What the heck AG Russell?!

AG, this is not really related to the thread, but since you are reading this I will say it here.

I remember the grand opening of your new facility with all the company reps there are so on. That was a pretty neat deal...you ever think of just doing that type of thing every year or every couple of years or something?
 
sak_collector said:
AG, this is not really related to the thread, but since you are reading this I will say it here.

I remember the grand opening of your new facility with all the company reps there are so on. That was a pretty neat deal...you ever think of just doing that type of thing every year or every couple of years or something?
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May as well keep this one going. I think that this has been a great thread and want to thank everyone who contributed and especially those who stirred the pot even though they may have meant harm, they really did only good.

I have wanted to combine a Knife Event with all the reps and a small Invitational Show for about 20-30 makers of hand made knives.

We try to run as lean an operation as we can and that means everybody works hard through most of the year and this season it is root hog or die we had about 525 hours of overtime this past two weeks. The show would have to be in July or August, probably the first week in August.
If I can manage to do it I will.
 
Lots of people talk about our prices on the regular knives we carry. I NEVER try to have the lowest price, we go to the web sites of Knife Center and a few others and then price a few dollars above their prices. I think our catalog, service, and guarantee are worth that extra dollars. We constantly work to keep that high level of customer service and information, and to offer high quality and unusual knives.

A. G. Russell

Merry Christmas and God bless you all!
 
A.G.,sir.There's a thread going on in Blade Discussion forum,thanking you for the 350 packages you sent to 1st Brigade,10th Mountain Division.You could pop in an surprise 'em.Thanks from us also. :thumbup:
 
brownshoe said:
I have had good service from AGR. However, I have also noted that some of his items are definitely not "good deals." They are usually the higher priced knives, the exclusives and the hand mades. I think that these knives sold as "collectibles" are often hyped in the ad copy beyond reality and are not worth the money. For example, compare the pricing and ad copy on the "handmade" Doziers and the "partially manufactured" Doziers to see the slickness of his marketing techniques. Another example is the prices and ad copy for the "found" H&R and Pumas. I find this funny now, a few years ago I ate it up, and wished I too could get the exclusive knife that would earn money just sitting in my drawer. Then I went to some knife shows, read more, and found out many of these products are a marketing trap for neophyte knife collectors. Kind of like the SMKW TV show but at a much higher level.

I believe this marketing hype is what ticked off Marcangel. He got taken by the slick ad copy, paid more than the knives were worth, thinking they were exclusive and now finds out they are worth a lot less than he paid for. Even if it was an AGR exclusive, the AL MARs were essentially just another Moki product and probably would have instantly depreciated, there just isn't the market for them. Marcangel should return them to AGR based upon his guarentee of satisfaction. If everyone who bought an advertised "collectible" from AGR only to find it worth less in a year than the purchase price, I doubt AGR would be in business.

What AGR practices is a time honored american business practice. Is this type of marketing lying? Only you can decide how far the truth can be stretched before it breaks.
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while I was studying the sales of our recent printed Cutting Edge I thought of this post. In 1976 we sold 250 sets of 10 Hen & Rooster knives, we called them the "slick" name of "111th Annaversary Set" These knives had Ivory, Pearl and Horn and Stag handles. We broke up a one of these sets in this recent book and while we sold these sets for $350 and never promised that they would increase in value. We just sold 5 of the 10 knives and the amount was $2040. How about that business practice, how about that streching of the truth? The man who bought my idea of fine knives gets over $1,500 and still has half the knives yet to sell. Talk to that man about "Time honored American buksiness practice"

Sorry, I just could not resist. Christmas was wonderful, this past year was our best. God has blessed me and I hope he does the same for all of you.

