Spyderco Ultratech Blade Division Proposal

[SpyderEdgeForever]

sal, here is a proposal I would like you and Eric and others to think over. It sounds "out there" and at this point it is only an idea.
I do not know what level of resources would be needed, probably quite a lot. But, consider it an interesting hypothetical proposal for you to tinker with in your mind. And I welcome all feedback on this.

Picture an "ultra tech division" of Spyderco Inc.

I know that already at Spyderco you do test the latest steel alloys and other materials. This takes that to an even further more advanced level.

Imagine this large area loaded with various forms of matter manipulation and testing equipment, where your end-goal is to create new exotic blade and handle and lock materials for knives, and sheath/scabbard materials.

In this Ultra Tech Division you and the various engineers, scientists, and lab assistants and students will be using next-generation scanning probe microscopes, optical tweezers, particle accelerators such as the LINAC linear accelerator, controlled magnetic and electromagnetic fields, special electric furnaces, optical assemblers making use of quantum well lasers and particle beam emitters, to produce new forms of ceramic, metal, polymer, diamond like carbon, diamond like silicon, boron nitride and such things as molecular-layered polymer-metal and diamondoid composites.

You can also then experiment with new forms of bladeware such as active-edged knives (once the technology got to the level where you can actually build and fabricate such things!).


I would love to see Spyderco be able to create and assemble and fabricate knives and blades made from such super uber materials.

Again, at this point this is only a hypothetical possibility.

I can also put you in touch with nanotechnologists who are working on atomically precise assembly.

If Spyderco could get in on the molecular blade world, you would have gotten into an entire new universe of knife designs and profit. Imagine a Spyderco Military that NEVER rusts, NEVER needs to be sharpened by the user because it is SELF sharpening FOR REAL (not just the false infomercial type promises), can BEND like plastic and return true no matter what damage it undergoes, and has edges that are literally like microscopic chainsaws (molecular chain drives made from such materials as silicon carbide, silicon nitride, Lc200n steel, and others). You could take that "Spyderco Super Military" and shear through a solid chunk of granite as if it were a block of warm butter. An even more advanced next generation version would be able to EXTEND its blade, working on the same principles as biological muscle tissue...but...made of advanced super materials like diamond fiber composite. This is no joke, this is doable and possible once the technology is developed.

[MichaelScott]

Sounds like research in the scale of Los Alamos but in 21st century dollars. And, I conjecture how Spyderco would ever recoup such a massive investment. The Ultimate Military would not only be beyond the financial reach of 99.99% of the population but anyone who might be able to afford one would only ever need one. Repeat or replacement sales would be unnecessary.

An intriguing notion but better suited for major government funding than Spyderco I imagine.

[zhyla]

Uh, SpyderEdgeForever, are you aware that Spyderco doesn’t make any materials at all? They’re not the kind of company that does material science innovation.

You know that. You must know that. I’m perpetually confused by these posts.

[The Meat man]

How many hundreds of billions of dollars would all that high tech equipment cost?!

Even if such a thing were possible, all it would mean - practically speaking - is that you can forget ever buying another Spyderco knife. Cost would be astronomical.

[Babalu32]

The smartest minds of our time, with cutting edge equiptment, working on........
pocket knives.

[ThePeacent]

SEF, in line of what MScott said, if such knife existed there would be almost no use for replacement, no need for "upgraded" models and no real market for many people, because the few who could buy it would get just one for the rest of their lives.

And they would probably never carry it because such knife could still be victim of loss, theft, breakage, falling from the boat, misplacing in the construction site, etc.

There are "beaters" for that, inexpensive blades that you won't really mind getting dirty, scratched, dinged or bent...and also ware readily available for the masses for a very reasonable price.

Just my initial reaction to this suggestion

[curlyhairedboy]

As a materials engineer, I'll freely admit that some of the discoveries in recent years are incredibly exciting and promising.

However, it's highly unlikely to see that kind of technology in moderately inexpensive consumer products such as Spyderco knives. Why? well, any new technology or advance has to not only be better in performance than the old stuff, but SO MUCH better that it justifies the downtime, retraining, new tooling, and any other labor/process changes.

