Appreciation for Spyderco family and request for a little bit of self reflection

[curlyhairedboy]

There's a place for polite suggestions, but I think we’ve all seen how abrasive a demand can be. Those threads go bad pretty fast.

I reckon if we’re here, we care enough about what we use to think about how we’d like to improve things. And I’m sure each forumite is an old-school “knife influencer”- our friends and family turn to us with questions as they see our enthusiasm, so we have the ability to drive a small degree of consumer sentiment via recommendations.

A truly symbiotic relationship!

[kobold]

I think we are here a little bit like a child in a toy store. XD

[RustyIron]

How do you honestly feel about this? Does it occured to you or it is just possibly in my head? Share your thoughts friends.

Meh. The whole thing is a quid pro quo... like Hannibal and Clarice... or the clown fish and the anemone.

Sal makes knives and pays the bills to keep this forum running.
We toil all week at the salt mine to hopefully save enough sheckles for when the next Sprint drops.
We get to chop kindling for campfires and cut wet rope.
Sal gets to party with the Kardashians in his Spyderco Gulfstream G700.
Everyone gets something, and we all live happily ever after.

[RustyIron]

I am long winded on here as well as in real life. It has taken me thousands of posts, many long ones, to learn to be more succinct. Being able to say a lot with few words is an impressive skill.

Few words are the mark of the Tik-Tok-Twitter generation.

If one's thoughts can be conveyed in the space of 140 characters,
then those thoughts are probably simplistic and ill-considered.

Keep the deep-thoughts coming. If you go over the character limit, send me the bill. I'll work it out with Kristi.

[Fireman]

Sal and family have done an amazing job first of all being great people creating a company that creates great knives. The greatness starts at the top. Via years of passion and keeping this foundation going has created the best of fan/consumer bases. I am guilty of putting in my 2 cents repeatedly and I will let Spyderco speak for itself but I think they created the forum so they can get direct input from the community so it serves a great purpose. How many knives and variations came about via the forum? Perhaps there could be a sub forum for ideas and input but I think the community is stronger for having this forum in the current state. I have gotten communication with some of the best people in the industry right here. I am glad we have this forum and I love to see what others think is better or their ideal variant. I get that those who have been here for years get irked and some may come across as spoiled. We are truly spoiled.

[Evil D]

IMO, it's less to do with the requests being made, and more about HOW they're being made.

Jim

"Now look here Glesser, you're gonna make me a full SE Sliverax Salt with peel ply CF scales and you're gonna make it now mister. You don't wanna find out what I'm capable of, I know where you work buddy!"

[Mushroom]

I am long winded on here as well as in real life. It has taken me thousands of posts, many long ones, to learn to be more succinct. Being able to say a lot with few words is an impressive skill.

Few words are the mark of the Tik-Tok-Twitter generation.

If one's thoughts can be conveyed in the space of 140 characters,
then those thoughts are probably simplistic and ill-considered.

Keep the deep-thoughts coming. If you go over the character limit, send me the bill. I'll work it out with Kristi.

I apologize for steering this thread off topic but I don't think this is always the case. It is not easy to properly and accurately express yourself by using fewer words.

There is a quote I really like from American writer Mark Twain, "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead."

Or to quote the wise words of the Philadelphia legend Charlie Kelly, "Let me tell you, I side with Shakespeare on brevity."

[bearfacedkiller]

I am long winded on here as well as in real life. It has taken me thousands of posts, many long ones, to learn to be more succinct. Being able to say a lot with few words is an impressive skill.

Few words are the mark of the Tik-Tok-Twitter generation.

If one's thoughts can be conveyed in the space of 140 characters,
then those thoughts are probably simplistic and ill-considered.

Keep the deep-thoughts coming. If you go over the character limit, send me the bill. I'll work it out with Kristi.

I think we are talking about two different things. Wanting to be a skilled communicator vs wanting to make a comment that is short enough that folks with a short attention span will actually read it.

-Poetry is often the art form of saying a lot with just a few words. I think Robert frost could convey a lot in 140 characters and it would be neither simplistic nor ill-considered.
-My grandfather was a man of few words and when he spoke people usually listened. He was good at being profound and conveying a lot in simple ways. I’ve spent most my life trying to be more like him.
-In my professional life I try to be very clear and concise and to communicate efficiently. I find it to be a good leadership skill.

[James Y]

IMO, it's less to do with the requests being made, and more about HOW they're being made.

Jim

"Now look here Glesser, you're gonna make me a full SE Sliverax Salt with peel ply CF scales and you're gonna make it now mister. You don't wanna find out what I'm capable of, I know where you work buddy!"

“OK, Mr. Glesser and all you fanboys! I don’t like the (names the model here), because (names reasons), so make a version that’ll convince me to buy one! Come on, I DARE YOU!!!”




Jim

[cabfrank]

I'm sure our ideas, ranging from brilliant to pure fantasy, are processed through the business practicality filter. I think it works well.

