Spyderco, no longer the value it once was...

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Some spydercos are too expensive for what they are, but that's just my opinion.I still own about 10 of them;).The cheaper ones that I want are hard to find.
 
gooeytek said:
Spyderco Gayle Bradley. How's that for value?
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The GB is a great example... M4, CF laminate, incredibly strong liner lock, near perfect F&F, one of the best blade shapes on the market IMO... and even after its recent rise in price (~$130 to ~$150), it's still a great value.
 
Goosey said:
A couple years ago the Police3 was selling for $130-140...

Nowadays it's more like $170-180... same with the Ulize and Caly3.5, probably many more as well...
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http://www.knifeworks.com/spydercopolice3g-10handleplainedge.aspx#.U_YnuWMdWwQ

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Spyderco-Police-G10--4072

There are several more dealers that aren't BF sponsors that sell it for less, EBay also.

I think that a few dollars over how much it was a couple years ago is pretty normal in the world we live in. Inflation is a b**** lol. I remember when Mustangs were $5,000 :eek:
 
Thats not the case with all of them, you can still get a regular manix 2 for under $100 and of course the manix 2 S110V for about $110 which is insane value, among quite a few other models. Its true that many imported models are pricier though, but (correct me if im wrong) I think the value of the american dollar is decreasing compared to other currency, along with the knife market growing significantly which has probably also increased prices across the board. The other day I was looking at some recurve bows on a euro website and one of them was around 180 euros vs about $240, all of them had large price differences like this, I wasnt happy to see that.
 
Can't forget about the Mule team, either... not only are they affordable, we can't forget that Spyderco spent the money on them in the first place to research different steels and how to work with them, thereby benefiting the industry.
 
Recession-era bargains are over. Supply and demand. If there are buyers enough at higher prices, then prices will drift up, until the number of buyers willing to pay the prices equals the supply. My one Spyderco is a Delica 4. Doesn't look like they are much more expensive now than when I bought it a couple years ago.
 
I'm calling bull on this topic. Yes, Spyderco has introduced some more expensive knives recently, but its not like they discontinued their lower priced models. Say what you will about Taiwanese knives, but the knives coming out of Spyderco's Taichung plant are phenomenal, and the value is there, trust me. Were the Taichung knives made in the US, the cost would be substantially more. At $150~ the Gayle Bradley is a steal. CF, CPM-M4. Benchmade is the one who is no longer a value. They screwed themselves out of many potential buyers. There will always be BM fans who will continue to buy their products no matter the price and I guess that is what they are counting on.
 
Quiet said:
The Manix 2 S110V is an amazing knife for the money, I agree. But what is somewhat amusing is how people keep saying "You can get the Manix...etc.". What? No you can't. Every single vendor is sold out of it, and they don't know when they're getting more. LOL Come on, now.
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Yup. It's such a good value that they all sold out. Several models like that right now.
 
It only took 40 posts to hit upon the truth of the matter: The dollar has been badly debased by community organizing.
 
It depends on the knife. I don't see anything in the Benchmade lineup that comes close to touching the value of a stainless Endura 4 with serrations that will be re-sharpened for life by the manufacturer. I think I gave around $70 for that beast. And the ZDP-189 FFG version goes for well under $100. It seems to me there are still some true values in Spyderco's line up.

Don't get me wrong, I think that generally you get more with Benchmade (although I do find it annoying that they won't resharpen their serrated edges) but you pay more, too...sometimes a lot more. For example, you want carbon fiber scales? That will set you back a minimum of $250.
 
RamZar said:
The Taichung knives are some of the highest quality in the world with premium materials. You can even find great bargains in there like Sage 1 and Chaparral 1.
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My favorites from the Taichung offerings are the Sage 2, Sage 3 (blue G-10), Chaparral, Techno, Gayle Bradley Air, Dice, Gayle Bradley, Perrin PPT, Chicago, Southard and the TUFF.

The vast majority of these have a street price of $100 to $165.

I prefer the Spyderco brand well above any other, and I have owned a lot of different folders.

