Colors - Talkin' Story - Marketing

[sal]

Hi,

Our early knives were all stainless scales. We were chasing high performance low maintenance. In 1990 we added FRN and offered the Endura and Delica is several colors. Nobody wanted colors :confused: Black only. We ended up discontinuing the colors. It was a shame because I felt that colors changed the "sinister" attached to knives and said, "I'm carrying a cutting tool" and doesn't look like you are trying to hide something.

When we did add colors, it was dark, close to black but different.

Now we like colors :eek: So I would be interested in learning why you like colors on knives? :D And even what colors and why?

Thanx much,

sal

[SG89]

Exactly what you said- the colors make the knives look less "sinister". Plus colors are fun. All the colors. The salt 2 lc200n bright green is awesome and so are the other bright colors like pink, purple, orange, yellow, and blue. I'm sure in the next 10 years the trend will be back to black scales only and no bright colors lol.

[T.J.]

Blue is my favorite color. Love my Bento Box blue g10 with black coated blade Para 2. My first Spyderco was a Manix 2 LW with transparent FRN. Native 5 in Spy 27 also looks great in that blue. I don’t like the teal color on the Spy 27 Manix.

St. Nicks Red and black is awesome as well. And my new DLT Para 2 in OD is really a great looking knife.

[p_atrick]

Colors can be a way to differentiate your knife without having to go aftermarket. The one issue I see with some colors is that they are tied to sprint runs or exclusives. I love the color of the Knifeworks sprints (Golden and Seki models), but I don't think you could get your average Spyderco in that same color.

[Evil D]

I had a very interesting experience with DLC regarding non knife peoples' reactions to a knife being present...it really seemed to me that the black subdued the presence to the point that most people either didn't notice what I was using or didn't feel threatened by it. This seems to go straight against what you hear about "evil black rifles" and all tactical things being black. I think there's a subconscious connection between shiny blades and horror slasher movies and the DLC reduced that effect.


Regarding colors, I would think you'd get some traction with high vis colors with trade workers. I go through work boots fast so I'm in the local boot shops a lot and the trends towards a lot of bright orange or yellow highlights on boots was kind of surprising. A lot of power tools use some kind of bright color too. The question is if that translates to a knife as well as a power tool. Do buyers see a knife as a tool or do they actually want and like the blacked out tactical stuff? I showed a coworker my Caribbean and he hadn't heard of the brand so he looked into it, and later came back asking me about a knife...it was the DLC full SE Matriarch with the wave...just about as tactical as it gets.


Personally I definitely enjoy the earthy tones more than bright colors. Salts have a practical need to be bright colored and that's something I'd like having when camping or something where dropping my knife could mean losing it. Unfortunately I do also feel the need to keep my EDC subdued because I do work around a lot of random people and I never know how they'll react. As much as I wish I could not care, things like that can quickly effect your job.

[ladybug93]

I had a very interesting experience with DLC regarding non knife peoples' reactions to a knife being present...it really seemed to me that the black subdued the presence to the point that most people either didn't notice what I was using or didn't feel threatened by it. This seems to go straight against what you hear about "evil black rifles" and all tactical things being black. I think there's a subconscious connection between shiny blades and horror slasher movies and the DLC reduced that effect.


Regarding colors, I would think you'd get some traction with high vis colors with trade workers. I go through work boots fast so I'm in the local boot shops a lot and the trends towards a lot of bright orange or yellow highlights on boots was kind of surprising. A lot of power tools use some kind of bright color too. The question is if that translates to a knife as well as a power tool. Do buyers see a knife as a tool or do they actually want and like the blacked out tactical stuff? I showed a coworker my Caribbean and he hadn't heard of the brand so he looked into it, and later came back asking me about a knife...it was the DLC full SE Matriarch with the wave...just about as tactical as it gets.


Personally I definitely enjoy the earthy tones more than bright colors. Salts have a practical need to be bright colored and that's something I'd like having when camping or something where dropping my knife could mean losing it. Unfortunately I do also feel the need to keep my EDC subdued because I do work around a lot of random people and I never know how they'll react. As much as I wish I could not care, things like that can quickly effect your job.

i agree with everything here.

earth tones are great. i really like the od g10/fde pvd exclusives and was just thinking i wish i had a large knife in that combination earlier today. i don't care for bright colors outside of marine environments.

coated blades are less flashy, which is one reason i didn't want a coated yojimbo, but wish almost everything else was coated. i prefer coated, stonewashed, or acid washed blades for the most part and don't really like satin blades.

[TkoK83Spy]

I like colors, more of the earth tones though. Bright, obnoxious scales or ones that look like an Easter egg are easy passes for me. I think of a knife as a tool, and you don't see any man running around with a bright teal blue Craftsman wrench in hand! Yes, I'm comfortable as a man and could carry any colored knife if it does the job, I just personally wouldn't pay for a knife in those kinds of colors. Had the Salt 2 for a bit, but that yellow eventually wore out its welcome :p

Grey's, browns, tans, greens, Rex45 Orange sprints and St Nick's reds are all my personal favorites.

[anycal]

My two favorite colors, and various shades of, are green and gray. All else being equal, I will pick the item in the color I like. But I wouldn't go as far as picking a less 'desirable' item just because of the color.

