Your Thoughts On Collaborations???

babakanoosh45

babakanoosh45

Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
3,869
I happen to think Collaborations between Custom Knife Makers and Production Knife companies are a good thing. Such as Spyderco/Lum Benchmade/Lum Buck/Mayo Buck/Strider. I think it gives the Custom Guys some good Exposure and gives alot folks the chance to handle and own Endorsed Copies of Custom designs built by production Makers. That being said: What are your thoughts on this??? Oh and lets see some Photos!!!!
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Benchmade + bill mchenry and jason williams, benchmade + mel pardue, benchmade + bob lum, benchmade + doug ritter, benchmade + mike snody, benchmade + warren osborne, benchmade + elishweitz (forgive the spelling); every last one of these collaborations has produced at least one AWESOME knife.
 
I like it and think it gives the knife buying public (me) a chance to own knives that are actually good designs.

Afterall, popular knives for a custom maker become popular for a reason and that reason is that the design is actually useful.

Furthermore, it gives custom makers a chance to refine their designs and become familiar with the restraints of mass production - a benefit to buyers as such refinement often curtail costs.
 
I view it as a good thing. It gives ordinary folks access to designs created by some of the best designers around.
 
CRKT is Loaded with Collaborations as well: CRKT & Kommer/Elishewitz/Lightfoot/Corkum to name a few...
 
Collaborations are what initially got me back into knives. I picked up a Kershaw Ken Onion designed "Blackout" and after that I was into getting some knives. Kershaw, Spyderco, BM, CRKT, et al, have some very nice offerings with their collaborations. I think it's safe to say that the everday layperson cannot afford to layout the big $ for a full custom or several for that matter. The collaborations make it the next best thing for those on a tighter budget but want a design from a well known maker/designer.
 
well what I think it does most is that custom knife makers tend to be a little bit more about designing knives based on voices from the knife buying community than designing knives based on focus groups and the nagging voice of the accountants.
 
As a general rule, even though I might not be interested in a particular knife, I like the idea behind collaborations. In some cases, as with my fairly new and now deeply beloved Griptilian, I think it produces fantastic results.
 
I think it's good giving the designer credit. It's like giving credit to a songwriter. In knife circles, some designers put out the hits. Ken Onion, Darryl Ralph, Ethan Becker and many others deserve credit for their designs.
 
How many times have you said "That knifemaker makes amazing knives, I wish I could afford them"

As said before, it gives a chance to the average buyer to buy a nice design without having to pay the price of a custom, but it also gives the knife designer the chance to offer their design for the average customer.


As for me, I love my Camillus Heat and one day I'll own a real DDR custom.
 
popcornpicker said:
I think it's good giving the designer credit. It's like giving credit to a songwriter. In knife circles, some designers put out the hits. Ken Onion, Darryl Ralph, Ethan Becker and many others deserve credit for their designs.
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yeah onion is pretty much a beast when it comes to collaborations. I love his designs, not really for me but I still think they look nice but more importantly I havent held a single onion designed knife that was uncomfortable.
 
I think collabs are good; as it exposes more people to custom makers names. It can lead people to buying a knife FROM that maker.

Look what Ken Onion did for Kershaw.
 
I like it a lot! Thanks to Spyderco I got to experience one of perrin's design's (street beat) for a reasonable price. Can't get a knife like that anywhere else except from perrin!

I love the look of your dejavoo. Every time I see it I think it is one of the most elegant designs around..I have to resist getting one just to look at it!
 
Amongst all the other notables mentioned here, Strider/ Onion/Kershaw and the ZT line ;)

It's undeniable they are great knives for the money and great knives regardless of the money plus they are readily available ;)
 
I love em and one of the most popular ones is the CRKT Carson M16/21 series of folders, very popular at my store.
 
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