Why No Spyderco Proof Videos???

[tomahawk23]

I know that a lot of you are probably not happy with me because I Retaliated to some insults thrown my way on another thread here. If you guys are still sore then whenever you see a post from me you can just ignore it.


AS FOR THE REST OF YOU OUT THERE...
I was an avid COLD STEEL user until I got my spyderco. Cold Steel may be a competitor, but they still make darn good knives anyway.

In any instance... I am willing to give any company a fair go.

I have had my hands on maybe 20 different Spydercos (most at the knife shop at the local flea market) and MOST of them seem pretty sturdy. Some, including the first one I bought, had a little blade play in them.
Most of the Cold Steel knifes and ALL of their specialty items I have owned or come into contact with have been staples of Exceptional Quality.

I really like the way Spyderco looks and plays in the hand. I only have my one POLICE PE to go by as far as toughness and reliability goes though. I only know two other people who actually own Spyderco knives...


My question is... Why Doesn't Spyderco have any PROOF VIDEOS like Cold Steel?(Wouldn't you like to see these knives at work?)

I would really like to know what a knife can do before I buy it. The Catalog is great for telling about the quality and possible usage. But all I can find as far as video proof online is some kids slicing cuts in water bottles!
(My Cold Steel will slice a water bottle clean in two and leave the bottom still sitting there... full of water... and where did I even get the idea that it would do that? From a Cold Steel video that came with the knife...FREE!)

I'm not trying to start any arguments... I'm just asking an Honest Question as a Consumer.

[jaislandboy]

no offense to you tomahawk23 but I received a couple of those more proof dvd's (came free in the mail) and I found them rather amusing / great entertainment value .... I loved watching Lynn T. throw those big Spikes at those rubber rats :p Now I'm not knocking their product quality b/c I actually bought a Tanto Spike which I'm quite impressed with and a friend of mine showed me his aus8 Tanto and it seemed of good quality build....both these Cold Steel knives had crazy sharp factory edges
As to your original question, I guess only Spyderco employees can tell you the "true answer" :)

[tomahawk23]

Why would I be offended? I think the videos are kind of funny too. But when you actually see what their stuff can do... it really impresses you. My Cold Steel Battle-mace Is Practically Indestructible. And my Cold Steel Brooklyn Smasher is too! My friends and I have tested our stuff and it will do all the videos say and more.

[cobrajoe]

I guess I'm not sure why exactly, but I think spyderco and cold steel are marketing for two different corners of the knife market.

It appears that cold steel are aimed for the more tactical market. A lot of their folding knives are large and black, some are really menacing. Also, I couldn't find a blade under 3 inches

Spyderco tends to make knives that are smaller and more people friendly (heck even that huge talon of a self defence knife is called a civilian). Also, most spyders are optimized for cutting and slicing instead of chopping, hacking, or twisting (all motions that could damage a blade or a lock over time).

I guess I did see a clip of sal slicing through paper completely effortlessly :D I know it's not quite the same kind of "proof video" but I was thouroughly impressed

[tomahawk23]

I can slice paper with a box-cutter, scissors or even a Cold Steel knife.

[cobrajoe]

I can slice paper with a box-cutter, scissors or even a Cold Steel knife.

True, but he was holding the paper up in the air by one corner and was holding a mili in his other hand, he was just effortlessly cutting arcs through the paper like it was the proverbial light sabre.

I still have a hard time sharpening to a point where I can cut paper in the air anywhere close to that ability.

[J Smith]

I hope Sal doesn't start marketing like Lynn Thompson.If he did I would have to stop buying Spydercos.Cold Steel makes a few knives I like but because of LT I will never buy one.

[tomahawk23]

Cold Steel slices through paper and Car Hoods!!!

[cobrajoe]

Cold Steel slices through paper and Car Hoods!!!

I bet it couldn't slice through a car hood and then a piece of paper though...

[Bear Claw Chris Lappe]

Because Sal still has a sense of self respect left? :D

[Manix Guy 2]

Handling at a flea market knife and using to me are definitely two different things for a comparsion . If I depended on a video to sell me a knife for purchase I should be armless . I have seen all of CS vids , ok for some , and I might add I do think they have a niche in the knife market , very limited appeal for me . MG2

[tonydahose]

do a search on youtube and you will find some videos.

[gac]

My Cold Steel Battle-mace Is Practically Indestructible. And my Cold Steel Brooklyn Smasher is too! My friends and I have tested our stuff and it will do all the videos say and more.

A mace and a plastic baseball bat are not folder knives. I have an old Gunsite folder from Cold Steel and I like my two Spydercos much better. The steel on the CS knife does not hold an edge and the blade started getting side-to-side play.

One thing about those videos is they show people stabbing steel drums and cutting hanging meat but - as I recall - don't show a before and after test or repeatedly test the knife blades, joints or locks until failure. Nor do they show how long an edge lasts. An experienced martial artist (like Lynn Thompson) who trains with bladed weapons should have no trouble cutting a hunk of meat with any knife so I do not think that "test" shows anything.

Why spend time and money on video production when the money can be psent elsewhere in product development or other marketing programs?

[tomahawk23]

I agree that Lynn Thompson is a Jack@$$... But that doesn't make his products crappy.
The knives I handled at the flea market were all Brand New, Still in the Box. (Cold Steel And Spyderco)
The videos DO show edge retention... the video for the same knife I bought shows them Cutting Free-Hanging 1in Rope For 1,500 cuts, and it was still sharp enough to shave hair... no problem.
And I know that a Battle-Mace and a Polypropylene Baseball Bat are NOT FOLDERS! Their folders are awesome too!

I wasn't contesting to quality of Cold Steel VS Spyderco or the Morals of Lynn Thompson himself. If the Devil himself wanted to sell me an Incredible Knife at $65... I would buy it.

I just was wondering, Why no Videos?!

[Blackhair]

I've always felt like the "Proof" videos are trying too hard to prove their point, and that normally means something. :rolleyes:

[SoCal Operator]

I've always felt like the "Proof" videos are trying too hard to prove their point, and that normally means something.

I feel this way as well. Spyderco's quality doesn't need to be proven to me by a video, I know of it through firsthand experience and by reading the experiences of others on forums like this. If I need to find out how well a knife performs, I am comfortable asking normal users about it. For example, Swamp Rat Knife Works does not make a Proof type video (probably no budget), but I know that one of their knives can be used to cut one's way out of a disabled ORV.

[araneae]

I use my Spydercos every day. I don't feel compelled to see a video to tell me what kind of wacky stuff I might be able to do with them. They do the jobs I ask of them and do them well. Sal makes great stuff for us. That's enough for me.

I have seen a Cold Steel video. It was good for a chuckle with some friends. Call me a skeptic, but I don't tend to believe everything I see on video. I would rather have first hand experience using a product. I had one cold steel knife and it seemed alright; although I never tried to cut my car hood off with it so I can't really comment on that.

[Slatts]

Only on the internet.

Maybe some day Sal will do a vid where he thrusts a Manix through a car door and then after a few strokes on the Sharpmaker puts it through a block of concrete. Now, that would be some entertainment!

[tomahawk23]

Thats what I'm talkin about!

[TazKristi]

This has nothing to do with Cold Steel, only with us. "Proof" videos simply aren't our style. Those of you who have met Sal know this. Those of you who haven't... well I can only say that hopefully some day you will. We don't bang our own drum or beat our chests. Again, it's simply not our style. We're knife knuts too, we like building knives and getting them in to the hands of people who need them and want them.

Kristi