When it comes to Spyderco knives, I do have a few in different colors. Including several in my preferred colors. I am not entirely certain if I would have as many as I do, if they all came only in black. I probably wouldn't have a PM2 in 204P, 20CV, and M390 if they were all black. Then again, it is a PM2

At some level, it is a hobby. I don't cut for living, and beyond certain number of knives, it is no longer about a necessity for me. Having that extra layer of variety derived from colors makes it more fun.

[Sharp Guy]

I like variety and different colors help provide that. Black, Greys, Blues, Red, Orange, Brown, Greens, etc. They're all good to me. Different handle materials (Titanium, wood, Carbon Fiber, etc) with different colors also give me more variety.

[Naperville]

I think the colors make life interesting.

[ladybug93]

one more thing... i'm really not into the carbon fiber on g10 look. in my opinion, it makes it look like fake carbon fiber. it might have better grip than cf, but it looks cheap instead of nice.

[Pokey]

I like the zombie green Salt 2 because when I set it down at work its color is unlike the color of any other materials we use, and it sticks out like a sore thumb. We use red, tan, pink, and opaque colored materials, as well as carbon fiber (CF). Other than the CF the Salt 2 would show up if it were left sitting under any of the above materials, or in an autoclave.

Despite being immune to fashion, I go off the rails every now and then and carry a knife that's a similar color to what I'm wearing. (A friend lectured me to keep it within seven shades. I got the side glance once when I asked her if the knife was the seventh shade or the eighth. :D)

[Zive]

Variety is the spice of life.

On a less cliché note, which others have echoed, it’s useful to be able to carry something that will stand out when visibility is important (crowded work bench, under water, in the field) or blend in (with jeans, backpack, etc.) when being discreet is a priority.

[The Meat man]

I appreciate the bright colors of the Salt line, but otherwise, give me plain old black or dark earth tones.

[Mushroom]

I'm a big fan of using colors. Certain colors or combinations can create a distinct "character" for a knife. Color can also add a sense of "newness" which can be satisfying. Still, I've always had "soft spot" for all black knives because of the "character" they seem to have.

I tend to like "muted" colors on my knives. Natural colors with less saturation than normal, like burnt orange is a good example.

I think the general context in which a knife is used or perceived plays a lot into what colors are seen as desirable. Already, we've seen a few people say they prefer "earth tones." Which makes sense to me because of the stereotypical environments often attributed to using a knife.

"Fashion" is also another reason why people seem to be interested in colors these days. I see more people color coordinating the things they hide in their pockets these days than ever before.

[Bemo]

I like the zombie green Salt 2 because when I set it down at work its color is unlike the color of any other materials we use, and it sticks out like a sore thumb.

This. If I'm in the office, I want subdued. If I drop it in the forest, or in the mud in my backyard, I want something I can find.

[VooDooChild]

1. High visibility for outdoor applications.
Salt series is a perfect example of this, but anything outdoors, camping, hunting, beach, etc... Its nice to be able to see your knife if you drop it or just set it down.

2. Black is boring. I feel the same way about motorcycles. I understand the color choice, it goes with everything and doesnt show dirt. Still a black handled knife, no matter how good it is, doesnt grab my attention.

[TomAiello]

Functionally, I really like bright (like day glow orange) colors on outdoors knives. In the event I drop them (or just forget them) I'm a lot less likely to lose them.

For EDC, I just kind of like colors (I'm partial to blue, and especially to blue/black)--I guess it's for fashion or style or something? No particular functional reason though.

I'm not really a 'black all the time' guy. I like grey FRN a lot better than black, for example. And blue too. And I like the Blurple of the S-110v models better than the plain black, as well.

[JD Spydo]

Exactly what you said- the colors make the knives look less "sinister". Plus colors are fun. All the colors. The salt 2 lc200n bright green is awesome and so are the other bright colors like pink, purple, orange, yellow, and blue. I'm sure in the next 10 years the trend will be back to black scales only and no bright colors lol.

There is a lot to be said about the "color" of the knife ( knife handle specifically) having a psychological effect on people. It's been quite a few years ago I was taking an evening college course and we were working on a group project where we were cutting up a lot of photos to various sizes and proportions to fit this marketing project we were working on. It was in a "Marketing" class actually.

A guy in another group in that same class had a black handled folder that his group was using and I think it was one of CRKT's earliest models if my memory is right. It was about 2004 when this all happened. And I heard a couple of people comment on it in a negative way. Comments like "The Knife Looked Evil" :rolleyes: Whereas I had an original 2003 era blue handled PE Dodo model that I was using with my group to cut up pictures and other items and I didn't hear any comments about it at all. Except for one lady who liked the Dodo and asked me how much she could get one for and when I told her I spent over $100 for it her eyes got really big :D And I loaned that Dodo to 3 of the other students in my group that were working on the project with me and I didn't hear one negative comment at all.

I had another encounter with another teacher at that same college and she commented on how neat and uique looking the Dodo model was and she was very positive about it. I now wonder what kind of reaction I would have had if I would have used my black handled, serrated Dodo that I also owned at that time. But they sure gave negative comments to the guy in the other group who had a black handled CRKT folder :rolleyes: Go Figure :confused:

[Bemo]

Love this post. Proof that the Dodo needs to not be extinct any longer.