Spyderco Name Recognition?

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
James Y
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#41

Post by James Y »

Most people I know don’t even know that Swiss Army knives are made by a company named Victorinox. I think most men know about Leatherman and maybe Buck. Although I’ve seen people call knives “Buck Knives” in a generic manner, the same way people might refer to all copy machines as Xerox, or all facial tissues as Kleenexes.

Many people have seen Spyderco knives whether they realize it or not, even if they don’t know the company name. Anybody who has watched movies like:
The Client
Needful Things
Eraser
Hard Target
Parker
Heat
Anaconda
Jennifer 8
Training Day
Only The Strong
Hannibal
...and a plethora of other movies and TV shows, have seen Spyderco knives, even if the knives barely registered on their radar.

Jim
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#42

Post by standy99 »

JD Spydo wrote:
Thu Nov 28, 2019 11:17 am
I am really encouraged that you guys from DOWN UNDER have such good name recognition for Spyderco's products.
Always surprised the hundreds of Spyderco’s I see in the gas and oil rig environment.
Work with vessels, gas rigs and gas plants and the Spyderco rescue and Pacific Salt SE is standard issue as a tool for many lines men and rig workers.
Remember opening a cupboard once a few years back and there was 10-20 Spyderco’s in the old boxes as stores

(grey and black ones)
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Im a vegetarian as technically cows are made of grass and water.
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#43

Post by Pelagic »

The vast majority of Americans are simply incredibly ignorant regarding knives. The average person has no idea what steel is used, they know nothing about heat treat, they're baffled by the existence of a finger choil, they either consider knives weapons or "man jewelry", they can't sharpen for s***, they know very little about abrasives or the importance/significance of various grit finishes, they've never seen a strop in their life, they've never even thought about blade geometry, they use knives unsafely and abusively, they think "shaving sharp" is incredibly sharp, they hardly think about ergonomics, they value aesthetics over performance, they don't appreciate the true importance of owning a knife, and they have vastly inaccurate and often bizarre preconceived notions about knives and knife use.

That's essentially the foundation of the issue, to me. People need to be educated on knives before they can truly appreciate quality. And spyderco doesn't seem to be hellbent on reaching the masses, so the current situation makes sense in a way. But as previously mentioned, it is interesting that people will spend top dollar for so many different items in life, yet with knives, they don't see the point of owning an expensive knife nor do they understand WHY it is expensive. I do wish spyderco advertised more. I love the rare instances where I see someone using a spyderco knife and I get to spark up a conversation. I even like it when an average uneducated knife user is interested in learning about knives and sharpening. There are definitely a lot of people who would carry spyderco if they knew about the brand and had the opportunity to use a choice model. But if Sal is satisfied with the current situation, it is what it is. I'm not complaining!
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Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:20 pm
Are you a magician? :eek:
Nate wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:32 pm
You're the lone wolf of truth howling into the winds of ignorance
Doeswhateveraspidercan wrote:
Sat Jun 15, 2019 9:17 pm
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Donut
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#44

Post by Donut »

I think Byrd is the solution for most American people. I used to be one of them. I would walk into Walmart, look at the knife counter and pick one based off what brand I thought was good and the price.

I want to say from some of the people I've met: If they really need a sharp knife, they usually go to a razor/utility knife and replace the blades.

One of my friends was a contractor and maybe the high volume thing would require most people to go that route.
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Pelagic
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#45

Post by Pelagic »

I REALLY wish Byrd's had a round spydie hole. I get appeal of the byrd's eye hole, but every time I open a byrd I miss the round spydie hole. This could potentially be a turn off for some users. I think the round hole looks better as well.
Pancake wrote:
Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:20 pm
Are you a magician? :eek:
Nate wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:32 pm
You're the lone wolf of truth howling into the winds of ignorance
Doeswhateveraspidercan wrote:
Sat Jun 15, 2019 9:17 pm
You are a nobody got it?
JD Spydo
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#46

Post by JD Spydo »

Donut wrote:
Fri Nov 29, 2019 6:45 am
I think Byrd is the solution for most American people. I used to be one of them. I would walk into Walmart, look at the knife counter and pick one based off what brand I thought was good and the price.

I want to say from some of the people I've met: If they really need a sharp knife, they usually go to a razor/utility knife and replace the blades.

