Price increases 2023?

[dodgie02]

https://www.knivesandtools.nl/nl/ct/spy ... price-desc

just yesterday I was looking at a new df2 k390 for 140ish, a lightweight sage 5, or a Kapara again.. And though a little over 200 I could justify that for a kapara, however NOW?? **** them, last year I bought 2 manix 2s s110v for 160ish bucks a piece, now one Will set you back 250 EUROs! Ah well, a sage 5 lw just went a little over 200. Just dont get fancy ideas with the peel ply one less you have 270 (bought one a few years ago for the price of 160). LMAO I'll mail them if they want some of my millie sprints for only 999,95 EUR a piece.

[vanka]

This is inevitable in today's world. And as usual, some folks will be affected a lot, others not so much. Some may stop buying any knives, but then again there's always new people starting into knives. We can see them in the forums and the social media.
Obviously the overseas customers will be hit harder. Because it's a percentage of increase the prices. At the same time final price is formed the same way - percentage over the import plus shipping fee, VAT, import tax, etc . Average price rise of around 10% from Spyderco could easily equal to 20-40% hike in the rest of the world. I don't believe that I'll be able to find a spyderco below the 150 euros mark from 2023 onwards . It doesn't mean I would stop buying knives. It's just going to be 2-3 pieces less per year. And I will probably focus mostly on exclusives and sprints and leave the regular production for the end of the year if there's enough funds to spare. The annual price increase leads to changing the buyers model of spending and shift priorities so to speak.

[captnvegtble]

It's simple economics folks... cost of production goes up (supplies, raw materials, transport, labor, etc.), especially with very high levels of inflation, and that cost ultimately gets passed to the consumer otherwise there is no viable business. It's happening with everything and people should expect this with manufactured items like knives.

Nothing about economics is simple. Really and truly, regardless of the cost of inputs, sometimes the manufacturers, retailers, or both, have to eat the extra cost if they want to move product. The price of numerous firearms went down substantially, both via retail price, and via rebates by the manufacturers after several major buying sprees. Same thing with ammunition. Car companies had to offer zero percent financing, rebates, and 72 month terms at one point.

An item’s retail price doesn’t always equal a nice and neat equation. You can have inflation and have to cut prices to move overstock all at the same time.

Of course. I wasn't saying economics is simple. I was responding to people that seem surprised/dismayed that prices are increasing... which is explainable and should be expected based on economics, inflation, etc.

The question of how much costs/price increase is different question. But unless someone works for Spyderco and is looking at their finance sheets, it's not something that anybody outside of Spyderco on this forum can have an informed discussion about or accurately comment on. Sal has been on this Forum in the past explaining how they set their pricing. So this is an old conversation that keeps being brought up, and people who have been on this forum for a long time are tired of the recurrence.

[dodgie02]

This is inevitable in today's world. And as usual, some folks will be affected a lot, others not so much. Some may stop buying any knives, but then again there's always new people starting into knives. We can see them in the forums and the social media.
Obviously the overseas customers will be hit harder. Because it's a percentage of increase the prices. At the same time final price is formed the same way - percentage over the import plus shipping fee, VAT, import tax, etc . Average price rise of around 10% from Spyderco could easily equal to 20-40% hike in the rest of the world. I don't believe that I'll be able to find a spyderco below the 150 euros mark from 2023 onwards . It doesn't mean I would stop buying knives. It's just going to be 2-3 pieces less per year. And I will probably focus mostly on exclusives and sprints and leave the regular production for the end of the year if there's enough funds to spare. The annual price increase leads to changing the buyers model of spending and shift priorities so to speak.

Increase due to inflation and costs is inevitable, sure, but this is too much. I'm quite familiar with the intricacies of import export and the many variables that come into play. The Netherlands is extremely big and build on our export, and in which case have you ever seen wholesale items raise their prices by 60 percent? There is no way and its hard to justify. 30 to 60 over msrp. Ofcourse, a 10 to 15 is expected. Wages increase, production becomes more expensive. But never before like this and the rest of Europe still maintains sane prices. They must be off their cracker, we are not that bad off here in the Netherlands, as in having to raise prices from 260 for a spydiechef to over 400! Additional % mrsp upon the spyderco asking is completed reasonable and required, they're a business too. But at the same time their extra profit guaranteeing percentage also grows exponentially depending on the price of the product they pretty much have a monopoly here as the main and by far leading sales concern. Been a loyal client for a decade and spend thousands there but this I have never. You should take a look. Seems not all is updated but
If you were into let's say Dutch made bikes and bicycle parts? Sure you pay more then the people here, bit after transport and all pre production plus the cost of making it viable for sellers here you'd end up with a 20 percent increase at least to the point of origin compared. This goes on ten years, things got this much more that, we have these additional costs, your living expenses scale with so all is good.

