Bob Lum Tanto

Liquid Cobra · #1

Hi everyone, I did a search but I could not find an answer.

Are all the Bob Lum designs retired now that he has passed? Specifically regarding the tanto I am wondering if there will be another sprint of it someday? Considering they are so hard to find why are they not part of Spyderco's regular lineup?

I don't want to seem insensitive or anything so please don't take this post as such. It just would seem a shame for Spyderco to never release any of his beautiful designs again for people to enjoy.

Thanks :spyder:

KrisOK · #2

I doubt that they are discontinued just because Bob has passed. The Lum Chinese is still available, and Spyderco still sells the Centofante 3, and Frank passed several years ago as well. I think that the Lum Tanto just appealed to a limited audience. I have a Ti version even though I'm not all that into the Tanto design, primarily to fill a spot in my collection.

jabba359 · #3

The C65 Lum Chinese is still in production, so I'm guessing that the other Lum designs got retired for the same reason as any other collaboration: slow sales (at the time they were discontinued).

edit: KrisOK beat me to it.

Enkidude · #4

They just released a sprint run of Bob's fixed tanto design....

bh49 · #5

To the best of my knowledge Bob Lum's widow granted Spyderco rights to use his Chinese, Folding Tanto and fixed tantos designs.

Liquid Cobra · #6

I'm hoping/waiting for a tanto folder sprint. Thanks for the responses!

bh49 · #7

Liquid Cobra wrote:I'm hoping/waiting for a tanto folder sprint. Thanks for the responses!

It just was a little while ago. May be a year or two. Also it took some time for dealers to sell. I will be surprise to see Spyderco making another one in the near future.

gbelleh · #8

A Lum Tanto folder sprint shouldn't be too hard to find with some patience and regular searches of the BST forums.

Liquid Cobra · #9

At inflated prices though. Right? And used

gbelleh · #10

Maybe. That's where patience comes in. Trades are a good way to go too.

RevDevil · #11

Liquid Cobra wrote:At inflated prices though. Right? And used

Sometimes instant gratification must wait. The prices offer and the prices people are willing to pay vary greatly. A piece like the C46 that sold for maybe $150 when released cannot be expected to stay at that price when it's a sprint run. There are lots of knives that stay near the retail price, but more often than not the demand (price) will go up when the supply is gone. Case in point, the S30V zpara2.

Dodge · #12

I had to pay $300 for my C46 Lum tanto Ti when I found it. To me it was worth it at the time. I had the income and I wanted that knife. It's still the most prized knife in my collection.

KrisOK · #13

I agree, patience and trading is a great way to go. I got my Ti Lum Tanto through a trade. A guy traded for the knife and then really wanted to get a PM2. This was during the "Great PM2 Shortage of 2013" that has just recently eased up a bit. I had a regular Digi Camo PM2 with a satin blade, and he offered his Lum for it. I made sure that he knew that he was trading a collectable for a knife that was merely out of stock, but he still was sure. He ended up happy, and I ended up with the Lum. Trades are good.

bh49 · #14

gbelleh wrote:Maybe. That's where patience comes in. Trades are a good way to go too.

I don't know. I never had a luck with trades. Probably this is a good reason, why people invented money. Sell what you do not want anymore and buy what you want.

Dodge wrote:I had to pay $300 for my C46 Lum tanto Ti when I found it. To me it was worth it at the time. I had the income and I wanted that knife. It's still the most prized knife in my collection.

Almost anything discontinued with Ti scales is $300+, probably except UKPK and Lum Chinese.

Liquid Cobra · #15

jabba359 wrote:The C65 Lum Chinese is still in production, so I'm guessing that the other Lum designs got retired for the same reason as any other collaboration: slow sales (at the time they were discontinued).

edit: KrisOK beat me to it.

Isn't the Chinese folder discontinued??

gbelleh · #16

I think the Nishijin Lum Chinese is still in production now.

nanimal · #17

Hi all you tanto lovers! Im new to this site and was looking for someone who might be interested in my Bob Lum tantos. I have been a collector of knives for years. Now it's been 4 years since my husband passed away I have been thinking about selling some of my collection. I have both the Lum folder and fixed blade. They haven't been used. The folder might of been carried but to me it's still new! I have the sheathes and I think I still have the boxes they came in. It sounds like alot of you are looking for them for your collections. If you are interested please reply. I might even trade if you have what I want. Im not out to rip anyone off that isn't me at all. I need a transmission for my car and to get started on a down payment I will sell my 2 Bob Lum tantos! Thanks, nanimal