One of my friends was a contractor and maybe the high volume thing would require most people to go that route.
I see what you're saying but I still beg to differ with you. Because in the past 3 to 5 years Spyderco has introduced some more economical priced models. And it's Spyderco's name recognition I'm speaking of. Their name was here long before the BYRD name ever hit the landscape. To me the BYRD name kind of symbolizes a progression to work your way up to Spyderco. In a way it's almost like getting a less serious folder with training wheels so to speak. Because even Spyderco's lower priced models still symbolize high quality.

Also Spyderco's great sharpening equipment I feel should have more name recognition as well. Their sharpening tools can compete with anyone else's IMO.
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#47

Post by JD Spydo »

James Y wrote:
Thu Nov 28, 2019 8:12 pm
Most people I know don’t even know that Swiss Army knives are made by a company named Victorinox. I think most men know about Leatherman and maybe Buck. Although I’ve seen people call knives “Buck Knives” in a generic manner, the same way people might refer to all copy machines as Xerox, or all facial tissues as Kleenexes.

Many people have seen Spyderco knives whether they realize it or not, even if they don’t know the company name. Anybody who has watched movies like:
The Client
Needful Things
Eraser
Hard Target
Parker
Heat
Anaconda
Jennifer 8
Training Day
Only The Strong
Hannibal
...and a plethora of other movies and TV shows, have seen Spyderco knives, even if the knives barely registered on their radar.

Jim
Actually Jim for years there were two prominent names associated with Swiss Army Knives. Victorinox and Wenger. If you all remember when BUCK took on their "Swiss Buck" line of SAKs it was WENGER that did those for BUCK. Now I like Victorinox the best but the two Wenger SAKs I've had over the years are far from being junk by any means. But my ultimate vote goes to Victorinox every time. Not just in SAKs but Their multi-tools are premium units completely.

I'm not sure if WENGER even makes a Multi-Tool or not. And I wish Spyderco would get back into the Multitool sector of the market as well.
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#48

Post by James Y »

JD Spydo wrote:
Fri Nov 29, 2019 10:59 am
James Y wrote:
Thu Nov 28, 2019 8:12 pm
Most people I know don’t even know that Swiss Army knives are made by a company named Victorinox. I think most men know about Leatherman and maybe Buck. Although I’ve seen people call knives “Buck Knives” in a generic manner, the same way people might refer to all copy machines as Xerox, or all facial tissues as Kleenexes.

Many people have seen Spyderco knives whether they realize it or not, even if they don’t know the company name. Anybody who has watched movies like:
The Client
Needful Things
Eraser
Hard Target
Parker
Heat
Anaconda
Jennifer 8
Training Day
Only The Strong
Hannibal
...and a plethora of other movies and TV shows, have seen Spyderco knives, even if the knives barely registered on their radar.

Jim
Actually Jim for years there were two prominent names associated with Swiss Army Knives. Victorinox and Wenger. If you all remember when BUCK took on their "Swiss Buck" line of SAKs it was WENGER that did those for BUCK. Now I like Victorinox the best but the two Wenger SAKs I've had over the years are far from being junk by any means. But my ultimate vote goes to Victorinox every time. Not just in SAKs but Their multi-tools are premium units completely.

I'm not sure if WENGER even makes a Multi-Tool or not. And I wish Spyderco would get back into the Multitool sector of the market as well.
Yes, my first SAK was a little Wenger. I think I still own about 5 Wengers, but several years ago they were about to go bankrupt when Victorinox rescued Wenger and absorbed it, so as to save all the employees' jobs and keep SAKs made in Switzerland. IIRC, Victorinox's Wenger line is stamped "Victorinox Delemont". And I remember the old Buck/Wenger Swissbuck line. A good friend of mine had one of those his wife gave him, and he carried it for many years. Last time I saw the knife, the scales had come off, but he was still carrying it. Wengers are/were good quality products, but I've long preferred Victorinox.

I really don't think very many non-knife (and even some knife) people could name Spyderco.

If the following question ever came up on a game show:

"Q: Spyderco is a company that produces...a) toys; b)insect repellent; c) knives,"

I'm betting that most people would say "insect repellent" or "toys" before they said "knives."

Jim
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#49

Post by Bill1170 »

“People who know use Spyderco.”

The problem is this: not enough people know.
BornIn1500
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#50

Post by BornIn1500 »

Pelagic wrote:
Fri Nov 29, 2019 6:29 am
The vast majority of Americans are simply incredibly ignorant regarding knives. The average person has no idea what steel is used, they know nothing about heat treat, they're baffled by the existence of a finger choil, they either consider knives weapons or "man jewelry", they can't sharpen for s***, they know very little about abrasives or the importance/significance of various grit finishes, they've never seen a strop in their life, they've never even thought about blade geometry, they use knives unsafely and abusively, they think "shaving sharp" is incredibly sharp, they hardly think about ergonomics, they value aesthetics over performance, they don't appreciate the true importance of owning a knife, and they have vastly inaccurate and often bizarre preconceived notions about knives and knife use.

