Should Spyderco stick to making folders?

Interesting question. I wouldn't lose to much sleep over it though. A lot of Spyderco fanatics are requesting things all the time that are barely related to knives. Spyderco respectfully reminds us they make knives. Nothing wrong with moving into other knife markets (Fixed Blades and Kitchen ware). Both are tough to win appreciable market share...especially in this global economy. They have been working on getting more share in both for years so it isn't like they just started trying. They been working on those and yet still are producing awesome, kick ass production folders.

Smith and Wesson doesn't compare at all. They are a publicly traded corporation that was sold overseas and the name was sold to companies that the parent company has no control over. Spyderco is a family owned corporation, with talented, experienced owner/designers who are open minded enough to keep a pulse on the ELUs. ;)

All their fixed blades are quality pieces...but they are certainly upping the ante this late 2006 and 2007. :D
 
I put my Henckels to rest after I bought couple kitchen Spydercos and I will buy YANG. Great quality, VG10 kitchen knife with natural wood for $40 it looks like a very good deal for me. So I am very glad that Spyderco is making kitchen knives
 
I have no problems with Spyderco going into fixed blades. They already have a few designs that I absolutely love: Temperance, Ronin & especially the Street Beat.

The S&W situation, I believe, was a matter of management changing. S&W is over a century old I think. Horrible management decisions mixed with someone trying to cash in on a name resulted in their current situation. Spyderco is completely different and not comparable IMHO. This is Sal, the guy who made the cpmany and continues to come out with innovation after innovation, not only as a designer, but as a business man as well. As far as I'm concerned, he's already proven that Spyderco can make excellent fixed blades.

I started a similar thread over on the Spyderco asking if people would be interested in Spyderco expanding on their focus,not only in knives, but anything: guns, multitools, flashlights, etc. I got a similar response, themain concern is that Spyderco may spread themselves too thin. I don't think in this situation, that it's very far off of their bread and butter and really isn't as much of a gamble. Let's look at it this way; Spyderco may not manufacture fixed blades primarily, but they are right up there with others in terms of knowledge with knives in general, incuding fixed blades.
 
I'm too tired to read others' responses :)
anyway: keep going, wide variety is always good

More and more and more and more ...
 
I don't see that going from folders to fixed is a massive jump. If they started buying some other factory's cheap LED lights and stamping a Spyder on them, I could see how that might be troubling.

Spyderco has muchly innovative products, which is great to see. I'm particularly pleased with the SpyderFly balisong, which is apparently one of the few balisongs worth buying under $100. They're expanding their balisong line this year, presumably because they have good marketing plans in place.

I'm no professional knifesmith, but as a petty businessman I can't find much fault from what I've seen out of Spyderco so far. So long as their Byrd line doesn't tug down their rep, things look pretty solid.


-MV
 
I think there has been a slight, but noticeable decline in the quality of a number of Seki made Spydercos over the past two years. However, I do not attribute that to Spyderco making fixed blades or kitchen knives. I think it is just a case of Japanese makers, like manufaturers around the world, feeling the need to increase production to the point where attention to detail is bound to suffer. The fit and finish of the Volpe shows that partners capable of superior quality workmanship can still be found, and that Sal knows how to find them.

It does pay to remember that for the first three years of its existence Spyderco only made sharpeners. So if Sal had stuck to his "core buisness", we would never have had the opportunity to experience Spyderco knives at all. It also pays to remember that, in the Across The Years timeline, kitchen sharps and the Worker were both added to the product line in the same year.

So no, I would not want Spyderco to drop the fixed and kitchen sharps lines, unless either or both proved unprofitable to the point where their continued existence became a drain on its resources.
 
Back to the original question, based on my Moran FB-01, I would say: no, there's no need to stick to folders when a company can execute such an excellent and reasonably-priced fixed blade.
 
I love spydercos Fixed blades. But i love there folders more. but im still gunna get there fixed blades, so NO, they should continue with both folders and fixed blades.
 
I think Spyderco should make both, the next two on my Spyderco list are a full or almost full Spyderedge blade and the Bill Moran fixed blade, I also love the SPOT neck knife. I like that Spyderco is 99% folders and a few other goodies.
 
