Re: Spydercos beginnings

Discuss Spyderco's products and history.
User avatar
Wartstein
Member
Posts: 15041
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:06 am
Location: Salzburg, Austria, Europe

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#1

Post by Wartstein »

EDIT: WHY on earth does it suddenly look like as if this thread was started by ME?! Where is the actual OP, "Brooklyn 2019" gone?!

brooklyn2019 wrote:
Tue Nov 05, 2019 1:59 pm
Hey anyone have pics of spyderco beginnings maybe pics inside their bread delivery truck will be nice or their first factory
I don´t and probably no one beside Sal or long time Spyderco employees?

Here is a vid where Sal talks a bit about the beginnings (and you can see a pic of the bread delivery truck as far as I recall)

https://youtu.be/mLcTWwh1Cpc&t=64s
Last edited by Wartstein on Thu Nov 07, 2019 3:34 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
koenigsegg
Member
Posts: 1559
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2015 5:36 pm

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#2

Post by koenigsegg »

TSBTS_Both.png
Better than the out of focus slow pan in that video lol
S30V, VG10, M4, XHP, BD1, Cruwear, Elmax, Maxamet, 204P, H1, K390, A11, Rex45, LC200N, M390, 20CV, BD1N, S45VN waiting to afford MagnaCut
rangefinder
Member
Posts: 209
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:19 am

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#3

Post by rangefinder »

Here's an old picture of Sal demonstrating the Sharpmaker. This is 1981, so it's pretty early.

https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news ... /836853906

(I'm not embedding the linked image because I have no idea if Getty allows that.)
User avatar
Ez556
Member
Posts: 522
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2018 8:16 pm

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#4

Post by Ez556 »

Here’s a picture of my dad outside the first Spyderco storefront, he was the manager. The paper is dated 1982.Image
Likes FRN
:spyder: MEMBER OF THE CRUWEAR NATION :spyder:
sal wrote:
Sun Aug 04, 2019 7:28 am
But in reality, there is nothing quite like a gun. And it has been said, "The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun".
Sumdumguy wrote:
Tue Oct 08, 2019 4:35 am
Does that complexity decrease the simplicity? Not at all.
Abyss_Fish wrote:
Wed Oct 21, 2020 11:54 pm
Ti is uh, 300 dollars.
User avatar
Wartstein
Member
Posts: 15041
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:06 am
Location: Salzburg, Austria, Europe

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#5

Post by Wartstein »

Ez556 wrote:
Wed Nov 06, 2019 3:27 pm
Here’s a picture of my dad outside the first Spyderco storefront, he was the manager. The paper is dated 1982.Image

That's really cool, thanks for sharing! :)
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
User avatar
sal
Member
Posts: 16964
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Golden, Colorado USA

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#6

Post by sal »

Thanx Jordan. Your Dad was one of the best.

sal
bearrowland
Member
Posts: 3545
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:59 pm
Location: Julian Pennsylvania USA Earth

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#7

Post by bearrowland »

Great thread! I'm an old VW pilot and love to see that Beetle in tow behind the bread truck!
Barry

Bonne Journey!

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword

Do what you can, where you are, with what you have! Theodore Roosevelt

MNOSD member 0032
User avatar
sal
Member
Posts: 16964
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Golden, Colorado USA

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#8

Post by sal »

Hey Brooklyn,

Welcome to our forum (I was born in Brooklyn).

FYI, when Gail and I began Spyderco, we were homeless, living in a 1955 International step van (with our 2 yr old daughter) that was a bread delivery truck that we converted to a motor home. We towed a VW beetle behind the truck with our equipment. We built our product in campgrounds and sold them in local fairs and show. America is a great country.

sal
prndltech
Member
Posts: 3128
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:53 am
Location: 512

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#9

Post by prndltech »

sal wrote:
Wed Nov 06, 2019 11:27 pm
Hey Brooklyn,

Welcome to our forum (I was born in Brooklyn).