But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. People pick and choose their "battles" in life. What, in life, matters the most to you and warrants the investment of your educational time and money? I couldn't tell you the steel or heat treatment of any other tool I own. Hammer steel? nope. Screwdriver steel? nah, (and I use it for prying :eek: Imagine what screwdriver connoisseurs would say). Axe steel? Nope. Shovel steel? no. Wrench steel? nope. The list goes on. I'm really not concerned with their ergonomics much and I'm sure people would say I've really abused those tools, too. And I mostly buy them based on which one is cheaper.

Choosing to remain ignorant of knife details just means they value other things more in life. And that's a perfectly fine way to live.
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#51

Post by Pelagic »

BornIn1500 wrote:
Sat Nov 30, 2019 8:16 pm
Pelagic wrote:
Fri Nov 29, 2019 6:29 am
The vast majority of Americans are simply incredibly ignorant regarding knives. The average person has no idea what steel is used, they know nothing about heat treat, they're baffled by the existence of a finger choil, they either consider knives weapons or "man jewelry", they can't sharpen for s***, they know very little about abrasives or the importance/significance of various grit finishes, they've never seen a strop in their life, they've never even thought about blade geometry, they use knives unsafely and abusively, they think "shaving sharp" is incredibly sharp, they hardly think about ergonomics, they value aesthetics over performance, they don't appreciate the true importance of owning a knife, and they have vastly inaccurate and often bizarre preconceived notions about knives and knife use.

But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. People pick and choose their "battles" in life. What, in life, matters the most to you and warrants the investment of your educational time and money? I couldn't tell you the steel or heat treatment of any other tool I own. Hammer steel? nope. Screwdriver steel? nah, (and I use it for prying :eek: Imagine what screwdriver connoisseurs would say). Axe steel? Nope. Shovel steel? no. Wrench steel? nope. The list goes on. I'm really not concerned with their ergonomics much and I'm sure people would say I've really abused those tools, too. And I mostly buy them based on which one is cheaper.

Choosing to remain ignorant of knife details just means they value other things more in life. And that's a perfectly fine way to live.
I never said it was bad. And the rest your post seems to prove my point.
Pancake wrote:
Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:20 pm
Are you a magician? :eek:
Nate wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 4:32 pm
You're the lone wolf of truth howling into the winds of ignorance
Doeswhateveraspidercan wrote:
Sat Jun 15, 2019 9:17 pm
You are a nobody got it?
Michael Janich
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#52

Post by Michael Janich »

As a lifelong knife collector who started carrying folding knives before clips, one-hand manual opening, and serrations, the impact that Spyderco had--and continued to have--on the form and function of the modern folder is, to me, profound. When I began writing the vast majority of Spyderco's marketing literature a few years ago, I made it a point to highlight, whenever possible, the fact that Sal's design of the Worker model literally DEFINED the modern folder. The features that people now take for granted--like the pocket clip and manual one-hand opening--didn't exist before that model and Sal's other early designs.

In the 1980's and 90's, Spyderco, although even smaller than we are now, was probably more distinctive and recognized in the knife community because Sal's designs were unlike everything else. That uniqueness translated to brand recognition.

By the time I came on board as an employee 10 years ago, the features Sal pioneered had already been incorporated into other brands of knives. When I started hyping Spyderco's history in my marketing copy, Sal--ever humble--hit me with one of his favorite sayings: "He who beat on own chest knock self over backwards." While I respected that mindset and the humility behind it, I did my best to resist it because I know how important that history is.

When I represent Spyderco at trade shows--especially military and law enforcement shows--it's interesting to see who knows the brand and who doesn't. Among cops, it's veteran guys who are nearing retirement. They often whip out old-school Police models and Mariners and brag (rightfully) about how they've served them their entire careers. Similarly, senior NCOs and special operations guys in the military know Spyderco. The average enlisted guy or junior officer only knows Benchmade or Gerber, as those companies took a very different approach to the military market during the peak of our country's simultaneous operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Like so many things in our society these days, the loss of historical perspective and the tendency to take things for granted work against us. In my writing for various knife magazines, I've even worked with younger knifemakers who incorporated signature elements of knife design (like Fred Perrin's index-finger hole) into their knives. When I asked them who influenced their work, they claimed to have "invented" that feature. Although the trend these days would be to coddle them and give them a participant trophy, I don't tolerate that kind of willful ignorance well.

