Proposal for next SpyderByte: Road to a Collaboration Knife

[archangel]

I'd be super interested in this. Especially how it can come to collaboration knives designed by different guys, and the knives being so similar in many aspects, such as the K2 and the Slysz Bowie, or lately the Smock and the Ikuchi. They definitely look like relatives, but why? Does Spyderco give the makers a material spec they need to follow? Or are the designers 100% free to use whichever materials and designs they like (within reasonable borders), and it's just coincidence?

Or is the Road to a Collaboration Knife always very different?

[kennethsime]

I would also love to read this.

[Larry_Mott]

Third that! It would be mosy interesteníng to hear. I only know the story behind Bob Terzuola's collabs.

[JuPaul]

Great idea. I'd be interested, too.

[curlyhairedboy]

I'm interested.

[Stuart Ackerman]

In my case, the knives I had made were followed as close as possible in line for line measurements.

The steel for the Serrata was the same, 440C, and the Sustain was Sal's suggestion, CPM 20CV...the original was N690.

Obviously, the designers steel choice might be a difficult one for Spyderco to use, if an unusual steel type is hard to source in bulk.

[RamZar]

I'd like to hear the story from the perspective of Spyderco and one or more collaborative knife designer. I understand that no two roads are the same.

[kodai78]

I would like to hear from the designer and from Spyderco especially Kevin Smock and Ed Schempp. Hearing both perspectives would be the most interesting to me. I’m sure there is some give and take though I have the impression that Spyderco strives to implement the design as faithfully as possible. Perhaps a series of articles featuring multiple designers would be best of all.

[archangel]

Very good points made by you guys. I second the idea to collect both designer's and Spyderco's perspective. As to the steels used: take the K2's 10V, or Junction's PSF27; I'm sure there are more examples where Spyderco did chose rather rare steels in collab knives. I'd love to learn how it came to that. And once more: was it coincidence that Smock/Ikuchi and Slysz Bowie/K2 which were/are on the market around the same time = have likely been chosen around the same years came to be so alike in their forms and scale material choices.

I realize it's most probably not realistic to expect something for the next SpyderByte when addressed and accepted now - could be a series of articles when they're done. If the subject is worthy in the eyes of Sal and the gang. :rolleyes:

Stuart, thanks much for chiming in, I appreciate it. I hope though that this can still be enriched with many more details. :)