A. G.
 
In 31 years of selling knives (mostly in my own little corner of Virginia), I have neither seen or heard of dastardly acts by A.G. I do not know him personally and I am sure he does not know me from a bale of hay, but I would have no problems dealing with him or his company. Price points are set by many factors other than the cost of goods sold. Stuff happens in business, deals fall through the slats no matter how hard you strive for perfection. Calls and emails sometimes are mis-directed or accidently deleted. Most any ad copy can be read several ways, determined by what the reader WANTS the ad to say. I admire A.G. getting into this thread, not to defend himself or his company, but to open a dialog with the end line user.
Just my 0.02
Regards, Mike
 
:thumbup: I would just like to thank the following people: the initial poster...without you, none of this would have been possible.

to the guy with a huge chip on his shoulder...without you the Deacon would have never stepped in

to the Deacon...without your love of the kiwi I would never have learned of the differences of the AG Russell vs. the SFSW black pearl kiwi.

to AG Russell for setting up the exclusive with Spyderco...I've been waffling on the kiwi for some time, but sometime in the next few months you will be sending one of those kiwis to Vegas. :D
 
Nice example, but one of thousands does not justify the overall hype to collectors. What about the 1-hand knife. It was a great knife and collectible in the original all steel design, but now with the rucarta version, the FRN version, the collectible factor is more than slightly diminished.

I saw the recent catalog. On one page there are authorized redentionns of Loveless knives. They are stamped as such with his design logo. Two pages later there is a lot of copy about a Dozier loveless design. It is implied that the design is authorized ("Dozier was trained to make loveless style sheaths" and "Bob gave the first knife to Loveless.") What's the deal, is authorized by Loveless or not? Is it just another $800 copy?

Later in the advertisement we're told that Dozier can only make ~8 a month. This implies that the knife is made by Bob Dozier, not by his shop. A few years ago on this forum, Dozier indicated that he can't remember the last time he completed a knife start to finish. His knives are made in his shop by himself and his assistant(s). Is this knife really made strictly by Dozier, because if it is, then that makes the price worth it.
 
brownshoe said:
Nice example, but one of thousands does not justify the overall hype to collectors. What about the 1-hand knife. It was a great knife and collectible in the original all steel design, but now with the rucarta version, the FRN version, the collectible factor is more than slightly diminished.

I saw the recent catalog. On one page there are authorized redentionns of Loveless knives. They are stamped as such with his design logo. Two pages later there is a lot of copy about a Dozier loveless design. It is implied that the design is authorized ("Dozier was trained to make loveless style sheaths" and "Bob gave the first knife to Loveless.") What's the deal, is authorized by Loveless or not? Is it just another $800 copy?

Later in the advertisement we're told that Dozier can only make ~8 a month. This implies that the knife is made by Bob Dozier, not by his shop. A few years ago on this forum, Dozier indicated that he can't remember the last time he completed a knife start to finish. His knives are made in his shop by himself and his assistant(s). Is this knife really made strictly by Dozier, because if it is, then that makes the price worth it.
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What have I EVER said about the one hand knife being collectable??

PLEASE shojw me the word AUTHORIZED any where in my catalog where it refers to Loveless or to Dozier.

Bob Dozier tells me that only he works on the Loveless design Dozier knives that he is making. But why would I believe a man I have only known for 35 years? The most honest, stright talking person, after my father I have ever met. Gee, Brownshoe, I am so glad you think one of my prices is worth the money. You have made my new year.

Again, God bless all the good people in the knife world who have made my life what it has been for the past 40 years. A. G.
 
You market all your AGR high dollar knives as collectibles, right now your home page has one of the one-handed steel knives with a "collectible" etching of "first production 1 of 200". Of course the FRN is not collectible, but its existence dilutes the collectible value of the originals, as does your continued production. Actually the original all steel ones have kept their value, but not increased in value.

