What the heck is a "tribute" knife?

Triton

Triton

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What is a "tribute" knife? I've seen this term used before several times in Blade Magazine, and I noted a dustup about them over in the Good the Bad and the Ugly recently. In this case it appears that they are Lile Rambo "tribute" knives. The thing I'm wondering is, what is the difference between a "tribute" knife and a "copy?" Is there some sort of licensing fee paid to the orginator of the design (or in the case of Lile their estate). Or is a "tribute" knife just a fancy way of saying "I copied this design?" What is the differentiator?
 
It's a knife paying tribute to a maker/designer/innovator, in other words honoring them. Take a look at the spyderco sage series. 1 Walker's liner lock. 2 Reeve's integral frame lock. 3 Collins bolt action lock. 4 al-mar popularized mid-lock (lock back).
 
9blades said:
It's a knife paying tribute to a maker/designer/innovator, in other words honoring them. Take a look at the spyderco sage series. 1 Walker's liner lock. 2 Reeve's integral frame lock. 3 Collins bolt action lock. 4 al-mar popularized mid-lock (lock back).
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... and collecting the check for "honoring" them?
 
Triton said:
... and collecting the check for "honoring" them?
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Exactly! Welcome to today's economy haha

Kidding aside, I imagine part of the money would go to whatever the knife is honoring.
 
Basically it's just about being honest as to where the inspiration comes from.
"Tribute", "Inspired by", it's all about giving credit where it's due.
That is all. Nothing sinister. Nothing underhanded...actually, it's the opposite of that.
Transparency.
Being an open book.
And some other terms that mean the exact same thing. :)
 
stabman said:
Basically it's just about being honest as to where the inspiration comes from.
"Tribute", "Inspired by", it's all about giving credit where it's due.
That is all. Nothing sinister. Nothing underhanded...actually, it's the opposite of that.
Transparency.
Being an open book.
And some other terms that mean the exact same thing. :)
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Very nicely put. :thumbup:
 
To me, calling it a tribute is saying, 'hey, here is a copy/clone/fake of a really popular knife. I'm willing to give credit where credit is due abd by calling it a tribute,I won't feel bad about taking your money or being able to use the maker's name in my advertisement.'
 
Scurvy092 said:
To me, calling it a tribute is saying, 'hey, here is a copy/clone/fake of a really popular knife. I'm willing to give credit where credit is due abd by calling it a tribute,I won't feel bad about taking your money or being able to use the maker's name in my advertisement.'
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That's sort of the conclusion I'm coming to based on these posts. If there is no royalty being paid to the guy that came up with the idea then in fact isn't whoever is doing the "tribute" really just profiting from the ingenuity and ideas of someone else? Is the only thing that actually separates them from cheap chinese / pakistani / whatever copies the idea that they are up front about where they are copying from? Would it be okay if the cheap copies said "tribute to <insert maker here> on them?
 
I don't see any issues with giving props to knife makers if they happen to be that good. Look at Lum, Centofante for example...they are basically that good! :) And they should get all the credit they deserve for their designs. Same with a whole mess of designers out there like Chad Los Banos, Terzuola and more!!!
 
cchu518 said:
I don't see any issues with giving props to knife makers if they happen to be that good. Look at Lum, Centofante for example...they are basically that good! :) And they should get all the credit they deserve for their designs. Same with a whole mess of designers out there like Chad Los Banos, Terzuola and more!!!
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I don't disagree in the least, the absolutely should get credit for their designs and ideas, the question is whether or not using their designs and calling it a "tribute" is really just a way to avoid actually having to pay and license those designs.
 
stabman said:
Basically it's just about being honest as to where the inspiration comes from.
"Tribute", "Inspired by", it's all about giving credit where it's due.
That is all. Nothing sinister. Nothing underhanded...actually, it's the opposite of that.
Transparency.
Being an open book.
And some other terms that mean the exact same thing. :)
Click to expand...
sometimes it's this. ....
Scurvy092 said:
To me, calling it a tribute is saying, 'hey, here is a copy/clone/fake of a really popular knife. I'm willing to give credit where credit is due abd by calling it a tribute,I won't feel bad about taking your money or being able to use the maker's name in my advertisement.'
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And sometimes it's this. The world isn't Black and White.
 
I love how we're so easily up in arms about someone copying a design...

It's a knife. There's only so many things you can do before you either stop making them or start doing something that's already been done. As long as you're not making an exact replica and calling it your own design, who really cares if a knife is based off of another knife?
 
Grease said:
I love how we're so easily up in arms about someone copying a design...

It's a knife. There's only so many things you can do before you either stop making them or start doing something that's already been done. As long as you're not making an exact replica and calling it your own design, who really cares if a knife is based off of another knife?
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There's some truth there, but if someone has created a new design, opening mechanism, locking mechanism etc. I'm guessing that THEY might care if someone is copying their design. Even if they call it a "tribute."
 
I suppose at least something like a Scagel Tribute is better than knocking off someone's original design while they are still making it, like a Randall No. 1, and giving them no credit/tribute at all.
 
Triton said:
There's some truth there, but if someone has created a new design, opening mechanism, locking mechanism etc. I'm guessing that THEY might care if someone is copying their design. Even if they call it a "tribute."
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Insofar as custom knives are concerned I think that it is the intent that is important.

For example there are many makers who produce Loveless design knives. These could be called tribute knives and they in no way reduce the popularity or price of the genuine article. (indeed Loveless shared his patterns far and wide)

A custom maker who re-produces the designs of a deceased maker is re-producing something which is no longer available. I really do not see any problem with that. However if they attempt to use the makers name on the knife without permission or attempt to produce a forgery, that is a different matter altogether.
 
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