you learn and become responsible for your own decisions. This leaves no one to blame for bad choices in knife or manufacturer.

Let me just end with this for the OP, however you may think you're posting what you do and responding like you do makes you look you're dead wrong. You're just coming off as a whiny butt hurt little kid who's pissed because he can't get his way so he will take every opportunity to make his mortal enemies pay by attacking them the only way he knows, with the keyboard on his laptop. Good luck with that, shame you didn't assimilate and become part of the collective, things would've been much easier for you one of us...one of us... gooble gobble one of us.......

 

[KBA]

Whose fault is it if the buyer pays attention to the manufacturer's hype? I don't buy anything unless I do my research, I wanna know what's comparable, i wanna hear first hand and read as much as I can about whatever I'm buyin' and it's proportional to the value. the moe it costs, the more research I want to do.

It all starts with threads like, "Help me pick my new knife" or "What knife should I get next?" are people that lazy that they want someone else to pick their knives for them or is it that they want someone to blame when they don't like the choice everyone made for them? Then they go and trash the company for their knife and accuse everyone of a group think reason for them blindly buying knives. Wait, isn't that what they do when they ask the masses to choose a knife for them?

Funny thing happens when you research for yourself, you learn and become responsible for your own decisions. This leaves no one to blame for bad choices in knife or manufacturer.

Let me just end with this for the OP, however you may think you're posting what you do and responding like you do makes you look you're dead wrong. You're just coming off as a whiny butt hurt little kid who's pissed because he can't get his way so he will take every opportunity to make his mortal enemies pay by attacking them the only way he knows, with the keyboard on his laptop. Good luck with that, shame you didn't assimilate and become part of the collective, things would've been much easier for you one of us...one of us... gooble gobble one of us.......

There is a lot of truth in this post. Yet, there is a lot of pride as well. You don't think some brands sell bc/ of the inflated hyped up reviews done by new buyers who are bias and loyalist?

I research as well but I'm not above admitting that I get hyped up as well and have my loyalties.

I may have just read your post wrong or with not enough salt

 

[DeadboxHero]

I don't know much about steel to have a good accurate opinion. I was just trying to go by a general consensus.

Now that is at a middle ground both groups say they are very comparable.

440c get a bad rep since your average guy doesn't understand the difference between 440a, 440b,440c or how important proper heat treatment, which is more important then the steel used, also depends how they're sharpened.

So going off a consensus of random opinions isn't going to help if you if you really want to know whats better.

if we give both 440c and aus8 the best HT possible on the same knife and sharpening with all other variables accounted for, the 440c will cut longer. The aus8 just sharpens faster.

so its silly to say that aus8 is better and that you are getting "robbed" on materials.

440c costs more then aus8 too

I agree with Craytab. A little more research goes a long way.

 

[22-rimfire]

There is a lot of truth in this post. Yet, there is a lot of pride as well. You don't think some brands sell bc/ of the inflated hyped up reviews buy new buyers who are bias and loyalist?

I research as well but I'm not above admitting that I get hyped up as well and have my loyalties.

Hype is important I guess. I bought a Kabar Becker BK-2 TOTALLY because of the hype on this forum. I bought it in person, so I only have myself to blame if I was or am dissatisfied. I learned something important with this purchase and that bit of learning cost me less than a hundred bucks. I'm all about learning. I knew after the aah factor died away that I would never use the knife and it was not for me regardless of the hype.

That said, I like to read the hype here on the forum as it opens my eyes up to other products that I might not know about.

 

[marcinek]

I don't know much about steel to have a good accurate opinion.

But, at the same time, you claim "People pay more attention to brands rather then materials and craftsmanship." But, by your own admission, you don't know much about steel. So are those people you?



"Shenanigans" again? I am out of here.

 

[22-rimfire]

I don't know much about steel to have a good accurate opinion. I was just trying to go by a general consensus.

I don't claim to be an expert on steels or an expert sharpening a knife. I get by. But I don't necessarily go with a consensus opinion anymore. I did that with the infamous BK-2. I try to do a bit more research than that. I find the BK-15 and BK-7 much more useful blades in the Becker lineup.

 

[KBA]

Often times the OP will try to make a point and use an example to support his point.

Sometimes that example is worded wrong, off base, or just wrong in itself, but the underlining point is still there and correct.

I believe the OP has a point, but his example was just dead wrong. People decided to jump on his example instead of listening to his point.

For example, some people jump on a single word used incorrectly, the grammar of the post, or the ideology of a perspective all while missing the point.

People here on the forum are wolves that smell blood and attack at any given chance. The OP, not all, but often gets offended sparking a typing battle.

Next thing you know Wine & Cheese is filled with who is melting down now and other strife filled agendas.

Anyways,

Just google brand loyalty. The OP has a point

 

[Emre]

Ok...l'll bite

To the OP: stop beating around the bush. Just tell us. What exactly do you think makes Cold Steel's "materials and craftsmanship" so great that you need to start 30 rambling threads about it?