Spyderco "custom shop"

Hi Popsickle,

I guess most of the reasons that make this a difficult prospect have been mentioned. We're not a custom shop. We're a production house. We don't cut out blades or any parts one at a time. Changing steels for a few knives would be challenging. We're also a small shop and our craftsmen are pretty busy trying to keep up with our regular models.

We're doing more and more "exclusives" for customers with special steels and handles. That is one way to get oddball combinations.

sal
 
I'd love a Spyderco Custom Shop - but I am plenty happy to have the chance to try out new steels in the sprints and Mule Team. Customs are great, but sprints are something special. The CTS-XHP Manix2 and CTS-20CP Para2 models are out of this world. As long as sprints keep coming, I'll stay interested. I also wanted to suggest maybe a Super Blue C46 Lum run, maybe blue G10? :D I'd love the Caly 3.5 in that configuration though too. It's a great time to be a steel junkie. ;)
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi Popsickle,

I guess most of the reasons that make this a difficult prospect have been mentioned. We're not a custom shop. We're a production house. We don't cut out blades or any parts one at a time. Changing steels for a few knives would be challenging. We're also a small shop and our craftsmen are pretty busy trying to keep up with our regular models.



We're doing more and more "exclusives" for customers with special steels and handles. That is one way to get oddball combinations.

sal
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And this is why I'm a spyderco fan :-)
Thank you sal for taking the time to comment!
I will always be one of your loyal customers!
 
RevDevil said:
I'd love a Spyderco Custom Shop - but I am plenty happy to have the chance to try out new steels in the sprints and Mule Team. Customs are great, but sprints are something special. The CTS-XHP Manix2 and CTS-20CP Para2 models are out of this world. As long as sprints keep coming, I'll stay interested. I also wanted to suggest maybe a Super Blue C46 Lum run, maybe blue G10? :D I'd love the Caly 3.5 in that configuration though too. It's a great time to be a steel junkie. ;)
Click to expand...


I agree that the 20CP Para 2 is "out of this world." I just love that steel and the Para 2 has become my favorite platform.

Sal has previously mentioned that there already are plans to release a Super Blue Caly 3.5 with G10 scales, supposedly around the end of this year.
 
mongatu said:
I agree that the 20CP Para 2 is "out of this world." I just love that steel and the Para 2 has become my favorite platform.

Sal has previously mentioned that there already are plans to release a Super Blue Caly 3.5 with G10 scales, supposedly around the end of this year.
Click to expand...

I do recall that, I just wanted to make sure that no one else had forgotten ;)
 
I consider Spyderco to be a maker of Custom Production Knives, especially when I look at the Ti Fluted Military, Navaja, Vallotton Sub-Hilt Folder, the Sage ! and many other Spyderco knives.
 
It probably would be a mistake to create a custom shop using the existing operation. As has been mentioned, such new responsibilities would be difficult to meld with regular production.

The real question is whether there is a market that would support a small custom shop that is separate from the production operation, but relies on the economies of scale of the basic Spyderco platform. At the very least, a few models, such as the Military, could be available for custom steels, parts and fittings.

At present, Spyderco seems to have switched from the Military to the Manix 2 as an innovation platform. I love the original Manix, but have no interest whatsoever in the Manix 2. It seems a missed opportunity to not be able to get a real Manix or a Military in M-4. I just lost my Knifeworks M-4 Military, and there was no easy way for me to replace the best Spyderco I've ever found. What the heck is with that?

It's difficult for me to believe that there is not a profitable market for upgrades to at least a few Spyderco platforms that could be handled by a separate custom shop. Look at the $140 Wilkins G-10/G-11 replacement scales for the FRN Benchmade Grip. The market is there.
 
I agree the market is there, just think the only realistic way to tap it would be if an independent contractor felt it worth their time and effort, as with Kevin Wilkins and his scales.
 
Hi Twindog,

I understand your thoughts and don't disagree, in concept. In reality, we would have to work with a very skilled custom maker that had the interest and the time. (Difficult to find in todays knife world). Would the department support the personnel needed to maintain such a department? If it's something that Eric or I would have to manage, it would be difficult at this time with our current responnsibilities. Logistics of "making it happen and maintaining it" are challenging at best, at this time. Perhaps in the future?

On the M4 Millie. Any "exclusive" models can have additional runs of the same model by the "exclusive producer" of the design. That too has a time limit. If enough of our customers want us to make something, we'll try to figure out a way to make them.

sal
 
Sal Glesser said:
Hi Twindog,

I understand your thoughts and don't disagree, in concept. In reality, we would have to work with a very skilled custom maker that had the interest and the time. (Difficult to find in todays knife world). Would the department support the personnel needed to maintain such a department? If it's something that Eric or I would have to manage, it would be difficult at this time with our current responnsibilities. Logistics of "making it happen and maintaining it" are challenging at best, at this time. Perhaps in the future?

On the M4 Millie. Any "exclusive" models can have additional runs of the same model by the "exclusive producer" of the design. That too has a time limit. If enough of our customers want us to make something, we'll try to figure out a way to make them.

sal
Click to expand...

Sal,

I have a more fesible idea than a full custom shop. My idea is for Spyderco to sell scales is different colors for your my popular models. (ie Para 2, Millie, Manix 2, Delica and Endura, etc.) I know I would buy a pair of Digicam Manix 2 scales!

Thanks,
Ian
 
Spyderco doesn't want you to take apart your knife and cause problems they have to end up fixing.
 
It's amazing how over the years since I've changed to carrying and collecting Spydercos I've had quite a few boxes checked by regular production, sprints and the mule team. Who would have thought we would not only have BG42 millies, S90V millies and manixes, ZDP knives of all sizes and even different carbon alloy and high speed steels making their way into production. No way I could have predicted this even 6 years ago. Not exactly custom but ground few if any other manufacturers have walked. Still, we can dream for free about custom spyderco blades made just for us.
 
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