Spyderco: my FIRST choice...time after time after time...
 
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BradT85 said:
$108 blade in a $2 handle. I wouldnt call it a deal personally because FRN is absolutely terrible.

The para2 for around $80-100, which they are going for on the exchange now, is a great bang for your buck and is hard to beat. I easily prefer Spyderco to BM, but will choose Kershaw/ZT when it comes to bang for your buck any day.
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I have to agree with BradT. I had a Manix in S110V. I hated that cheap feeling thing. Wish they would put the 110V blade in G-10 Manix handle. I also agree that Kershaw / ZT is the best bang for your buck of all the knife manufacturers. Plus the ZT's are American made. Not Taiwan or China made like some that cost just as much. That's my opinion.
 
vwb563 said:
I have to agree with BradT. I had a Manix in S110V. I hated that cheap feeling thing. Wish they would put the 110V blade in G-10 Manix handle. I also agree that Kershaw / ZT is the best bang for your buck of all the knife manufacturers. Plus the ZT's are American made. Not Taiwan or China made like some that cost just as much. That's my opinion.
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I agree that the Manix in S110V felt cheap. I had two NIB; sold them quickly. However, the Spyderco models made in Seki City,Japan and Taichung,Taiwan AND in Golden, Colorado are all first class in general, IMO.
Yes, ZT's are great knives. I've had quite a few. However, in general, they are primarily designed for military and law enforcement, and as such, are too heavy-duty for MY casual use. But yes, ZT's are GREAT knives.
 
vwb563 said:
I have to agree with BradT. I had a Manix in S110V. I hated that cheap feeling thing.
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Yeah, you either get it with polymers or you hate them for feeling cheap. How many FRN knives have failed in use (that knives are intended for) and how many polymer guns like Glocks are touted across the world is a testament that "feeling cheap" doesn't mean that it is. May not make the best collector to put on a display case but it works.

vwb563 said:
Plus the ZT's are American made. Not Taiwan or China made like some that cost just as much. That's my opinion.
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True but if you want to play that game: ZT's owned by a foreign company that operate internationally including owning factories in China and ZT's almost always uses foreign steel. Sal has repeatedly said that they make knives in Taiwan NOT simply to save money but because they are capable of making good knives and their Golden CO. facility is currently limited but expanding.

My point is, it is hard to claim either as clear cut American and the same goes for nearly all American companies these days.
 
gooeytek said:
Spyderco Gayle Bradley. How's that for value?
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The Bradley would be good value at twice the price. All the Taichung knives I've seen are superb.

You know, why are we even debating the value issue? If someone's willing to pay the price for a product, they've made their value judgement already. Considering the willingness of many to buy Spyderco knives, apparently many consider them good value. Others make a different value judgement.

You pay your money and make your choice.
 
Stays Sharp said:
...ZT's almost always uses foreign steel.
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ZT uses a mix of foreign and U.S. steel although it's trending more towards Elmax & M390 as evidenced by the upcoming new models: 0562, 0526CF, 0620 and 0620CF.

U.S.: 154CM, S30V, S35VN, 3V
Foreign: Elmax, M390
 
Out of Spyderco, Benchmade, and ZT (yes ZT and Kershaw are owned by the same company but they are essentially two distinct brands) Spyderco is the only one that covers all ends of the production spectrum. From the lowly Tenacious up to the Southard and sprint runs they offer quality products at any price point.

Benchmade and ZT have their own limited editions but those run up to mid tech and custom prices and while they might be fantastic quality wise and gorgeous, value would not be the word I would chose to describe them.
 
Stays Sharp said:
The thread is about Spyderco losing its perceived bargain value, not knives being unavailable due to popularity.
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Inextricably tied. Low capacity is why customs cost more, with one knife taking weeks, months, or even years to be completed. High capacity is why Victorinox blades are sold cheap, spitting out 1,000 Classics a day (I believe that is the correct number, at least from a few years ago). Also the reason different Spydercos have different prices. Yes, materials & design matter, but they matter specifically because it affects how many can be made for a given amount of input.
 
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