Then, just in your country the price had risen 25 % on the lower ahem models pushing them close to military prices a day ago. Nah this is far beyond the normal raising in prices, and yes I wonder the extreme spike arrose by, because nothing nowhere happened like this in other high end brands.

[vanka]

I believe it could be because the dealers in Europe are not getting discounts. I mean, they buy from Spyderco or other dealers in bulk with just current MAP taken off and eventually no tax added. If you're not getting additional discounts you can't offer lower prices because you have to cover all the costs and taxes to move your stock bought in US and bring it in Europe for example. The wholesale items are not a very good example. Most cases they have contractual prices for bulk buying and huge discounts. Even if you import chocolate glazed doughnuts you'll have almost the same price like in the US with agreed 50% discount for bulk buying. If you don't get any discount you end up with higher end price. And because everything is percentage based, the higher price you buy your items the higher bill for export and the higher the end price for the consumer.

[apollo]

I believe it could be because the dealers in Europe are not getting discounts. I mean, they buy from Spyderco or other dealers in bulk with just current MAP taken off and eventually no tax added. If you're not getting additional discounts you can't offer lower prices because you have to cover all the costs and taxes to move your stock bought in US and bring it in Europe for example. The wholesale items are not a very good example. Most cases they have contractual prices for bulk buying and huge discounts. Even if you import chocolate glazed doughnuts you'll have almost the same price like in the US with agreed 50% discount for bulk buying. If you don't get any discount you end up with higher end price. And because everything is percentage based, the higher price you buy your items the higher bill for export and the higher the end price for the consumer.

If this is the case and spyderco does not give European or other international dealers the discount US dealers get then they are directly responsible for these outrageous prices.

Also Like Dodgie02 said we are not complaining over an increase but the percentage of it.
All webshops here have 20 or more brands and none of those brands have these price increase issues. They go up yes maybe 5 to max 15% when needed and definitely not automatically every year.
Many of them are also made in the USA , So same steel prices , labour prices , energy prices , taxes , So if they all can control there prices and keep them the same over all markets then why is spyderco always the exception?

[Michael Janich]

Hey, All:

Please keep the politics out of the discussion. Thanks.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Ramonade]

A PM2 was 170€ in 2021 at K&T.
With the price increase, it came up to around 190€ in 2022.
That's normal, we just have the price of importing them in difference.
It sudenly went up to 250€ so 25% price increase. That's about what I'd expect considering the overall rise in costs.

However, the Shaman went from 210/220€ to 355€. That's around 60% of price increase. And that's the case for most Spydercos displayed on K&T's website. Both come from Golden so it's a bit weird.
Most EU dealers are closed until January, but lamnia isn't and they don't show such increases.

We'll see later on, I'm not complaining, just reporting what I saw. I don't think we can truely draw any conclusion from one dealer's price increase in EU, especially when it's so erratic.

[apollo]

A PM2 was 170€ in 2021 at K&T.
With the price increase, it came up to around 190€ in 2022.
That's normal, we just have the price of importing them in difference.
It sudenly went up to 250€ so 25% price increase. That's about what I'd expect considering the overall rise in costs.

However, the Shaman went from 210/220€ to 355€. That's around 60% of price increase. And that's the case for most Spydercos displayed on K&T's website. Both come from Golden so it's a bit weird.
Most EU dealers are closed until January, but lamnia isn't and they don't show such increases.

We'll see later on, I'm not complaining, just reporting what I saw. I don't think we can truely draw any conclusion from one dealer's price increase in EU, especially when it's so erratic.

You are correct Robin. But my experience is that k&t is always one of the first to change prices.
And since they are one of the or maybe at times even cheapest dealer in Europe i think we both know the rest will follow and make it even worse. Since i know a few people at K&t on a dutch forum and they are definitely always trying to be the cheapest.

[benben]

Only 2 of my last 7 or 8 Spyderco's have come from online vendors, my Ayoob sprint, and my wife got me a Salt 2 wharncliffe for Christmas.

Those others have come from gun shows....and there's a gun show tomorrow!

[Erich]

I also think it's hilarious that you're complaining about a price increase on something that, for most of us, has become a pleasure item and not really a necessity. ]

Get a grip people!

