2024 Spyderco Forum Calendar Contest!

[TazKristi]

2024 Forum Calendar Contest!

Enter the 2024 Spyderco Forum Calendar Contest today! Please read this entire announcement before entering. Several submissions were disqualified in years past because of missed details. Seriously, please read carefully.

Contest Overview:
We are again making a 12-month wall calendar using images created by you, our forum members (this will be our 13th year!). We want to see your best HORIZONTAL shot.

We are again asking you to post your entry in this thread AND upload it along with your information through the link provided below.

Contest starts today, 15-May-2023, and ends at 16:00 MDT Friday, 28-Jul-2023. Winners will be selected by Spyderco and will be posted on the forum by Friday, 18-Aug-2023.

Calendars will be available for purchase this fall through the Spyderco Factory Outlet Store (in person or online at https://spyderco.com).


The Prizes:
If your image is chosen as the Grand Prize Winner, you will receive a Military 2 (C36GP2 – MSRP $280), a Mule Team 2 with CPM SPY27 (MT28P2 – MSRP $60), a Mule Team 2 Boltaron Sheath (MTSH2 – MSRP $40), a Spyderco® by Vanquest® Addax-18 Backpack (BG03 – MSRP $167), and a Travel-Ti™ Cup (TICUP – MSRP $80).

The Grand Prize Winner will be featured on the cover AND a calendar month page.

Artists who have their image chosen to represent a specific calendar month (a total of 11 winners) will each receive a Spyderco Para™ 3 Lightweight with CPM-SPY27 (C223PCBL – MSRP $214), and a Spyderco Mug (MUG01 – MSRP $12.00).

Each member who enters the contest (and meets all requirements) will receive a 2024 calendar at no charge when the calendar becomes available.

Please enter to WIN - don’t enter just to receive the calendar. We appreciate everyone’s interest and support and look forward to another fantastic calendar!

Again, please read ALL the information below before posting. We know it’s a lot of words, but it’s essential!

Submission Guidelines:
Please include a 2-5 sentence description of your entry - why you chose the product(s) featured, the history of the image, etc., something to give us a better understanding of your submission.

Please include the product name (if you know it) in your post.

Entry must include a Spyderco product (at least one, but multiple are welcome). Any product Spyderco has ever made is fair game. Your chosen product can be pristine, used, or radically modified.

We encourage you to use your imagination and show us your creativity. Just remember, family-friendly!

Themed images are welcome. Have a favorite season or holiday? Showcase it in your image.

If your camera or image software can manipulate it – we’ll consider it. Be creative!

Remember, Spyderco is the focus of the calendar, so make sure you don’t have a lot of “dead” space. Some scenes are stunning, but if the Spyderco shown is small, it tends to get lost in the scenery.

Leave enough margin around your image to ensure nothing is cut-off during the printing process.

Entries must be in a digital format and meet the formatting requirements below.

Only ONE image submission per person. You are permitted to modify your submission after posting. If you decide to modify your entry, you must edit your original submission and re-submit the new image before the contest deadline. Having multiple photo submissions in THIS thread at the end date of the contest will invalidate all your submissions.

If you upload an image that is not in this thread, it will be disqualified.

Posting your image in this thread:
It is not necessary or recommended that you post a 300 ppi image to our Forums (heck, it’s not even possible!). A 72 ppi image preview that does not exceed 960 px in width for the forum will be just fine to post in this thread. You may use a photo-sharing site to provide a link to your image so long as all other requirements are met within your post. If you use a photo-sharing site, the image must remain publicly available online until 18-Aug-2023.

When you post your submission in this thread, please ALSO upload your hi-res image and contact information by visiting https://lil.spyderco.com/2024Calendar.

We’re asking you to upload to our DAM (Digital Asset Management) platform. Doing so will allow you to upload larger files. PLEASE be sure to include the following details when you upload your file (there is a Message field to include everything you need). Failure to do so could result in your image being disqualified because we won’t have all of the information that we need.

Forum Name
First and Last Name
Mailing/Shipping Address
E-mail Address
Model Name(s) Included in Your Image

The maximum file size for uploading is 30MB. If your final submission is not uploaded (hi-res) AND posted in this thread by the close of the contest, your submission will be forfeited. If you upload (through the link) more than one image, the image last posted in this thread is what will be considered. If the high-res image you submit does not meet the Final Print Guidelines below your entry may be disqualified at our discretion.

Once you upload, you’ll see a screen confirming your upload was complete – you will NOT receive an email confirmation.

There is no requirement for length of membership or number of posts on the forum. All are welcome to enter. Any negative comments related to new members entering the contest may forfeit your entry. This is a fun contest, and it has brought new members to our community every year. We expect comments to be respectful and on-topic.

FORMATTING Requirements:
The Spyderco 2024 Calendar will be printed in a 10.5” x 8.5” HORIZONTAL format. Only HORIZONTAL formatted images will be considered, and significant cropping/resizing may occur to winning images. All vertical-formatted images will be disqualified.

We recommend keeping the edges and handles of any knives away from the edge of your image to prevent them from being cut off further during production/printing.

Final Print Image Guidelines (ABSOLUTE MINIMUM – Images should be no smaller than this):
Width: 3300 px
Height: 2700 px
Resolution: 300 ppi
(This translates to 11”x9” to account for a 1/8” bleed)
Please do NOT try to enlarge an image that is too small. Its resolution will not meet what is needed for print quality.

Image Preview (for posting on the forum)
Width: 960 px
Resolution: 72 ppi

There are several free tools you can use online to check the size and resolution of your image before submitting it.

Content Restrictions:
The submission must not contain any copyrighted material (unless you own the copyright).