FYI, when Gail and I began Spyderco, we were homeless, living in a 1955 International step van (with our 2 yr old daughter) that was a bread delivery truck that we converted to a motor home. We towed a VW beetle behind the truck with our equipment. We built our product in campgrounds and sold them in local fairs and show. America is a great country.

sal
Your right. This is a great country. It’s inspiring to a younger guy. I’m not homeless, as I just bought a house this year (or the right to pay for it and pay taxes, as the case may be). I’m above the lower, but far below the upper, where money gets tight. But I have a unique opportunity in front of me to own my own business. Just in the beginning stages of discussion, but hearing reminders like this is encouraging. Leaving the comfort of a some what steady income can be a little intimidating, even though I’m 100% commission based. Thanx, Sal.
- Shannon

MNOSD 0006
User avatar
sal
Member
Posts: 16964
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Golden, Colorado USA

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#10

Post by sal »

Hi Prndtech,

Always extend your best effort (Gambaru in Japanese) good enough is never good enough.
Persistence is king.
Always be 100% honest with your customers.
improvement is your evolutionary obligation to humankind.

sal
User avatar
Stuart Ackerman
Member
Posts: 2080
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 2:39 pm
Location: New Zealand
Contact:

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#11

Post by Stuart Ackerman »

Strive for excellence, not mediocrity: which is another word for "good enough"...
JD Spydo
Member
Posts: 23532
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:53 pm
Location: Blue Springs, Missouri

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#12

Post by JD Spydo »

It's threads like this one that make me wish that the book entitled "The Spyderco Story by Kenneth Delavigne" was still in print. Not only is the book no longer in print but the publisher i.e. Paladin Press is also gone as well.

There is probably a lot more that could be written about Spyderco's beginnings and really it's high time for a sequel to "The Spyderco Story".

It's an incredible American entreprenuerial success story.
User avatar
sal
Member
Posts: 16964
Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Golden, Colorado USA

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#13

Post by sal »

Hi JD,

We're working on something.

sal
User avatar
Larry_Mott
Member
Posts: 2584
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2015 5:00 am
Location: Helsingborg, Sweden

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#14

Post by Larry_Mott »

sal wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 3:00 pm
Hi JD,

We're working on something.

sal
Glad to hear that! I value my copy of "The Spyderco Story" highly!
"Life is fragile - we should take better care of each other, and ourselves - every day!"
//Eva Mott 1941 - 2019. R.I.P.
User avatar
Wartstein
Member
Posts: 15041
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:06 am
Location: Salzburg, Austria, Europe

Re: Re: Spydercos beginnings

#15

Post by Wartstein »

WHY on earth does it suddenly look like as if this thread was started by ME?!
Where is the actual OP, "Brooklyn 2019" gone?!
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
prndltech
Member
Posts: 3128
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:53 am
Location: 512

Re: Re: Spydercos beginnings

#16

Post by prndltech »

Hahaha what just happened
- Shannon

MNOSD 0006
User avatar
jpm2
Member
Posts: 1323
Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2017 7:40 pm
Location: TX - in the sticks

Re: Re: Spydercos beginnings

#17

Post by jpm2 »

Wartstein wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 3:27 pm
WHY on earth does it suddenly look like as if this thread was started by ME?!
Where is the actual OP, "Brooklyn 2019" gone?!
They stepped out, will be back shortly.
Shaggy Dog
Member
Posts: 31
Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 12:12 pm

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#18

Post by Shaggy Dog »

sal wrote:
Wed Nov 06, 2019 11:27 pm
Hey Brooklyn,

Welcome to our forum (I was born in Brooklyn).

FYI, when Gail and I began Spyderco, we were homeless, living in a 1955 International step van (with our 2 yr old daughter) that was a bread delivery truck that we converted to a motor home. We towed a VW beetle behind the truck with our equipment. We built our product in campgrounds and sold them in local fairs and show. America is a great country.

sal
I never knew that about Spyderco’s history. Thanks for sharing Sal. And thanks for taking the chance. I’m glad it worked out for you and for decades worth of customers. America truly is a great country.
bdblue
Member
Posts: 1748
Joined: Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:04 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Re: Spydercos beginnings

#19

Post by bdblue »

rangefinder wrote:
Wed Nov 06, 2019 12:38 pm
Here's an old picture of Sal demonstrating the Sharpmaker. This is 1981, so it's pretty early.
I still have the one, an older version than that one, that I bought from him at the Texas State Fair. Mine has the wooden base, round sticks, and typewritten instructions.
User avatar
Mushroom
Member
Posts: 7294
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 2:45 pm
Location: Boston, Ma. U.S.A. Earth

Re: Re: Spydercos beginnings

#20

Post by Mushroom »

Wartstein wrote:
Thu Nov 07, 2019 3:27 pm
WHY on earth does it suddenly look like as if this thread was started by ME?!
Where is the actual OP, "Brooklyn 2019" gone?!
If I recall correctly, the first few posts from new users need to go through a moderation process as a way of helping to prevent potential spam bots from posting. I'm guessing that is what happened and the post will return if the OP was not a spam bot.
-Nick :bug-red
Image
Post Reply