You think you're "owning" us by stressing how these knives are not a necessity. No, they're not necessary, and consequentially people will pay only so much. Necessities like gas and food with invariable demand are able to charge whatever they want, not pocket knives. Supply and demand goes both ways. When demand collapses, retailers can't move anything, and then bye bye goes the MAP like with this past Black Friday. I think we've hit a wall of what's economically possible with pricing. The retailers that started this whole thing will bitterly cling to their price control, but there's always the next Black Friday!

[rgc]

So did they increase the MSRP? I honestly can't tell.

[ladybug93]

So did they increase the MSRP? I honestly can't tell.

it usually comes within the first two weeks of the year. it could be tomorrow or it could be another week or two.

[Sharp Guy]

I also think it's hilarious that you're complaining about a price increase on something that, for most of us, has become a pleasure item and not really a necessity. ]

Get a grip people!

You think you're "owning" us by stressing how these knives are not a necessity. No, they're not necessary, and consequentially people will pay only so much. Necessities like gas and food with invariable demand are able to charge whatever they want, not pocket knives. Supply and demand goes both ways. When demand collapses, retailers can't move anything, and then bye bye goes the MAP like with this past Black Friday. I think we've hit a wall of what's economically possible with pricing. The retailers that started this whole thing will bitterly cling to their price control, but there's always the next Black Friday!

Hi Erich. We've had this same discussion every year I've been a member here. Prices have been increasing each year, people moan about it, and yet we all keep buying. Whether or not we've hit a wall is yet to be seen but I'd be willing to bet that Spyderco has great sales numbers again this year.

Spyderco has always been very transparent about their pricing. They do their best to keep everyone happy including their ELUs, dealers, and employees. I would assume their production costs continue to rise and they have no choice but to raise their products. They are a business after all. Sometimes businesses have to make difficult choices. It's our choice whether or not we buy

I don't like paying more for anything yet here we are paying more for everything. I'll continue to buy items I enjoy as long as I can afford them. Everyone needs to decide what they can afford

Good luck in 2023

[spoonrobot]

The other day I made a post about the price of things since I joined the forum in 2007.

The price of Spydercos has roughly doubled in those 15 years.

It got me thinking about other things I buy, and whether or not they've doubled in price.

Skateboards are the same price as in 2007.
Disc golf discs cost the same.
Videogames same price.
Milk is about the same.
Gas costs about the same, though it shows serious fluctuations ($1.50 - $4.50 since 2007, currently $2.50/gal)
Tires for my old car are the same price.
Flashlights cost the same and you get waaaay more for your money than when LED tech was newer
Toothpaste, soap and similar cost the same as they did.
Victorinox knives have gone up maybe 5-10% in price.

Now things that have doubled in price since 2007:

Target house brand pasta sauces
Food service sized orders of raw chicken wings had doubled in price right after the first covid lockdowns but have since stabilized below that
1lb ground beef rolls
Spyderco knives

That's all I can think of.

Wonder what it is about knives and tomatoes and ground beef that saw their prices go up so much?

Not to nitpick to death, but Victorinox prices have approached the stratosphere at the same rate (and often higher) as Spyderco. I think more domestic and European brands are closer to 2x than not. 15 years is a long long time.

Here are the Victorniox knives I bought from Knifecenter in 2007 and their prices today

Pioneer 17.95->47.99
Spirit 59.99->132.99
Classic 13.00->21.99
Cybertool 34 59.99->138.99

Benchmade has many models 2x or even 3x their price in 2007. As you alluded, it's knives in general; but I felt a need for a small counterpoint - having the information on hand myself.

Pricing of consumer goods is a hugely multifaceted "problem" that observations are almost always so limited as to retain a cursory interest only. The battery and tires for my van are 3x what they were in 2007, but that doesn't diminish the retained pricing you see.

Regardless, I'd prefer Spyderco pricing increases to be lower but at the end of the day I also prefer to support them as a company over other companies.

[tbdoc4kids]

Just looked at Manix Lightweight prices at DLT and GP Knives. I think GP may have already applied the 2023 prices. Ouch!

[RamZar]

Looks like US-made models had an 8-10% street price increase.

ParaMilitary2 CruCarta went from $188.65 to $203.00.

[Cowboyfromhell]

Ouch is right!... Glad I just bought a lightweight manix dlc for $130 last week, should be here tomorrow! Price is now $143!....every year they raise prices like 15 bux. Just think 3 years from now a lightweight will be $200 ....lol yeah right bro! The manix was always a good value vs other golden models, not any more. Can't keep customers if you raise prices every single year !!.......

[Cowboyfromhell]

Oh Im sure taichung increase will be like another $30 across the list !

[RamZar]

Looks like the street prices on the Taichung-made knives went up by 5%.