Website structure

[potahto]

@Rinzler - It could be as easy as a thread and anyone wanting in posts "I'm in". Keep the thread open for a month.

Production can either:
A. Meet the demand
B. Go with the limit (illogical business move)

Either way, some might not make the cut, but it's fair and the current cycle of FOMO is broken.

[VooDooChild]

@Rinzler - It could be as easy as a thread and anyone wanting in posts "I'm in". Keep the thread open for a month.

Production can either:
A. Meet the demand
B. Go with the limit (illogical business move)

Either way, some might not make the cut, but it's fair and the current cycle of FOMO is broken.

Theres still just a problem with total production. No matter how you choose to stagger it. The production of some other item will fall behind. People will wonder why they cant get a native 5 salt because Golden is spending too many resources on some other knife that 3000 people signed up for. If you stagger production evenly then the waves of knives signed up for are so small that people low on the list are now on a year plus waiting list. This leads to orders being canceled. If theyre not cancelled then production of future knives gets pushed back.

[sal]

First, I would like to thank those that are defending Spyderco. It is appreciated.

Hi Potahto,

After you've been here for a while, you might have more respect for what we do and how we do it. I've got pretty thick skin or I might even be insulted. :) But I'm a tough SOB so it's OK.

First we have go convince a foundry to make a small amount of a special steel for us. We tell them that we'll get it into the market and maybe good reaction will bring them business. They don't like to make small runs so we have to convince them. Your might call that marketing. Something really challenging to measure by your methods.

We selected 600 pcs per run because that was about what the market would buy. Some of the Mules sat for a long time and that's why we disco'd the program. We brought it back because of requests by our customers. Then we have to order the steel which may take a year or more to receive from the foundry. Then we have to make in Golden, or convince one of our makers to make a small run which they do for us because they're good vendors and we're a good customer. Then we have to get the Mule in queue and wait for construction, which might be another 6 months to a year. Then we offer it for sale.

It would be pretty hard to do as you are suggesting. I think you can see why. If the new program requires more than 600 pcs, then we'll plan on increasing the quantity, but we're already working on Mule Teams that might not come out for a year or two.

Hope that helps.

sal

[Wartstein]

Just right now read this whole thing, and my following thought is in no way "fanboy-ish" or "defending the moderators", but just what I honestly feel:

Threads like this are one of many reasons why I like Spyderco so much and why I like them for more than just their great designs (which blew me away already back when I literally knew nothing about Spyderco as a brand or Sal or this forum...).

Both that Potahto and we all have a platform here and can elaborate our thoughts, even if critical, as long as we do so in a respectful way..
..but even more so that Spyderco addresses this and explains personally in the persons of Kristi and Sal as the head of the company..
..is just really unusual in the most positive form of the word.

Knives are more enjoyable to me than "just" tools would be.
And whenever I use one of my Spydies it honestly increases this enjoyment when I know that I support a company that runs its business in the way Spyderco does.
This may sound melodramatic, but actually is just how it is for me.

[ChrisinHove]

If there is going to be a “scramble” for a release, the same thing will occur when the pre-order list opens, surely?

I like the idea of a lottery, but this would only work if run by a dealer, for an exclusive of theirs. There would probably be both pro’s and cons in moving away from the traditional bun-fight, but the fact it isn’t already usual practice might be for good reason. Maybe you should ask those dealers?

I can’t see how a lottery system could work for normal sprints without cutting out Spyderco‘s supply chain partners altogether.

[cabfrank]

Wartstein, I think many here agree with your sentiments. Being honest, I probably won't be able to wear out the Spydercos I already have in my lifetime. I'm glad there are plenty of reasons I can justify buying more anyway.

[potahto]

So all 600 went within an hour. The market apparently wants more SPY27. How many? Spyderco would never know because the count stops after all are sold. The only way to gather that "how many more?" number is by *ahem*. That small foundry that's so fussy could be compelled to be less fussy if the order were larger or frequent but the number is needed. And maybe that order will be a year out. The fans don't seem to have any problem with the wait.

@ChrisinHove - There might be but the list can go on indefinitely. The purpose is to avoid underestimating how many to produce for the next batch. Shaman Z and PM2 Cru are in incredible demand. Why not make them permanent lines?

Y'all have a nice day :)

[Sharp Guy]

"The fans don't seem to have any problem with the wait"

Ha! Where did you get that idea?

Shaman Z and PM2 Cru are in incredible demand. Why not make them permanent lines?

