Triple Aught Design??

JG_in_SB

JG_in_SB

Joined
Jan 12, 2014
Messages
158
Can someone please explain this company to me? It seems like they basically take other maker's knives, carve three lines in them, put them in a new box, and then the price gets marked up. Am I missing something here? Why would I want a TAD Hinderer or Rassenti instead of just the straight from maker version?

I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything. I really just don't understand this and hoping to get some info.

Thanks in advance.
 
There's a market for them, so people buy them. What's to explain?
 
TAD isn't a knife company, started as a high end apparel company, they do collaborations with makers some, and that makes those knives valuable due to their exclusivity and demand. Knives have become part of what they do, as fans of their clothing wanted other items made by/with/for TAD.
 
Think of them as essentially the Coach or Gucci of the tactical gear world. They made good stuff and the demand for their stuff went up, so they raised prices and sort of became an exclusive brand.

They still make quality stuff, but pretty much everything they put out has gotten way more expensive than the value you get (IMO) over the years. I've owned a TAD Gear fleece hoodie and had the seem come unraveled (same thing happened to a friend) after a lot of wear. There is only so much you can do to make something high-quality or hard-use and after that, it's all fantasy.

Once they got famous enough, they started slapping their label on collabs and charging more for the special-run aspect of it. There is a market and folks pay for it, but at least in the realm of knives, you're paying for the name/logo and that's about it.
 
It's pretty much what everyone has stated. A limited run knife to the company's specs. They usually have the signature 3 handle grooves. Sometimes they'll get an alternate blade grind from the usual model as well.

I think if it as akin to the LCC series of knives from Les Robertson back in the 90's. It's a curated collection of knives from selected makers who have made special editions for the company with specific exclusive features. The reputation of the company and the limited nature of the editions makes them desirable and drives the price up. Notably, the TAD editions aren't excessively priced on first sale. It's the aftermarket that kills you.

I look at it as another opportunity to buy a maker's knife at table price. If you get picked in the lottery, yay, but I don't go chasing after them in the aftermarket.
 
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When they started selling knives, they focused on a limited number of high-end makers. I first saw far-out Snodys on the TAD website. :)

It seems like they don't carry as much gear as they used to. But I don't haunt the site like I did, at least once a week back then.
 
Yeah. I noticed their prices for knives on their website were reasonable....even really good. But all out of stock ;)
 
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