Long Timers: How has this forum changed?

[standy99]

5 year lurker / 5 year member
Watched the whole knife world change to a more technical and informed bunch. (Forum wise)
Steel has been a focus of Spyderco and we are all in wealth because of this over the last 3-4 years.

Sprints/dealer specials are still as crazy as ever.

As mentioned above, the want this, want that, in this colour, in this steel does my head in sometimes BUT it’s easy to move on from those threads

The whole MAP pricing whinge that happens every year is also annoying. (Make knives and I have watched everything go up over the last 5 years…. geee I’m 50 and everything in life has gone up every year)


Still a very informative forum with some great minded people and members. A lot of people I would definitely love to have a beer with…(a few I have had a beer with)
Also plenty of members have helped and given advice to me over the years and for that I’m grateful. Some of the Mule team guys are so helpful and encouraging it’s a credit to Spyderco….

[Manixguy@1994]

I really can’t add more than has been already said . Spyderco is evolving doing there thing in the knife world that has been groundbreaking . Forum members really are much the same helpful , experimenting, taking knives to another level . We have more information to digest , more at times that I need , but someone may find it useful . Overall I feel it’s all good just different. MG2

[twinboysdad]

Self defense seems to be gone. Also way more talk about steel and handle colours, less about new models. I also have the impression that Sal listening to us spoiled us in a way. I don't recall anyone asking Sal to make this or that model in this specific colour and some wondersteel. It was VG10 and black G10 and maybe S30V if we were lucky. Maybe it's the influence of Instagram but it feels like there were more users then true collectors on here. People used their knives more. When i started using Spyderco knives they were part of my equipment in law enforcement. Now it feels more like an investment vibe. People buy Spyderco knives as an object d'art instead of a no nonsense tool. It sometimes feels a little snobbery. I don't know if it's me getting older or frustrated about pricing. It feels like the casio g-shock. Used to be a hardcore watch for professionals, now it's a fashion accessoire in dozens of funky colours and shapes. Same with Glocks. No more black plastic but a gucci thing to express your personal taste and wealth.

I couldn’t agree more with every word here. New members likely don’t know what MBC even is. Glocks in the mid 90’s were a thing to brag about round count- as in mine had 50,000 rounds with no failures. Most don’t see 1000 rounds but see 10,000 Instagram photos.

[Hopsbreath]

I’ve not been around long enough to know what MBC is, but I was active in a bunch of forums a decade ago and this is the last one I still frequent. Spyderco almost seems like a forum with a knife brand. The level of engagement from those in charge isn’t paralleled by any other company I can think of. On top of that, Sal and crew are highly respectful and a pleasure to communicate with. That hasn’t changed in the time I’ve been here and I suspect is a large part of the forum’s success as well as the company. The founder/CEO/owner/moderator is still accessible and ready to discuss their product. It genuinely adds to my enjoyment of the knives.

[Bolster]

I think the current state of the forum is more fun & interesting for two reasons.

(1) There's currently a gang of hilariously witty members who frequent the forum and keep it casual and entertaining by cracking wit (you know who you are!). Contrast the current fun and lively atmosphere to the Stamp years that Apollo alluded to (I had mercifully forgotten about that period until Apollo reminded me, ugh), where a heavy seriousness pervaded, and if you so much as got a verb incorrectly conjugated, you would get publicly de-pantsed and spanked. We still have a few stentorian members here, but it's mild and tolerable, compared to what it used to be.

(2) Larrin's research has greatly increased my interest in knifely things, since I enjoy empiricism. Seems like Larrin inspired more experimental thinking across the board. There's a fresh wind of empiricism that's sweeping across our forum--and I like it.

So while there's been all kinds of change through the years, here's two ways that IMO the forum has gotten better.

[Halfneck]

Been around a bit, some of my observations:

Biggest change I've noticed is the technical discussion of the various steels. Before it was just basic discussion with anecdotal information. Now you get scientific information & a metallurgical breakdown of the steel.

Tactical/Self-Defense - always seemed to ebb & flow to me. Currently it's at a lower point.

Fidgety Factor - a lot of members put an emphasis on whether a knife will drop shut freely. I'll admit I have fun with a few of my Benchmade Axis-locks that I can open & close just by working the lock & flicking my wrist. I also have 1 or 2 Spyderco Compression-locks I can do the same with. It's neat, but I don't consider it a negative if it doesn't drop shut freely.

Sprint Runs - Definitely an increase in them. While the Pokemon "Gotta Get them All" mentality makes it hard to get them, and increases the flipping on the secondary market, it is good for the company.

Myself - I'm older and gone from a lot of outdoor activities (Scouting with my boys) and from clinical to clerical in my hospital job. Most days the only thing my pocketknife sees use on is opening a box of printer paper. Accordingly, my knives carried have become smaller & more office friendly.

[apollo]

I think the current state of the forum is more fun & interesting for two reasons.

(1) There's currently a gang of hilariously witty members who frequent the forum and keep it casual and entertaining by cracking wit (you know who you are!). Contrast the current fun and lively atmosphere to the Stamp years that Apollo alluded to (I had mercifully forgotten about that period until Apollo reminded me, ugh), where a heavy seriousness pervaded, and if you so much as got a verb incorrectly conjugated, you would get publicly de-pantsed and spanked. We still have a few stentorian members here, but it's mild and tolerable, compared to what it used to be.