When I teach MBC courses, I always cover knife deployment (many systems don't) and I always credit Sal and Sypderco for the features that allow me to deploy folders quickly and positively. As the "wave" feature becomes more commonplace, I also credit Ernie Emerson for its development and make sure my students understand the history of their tools and appreciate the people who forged that history.

Stay safe,

Mike
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#53

Post by jabba359 »

Bill1170 wrote:
Fri Nov 29, 2019 11:30 pm
“People who know use Spyderco.”

The problem is this: not enough people know.
Except for when you're trying to get the hottest new exclusive and it sells out in a minute. Then too many people know. :p
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#54

Post by James Y »

BornIn1500 wrote:
Sat Nov 30, 2019 8:16 pm
Pelagic wrote:
Fri Nov 29, 2019 6:29 am
The vast majority of Americans are simply incredibly ignorant regarding knives. The average person has no idea what steel is used, they know nothing about heat treat, they're baffled by the existence of a finger choil, they either consider knives weapons or "man jewelry", they can't sharpen for s***, they know very little about abrasives or the importance/significance of various grit finishes, they've never seen a strop in their life, they've never even thought about blade geometry, they use knives unsafely and abusively, they think "shaving sharp" is incredibly sharp, they hardly think about ergonomics, they value aesthetics over performance, they don't appreciate the true importance of owning a knife, and they have vastly inaccurate and often bizarre preconceived notions about knives and knife use.

But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. People pick and choose their "battles" in life. What, in life, matters the most to you and warrants the investment of your educational time and money? I couldn't tell you the steel or heat treatment of any other tool I own. Hammer steel? nope. Screwdriver steel? nah, (and I use it for prying :eek: Imagine what screwdriver connoisseurs would say). Axe steel? Nope. Shovel steel? no. Wrench steel? nope. The list goes on. I'm really not concerned with their ergonomics much and I'm sure people would say I've really abused those tools, too. And I mostly buy them based on which one is cheaper.

Choosing to remain ignorant of knife details just means they value other things more in life. And that's a perfectly fine way to live.
I have to agree with this. I’ve never owned a Rolex, but I wear a Timex watch every day. Timex watches are very reliable IME, they last a long time, and I’m perfectly happy with them. Now, an expensive watch aficionado would probably consider me ignorant for not knowing everything that goes into watches and watchmaking. The same with many other things. I’m not a big tech person.

I AM interested in knives enough to learn about many (but not all) aspects of them. I understand a lot about several martial arts. I have some understanding of ‘energy healing’, which I’m pretty sure that few forumites here study or practice. People being ignorant of knives, their various steels, sharpening equipment/methods, etc., alone, doesn’t make them ignorant all-around, any more than any of us are ignorant for not having an in-depth knowledge of any subject that others may be passionate about.

Jim
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Re: Spyderco Name Recognition?

#55

Post by Donut »

JD Spydo wrote:
Fri Nov 29, 2019 10:53 am
Donut wrote:
Fri Nov 29, 2019 6:45 am
I think Byrd is the solution for most American people. I used to be one of them. I would walk into Walmart, look at the knife counter and pick one based off what brand I thought was good and the price.

I want to say from some of the people I've met: If they really need a sharp knife, they usually go to a razor/utility knife and replace the blades.

One of my friends was a contractor and maybe the high volume thing would require most people to go that route.
I see what you're saying but I still beg to differ with you. Because in the past 3 to 5 years Spyderco has introduced some more economical priced models. And it's Spyderco's name recognition I'm speaking of. Their name was here long before the BYRD name ever hit the landscape. To me the BYRD name kind of symbolizes a progression to work your way up to Spyderco. In a way it's almost like getting a less serious folder with training wheels so to speak. Because even Spyderco's lower priced models still symbolize high quality.

Also Spyderco's great sharpening equipment I feel should have more name recognition as well. Their sharpening tools can compete with anyone else's IMO.
I think you are 100% correct. In my head, Byrd is known by people who are familiar with Spyderco and/or have heard of Spyderco, but don't want to spend a lot of money on one.

Have you tried one of the newer Raven or Crow with CTS-BD1? I think with a little tweaking and attention, Byrds with that steel and level of quality could earn trust in the name.
-Brian
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Waiting on a Squeak and Pingo with a Split Spring!
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