Positive News Concerning Cold Steel And 4034 Steel

[jdk1]

No problem gents! I just kept checking the thread for CS info and opinions and got MAP info and opinions. Truly no harm, no foul! I have learned a lot from past thread drift, so it's not all bad.

PS. I hadn't had my coffee yet either

 

[sabre cat]

No. You can become completely fixated on the per knife price and think you're being hurt if you want, but without MAP, the only place you're buying knives is Walmart and the big river site because no one else will be able to compete. They will sell them well below cost and can easily absorb it until the competition shuts down. They do it all the time with non-MAP products. And then they are free to do what they want because your choices as a consumer are extremely limited.

MAP exists across all manner of products and as @Steely_Gunz said, it is there to level the playing field and avoid monopolies. For all those who hate MAP, I sure hope you don't shop those two sellers I mentioned for any reason as they are notorious for taking advantage of non-MAP priced goods. And price fixing? Yeah. For example, several years ago, Big W told the music industry they had to list their CD's at something like $15.99. The music industry screamed and said no way. Big W said, we'll stop selling them. Because they didn't mean squat to their bottom line. The music industry caved as Big W meant everything to their bottom line. Now, a short term thinking consumer would be happy as they are getting the product cheaper. But all it was intended to do was make it hard on the local shops to stay competitive.

You don't have to like MAP but I suspect you'd like a non-MAP world a lot less.

You’ll be happy to hear that I don’t normally shop at Walmart.
I don’t like the company or how they treat their employees. Plus, they don’t have much that I would want.

I rarely shop at Amazon unless I can’t find what I am looking locally.

As for MAP pricing, I never even heard of it before Benchmade introduced it and added their butterfly tax of 20%. It is my understanding that was an increase to you and I but, not an increase in dealer cost.

I still consider it a type of price fixing. Especially since manufacturers don’t charge the same amount to all retailers.

As for Amazon and Walmart being the big two that you are forced to purchase from, I figure that will happen with or without MAP. Just a matter of time.

Now, back to Cold Steel. I have watched them raise prices closer and closer to companies like Spyderco and Benchmade. Yet, I see little reason to pick CS. Most of their gear does not appeal to me.

I have never seen their American Lawman, the main knife I would consider. My local dealer never has it in stock when I walk through his door. He offers to order it for me and I tell him I can order it myself. The next time I ask he will make the same offer.

If the day comes that we are forced to buy knives only from places like Amazon and Walmart,
maybe it will not be because of MAP but, because the local B&M refuses to stock product and treats their clients like second class citizens.