price increase

[archangel]

Fair enough. I don't think it's a waste of time. I work in purchasing, so I too have a good idea what total costs consist of. Some facts coming from "the Glessers" themselves will help put people's minds to rest. Although you may be right that there's a group of people that will always complain. :)

I mean, come on, check the market for premium steel knives and you'll know where Spyderco's prices are. Which is a big part of the answer to the question why most of us here love :spyder: !

I do however complain about the prices charged for non-US-citizens. Which is mostly beyond Spyderco's control. And another subject. If I'd be living in the US, I would not just own 14 spydies.

[archangel]

Wanting beyond your means is the issue, not prices. Appreciating what you can afford instead of lamenting what you cannot is a surer path to satisfaction.

Very good point, I give you that! I admit that I have a weakness here.

[TomAiello]

I generally don't participate in these threads as most times the posters already have their minds made up & there is no amount of convincing them otherwise. That said the Opinel comparison dragged me in. Sure your standard Opinel is only going to cost you around/or under $20. But say you want to buy one of those Limited(Sprint?) Runs or one with upgraded wood(better steel/G10?) handles? Now your up in the close to or over $100 range. Does that $75 Ebony handled Opinel #8 do a better job than the $18 Walnut handled Opinel #8? Does the unique wood handle of the Opinel #8 Chaperon perform $24 better than the Ebony handled Opinel #8?

I have an Opinel my parents gave me, that they bought in France. It's a very nice knife, and I think they paid over 100 euro for it.

I also have several other Opinels I've bought for myself, some under $10. I have two of the "standard" version of the one my parents gave me, which I bought at two different climbing shops (on two different trips) in Arco, each for less than 20 Euros.

Saying that a knife is just a knife is a bit like saying that a car is just a car. I drive a 10 year old mini van that I bought on Craigslist for $4000, because it fits my transportation needs. I'm not rich enough to engage in "luxury" automobiles. I do have enough money (and interest) to indulge in "luxury" knives, occasionally, though.

[Bloke]

When I win the lottery I'm going to buy all the nice people here any knife they like. :)

[spyderwolf]

There's a lot of answers to a completely pointless question.

[The Deacon]

The price difference also depend a lot on the model you choose. As an example, the all Stainless Police and the Harpy are probably the two models that have changed the least in the past 20+ years. Blade steel has changed and a some additional clip screw holes have been added, but that's about it. They're also both are made by the same maker as the Delica and Ladybug. 1995 MSRP for them were $149.95 and $114.95, respectively. Current MSRP for them are $194.95 and $154.95. Does that make it safe to say that design changes may be a factor in the larger increases experienced by the Delica and Ladybug? Damned if I know.

[archangel]

Much appreciated. The steel change is a pretty good reason for a overproportional price increase, don't you think Paul?

[The Deacon]

Much appreciated. The steel change is a pretty good reason for a overproportional price increase, don't you think Paul?

Like I said in an earlier post, I think the change from a one piece FRN handle with a molded clip held together with rivets to a multi-piece handle with nested liners, a steel clip, and all screw construction is the main reason the Delica's MSRP has jumped from $56.95 in '95 to $114.95 today. The name and the scale material may be the same, but today's Delica is a totally different knife and considerably more complex knife. Sure, the change from AUS-8 to VG-10 may account for part of the increase, but that would also hold true for the Police and Harpy. For the Delica, the R&D process, the cost of the new tooling, the added machine time it takes to create the parts, and the added labor cost of assembling them all enter into the equation.

[mrtodd777]

Much appreciated. The steel change is a pretty good reason for a overproportional price increase, don't you think Paul?

For the Delica, the R&D process, the cost of the new tooling, the added machine time it takes to create the parts, and the added labor cost of assembling them all enter into the equation.

The Deacon is dead on here. I am a QC Supervisor in a CNC shop that manufactures Printed circuit board specialty tooling. ANY TIME there is the slightest change to an existing design, every aspect of each component of said product must be re evaluated to ensure it will function with the change. This part of our process is one of the most time consuming, and costly parts of the production process. of course, when changes are made, we are forced to pass the cost on to our customer. We have never had any complaints. Assembly is also another HUGE factor usually not realized by the average consumer. The time spent in assembly and the subsequent quality control involved prior to shipment is extremely costly.

[palonej]

I also get a kick reading how guys with no manufacturing experience decide what prices should be. It usually boils down to what they can afford.
I worked process improvement for American Standard for 6 years. Most people have no clue whatsoever what goes into creating a product from raw materials.
Buy from companies that you trust have integrity. Do some research.
I would bet my bottom dollar that Spydie has never, and will never, price gouge or over charge.
I trust that I am not overpaying for any knife I buy from this company. We can all have opinions of prices, but to say they are too high?? How can any of us say that with any certainty?? Do any of us truly know what it costs to produce a single PM2?? Nope.
Spend what you're comfy spending and buy what you feel is worth the asking price. Don't pretend you know better than the Glessers what their prices should be.
One alternative I see people do that either can't afford or won't pay asking prices do, is buy clones. Some justifications for doing this are comical. Either save up for the real thing or do without. This is life.
Joe

[ScottieG59]

I am flexible on color choices and I often find Enduras in the mid to upper $50 range. I have not tracked changes over time, but there are times I wait for the better price, which the Map can complicate.

[Knife Knut]

Often there are many costs to running our business that most of you are not aware of.

I would like to know more about these, and am guessing I am not the only one.

[dplafoll]

Reminder: MAP = Minimum advertised price.

Technically, a retailer can sell a Spyderco for literally any price that they want. They simply can't advertise that price below MAP and stay an authorized dealer. So you can pay less than MAP from an authorized dealer, and you can also pay less than MAP from an authorized dealer who is free to advertise at any price (but could also be selling fakes).

[sal]

Often there are many costs to running our business that most of you are not aware of.

I would like to know more about these, and am guessing I am not the only one.

What would you like to know?

sal

[FCM415]

What would you like to know?

sal

Can you give away knives AND put food on your table? That would be great.

[ConspicuousConsumption]

You people are nuts. You need a more expensive hobby if you’re debating whether $65 is expensive for something that can easily last you decades of hard use.

[The Mastiff]

I had my first Endura out with my VG 10 new model. It's pretty much a case of Sal having lifted the name up and slid a new knife under it. Same with each new Native model. Each one a new model price wise with the engineering, tooling and testing all having to be amortized over the expected life of that design. Some have got to be overall losses of money when not too many are made and sold. I've often thought the knives that are made knowing not many will be sold are almost gifts to us buyers being supported by sales of other models. I'd be feeling pretty nervous about coming up with new designs if I was a Spyderco employee.

[dogrunner]

Often there are many costs to running our business that most of you are not aware of.

I would like to know more about these, and am guessing I am not the only one.

What would you like to know?

sal

When is the Lum tanto sprint coming out

Seriously, this is more of a response to the premise of this thread. I have been buying and using spydercos for a long time, not every model suits me but a lot more do than I actually need. I have always found spydercos to be very reasonably priced, particularly given the very high quality and constant innovation, and even industry-leading range of steel choices. So I for one do not need any details on how the business is run. I see what I need to see in the products offered. Thank you Sal (and Eric and spyderco employees)!

[sal]

What would you like to know?

sal

Can you give away knives AND put food on your table? That would be great.

no. can't do.

sal

[FCM415]

What would you like to know?

sal

Can you give away knives AND put food on your table? That would be great.

no. can't do.

sal

This is an outrage! :p