[chronovore]

I'm new to the forum but this is one of the things I like best here. What other company has their main guy out there, interacting with customers, listening to what people want, and dropping "casual bombshells"?

It also makes me proud to have a Spyderco in my pocket.

[sal]

We listen to all of the requests. We don't think of them as demands. We think about them as do our "exclusive" customers and go from there. We've actually made a lot of models that were birthed on this forum and we've got a few of those going on right now eg: Hi-performance Delica, Ayoob and Damascus Urban.

sal

[aaronkb]

I don’t see how most of OP’s examples are childish at all, and I think the post misses the key point that our ideas fuel a lot of positive discussion and provide free market research for Spyderco when it comes to what would or wouldn’t sell. That in and of itself is a contribution.

When people are legitimately demanding or entitled in their requests that’s a problem, although far more often I see people trying to politely share their ideas and a few grumpy members who were hurt in god knows what way in their childhood jumping into the thread to criticize the OPs for their creativity.

[Doc Dan]

While there are some that are ridiculous and even disrespectful, the majority of requests are born out of love and respect for a man and a company that actually values its (we) customers. They listen to us, and as Sal said, they get a lot of ideas from us. I say, keep 'em coming. I do not know of any other knife maker that listens to its customers like Spyderco.

[Wartstein]

Wanted to raise a little topic for discussion related how we, spyderco nuts, became spoiled and decreased our appreciation for tremendous job Sal, Eric and the team do for us.

...

I did not read the posts in this thread except this one, so my apologies if thoughts get just repeated perhaps.

Interesting and valid thoughts, OP, but bit I don´t really agree with many:

- "Requesting"
I very rarely read "requests" here that are actually " rude demands". I think that it is very normal and a good thing, that if a group of people love a product (Spyderco knives), they also think about it in detail, get to especially like particular details, dream about how they could perhaps be combined in just one knife and so on. Talking about such dreams and hopes is nothing bad, but just shows real passion and interest, and will sometimes and to a small part probably also be a hint for Sal and Spyderco in which direction they could develop their line in order to remains successful.

- "we became community of people constantly wanting something without giving something back."
Really? Don´t get me wrong, Spyderco gave me a lot by making the knives they do, and by the way the company is run. It is just an all around good experience to be into Spyderco, be part of this community and getting to use this just perfectly functional cutting tools.
But I really think we are all giving back starting by just buying the products. And, when it comes to this forum, perhaps 99% of the people here buy more and more expensive ones than they "need" - me included, just cause it brings me joy and I love these knives. After all Spyderco is a company, and one of its goals (as it should be!) is to be successful and make money, so they can make a living from what they love, ensure their employees good work places and lives and so on.
So, in short: I think it is "give and take" on both ends.
Additionally, most of us here do "promote" Spyderco in one way or the other, by recommending, gifting... their product.

/ That being said: YES, more discussion about how our knives get used, more reviews and so on would be nice indeed!
I am sometimes a bit surprised when it seems like that especially the "best" (subjective of course!) models don´t get used at all (sprint runs...), though of ćourse everyone should enjoy their knives as they like it best.

[archangel]

Everything's already been said. This forum has been online for long enough, and the Glessers & their team are around and in business even much longer, to pick up the ideas that have real potential, and ignore those that don't.

Some of us could use a bit of finetuning how they vent their ideas and dreams sometimes. Excluding me of course, I'm always the nicest of guys.

[Bill1170]

While there are some that are ridiculous and even disrespectful, the majority of requests are born out of love and respect for a man and a company that actually values its (we) customers. They listen to us, and as Sal said, they get a lot of ideas from us. I say, keep 'em coming. I do not know of any other knife maker that listens to its customers like Spyderco.

This. The conversation enriches us all. Sometimes it results in the birth of a new model or variation of an existing model that caters to a need or preference expressed by the afi's on this forum. Everybody wins!

[Holland]

I disagree with this. Companies pay stupid amounts of money on surveys and market research that Spyderco partially enjoys right on these forums.

I think Spyderco really enjoys the level of activity on here.

[Doc Dan]

While there are some that are ridiculous and even disrespectful, the majority of requests are born out of love and respect for a man and a company that actually values its (we) customers. They listen to us, and as Sal said, they get a lot of ideas from us. I say, keep 'em coming. I do not know of any other knife maker that listens to its customers like Spyderco.

This. The conversation enriches us all. Sometimes it results in the birth of a new model or variation of an existing model that caters to a need or preference expressed by the afi's on this forum. Everybody wins!

Yes, like Br'er Sal said above:

"We listen to all of the requests. We don't think of them as demands. We think about them as do our "exclusive" customers and go from there. We've actually made a lot of models that were birthed on this forum and we've got a few of those going on right now eg: Hi-performance Delica, Ayoob and Damascus Urban.

sal"