Why is the LionSpy more expensive than Zero Tolerance 0560

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ukknifer

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Jan 30, 2010
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Lionspy = 320$
Zero Tolerance 0560= 260$
both use g10 and titanium on the handle and elmax on the blade.
 
It is a good question. I originally was thinking manufacturing cost but when you actually think about it they're not much different... Titanium frame lock, 3D machined G-10, Elmax... 0560 has KVT, Lionspy has rotoblock and lockbar insert....
 
And street price of a LionSpy can be ~$270.

So....$270 vs. $260.

Not really enough difference to fret about.

Both excellent knives.

Kershaw/ZT keeps putting out terrific product. A hard act to beat.
 
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ukknifer said:
ZT Made in USA
LIONSPY Italy
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I would suspect this has something to do with it. We tend to forget the increased cost of importing because some countries offer such inexpensive manufacturing that it more than evens it out. But for a product made in a country like Italy and imported in relatively small numbers it will add a decent chunk to the cost. Also, Kershaw/ZT has always excelled at bringing knife knuts great knives at excellent prices, so I doff my cap to them on this one.
 
The difference would probably be bigger, but I think ZT enforces and MAP policy and I don't know of anyone who goes under it.
 
ZT is with Kershaw. Bigger company=bigger economy of scale. They already have tons of expensive machinery paid for mostly by Kershaw's cheaper lines. Smaller companies have to finance their tooling based on sales of a very specialized and low volume product, or lease the shop time from someone who will take their cut of the profit. Also, ZT tends to sell below the price that the market can probably support (although they seem to be catching on to this now). I suspect that they kept the pricing low to introduce the new ZT line, but now that the brand has received a lot of recognition they've been hiking prices up. The demand is still higher than the supply enough to cause mass backorders of ZT knives, though.
 
ukknifer said:
Lionspy = 320$
Zero Tolerance 0560= 260$
both use g10 and titanium on the handle and elmax on the blade.
Click to expand...

Material similarities aside, my guess is that one being made in the states the other in Italy has something to do with it. In addition, there is no "flat rate" manufacturing costs. Each company charges whatever they feel their time and skill is worth. That being said, it can vary from one country to the next. If you look at the prices of the SR-1, they are yet higher than say an all Ti knife like a Bradley Alias 1 or the Spyderco Sage 2.
 
RevDevil said:
Material similarities aside, my guess is that one being made in the states the other in Italy has something to do with it. In addition, there is no "flat rate" manufacturing costs. Each company charges whatever they feel their time and skill is worth. That being said, it can vary from one country to the next. If you look at the prices of the SR-1, they are yet higher than say an all Ti knife like a Bradley Alias 1 or the Spyderco Sage 2.
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I think part of the price difference on the SR-1 is that the handle is milled from a single block of titanium rather than having matching scales cut and paired. That's gotta be an expensive process.
 
The Euro versus US$ is part of it, but I would wager that the biggest reason for the higher price is the sales expectations. ZT has a long track record with this sort of knife and they can produce in much larger quantities knowing the approximate quantity that their market will buy. for Spyderco this is a unique knife and the quantity they will sell is very speculative. So Spyderco produces smaller quantities which makes for a higher cost per knife and thus price. The street prices may not be too far apart but I'll bet Kershaw's cost per knife is much lower.(profit much higher)
 
Insipid Moniker said:
I think part of the price difference on the SR-1 is that the handle is milled from a single block of titanium rather than having matching scales cut and paired. That's gotta be an expensive process.
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I'd bet it creates a lot of waste/recycled Ti since they'd need to start out with such a massive chunk to mill down into each knife.
 
EricV said:
I'd bet it creates a lot of waste/recycled Ti since they'd need to start out with such a massive chunk to mill down into each knife.
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I agree, but it is a pretty cool concept. I've got to admit, as much as I love Spyderco, I'd put down the money for an SR-1 instead of a Lionspy.
 
ukknifer said:
Are you saying there is only 10 $ in street price between them? WOW
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Yes sir.

What to me is really remarkable is that Kershaw/ZT manages to produce a US MADE knife of that quality for the price.

I love Spyderco and really like the LionSpy, but you just have to admire what ZT is doing these days. The ZT560 for $260 is almost remarkable.
To me, my ZT551 @ $200 was also darn good.

Insipid Moniker said:
I've got to admit, as much as I love Spyderco, I'd put down the money for an SR-1 instead of a Lionspy.
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There's definitely an appeal to the SR-1. I'd been eying them for some time, but being something of a Spyderco junkie, when I heard about the LionSpy several months ago I decided to wait for it. Sort of the best of both for a Spyderholic :D.
 
Isn't this a limited edition knife vs a full production run anyways? Unless I heard wrong...

I still would have preferred an Elmax or M390 SR-1 rather than the LionSpy. All titanium handle was its original selling point, and I hate to break it to Sal, but the Spyderhole just does NOT work for every knife, particularly one that was pretty fat to begin with. The hole just makes it morbidly obese.
 
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