I was surprised when I received my Bill Moran: it has no Spyderco round hole!
I thought that all the Spyderco knives have the Spyderco Trademark round hole.
After this knife, I looked in the Spydie catalog to look if there other no holed spyderco existing.
I found:
Bill Moran old model:
Bob Lum fixe blade:
Temperance:
All Spyderco kitchen knives:
Kumo:
Ronin:
C27
After making some research, there are a lot of non hole knives. Most of the fixe blade.
Do you know other models?
"The things you own end up owning you."
Tyler, Fight Club
As you are now aware, Spyderco only recently started adding the hole to fixed blade knives. Aside from the SPOT, none of the older fixed blades have it, nor did any of the Kitchen Sharps. As for folders, the C27 Jess Horn was the only Spyderco branded model to use an alternate implementation of the patent, which covered "a depression in the blade which allows one hand opening" instead of the Spyderhole. For the record, many consider the Laguiole another "hole-less" folder, but it carries no Spyderco markings and, in fact, was called the RAMCO Laguiole.
IIRC, aside from the SPOT, the Perrin Street Beat was the first Spyderco FB to have a hole in the blade. Think they came out around 2007. Not sure when they decided to add it to the Moran but am guessing it wasn't done right away.
I think the Lum Tanto fixed blade is one of the best looking production fixed blades ever to hit the market. I'm glad it doesn't have a hole. If I ever happen across one it will be mine.
I am hoping the possible upcoming run of kitchen knives either have no hole, or a large enough hole to get a finger in for easy clean-up. I understand the reasoning, but it would be a grime-trap in the kitchen. That being said, I am looking forward to a set regardless.
I don't like seeing a hole in the fixed blades. Great on folders, pointless on fixed blades. It just introduces a nook for bacteria and rust to sit. when I got my moran, I put a drop of epoxy in the hole to seal it up. all better!
edit: if there HAS to be a hole, then keep it small so we can seal it up! if it were a big honking abyss in the blade, I'd be stuck with it.
Funny how these "hole" discussions are so common. Unfortunately, with all of the trademark issues abound in the US and worldwide, you will not likely see any more Spyderco's produced without our trademarked round hole. While we understand that we might lose some sales from the decision, it is more important that we keep our trademark as solid as is possible.
There are masny in the world that do not respect the years of effort that was required to make that "round hole" a mark of quality. Looking like a Spyderco just means more sales to them.
Out kitchen knives are a particular challenge because we recognize the food retention issue. We're carefully focusing on making it as easy as possibe to clean the hole. It is our hope that our customers do recognize the years of effort in our trademark and will think of that while they clean the hole. kind of like appreciating your fingernails when you trim and clean them.
Thanks Sal for this precision!
For me, with or without hole, the Spyderco knives are the best. For the collection, it's interesting to have blade with hole and without hole, it showed the evolution of the brand. It's like having the old model and the new.
"The things you own end up owning you."
Tyler, Fight Club
I understand all the work that went into the hole as your trademark, I just wish you'd picked something else to trademark. I'm in the crowd that thinks that a hole in a fixed blade is just plain silly. Sorry. I'm an engineer and elegance and functionality are both important to me. A hole provides neither in a fixed blade. Why don't you make the holes in the fixies much smaller? I'd be a lot happier if they were in the 1mm range or smaller.
I was surprised when I received my Bill Moran: it has no Spyderco round hole!
I thought that all the Spyderco knives have the Spyderco Trademark round hole.
After this knife, I looked in the Spydie catalog to look if there other no holed spyderco existing.
I found:
Bill Moran old model:
Bob Lum fixe blade:
Temperance:
All Spyderco kitchen knives:
Kumo:
Ronin:
C27
After making some research, there are a lot of non hole knives. Most of the fixe blade.
Do you know other models?
That's weird, I own a Bill Moran I just purchased from Thespydercostore.com and it has a very small hole in the blade.....Picture attached, (please excuse the finger print on the blade) :o
Attachments
Moran.jpg (96.77 KiB) Viewed 6488 times
Freedom is not free, but the U.S. Marine Corps will pay most of your share.
I also understand the need for and history behind the trademark. In the folders, the hole contributes to both form and function. But, I also wish the fixed blade knives didn't have it. IMHO, in addition to collecting debris, it takes away from the knives' "lines" that you work hard to get right. That being said, I have my first Spydie FB on pre-order: The Southfork. I definitely like the prototype without the hole better; but, I can't afford to buy one from Phil. In this case, I guess less is more. It's too bad you couldn't have an alternate trademark just for fixed blades, a spyder stamp for instance. :spyder: You could put a ring inside the body of the spyder that looks like a hole. That could make a stamp workable and would certainly make the blade uniquely Spyderco. See attached.
Significent wrote:In the folders, the hole contributes to both form and function. But, I also wish the fixed blade knives didn't have it. IMHO, in addition to collecting debris it takes away from the knives' "lines" that you work hard to get right.
+1 on that. I don't like anything on a knife that doesn't need to be there. Much prefer my older Spyderco FBs without holes. If the world didn't come to an end before, I don't see why it can't be done again. (But then I'm not the one running a very successful business :D )
joetheknifeguy wrote:That's weird, I own a Bill Moran I just purchased from Thespydercostore.com and it has a very small hole in the blade.....Picture attached, (please excuse the finger print on the blade) :o
Not weird, just a newer Moran. Those made before 2008 had no hole, those made after that have it.
Older FB01 and newer FB02...
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Not a fan of the hole in FB's either, just consider it a necessary evil.
From an engineering point of view, I would tend to agree with you, which is why earlier FB models had no hole. But circumstances as they came down, require that a trademark cannot be only functional. If it only functional, then it cannot be used as a trademark. That was the opinion of those in legal, whom often have no clue about function. We have spent many thousands of dollars protecting our trademarks. 'Tis a shamed such BS is necessary in today's business world. :o
If we make the hole too small, it is much harder to clean and not easily seen.
Hi Significant,
Trademarks are just selected. They are the result of many years of use which makes your trademark easily identified. The Tradedemark commission needs to see that use before they will issue a trademark. The trademark is a hole, not a picture of a hole. You will probably agree that our hole in a fixed blade is certainly identifiable as a Spyderco without question?
If you want to be negative about the hole, be negative to all of those companies that have forced us to be 100% consistent about the use of our round hole in all models.
All of those companies that choose to use a hole simply to "borrow" our "look" for their wallet
I'm in the crowd that thinks that a hole in a fixed blade is just plain silly. Sorry. I'm an engineer and elegance and functionality are both important to me. A hole provides neither in a fixed blade. Why don't you make the holes in the fixies much smaller? I'd be a lot happier if they were in the 1mm range or smaller.
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