Thoughts on how make sprint runs interesting again?

G

Gideons

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Dec 9, 2015
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Hey BF,

This may seem weird, but I've noticed some people are starting to get a little tired of so many sprint runs. This makes them a lot less special and ruins the value of them. So my thoughts was... why not use an old design for a sprint run? I mean, we all know knife companies sometimes discontinue beloved designs and models. So, every few years bring them back shortly? Like, I could imagine the sales on a ZT 0302 or ZT 0560BW re-run would sell very well. Since some of the knives in circulation are getting older, I'm sure people wouldn't mind getting a replacement or a spare. Of course this would be after a few years, so maybe Benchmade could do a sprint run of 710 or stryker axis. I'm sure there are multiple other knives people can think of that they dearly missed models and are popular. I could see this being a profitable and useful alternative to what is currently being offered in the knife market.

-Gideons
 
It would also piss off the people who have a bunch of discoed & highly sought after models.
Wouldn't that bring those prices down??
 
palonej said:
It would also piss off the people who have a bunch of discoed & highly sought after models.
Wouldn't that bring those prices down??
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On the secondary market? But, I mean many of the old knives aren't for sale and if there is... normally people from my experience people aren't willing to pay that much more for them later on. For example; the knives I mentioned there are a lot out there so they aren't super rare since they were in production for years. You think people bought like 10 ZT 0302's to resell later for a profit? Also, isn't that kinda what for example what ZT is doing with the 0392? Look at how many runs their are of the same knife which making it really not that rare anymore and I'm sure that the market value of them is low compared to if their was just one or two 0392 runs.
 
I was thinking of some discoed Spydie's & Benchmades that go for way more than original asking prices.
If they were re introduced, I think asking prices on the secondary market would come way down.
 
palonej said:
I was thinking of some discoed Spydie's & Benchmades that go for way more than original asking prices.
If they were re introduced, I think asking prices on the secondary market would come way down.
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I'm kinda newer to the knife market so I may not know of them. I understand the secondary market value, but isn't it better as a community that more people can enjoyed beloved designs vs collectors holding onto them? I'm not saying that all the old designs should could back... But, I'm sure there are some yourself that may not be super rare... that you wouldn't mind seeing come so you could pick up a new one.
 
I'm new also and would LOVE it, I just don't see it happening.
 
Not doing sprints of the same models almost every time like ZT does. How many variations on the 0801 and 0392 did we really need? Wouldn't a sprint 0777 or 0999 or Tilt or something be more interesting?
 
Gideons said:
You're still interested for example, in the ZT 0392? Their have been so many runs it just doesn't interest me anymore tbh. But, interesting.
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Yes, still interested. Thats why I said make more of them. Stuff that is extremely limited is still cool, but sells out so quick that we only talk about it in retrospect.
 
But on another note, I do love what some manufacturers have been doing lately. Take a low-cost popular knife and run it with better steel/materials for a bit more. I am thinking the CRKT squid in titanium/sandvik and the Boker Lancer in S35VN. Both are inexpensive knives, and even the upgraded sprints were at a great price point that kept them affordable. Still an issue with limited availability though, which I think is kind of unavoidable to keep knives desired and exclusive enough to sell.
 
Buy Sprint Runs because you want the knife in that steel, not as an investment strategy. You never know what people will want in the future and any sprint run can lose its value.

I agree though that they should release older sought after models that shouldn't have ever been discontinued in the first place.
 
By definition a Sprint run is a re-issue of an older model in a different steel or finish etc.

In before the OP locks when he doesn't like what he hears.

Just post up a want to buy ad for whatever Zero Tolerance knife you're pining for and get ready to pay through the nose.

Mopey threads about how Zero Tolerance discontinued some knife you want or why they don't do a sprint run of it will never result in them reading your mind and making a special one that you can buy for cheap.

In other news jimping on a thumb ramp encourages a weak grip. Don't believe it; easy to prove with simple kinematics. Grip a knife in a hammer or Filipino grip; then move your thumb to the jimping on the thumb ramp and watch your grip open up. Having that loose grip is fine for chopping wood or opening boxes but for "hard use tactical" it's the opposite of what you need.
 
One way to stop manufacturers from spewing out boring sprint runs...



stop buying them.

So crazy it just might work. :thumbup:
 
i like how spyderco does sprint runs. not ZT.

spyderco does a sprint run with a different type of steel and then charges only a little bit more.

zt will just change colors of the handles or the blade shape. they did offer an s90v variant of one of there standard knives which is cool, but charged way to much for it.
 
palonej said:
It would also piss off the people who have a bunch of discoed & highly sought after models.
Wouldn't that bring those prices down??
Click to expand...

Precisely. Manufacturer makes "sprint run" using green screws instead of blue screws...people snap them all up in seconds fearing they they will miss out on this highly sought after limited run....knife sells out....manufacturer makes "sprint run" using red screws instead of green screws...repeat.

I do hope these knives retain some value for the folks who buy them...but I fear that "perceived value" only inspires the manufacturers to crank out more and more runs (people are going to buy them!), and that just, as palonej points out, lowers the value.
 
marcinek said:
Precisely. Manufacturer makes "sprint run" using green screws instead of blue screws...people snap them all up in seconds fearing they they will miss out on this highly sought after limited run....knife sells out....manufacturer makes "sprint run" using red screws instead of green screws...repeat.

I do hope these knives retain some value for the folks who buy them...but I fear that "perceived value" only inspires the manufacturers to crank out more and more runs (people are going to buy them!), and that just, as palonej points out, lowers the value.
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Good point Marcie. Look at Spydie and ZT. Both have dumped a ton of sprints in the last year alone.
 
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