(2) Larrin's research has greatly increased my interest in knifely things, since I enjoy empiricism. Seems like Larrin inspired more experimental thinking across the board. There's a fresh wind of empiricism that's sweeping across our forum--and I like it.

So while there's been all kinds of change through the years, here's two ways that IMO the forum has gotten better.

Sorry that i reminded you off the cliff Stamp times I remember topic’s in that era that were under so much high voltage it could have run spyderco’s factory workshop for 10 years.

[Bolster]

Sorry that i reminded you off the cliff Stamp times I remember topic’s in that era that were under so much high voltage it could have run spyderco’s factory workshop for 10 years.

Yeah, man, you triggered me. Fortunately we have two or three dispensaries per block where I live, so I'll be OK. No lawsuit this time.

[Peter1960]

For the first few years after I joined the forums, there was a culture that I call the Circle of Friends, The Deacon was the quintessential leader.
There was a kind of gold rush atmosphere, people were more interested in the design of the knives themselves than in the intricacies of metallurgy. Cooperation models were rare and there was something mysterious about working with Spyderco.

The number of new releases was much more manageable and the investment was just as manageable if you collected. Spyderco was more budget friendly.

It was fun browsing the forums to get more information...yes, it was noticeable that there was a lot more initiative.
The forum participants were more widely spread across the globe, members from North America were not as dominant, which made the community exchange more colorful.

There were no Facebook groups, no Instagram and therefore the writing culture in the forum was different.

So what has changed? Lots and lots... but some things are still the same as before (thinking of JD Spydo - bro, love you for your consistency ).

[jwbnyc]

I’ve not been around long enough to know what MBC is, but I was active in a bunch of forums a decade ago and this is the last one I still frequent. Spyderco almost seems like a forum with a knife brand. The level of engagement from those in charge isn’t paralleled by any other company I can think of. On top of that, Sal and crew are highly respectful and a pleasure to communicate with. That hasn’t changed in the time I’ve been here and I suspect is a large part of the forum’s success as well as the company. The founder/CEO/owner/moderator is still accessible and ready to discuss their product. It genuinely adds to my enjoyment of the knives.

This..^

[ZrowsN1s]

In the nearly 7 years I've been here the biggest change I've seen is the knowledge. We're a much more knowledgeable group, and sharing that knowledge has become easier.

As others said the catalog of knives and steels has expanded dramatically.

I've also seen a few forum members go from fans to respected knife makers. Some of them have left the forum, but several remain and gift us with tremendous knowledge.

[sal]

There has been some changes, but much of it has been the sharing of deeper understanding.

More interest in metallurgy for a variety of reasons (Mules, Larrin, etc.)
More and deeper interest in sharpening.
We lost a few really good folks, like Cliff, due to disrespectful arguing for which I feel loss.
More threads on what I call "eye appeal".
I always pleased to see folks like the Deacon chime in.
More discussion on weight, size, structure.
More special projects as the result of folks requests, like JD.
More professionals joining the group.
Discussions on projects that have grown such as; Mules, Salts, locks, geometry, etc.
More self regulating on manners.
A real feeling of a "family atmosphere".
Sharing of "peel back the onion" personal experiences, like David and teeth, Vivi on coarse edges, Shawn and
Larrin on metallurgy, etc.
More testing.

sal

[elena86]

We won Bloke but lost Jazz. I wonder what happened to Jazz … the jazzlica is one of my most carried and used spydies. I also miss the presence of a few other old timers… tvenuto is one of them.

[cabfrank]

I joined a long time ago, took a break from the hobby in general, then came back with much interest. I don't feel that much of my participation is newsworthy or important, but I do participate. I liked it here before, and I like it here now. It is a wonderful forum, with many wonderful people, and a lot of that trickles down from the top, and the Spyderco company itself.

[The Mastiff]

I miss some of the guys that are gone but that is how life is. We have changed but in comparison with the rest of the world Spyderco forums have been pretty consistent. Most of the old timers now gone would still recognize a lot of names.

I have to admit I find comfort in logging in and seeing guys like Sal , Joe "JD Spydo", Paul " The Deacon", Jim " James Y" and all the rest. Guys I have seen here for decades. :)

Joe

[Toucan]

Man, reading this thread made me miss Cliff Stamp. So surreal that he's gone. He was a big voice on all the knife forums at one point or another. Sure, he was a bit prickly, but never malicious. Some people are just wired that way. Dude was passionate.

[sal]

I miss Cliff as well. There is a "new" forum that has been created to keep his old form alive and intact. It's called Phorum, if you are interested. It's not a large group, but they're passionate. I'm a member.

sal

[p_atrick]

Here is the link to the forum mentioned by Sal.

https://www.beyondt01micron.com/index.php

[Jim Malone]

Iirc Cliff just got disappointed in the end and started volunteering for a good cause. Cliff taught me a lot about metallurgy and edge geometry. He got a lot of flak but had a short fuse and not a lot of patience. The knife collectors world sure has some colourfull characters. Anyone remember Charlie Mike from bladeforums?

[twinboysdad]

Iirc Cliff just got disappointed in the end and started volunteering for a good cause. Cliff taught me a lot about metallurgy and edge geometry. He got a lot of flak but had a short fuse and not a lot of patience. The knife collectors world sure has some colourfull characters. Anyone remember Charlie Mike from bladeforums?

CMFTW