Can someone help me understand the AT Barr One-Eyed Jack?

[docboy]

Not a troll post, I promise you, and apologies if this is redundant with anything.

I've been away from the Spyderco scene for a few years and just got back in with the Maxamet Manix 2, M4 Military, EuroEdge, Slysz Bowie, Slysz Techno, Lionspy (large and small), Roc, and most recently the Black/Coyote S90V Yojimbo 2. I liked the Slysz Bowie and large Lionspy so much I purchased 2 of them.

I list these recent catch-up purchases to say that I personally feel that it's a great time for Spyderco, and the Taiwan product quality is so good. Design variety matches or exceeds the old product catalogs with their ethnic series (my all-time favorite Spydercos are the Schempp Persians, Zowada, Shabaria, and the Lum Chinese (though I think Spyderco overdid it on the versions of that model)), and the steel choice has never been better.

All that said.

I'm struggling to figure out how the C226GP AT Barr One-Eyed Jack is going for $220+ on the preorders. Not the MSRP of $380, actual purchase price. As I understand it, it's a smaller knife, with "only" S30v. Is it the multicolor G10 cutout construction? (The old Kiwis and Micro-dyads had bone and pearl scales, and I don't recall them being that much.) The bolsters? (Only stainless steel, not titanium.)

I just haven't found the value on the One Eyed Jack, but its design interests me. Can anyone please help enlighten me? Thanks in advance!

[Evil D]

What would one of those fancy Kopas cost in today's money? My guess is all the machine work to make the scale inlays and bolsters adds up. It has been said before that smaller knives don't always mean less cost.

[SF Native]

Don't forget it has all that file work on the liners.

[Mushroom]

I thought $220+ was reasonable for the One-Eyed Jack. Especially, when comparing it to a knife like the Vrango. I think the cost, in this case, comes from the amount of labor required to finish each knife. There is some extensive milling on the liners and backspacer then there's the bolsters, the two g10 inserts, and I think the scales/bolsters are contoured, they're not just flat slabs of g10 and stainless. So there is a considerable amount of time put into the finish work of each knife and that time isn't free.

I don't know what pictures you have seen of the knife, but you can find some great shots of the One-Eyed Jack here. Pictures were taken by forum member Mr. Blonde of Spydercollector.com :spyder:

[docboy]

AH! Okay, those liner/backspacer comments and pics really helped clear things up for me. Wow! I get it now. Thanks for the input, David, SF Native, and Nick!

[yablanowitz]

Another factor to consider is that it is a collaboration rather than an in-house design. A.T. gets a cut of the procedes, adding a bit more to the cost.

[StuntZombie]

And don't forget this is likely to be produced at a much smaller volume, and is an all new design for Spyderco.

[Evil D]

Now that all that is cleared up, who would like to see a less expensive, maybe polished G10 or CF version without the inlays and without the file work but still with bolsters?

[StuntZombie]

Count me in, except I'd rather see micarta or wood handle scales.

[SG89]

Now that all that is cleared up, who would like to see a less expensive, maybe polished G10 or CF version without the inlays and without the file work but still with bolsters?

sounds good but I would want to see it with denim micarta

[Holzfaeller]

I, as well, would like this knife with less embellishment.

[Tdog]

Now that all that is cleared up, who would like to see a less expensive, maybe polished G10 or CF version without the inlays and without the file work but still with bolsters?

Though I like the knife, I'll pass on this one. Take the inlays out and call it the Jack and I'd be in.

[SpyderNut]

And don't forget this is likely to be produced at a much smaller volume, and is an all new design for Spyderco.

+1

[fanglekai]

Doesn't look lefty friendy since the G10 cutouts would be facing the palm and the Spyderhole cutout isn't ambidextrous. Going to be a pass for me.

[SF Native]

I think I'm in on this one. Hold my breath and hit the buy button. It's pricy but I want one.

[araneae]

I, as well, would like this knife with less embellishment.

Same

[timlara]

Now that all that is cleared up, who would like to see a less expensive, maybe polished G10 or CF version without the inlays and without the file work but still with bolsters?

Yep, agree 100%. This knife would be far more appealing to me if it were simpler and therefore less expensive. I like the lines of it, but the details are not to my taste, so I'm not willing to pay the premium for the extra labor it takes to make.

[bh49]

I will pass on this knife. I love handle as is, but do not care about blade shape and 3 mm thick small blade. For $220 I need to feel more love. Keep the handle, make 2 mm stock blade and give it Caly shape and I will be in. And yes, drop the clip.
Just wondering why Taichang cannot make clipless Kopa?

[quattro98]

Will be interesting to see what I think when I get mine. There are things in this knife that remind me of the Rubicon, in that it is an elaborate design with a lot of small details that make it more like a custom knife. The inlaid handle and carved spacer make this standout, while there are plenty of knives available with simpler designs.

[The Deacon]

Well, for some perspective, the MSRP of these is a little less than what A. T. Barr would have charged 10 years ago for a One-Eyed Jack in S30V without filework or inlays but with ti bolsters. Filework similar in scope to that on Spyderco's version would have added another $100 to the price. No way of knowing what a similar one would cost today, as A. T. closed his shop in 2011. However, given that prices on just about everything in the knife world has gone up considerably since then, it's safe to say it would cost more today. Of course the fact that he's no longer making them also means there's no chance of getting a new custom one today, at any price.