Mike, I can address some of the disparity between activity in the marketplace ($ale$) and activity on the net, by brand.
The average Joe (Jane?) that buys a knife wouldn't know the difference between differential hardening and the differential in the car. 440C; 440 si' they couldn't care less. They care about the image of the piece in relationship to what they think they will do with the knife and who they think they are. They think about the looks, the price and that their friend had a ______ and thought it was great and their other friend had a __________ and it sucked. Forget about use, care, sharpening skills, etc., etc., etc.
We, on the forums, I would like to think are a different breed. We are INTO knives. We don't just care about differential hardening, we want to know how, who, where, at what temp, with what gas, how cooled, what steel, what color undershirt was the tech wearing when he did it, etc.
Chris Reeve, (deservedly), gets much play here. Put his knives in bubble pack on the pegboard at the local discount department store at full list and watch them collect dust. Put some $4.99 junk-a'port here and ask for comments and it will draw fire like a neon dartboard in a biker bar!
Hey, wait a minute ... neon dart board ... biker bar ... anyone know a patent attorney?
[This message has been edited by Nimrod (edited 07-21-2000).]