When it comes to the Dozier Loveless, I gather from your statements the Dozier product is not authorized by Loveless. You are right, the catalog does not say it is authorized, but it is definitely implied by your ad copy. Pretty slick marketing to make it look like an authorized product by indicating that the first knife was given to Loveless and Dozier learned how to do the "loveless" sheath. It's also placed one page away from true authorized Loveless reproductions. You even say its 1/3 to 1/4 of the price of a real Loveless to make it look like a bargain at $800. This is deceptive marketing. In reality its just another copy of a Loveless design. To get out of paying Loveless any money, you've got a lot of insinuations about its authenticity, but in reality its not authentic loveless. You even imply in your ad copy that loveless and his "partner" are no longer capable of producing many knives.

Per being worth $800, does the knife come with a certificate of sole authorship by Bob Dozier? You may know Dozier for 35 years but that doesn't do a collector any good w/o proof of authorship. If it does have a certificate, then it may be worth the price, otherwise it's just a polished version of a dozier that usually retails for about $300. But it's got a different tang stamp, leather sheath and 154cm not the highly touted dozier D2 and kydex sheath, is that because it's a collectible and not meant to be used?

Don't forget AGR, you have the right to market as you see fit. However, this is the GB&U where we, the consumer and you, the purveyor, get to air our full opinions. I made my first comment, and left this topic alone out of respect for your age and position in the "industry." However, your recent comments have made me feel the need to back-up some of my statements. I don't want to get into a pissing match, so I won't bother to fan these flames again.
 
brownshoe said:
You market all your AGR high dollar knives as collectibles, right now your home page has one of the one-handed steel knives with a "collectible" etching of "first production 1 of 200". Of course the FRN is not collectible, but its existence dilutes the collectible value of the originals, as does your continued production. Actually the original all steel ones have kept their value, but not increased in value.
.
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Actually since they started out at $35 they seem to have increased a bit. What is FRN?
 
brownshoe said:
Per being worth $800, does the knife come with a certificate of sole authorship by Bob Dozier? You may know Dozier for 35 years but that doesn't do a collector any good w/o proof of authorship. If it does have a certificate, then it may be worth the price, otherwise it's just a polished version of a dozier that usually retails for about $300. But it's got a different tang stamp, leather sheath and 154cm not the highly touted dozier D2 and kydex sheath, is that because it's a collectible and not meant to be used?
.
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I do not believe in Certificates, anyone with a computer can do them and they are worthless.

If my word is without meaning, then do business elsewheres, obviously it has only negative meaning to you, why do you keep harrassing me? I really have never spoken ill of you or your family, if I have done you wrong allow me the oppertunity to redress that wrong or get off my back. If you wish to do more than pick then reach me at agr@agr3.com I have just unscribed to this thread
 
FRN is Fabric Reinforced Nylon. (Zytel is a Dupont trademark for FRN manufactured by Dupont. FRN manufactured by other companies is sometimes erroneously called Zytel.)
 
My dealings with AG have been great.

I'm also one of the many military members that he personally contacted about items that would be of help to us while deployed.

He seems to be a fine southern gentleman and I appreciate that greatly.
 
I was wrong to leave. I let one person drive me from my friends and customers. I let them down and my self.

Brownshoe is not really interested in exposing me as a cheat and a lier, all he wants to do is build his ego by showing all of you that he is smarter than you are. We should not get angry, but it is hard to feel sorry for someone so full of himself. The only way to deal with this type is to pretend he is not in the room, when his post get dusty he will fade away.

A. G.

Thanks Cougar, the way my memory is I will need that help again.
 
Of course Keith is right -- but there's nothing wrong with me that a simple brain transplant won't cure. :foot:
 
I have ordered a couple times from AGR and both purchases were motivated by the incredible pictures of the product in the catalog. I remember being mesmerized by the purdy picture, then blacked out and woke up with my credit cards lying all around me :)



Keep on trucking AG
 
A. G. Russell said:
The only way to deal with this type is to pretend he is not in the room, when his post get dusty he will fade away.
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The Ignore Button works great! I highly recommend it! :thumbup:
 
Mr. Russell, I hope 2006 proves to be your very best year ever!!!

Thanks for your SUPERB service to us knifeknuts............


*Edited so it makes sense!!!
 
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