There's a lot of technologies that fall in the gap between "better than what we have" and "good enough to switch to". They languish until someone finds a way to implement them in a more economical fashion...

What you're describing is essentially a Manhattan Project solely dedicated to slicing and edge performance. I like knives, but I don't think there are enough knife lovers in the world to fund that kind of program. :P

[The Meat man]

The smartest minds of our time, with cutting edge equiptment, working on........
pocket knives.

Why not? :D

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Understood. Thank you!

[Jefft51]

I think it's a good idea myself. You don't get there all at once though, one step at a time. Sal and Eric could become the Elon Musks of the knife world! And as far as not ever needing another knife, how many on this forum "Need" more than one or two Spydercos? How many have more than one of the Same type of knife? I've currently got 10 spyderco pocket knives plus several kitchen knives.
A project like this may not ever attain the goal everyone seems to be focusing on: molecular self sharpening extensible folding pocket knife, but really not the point. There would be many cool things discovered on the way, both imagined and never thought of before that might apply to knives and other cutting tools as well as non-knife applications. Personally I'd try to keep government interference out of it as long as possible.
Jeff

[The Meat man]

But wouldn't the perfect knife blade be kind of boring?

To me, Spyderco's appeal is due mainly because they offer such a wide variety of different steels/designs, each with it's own unique attributes. Isn't this why we find them appealing, and why you, Jefft51, own 10 of them? If Spyderco did develop the ultimate blade material there would be no variety, no reason to buy more than one knife, because they would all be the same.

That said, I'm absolutely all for material scientific R&D, but there are already multi-billion dollar companies and organizations doing just that.

[MichaelScott]

I think the idea is that with the perfect, all-around, general AI, nanotechnology knife one could merely whisper, ‘Make yourself into a Mantra (or Paramilitary 2, or Dragonfly, Bowie, etc....) and presto, a “new” knife, new ergonomics, new shape, size, weight, “steel” type, lock mechanism, color, odor,....

Or, if it was sophisticated enough, you could merely say, “HAL, open that package for me.” Or, “HAL, carve me a new wooden spoon for my bushcraft soup.”

Stuff like that.

[krikun98]

From the title I thought this was going to be a joint venture with Microtech for OTF sprints. But this is even more... audacious.

[gundamaniac]

And I thought this was gonna be about Tarantula or whatever other names have been floating around for a luxury/performance division of Spyderco, like Lexus is to Toyota or Acura is to Honda :D .

[demoncase]

SEF, you'd be better off pitching this to a local university for their pHd programme.

Original research of this high risk is not viable in a business model.

[Evil D]

Sounds fun and all but I'd be satisfied with a custom shop option where you have a given knife model and you can choose between X amount of blade shapes, X amount of steel choices, X amount of scale materials, X amount of blade finished, etc. This one has been brought up a bunch of times and may never happen but I still love the idea of being able to option out my own perfect combination of ingredients.

[spyderwolf]

I have even a better idea:how about Spyderco going into light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation ?Imagine a blade that will never rust,will have no weight,will cut through everything and will came in any color.It will be an OTF,though...

[SpyderEdgeForever]

SEF, you'd be better off pitching this to a local university for their pHd programme.

Original research of this high risk is not viable in a business model.

Very good point, thank you!

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Sounds fun and all but I'd be satisfied with a custom shop option where you have a given knife model and you can choose between X amount of blade shapes, X amount of steel choices, X amount of scale materials, X amount of blade finished, etc. This one has been brought up a bunch of times and may never happen but I still love the idea of being able to option out my own perfect combination of ingredients.

Oh yeah David, I love this idea and have actually wanted to see this for some time now. I really wish that would somehow fit into their business model. Think of the possible variations of just one of their knives, say, the Military, or the Endura. If they would allow you to choose all of the particulars. There could probably be at least dozens or hundreds of each model.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I have even a better idea:how about Spyderco going into light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation ?Imagine a blade that will never rust,will have no weight,will cut through everything and will came in any color.It will be an OTF,though...

Great idea. They can still put the trademarked hole somewhere on it, too. :)