Yet another Spyderco knock off...

[clovisc]

this is a really annoying thread... the kind of thing i call an "undergraduate argument."

the way it usually works is that the aggressor, who maybe has just experienced foucault or derrida or even adorno for the first time, and who will always claim some form of "objectivity" and "non-bias" in support of their timid claims to authority, will get into a huge argument with anyone over anything at all [knife -- that's a new one!] simply to a) show off, and b) challenge everyone to consider their highly watered-down take on concepts like "subjectivity," "cultural relativisim," "multiplicity of truths," "determinate negation," "deconstructivism," etc. so that we can all reach the not-so-groundbreaking conclusion that everyone has different ideas. when all is said and done, we'll go our separate ways full of negative feelings, chips on shoulders will have grown the size of cinder blocks, and nothing positive or constructive will have happened for the human species.

sorry -- but that is not how human intellect is best used.

this is how the teenage mind learns and grows, though... by testing boundaries. frustrating though these interactions may be, they serve some supportive function to adolescent cognitive development.

i support spyderco in large part because i feel like their ethical principles and ways of doing business are very much in alignment with my own values and beliefs... but not everyone feels this way -- duh.

now let's let this embarrassing thread die, and get back to appreciating spyderco knives, and accomplishing positive and productive things.

[jimmyh]

I'm getting tired of responding to this, so from pure exhaustion I'm not gonna reply to everything, but I feel the need to respond to some.

Sherpa, I didn't respond to the other part of your post because it was right- just not relevant.

Jimmy@....I think the point has been made by others well..why come here, piss all over the place, insult the owner and designers of spyderco and carry on in this manner?...Need info for your blog do you....find another forum to annoy...will ya....Doc

I never insulted the owner or designers. My intention was to see if I could get people to actually consider the other side, which I thought might actually be true. I've been actively trying not to "get piss all over the place". I'm not trying to provoke anyone to fuel a blog (don't have one), and if this thread annoys you, why read it?

Clovisc, an "undergraduate argument" implies that it is up to the college level...

[MLR]

this is a really annoying thread... the kind of thing i call an "undergraduate argument."

+1. Goodnight, thread.

[clovisc]

jimmy -- you're capable of refined and sophisticated thought... i strongly urge you to focus your brainpower upon accomplishing positive and productive things that benefit our species. :)

[TimmyBoston]

Sal has addressed this issue. IMO, this should be a legal matter between Spyderco and Columbia and there's nothing else we can do with further discussion here besides argue. I'd rather see more discussion and learning about Spyderco than bickering between members.

[The Deacon]

Sal has addressed this issue. IMO, this should be a legal matter between Spyderco and Columbia and there's nothing else we can do with further discussion here besides argue. I'd rather see more discussion and learning about Spyderco than bickering between members.

One of the problems, Timmy, is that there probably is no "Columbia" or, for that matter, any "SR". Those names are merely window dressing, put on the knife and box to make the product more appealing to Western buyers than a bunch of Hanzi characters would. Columbia was probably chosen because there are American Companies with that word as part of their names, including Columbia River Knife and Tool and Columbia Sportswear, neither of which, I'm sure, have anything to do with this knockoff.

The legal angle is difficult to pursue since intellectual property is a Western concept and courts in China and a number of other Far Eastern nations do not really consider IP theft a crime. If huge companies with deep pockets, like Disney and Microsoft, cannot successfully prevent their products from being copied, a company the size of Spyderco would not stand a chance.

The issue is really one which can only be addressed by all Western nations, or at least a large number of them, being willing to impose trade sanctions against China and other nations of the Far East if such theft is not addressed. In today's economic climate, that is unlikely.

Suing individual US dealers and distributors might work to an extent, but would be prohibitively expensive. Best that Spyderco can probably do is to monitor eBay and report any auctions for knock offs of their products. For the record, unless eBay policy has changed, only the owner of the IP can report such violations, so "we" can't really help, aside from possibly letting the seller know we will never buy anything from him.

None of that makes the companies making the copies, or those selling them, any less reprehensible. It just means there's not much chance of a satisfactory solution.

[grunt0331]

i got home from work anticipating enlightenment upon opening the fourth page of this blunderous mess, but was nonplussed at the redundant disputation. just kidding. i could write a freakin' thesaurus from this thread alone.

my knife is sharper than yours. take that!

[TazKristi]

Sal is getting ready to head to Blade Show, so his "day" job of running Spyderco isn't going to afford him the time to chime back in on this thread. Sal studied philosophy in his college days, he's extremely well educated. Jimmy I can promise you that if time allowed he could discuss this with you at great length. Perhaps when you reach his age, you'll understand as much as he does.

I think it's time to let this rest.

Kristi

[duff72]

Thank you t.k. !!!!!!

[TimmyBoston]

Sal studied philosophy in his college days, he's extremely well educated.

That doesn't surprise me in the least. This may sound like I'm making fun or a joke, but I promise I'm not, Sal has one of the most mellow relaxing vocal tones I've ever heard in my life. I would have bet anything when I saw him on the sharpener DVDs he was a very well trained actor. I'm a psych grad student and I'd give anything for that ability. IMO had he chosen not to go into knives he would have made an outstanding therapist.

Thank you Kristi for setting this thread straight.

[dialex]

Not so much sad as it is typical Chinese business practice...

Let's not blame the Chinese alone, many of these products are made in China, it's true, but according to the express indications of Western contractors. :mad:

[jimmyh]

I think it's time to let this rest.

I agree. I've gotten sick of it too since it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. You know... the "definition" of "fanatic" and all...

I just wanted to end with an apology. While I was trying to not piss anyone off, it seems to have happened anyway, and for that, I'm sorry.

I look forward to contributing to less controversial threads, if you'll still have me

[TazKristi]

I agree. I've gotten sick of it too since it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. You know... the "definition" of "fanatic" and all...

I just wanted to end with an apology. While I was trying to not piss anyone off, it seems to have happened anyway, and for that, I'm sorry.

I look forward to contributing to less controversial threads, if you'll still have me

Jimmy,
You are welcome to be here and I look forward to your participation.

Kristi

[mcgyver]

The Afghani at the market outside the gate to our camp gave it to me and it's a very nice knife. I'm sure it's a knock-off but don't really care. Honestly, Spyderco charges far too much for their knives anyway. Oh, anyone that would by any CRKT piece of junk would likely buy a knock-off as well since the quality of the knock-off would probably be superior to the CRKT product. I say that with due respect to the Columbia River as I grew up on it. Most of my knives are Benchmade but I have a LOT of knives.