Apparently, you're also under the impression that Spyderco has unlimited production capacity

My suggestion is that you go ahead and open your own potahto knife company and run it however you please

[sal]

Well, It looks like the demand was greater than we thought. We are now discussing how to handle this in the future. Naturally, as always, we are open to suggestions, yes, even Potahto's. The foundry is doing another pour of SPY27 which we have been waiting for quite a while.

Hey Potahto,

We are not McDonald's and these are not hamburgers we're making. I don't know what your company produces, but perhaps making knives with exotic steels might be more complicated than what your company is doing?

Considering the last 2 Mules took more than a year to sell out, some adjustment will be necessary.

sal

[TkoK83Spy]

This feels like one of those threads I should stay out of, because I'm honestly not sure how many more warnings I have left to receive before getting the boot...but I will say this much.

Potahto, coming to the forum with questions and suggestions is not a bad thing, it's encouraged. The way you've gone about it isn't right though. Sal himself has personally taken time to welcome you, hear you out and engage in conversation multiple times now in this thread and just now even said he's open to even YOUR suggestions. If you stick around, you'll see in the many threads that Sal participates in...he's got his hands in what seems like hundreds of things at once. Not EVERYTHING can go perfectly to each individuals liking, their not the largest company in world! The fact that many of Spyderco's products are highly sought after and instantly sell out should be a clue that Sal and Spyderco do what they do very well.

[VooDooChild]

Yeah, well apparantly this person knows better than the people who built a successful company from the ground up.

And if you disagree then you will get accused of defending moderators for feely points.

And if you point out reasons these suggestions still have problems then you will get some response talking about how it works without adressing the problems.

[SG89]

It just seems like the mule sold out bc the flippers are onto it now. The mules didn't have the hype when they were sitting on the shelf for so long last time but now everything spyderco makes in limited quantities is flying off the shelves... I mean look at the factory seconds online sale. Spyderco is very hot right now and the flippers know it. I'm sure we will soon see $200 spy27 mules on ebay soon.

[Wartstein]

Wartstein, I think many here agree with your sentiments. Being honest, I probably won't be able to wear out the Spydercos I already have in my lifetime. I'm glad there are plenty of reasons I can justify buying more anyway.

Same here! :)

Honestly, choosing a Spydie for my pocket each morning for me is one factor of starting a day in a nice way. And it is not only the design, but all of Spydercos background, way of treating customers and partners and so on, that makes for this.
Again, this is not "fanboy-ish" or whatever, but just happens to be one of many positive, enjoyable things I am happy to have in my life! :)

[VooDooChild]

It just seems like the mule sold out bc the flippers are onto it now. The mules didn't have the hype when they were sitting on the shelf for so long last time but now everything spyderco makes in limited quantities is flying off the shelves... I mean look at the factory seconds online sale. Spyderco is very hot right now and the flippers know it. I'm sure we will soon see $200 spy27 mules on ebay soon.

YES. The flippers are the real problem.

[Frozenspyder]

Flippers are a problem, but I'm not so sure they sold out quickly just because of flippers. I think that is part of the equation, but it's also Spyderco's new proprietary steel, the return of the mule team, an ever-growing fan base, etc...

I'm interested to see how the next one goes.

[defenestrate]

I think flippers are a main culprit here because the last Mule still on sale was online for about 3 years.

Still, it wouldn't have been that hard to get if I'd known it was going on sale.

Maybe not the main culprit but high up there.

[VooDooChild]

The truth is I know I will be upset, and complaining, if I miss out on the Zmax mule. I would like to get one but I dont have high hopes.

There are issues at just about every step it would seem.

Potahto does point out something that should be talked about. The fact that demand for popular spyderco items has exceeded the supply.

Potahto its not the issues you bring up, or the potential suggestions, it was just how you went about it.

[Sharp Guy]

....The fact that demand for popular spyderco items has exceeded the supply.

What a wonderful problem to have! Now it's up to Spyderco to decide IF they want to capitalize on it and how best to do so

[sal]

Hi Sharp Guy,

It's not a good problem because you have unhappy customers.

sal

[Rinzler]

Hi Sharp Guy,

It's not a good problem because you have unhappy customers.

sal

Maybe there’s some valid points in this thread to consider going forward. Increasing the supply will satisfy customers who don’t have lightening fingers and it may be a detriment to the flippers if more product makes it into the hands of the end user instead of a profiteer. However on the other hand if the supply is overestimated to the demand then Spyderco sits on stock needlessly.

As your customer I support the status quo and an increase in production numbers. But, for myself, part of the allure of exclusives and sprints is having something that someone else doesn’t. If sprints sit in stock for weeks then I don’t have the desire to add them to my collection because I don’t see it as a limited product - instead it has the sexiness of a regular production item.