Spyderco has made some outstanding fixed blades. So, from a customer viewpoint, please don't stop.

Whether they'll sell as well as folders is another matter, but I think it's certain that Glesser, Glesser & Co are a better judge of that than I.

Slightly OT: The first Perrin is neck & neck with the trailing point Moran for my favorite...let me renew my call for a bigger version of the new Perrin, say 5 or 6" blade. :thumbup:


Looking forward to the Hossoms!
 
Only the marketplace will determine what a manufacturer should do, and it will do so with absolute clarity.

cheers
 
This question you asked, essentially answered itself.

Have you ever studied economics brother?

The Glessers have released a horde of folder designs and continue to release new ones periodically. Its only natural that they expand their fixed blades. After all don't you know which came first in history.....between the fixed and folding blade? Its like going back to your roots!

Seems like you seriously underestimate their abilities by simply posting this.

The have made outstanding blades for years and will continue to do so. The Endura & Delica 3's sold for over 10 years....and they keep selling. Do you think that the Endura or Delica 4's are going to undersell those originals?

What I would like to see more of are pure-breed Spyderco fixed blades. Seems like most of their current FB lineup are collaborations.

You need to apologize to the Glessers and every single spyderco owner (to include yourself) for posing such a question.....:D ......aught to be ashamed of yourself.......we aught have Sal deprive you of Spydies for the next 10 years.....just for posing this thought....;) :D


As much as I love my custom Strider's, Hinderer's, DDR's or Emerson's, there will always be a place in my pocket for my Spyderco's. :cool:
 
SpEcTeR said:
This question you asked, essentially answered itself.

Have you ever studied economics brother?

The Glessers have released a horde of folder designs and continue to release new ones periodically. Its only natural that they expand their fixed blades. After all don't you know which came first in history.....between the fixed and folding blade? Its like going back to your roots!

Seems like you seriously underestimate their abilities by simply posting this.
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I know you were just joking with kgriggs, and I'm one of the 1st guys to agree that this shouldn't be a problem for Sal and the gang, but hey we can never predict the future. I'm confident that this will be a very successful venture for the company.

As much as I love my custom Strider's, Hinderer's, DDR's or Emerson's, there will always be a place in my pocket for my Spyderco's. :cool:
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For some who owns all of those names, I think it says A LOT about Spyderco's quality and innovation.:thumbup: :thumbup:
 
No way, the FB's are very nice ... even if they may not be as commercially succesfull as other models, Spyderco is consistent with its FB's. The Moran is about 10 years in production I think. And they have been making kitchen knives for even longer than that. They are expanding right now; offering high line FB's (Hossoms, Streetbeat etc...). But in no way do I think it diminishes the standard line. If such a development could happen, I'd say that the Byrds are a bigger threat to any form of 'dilution' of the line or brand recognition.


Wouter
 
What I would like to see more of are pure-breed Spyderco fixed blades. Seems like most of their current FB lineup are collaborations.
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Depends on which knives you're talking about. I love Sypderco, but I don't think anyone could view a collaboration with someone like Bill Moran as anything but an honor even for a company like Spyderco.
 
JNewell said:
Depends on which knives you're talking about. I love Sypderco, but I don't think anyone could view a collaboration with someone like Bill Moran as anything but an honor even for a company like Spyderco.
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Please re-read my words, especially those that you quoted.

Never did I say there was anything wrong with their FB lineup or their collaborations and I did profess my sincere passion for all spyderco knives period.

What I did say was that I want to see more pure-breed Spyderco fixed blade designs.

Having stated that, I don't really know where you were headed with that.
 
I think that it also depends on where their heads are. I love designing stuff. I can think of numerous things I have returned to after a while not working in the area. What if they have a personal desire to do a fixed blade. I think that would be natural and great. Their other method of developing designs is to bring outside tallent in. Well that works fine for a fixed blade also.

The Moran was something that needed doing. A tribute knife is not the same thing as a knife designed by the craftsman himself that has a life of it's own in a way Moran could not have commercialy done himself. Just wonderful.
 
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