Spyderco's new revolution?

[DaveH]

Let me say I've been reading the "Innovators Dilema" and the followup "Inovators Solution". Then I was thinking about knives. Several things occured to me.

When Spyderco introduced the pocket clip and the spyder hole opener, that really uncoupled the architecture of knives from having to sit at the bottom of your pocket. The result is a proliferation of design that we're still seeing today, it was revolutionary. IMO it's time for another revolutionary change.

Perhaps it's a modular lock system, where you can swap out new locks as they're developed.

Perhaps it some new opening or other change that makes any knife from other manufacturers a "spyderco knife" in some way.

Perhaps it's opening a whole new channel for knives, For example knives or knife like things pre-embedded in envelopes or boxes. ( Or a whole new knife design specifically for boxes and envelopes)

IMO while Spyderco has squarely addressed the "cutting" job a knife does, I think you might have missed the real and bigger job they do, provide entertainment. People "hire" (buy) a knife because it's fun to play with, relieves them when board and have something to figit with. While new steels are great, the steel doesn't really matter all that much. That's why I think AOs, automatics, balisongs, etc are so popular because they are entertaining. I think the deliberate design of a knife to address entertainment issues, and cutting secondary would be useful.

I've recently given some knives away to thoughtful intelligent people who have raved about how useful they turned out to be, people who previosuly never even considered carryign a knife. I think there's a huge number of people out there, not knife nuts, who haven't been reached. Maybe this is a channel issue, how do you put knives into the channels or value networks these people normally inhabit?

 

[gaj999]

( Or a whole new knife design specifically for boxes and envelopes)

They're called ...


drumroll please


Box Cutters! They do a darn good job, too, even if they're not sexy.
(I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just can't help myself.)

Gordon

 

[peacefuljeffrey]

I've recently given some knives away to thoughtful intelligent people who have raved about how useful they turned out to be, people who previosuly never even considered carryign a knife. I think there's a huge number of people out there, not knife nuts, who haven't been reached. Maybe this is a channel issue, how do you put knives into the channels or value networks these people normally inhabit?

I think knives may be tied with blunt objects for the title of "oldest tool ever in use by mankind," and as such, they are indisputably sufficiently well known that NO ONE HAS ANY EXCUSE FOR NOT KNOWING OF THE UTILITY OF HAVING A KNIFE AT HAND AND SUBSEQUENTLY BEING SURE TO BE EQUIPPED WITH ONE. No one.

So if there appears to be a difficulty in "reaching people out there," I think the fault lies with them, not with knife manufacturers somehow failing to hold up their end in terms of marketing knives and getting the word out. The word is out. It has been for thousands of years.

Think about it. It's within the last what, 20-30 years that knives have begun to be viewed negatively as some sort of contraband -- evidence that a person is somehow ferocious and/or dangerous to an uncivilized degree, and society must actually be protected against anyone who might carry a useful knife in public venues. Prior to that, knives were freakin' obligatory equipment for anyone who wanted to make his way through life successfully!

We have sunk as a civilization to a point where the better equipped you are, the less "civilized" you are judged to be, and the more scorned by those who mistakenly think themselves your betters. The more helpless and dependent on others you are, they seem to believe, the better of a person you are. Helpless -- ill-equippedness -- is now a virtue. It is nonsensical and counterintuitive; but stop 1000 people on the street in any metropolitan locale and see how many have a knife ready at hand on them. While you're at it, see how many have a flashlight. See how many have a piece of cordage. Or a means of producing flame (apart from those who smoke, I mean). If you find one who has a knife, grab the next seven or more people (who won't have a knife), and show them the first guy's knife: watch their faces contort in disgust and revulsion -- "What do you need that for?!"


There's a kind Thai woman who works in my office who, once or twice a week for the last several years or so, has come to me intermittently to borrow my Victorinox paring knife when she goes on her dinner break. I have asked her repeatedly why she does not get herself a knife of her own to keep in her cabinet and use when she needs it. I've even "threatened" to just get her a knife since she seems intransigent. She has no explanation why she won't get one for herself, or even just bring one in from home! I have to confess, I am baffled.

