Spydie "R" Question

[Nick]

I was wondering if the clip is reversible for lefties...Thanks for any info.
Nick

 

[Sal Glesser]

Nick - No, they aren't. Sorry about that. The scales are asymetrical. Needed more meat in the clip side scale. Perhaps if demand requires another batch. Variations of blade and/or color of the "R" are possible. We might add a left hand version or make them left/right.
sal

 

[Titan]

Sal -- Bob Taylor said you said that left hand models sales are not that significant.

If this is the case, making "R" left/right capable is more cost-effective than making a dedicated left hand model (and for other Spydies, for that matter)?

Here's a link www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum22/HTML/000047.html

[This message has been edited by Titan (edited 31 May 1999).]

 

[Griffon]

Sal -- Bob Taylor said you said that left hand models sales are not that significant.

Most estimates I've seen say that left handed people are about 5-8% of the population (and I think slightly higher for men than for women). Does "not that significant" in this context refer to total sales or the percieved number of customers which could be expected to want left handed knives?

(Not that it's really possible to say how many are left handed, as there's no definition which can separate left- from right-handed.)

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www.canit.se/%7Egriffon/diverse/knives/

 

[James Mattis]

If a left-handed model was available for every right-handed knife, and if I, as a small time dealer, normally stocked between one and three of most Spyderco SKUs, and if left-handed people number less than 10% of right-handed people, I would either have a lot of inventory that moved less than 10% as fast as my right-handed knives, or I would not stock the left-handed models and depend on my sources to, I hope, have one when somebody orders one.

That is why Benchmade makes a few mirror-image left-handed liner locks, but not the whole line that way, and why Spyderco went for the reversable clip in their lightweight lockbacks. Ambidextrous is much more cost-effective than dedicated left-handed models.


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com

 

[Sal Glesser]

Titan - It is true that left/right is more cost effective that dedicated left, but right only is the most cost efective. Especially in the case of a "test" model, which the "R" is.

We only produced one "batch" of 1200 pcs, primarily for collectors. It is a "Specialty" design that we made on the "Gee, It would be neat to have one of these". The first "batch" is already sold to distributors/dealers. Whether we produce a 2nd batch will depend on demand (orders).

In order to continue making some of the "neat" stuff, and not create the "too many SKUs problem", for now, this method works.

Spyderco originally made 20% dedicated left hand models on everything. (surveys indicated 20% Americans were left handed). "Workers" were available in Left or right and plain or serrated. SKU nightmare, especially when upgrades occurred.

On Linerlocks, we made some lefts in C15's and C19's.

The left/right clip on many of our models is the current trend. The "R" was an exception. Hope this helps.
sal

 

[Dennis Wright]

As a dealer, I have to say while the percentage of left handed people "out there" may indeed be 8 - 10% or even 20% of the population, the actual sales in my area for left handed knives is closer to 1%. I think I have sold a total of five Lefty Police models over entire time that I have been selling knives. I carried the last one for almost two years before someone finally bought it. I picked up one more last month because they have been discontinued and wanted it in my display. I expect it to be there for a long time.

I also got a bunch of Benchmade left handed Emerson models when they were discontinued and I still have most of them too. Left handed knives are not a significant factor in knife sales unless you consider extremely slow movers as "significant".

There is a reason that there are not a lot of left handed knives out there. NOBODY BUYS THEM! (I'm not yelling, just making a point.)

Actually, the ambidextrous knives are the way to go, in my opinion.

Dennis


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Isn't it amazing how 2 cents worth of opinion takes up a quarter's worth of paper???

Please excuse the crayon. They won't let us have anything sharp in here.
wrightknife@ixpres.com

 

[Nick]

As far as the stocking of left handed knives go, I would not mind if a dealer had to special order it for me.The problem is the manufacture of lefty models.I certainly tip my hat to Spyderco for making the new models with the ambi clips.Sal, any idea where I could get one of the lefty Terzuolas'? Dennis,how about a sweet deal on one of those lefty Emersons?
Nick

 

[David Rock]

This is a difficult question, and I don't expect anyone to answer it for me, but I'm curious to know what percentage of dedicated left-hand knives are actually purchased by right-handed people for weak-side carry?

David Rock