Poll for included information

[Bodog]

I think this could be the next step for Spyderco to set itself apart from the competition. Elevate the production knife world yet again. Maybe it could start small, like on mule teams and sprint run military, paramilitary, and Manix models. No company secrets like specific heat treat protocols or anything crazy. I'm thinking something like:

"The mule team 20 in 4V was heat treated with edge retention over toughness in mind. It is ground .020" behind the shoulders from a bar that was 3/16" thick at the ricasso. Target hardness is 62 HRC +/- 1. Target edge angle is 16 degrees per side, +/- 2 degrees.

Then standard blurb:
We at Spyderco take our knife making profession very seriously. We want our customers to be as informed in what makes at quality knife as we are. Steel is the heart of the knife and the way it's heat treated is the soul. One steel can exhibit wildly different properties when heat treated different ways.

We also realize that steels exhibit wildly different performance depending on a plethora of variables such as thickness of the blade, the angle of the primary and secondary bevels, and the shape of the blade itself.

While we like to believe we know what we are doing, we feel it's just as important for you to know what we're doing, too, and why.

We list our target goals with each steel so that you as a customer are informed as to which way we decided to go concerning your specific model so that you can know if you are carrying the right tool for the job. We hope you enjoy using your knife as much as we enjoyed developing it for you."

Or something along those lines. I only see custom makers doing anything like that and even then, it's rare that anyone lists all of those important factors. I think it'd be pretty freaking awesome.

[Evil D]

Target hardness would be interesting, but the rest I dunno. I guess thickness of the grind would be nice, but with something like that there are probably enough variances in the grind process that people would end up measuring them and start complaining that theirs was not as advertised. Hardness almost always gets tested by someone, so that info usually comes around one way or another so publishing it may not make a difference. They could do a safe +/- number for example, to allow for the usual variances in hardness.

[bearfacedkiller]

I agree, I would be reluctant to give picky customers another reason to complain and overwhelm an already very generous warranty and repair department. These variables listed are all going to vary from knife to knife and achieving pinpoint accuracy and consistency would be difficult.

All these variable are available with a quick google search or forum search and are really only of interest to the afi anyway. Spyderco mostly sells knives to people who are very different than us and we must try to always keep that in mind. That is what makes Spyderco so special, the Spydernuts and knife afis are actually a small part of there sales yet we are certainly catered to.

[ChrisinHove]

Wow. Might not that be Spyderco making a rod for their own back?

"I measured the hardness/thickness/etc of the steel and it's below spec"

How about basic maintenance tips and an invite to the Forum?

[pdptrow]

+1 Targeted hardness. Since we still get the edge-u-cation hardness would be nice to know.
Most people who care about thickness behind the edge, I would guess, are way nuttier than the average Joe and are likely already to have the tools to measure, then will reprofile anyway.

[The Deacon]

None of the things on your list, but I'd like to see them return to listing Spyderhole diameter for folders with functional Spyderholes, and overall thickness (excluding clip) for all folders in both the printed and online catalogs.

[Ankerson]

None of the things on your list, but I'd like to see them return to listing Spyderhole diameter for folders with functional Spyderholes, and overall thickness (excluding clip) for all folders in both the printed and online catalogs.

Paul,

I agree, I think too much information is more of a double edge sword.

Jim

[wrdwrght]

While all you suggest would interest the likes of us, I suspect Spyderco's competition (and counterfeiters) would go to school on such data.

Better to let a Spydie's properties reveal themselves through use, no?

I voted "none of the above".

[gbelleh]

I don't have much use for that technical info myself, and it wouldn't change my decision to buy anything.

[tvenuto]

I don't have much use for that technical info myself, and it wouldn't change my decision to buy anything.

My friend is a statistician and he told me once: "Never collect data that you don't have a use for." Although this is certainly a different scenario I feel like it falls in the same category. The costs far outweigh any benefits.

[jmh58]

I don't have much use for that technical info myself,

Me too!! John :)

[Bodog]

So you guys are saying that for limited run models bought by and traded around knowledgeable circles that having that info available is a bad thing? I can understand not divulging that info for the mass production knives, but if there's a limited run that is really pretty much meant for us nuts, then that's some cool info to have, especially for the mule team where comparison and testing data is gathered, and especially with what Sal has stated is the near future direction of the mule team. 20CV at this hardness with this heat treatment is different than the M390 model at this hardness and this heat treat compared to the 204 at this other hardness and heat treat. B70P acts this way at this hardness, RWL34 acts this way, and CPM154 acts this way. Since those are all very, very close in composition, then us nuts would love to see what different heat treat regimens do for toughness, strength, and edge retention. At least that's how I see it. I guess I may be wrong, but I'm interested in the magic behind the blade as much as the blade itself.

[bh49]

None of the things on your list, but I'd like to see them return to listing Spyderhole diameter for folders with functional Spyderholes, and overall thickness (excluding clip) for all folders in both the printed and online catalogs.

Paul,
I agree, I think too much information is more of a double edge sword.
Jim

+1

[nirvanero]

Targeted hardness would be nice to satisfy all you steel nerds... :D

[The Deacon]

None of the things on your list, but I'd like to see them return to listing Spyderhole diameter for folders with functional Spyderholes, and overall thickness (excluding clip) for all folders in both the printed and online catalogs.

Paul,

I agree, I think too much information is more of a double edge sword.

Jim

True, Jim.

At best, it's an open invitation for every knife world equivalent of the "armchair quarterbark" to second guess three more of the company's choices.

[euphorbioid]

The thing that attracted me to Spyderco knives in the first place was the realization that something so lethal can also be a beautiful work of art. I see them as small sculptures, which is why I collect them. I have a couple of workhorse EDCs but in general none of the information you mentioned is of any particular importance to me. The different approaches everyone takes toward these knives is very interesting. Thanks for bringing the issue up.

[mikerestivo]

I don't have a use for any of that information. It would not change how I would intend to use the knife.

[Blerv]

Assuming I'm not allergic, if I love the cake I dont need to know all the ingredients and what temperature it was cooked at. The chef is trained to make it work as intended.

If I hate the cake I'll wonder what the heck he/she did wrong. Luckily Spyderco is pretty awesome with their pastries.

[jabba359]

None of the things on your list, but I'd like to see them return to listing Spyderhole diameter for folders with functional Spyderholes, and overall thickness (excluding clip) for all folders in both the printed and online catalogs.

I'd also love to see Spyderhole diameters added back. I'm a little OCD and hate leaving that measurement blank on the Spydiewiki (unless I happen to own the model, then I just measure with my calipers).

The only other info I'd like to see on Sprint runs is the size of the run and for Mules, targeted HRc, as it's an important variable when comparing similar steels.

[The Deacon]

The only other info I'd like to see on Sprint runs is the size of the run and for Mules, targeted HRc, as it's an important variable when comparing similar steels.

Agreed. Sprint Run size info should be easily and reliably available and, given the specific niche market they're aimed at, target HRc info would make more sense for Mules than for models aimed at average users and collectors.