And then when someone at work needs something cut, or needs a flashlight because something fell behind a desk, they come to me. Why? Because they have failed at being humans; my point being that humans are supposed to be intelligent, tool-using creatures who make up for the lack of "claws" by obtaining and using tools as substitutes for what wilder animals possess by their nature, and these humans actively opt to not possess sharp edges! (Or fire, for that matter. I carry a lighter even though I have never smoked. I joke that it is homage to my "cave-man ancestry": "Hey, my cave-man ancestors figured out how to harness fire; the least I can do to respect them is make sure I keep it available since they did me the favor of discovering it.")

No, the knife makers are not remiss in any way, and cannot be accused of failing to make knives appealing enough to draw the masses. Knives are knives are knives, and there can be no mistaking that they are useful, and easy to obtain if a person wishes to maintain a level of preparedness for daily chores that even cave-men maintained with little difficulty. There is nothing more that need be done to make them appealing: their appeal is in the fact that they are useful for cutting. No bells and whistles are needed.


-Jeffrey

 

[Artfully Martial]

I think the only significant issue in getting non knife users to be come knife carriers is in PR.....

I do think a new trend might be to mix and match your own folder parts...you start with a "chassis," choose from a few different blade shapes and steels, a few different handle materials or colors, etc. Also, you could order one of the blades or scales separately for future swapping.

 

[peacefuljeffrey]

Let's not forget that there is a SERIOUS NEED for SERIOUS REFORM of laws that punish possession, carry, and use of various knives in jurisdictions all over the country and the world.

One more sign of the moronic sickness I mentioned earlier, where the millennia-old practice of possessing this utilitarian tool is now condemned by elitists who think there is nobility in being unprepared and dependent on others for simple tasks.

-Jeffrey

 

[peacefuljeffrey]

I do think a new trend might be to mix and match your own folder parts...you start with a "chassis," choose from a few different blade shapes and steels, a few different handle materials or colors, etc. Also, you could order one of the blades or scales separately for future swapping.

I can get behind this: it would enable lovers of the Dodo's design to put a different-geometry blade on it if they don't like recurve (like me). It would enable someone to, say, put ornate handle scales on their Delica 4.

Currently there is no reason why Spyderco could not offer sale of a swap-out blade for any knife that can be readily disassembled. Imagine a Wharncliffe Dodo, or a tanto Military or something, and all that would have to happen would be the company just makes sure the blade replacement would fit into the same handle.

Of course, I do NOT think this would draw non-knifey people into the company of knife-knuts and make them instant EDCers. It would simply be one more way to satisfy those of us who already like knives.


-Jeffrey

 

[kgriggs8]

"I think there's a huge number of people out there, not knife nuts, who haven't been reached."

That is true. I am surprised at how many people don't carry a knife. With the pocket clip it is so easy to carry that I don't understand why people wouldn't want to have a handy tool/weapon at there side when they need it. It is not like they have to wear a belt to carry one.

I think Spyderco is doing a good job of offering a wide range of knives that will suit many different needs. There are knives from Spyderco for everyone in the family.

 

[Simon Yu]

I've recently given some knives away to thoughtful intelligent people who have raved about how useful they turned out to be, people who previosuly never even considered carryign a knife. I think there's a huge number of people out there, not knife nuts, who haven't been reached. Maybe this is a channel issue, how do you put knives into the channels or value networks these people normally inhabit?

Part of it has to do with aesthetics. While I love synthetic materials like Zytel, G10, etc., it does get a bit boring having them come in black all the time. I like black as a color a lot, but on its own it tends to be rather uninteresting if not threatening.

If you've paid attention to the computer hardware industry, you'll note that Apple has made quite a good business out of peddling aesthetics. While containing laughable hardware capabilities, the iMac basically has sold itself on looking like a streamlined piece of equipment with a visually pleasing outer shell. There have been portable mp3 players for YEARS but none of them caught on like the iPod did. None had the elegant design of the iPod either.

In a similar way, if I want a knife to catch a friend's attention, I do it with my Ti-handled Lum Tanto, the Vessuvius with abolone insert, the Viele folder, the Santa Fe Stonework's Delica with mother of pearl scales, or a Ti handled balisong that's been annondized blue. My army of Natives stay in my pockets for that. It's a bit harder to wow someone with what a knife does since we all know they cut stuff, so the better path may be wowing them with what one can be.