Your submission must be entirely original and created by you.

Images may not contain any promotional material - this includes trademarks and logos for non-Spyderco businesses, even those for personal endeavors.

Only family-friendly, tasteful submissions will be considered. Remember, this calendar will be hanging in someone’s home or office.

NOTE: If you upload an image that we feel might violate our content restrictions, we will do our best to contact you and let you know that your image might be disqualified before the end of the contest. However, we cannot guarantee this, so be sure to meet all requirements and review the content restrictions carefully before posting.

Eligibility:
The 2024 Spyderco Calendar Contest is open to all members of the Spyderco.com Forum, who are at least 18 years of age. Proof of age may be required. There is no requirement tied to length of membership or number of posts.

Employees, relatives of employees of Spyderco, its partner companies, and manufacturers are not eligible to enter or win.

Obligatory Fine Print:
Submitted images become the exclusive property of Spyderco Inc. By posting your photo in this thread, user grants unencumbered, free usage, and printing use solely to Spyderco Inc.

This contest is subject to all laws and void where prohibited.

Please keep in mind that there are various laws and regulations regarding knives throughout the world. If you are selected as a winner, and you live in a region that prohibits us from sending the intended prize, we have the right to substitute your prize as we see fit.

We reserve the right to substitute prizes if any unforeseen issues arise with availability.

Hints for success:
Please take a moment to view past calendar contests and get an idea of previous submissions and winners.

Here are a few links to get you started.

2019 Submissions
2019 Winners

2020 Submissions
2020 Winners

2021 Submissions
2021 Winners

2022 Submissions
2022 Winners

2023 Submissions
2023 Winners

Be mindful of the placement of the Spyderco product; Items that are too close to the edges can be cut off when we format for printing. We also like to see the Spyderco product easily, so close-up shots are encouraged (as opposed to an item being small within a large scene – no matter how beautiful that scene is).

We are consistently in awe of the talent that our forum members have, and we’ve seen the level of skill and creativity increase every year. Give us your best!

We can’t wait to see this year’s submissions!

Good luck to everyone!!

[attila]

Oh boy! I hope to have a good one this year!

Thanks Kristi!

[Buddafucco]

Horizontal for the win!

[Manixguy@1994]

Wow shocked , I have been shooting exclusively vertical since last contest , back to the drawing board for me . MG2

[Ramonade]

I hope I'll find a shot that'll make it in one year ! Maybe this one ?

Good luck everyone

[Mrj]

Wow shocked , I have been shooting exclusively vertical since last contest , back to the drawing board for me . MG2

Tell me about it

[WilliamMunny]

Been taking pictures all year, I have some decent ones. Now to pick one…

[Mushroom]

Wooohooo!!!!

Feels like an early start this year. I had a handful of vertical shots in the queue this year too. As always, I’m full of ideas for photos. Just a matter of executing, now.

Good luck everyone!

[Manixguy@1994]

Wow shocked , I have been shooting exclusively vertical since last contest , back to the drawing board for me . MG2

Tell me about it

It’s not insurmountable but had set aside some shots of a couple knives I later modified. I have others to use and will separate from vertical in files . MG2

[Evil D]

Horizontal for the win!

Absolutely

Wow shocked , I have been shooting exclusively vertical since last contest , back to the drawing board for me . MG2

Yeah, same happened to me a couple years ago when it switched to portrait.

[huyfishin]

good luck all!

[Freediver]

Spyderco Salts are very useful from mauka to makai. Here is my trusty Native 5 Salt in Magnacut on the majestic slopes of Mauna Kea overlooking Mauna Loa.

[WilliamMunny]

7CF2F317-D487-444F-A848-45396F830CB4.jpeg
Spyderco Salts are very useful from mauka to makai. Here is my trusty Native 5 Salt in Magnacut on the majestic slopes of Mauna Kea overlooking Mauna Loa.

Great way to start the contest. Makes me want to get the knife even more now.

[Freediver]

7CF2F317-D487-444F-A848-45396F830CB4.jpeg
Spyderco Salts are very useful from mauka to makai. Here is my trusty Native 5 Salt in Magnacut on the majestic slopes of Mauna Kea overlooking Mauna Loa.

Great way to start the contest. Makes me want to get the knife even more now.

Thank you for the kind words. It’s a great knife. I’ve been meaning to pick up the PE version as well. I have countless knives but always end up with some sort of FRN salt in my pocket most of the time.

[ykspydiefan]

7CF2F317-D487-444F-A848-45396F830CB4.jpeg
Spyderco Salts are very useful from mauka to makai. Here is my trusty Native 5 Salt in Magnacut on the majestic slopes of Mauna Kea overlooking Mauna Loa.

Thanks for leading out and helping others to follow.

[TkoK83Spy]

Haven't been taking many photos this past year, but of course the ones I tried to make decent were all in vertical/portrait because that's what the contest always is!

[jabba359]

I've had an idea that I've been tossing around for a few years now, so maybe it's time I actually do something about it.

[bearfacedkiller]

I accepted years ago that I don’t have what it takes to win this contest but I still eagerly look forward to viewing the submissions. Good luck everybody!

[Wralle]

Good luck to everyone this year! I have a feeling this is going to be a really good one this year!

Thank you Kirsti!!!

[JakeXman]

Here's my submission for this year. In it is the Spyderco CPM 15v Manix 2, perched on a rock overlooking my college town. This collaboration knife between Shawn Houston and Spyderco represents a large leap forward in heat treatment technologies. The chemist in me loves the science that went in to it, and the knife geek loves the knife itself!

I think this would do well for an autumn month given the colors.

(Edited to add a second image hosting link. The first one doesn’t always work)