The tough part is making something that's affordable enough and pretty enough without getting in the way of ergonomics and performance.

 

[Artfully Martial]

iMacs don't have laughable hardware stats compared to competitors. The statistics are identical to the PC competitors because it's all off the shelf PC hardware. Though we could still debate they're overpriced for their hardware.

In any case, regarding the swapability of blades\scales, etc, Spyderco actually does this, just (mostly) one at a time and over the course of a few years per knife.

 

[eojk]

I do think a new trend might be to mix and match your own folder parts...you start with a "chassis," choose from a few different blade shapes and steels, a few different handle materials or colors, etc. Also, you could order one of the blades or scales separately for future swapping.

\

This would rule. I know several people who would choose certain knives on color alone, with my girlfriend being one of them. The benign-looking blue handles of my Yojimbo are one feature I really like. This marketability would at least work on more economic knives like the Delica. A I'd buy a wharncliffe Delica 4 for sure. This idea has had a lot of support regarding the Dodo too. I wonder what the disparate costs would be for differing steels and shapes though. I would tend to think that color variation would be fairly cheap, especially on the FRN models.

 

[Simon Yu]

In any case, regarding the swapability of blades\scales, etc, Spyderco actually does this, just (mostly) one at a time and over the course of a few years per knife.

Santa Fe Stoneworks also sometimes does this in the form of aftermarket modifications with an agreement from Spyderco. The selection of models they do this to by default isn't the largest, but these things look gorgeous and some people have sent in their own spydercos for custom work. Of course, this is higher than the price range of many people. Stuff like offering decorative pins, clips, or screws (as someone alluded to in another thread) could also work without having to commit a production run to a varient.

 

[Artfully Martial]

Good ideas Simon. I think the clip idea would be great.

And yes, this should actually end up costing us more, at least initially. It would need to be focused only on specific models that we expect to have super high demand...so we can ensure that they'll sell. Of course, we could have all new modular models, which might work better price wise.

Remember that there is an advantage to the highest initial price of these modular knives though. You're going to keep them potentially interesting (and maybe even more useful) for longer, and you will increase their effectively life span. Put some horrible scratches in that FRN? Well, you know longer have to stick with having an ugly but nonetheless useful knife or just buying a whole new knife that you're afraid to use hard for fear of scratching it up. A G10 replacement scale is just 20 dollars and a phone call away. Who knows how much that would actually cost. In any case, I'd pay for it personally....I think we've seen that a significant number of Spyderfans agree. They'll buy a Delica, a Pacific Salt, all the other variations I can't think of...but basically, it does appear people are willing to pay extra money to buy the same knives with different scales, blade shapes or steels.

 

[Andre]

Hmmm.... i have a different view on this.

When you buy a knife, you buy somebody else's work, idea, vision, art, whatever you want to call it. When you assemble your own "work of art" from a box of components you have your own unique design, which on the flip side, could also be compared with a lego or mechano set

If i wanted to design my own stuff, i would look into making knives. I just like buying the designs that are already out there that appeal most to me. No, it's not an original idea, buy why fix something that isn't broken.

Many might disagree, so don't take this view too hard

One thing that does hold merit though is the call for additional color handles. Maybe something like the next small to medium production Spyderco should get a "blue" FRN handle or something like that. I have a green Salsa, blue Dodo and i really like the colors.

 

[Simon Yu]

Hmmm.... i have a different view on this.

When you buy a knife, you buy somebody else's work, idea, vision, art, whatever you want to call it. When you assemble your own "work of art" from a box of components you have your own unique design, which on the flip side, could also be compared with a lego or mechano set

Would it surprise you to learn that some of us really, really like LEGOs even as adults?

It's not uncommon for people to modify production knives. Some makers got their start embellishing other people's knives by adding filework or replacing scales long before they tried their hand at the whole thing. Some companies also make a business of it by offering their production knives with a variety of options. Take a look at the variations available for Chrise Reeve Knives' Sebenza. But it's not something everyone wants to do obviously which is why it's always an option to go with the default configurations.