Spyderco Forums

This was a video I just received in an email from Larrin. Thanx much Larrin. I guess we're all in this together. Appreciate the update.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/crucible- ... dium=email

It was suggested by some on this forum in an earlier thread that the knife companies should try to get together and purchase Crucible. This would be a tall order, especially with knife companies that compete with each other. But even if it were possible, it would take a special person to be able to run the operation to make it successful.

Larrin, Any thoughts on this?

sal

I don't know how Crucible's manufacturing is structured. Perhaps some of their facilities can be spun off into smaller business units (like sheet goods made of particle steels!) and recapitalized. That kind of thing happens all the time in bankruptcy.

But yeah, it would still be a tall order for a knifemakers' consortium to step in and buy up that new business in a way that all the participants would regard as fair.

the video is patreon gated.

I think Crucible has the people already to run it. They have the experience with the plant. I’m not sure if anyone in particular can be blamed whether marketing, management, etc. but the plant itself has been chugging along.

sal wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 12:50 pm

This was a video I just received in an email from Larrin. Thanx much Larrin. I guess we're all in this together. Appreciate the update.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/crucible- ... dium=email

It was suggested by some on this forum in an earlier thread that the knife companies should try to get together and purchase Crucible. This would be a tall order, especially with knife companies that compete with each other. But even if it were possible, it would take a special person to be able to run the operation to make it successful.

Larrin, Any thoughts on this?

sal

Sal,

Should we put up the BBB bat signal into the sky? A little guidance from that guy who started Spyderco and his son and you have a pretty special group of people there.

Pipe dream but it be crazy for Spyderco to conner some of the best steel on the market. Sell it to competitors at a markup while keeping the best of the best to themselves.

Just too bad these companies cost big money.

WilliamMunny wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 4:46 pm

sal wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 12:50 pm

This was a video I just received in an email from Larrin. Thanx much Larrin. I guess we're all in this together. Appreciate the update.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/crucible- ... dium=email

It was suggested by some on this forum in an earlier thread that the knife companies should try to get together and purchase Crucible. This would be a tall order, especially with knife companies that compete with each other. But even if it were possible, it would take a special person to be able to run the operation to make it successful.

Larrin, Any thoughts on this?

sal

Sal,

Should we put up the BBB bat signal into the sky? A little guidance from that guy who started Spyderco and his son and you have a pretty special group of people there.

Pipe dream but it be crazy for Spyderco to conner some of the best steel on the market. Sell it to competitors at a markup while keeping the best of the best to themselves.

Just too bad these companies cost big money.

Hi WilliamMunny,

Interesting thought, but I don't think that would be fair to our competitors. Crucible steel is very important to the US Knife Industry and any activity we would be involved in would have to be honest, fair and proper. We have a lot of respect for our competitors and try to keep a somewhat level playing field.

FYI, Spyderco sorta helped bring Crucible into the Knife Industry when we showed up at there doorstep in the mid '90's and said we wanted to use their Powdered Steels in our knives.

sal
=================================================================================

"The opposite of war isn't peace...it's trade".

sal wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 5:00 pm

WilliamMunny wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 4:46 pm

sal wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 12:50 pm

This was a video I just received in an email from Larrin. Thanx much Larrin. I guess we're all in this together. Appreciate the update.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/crucible- ... dium=email

It was suggested by some on this forum in an earlier thread that the knife companies should try to get together and purchase Crucible. This would be a tall order, especially with knife companies that compete with each other. But even if it were possible, it would take a special person to be able to run the operation to make it successful.

Larrin, Any thoughts on this?

sal

Sal,

Should we put up the BBB bat signal into the sky? A little guidance from that guy who started Spyderco and his son and you have a pretty special group of people there.

Pipe dream but it be crazy for Spyderco to conner some of the best steel on the market. Sell it to competitors at a markup while keeping the best of the best to themselves.

Just too bad these companies cost big money.

Hi WilliamMunny,

Interesting thought, but I don't think that would be fair to our competitors. Crucible steel is very important to the US Knife Industry and any activity we would be involved in would have to be honest, fair and proper. We have a lot of respect for our competitors and try to keep a somewhat level playing field.

FYI, Spyderco sorta helped bring Crucible into the Knife Industry when we showed up at there doorstep in the mid '90's and said we wanted to use their Powdered Steels in our knives.

sal
=================================================================================

"The opposite of war isn't peace...it's trade".

Pricing would be fair of course for your competitors but nothing wrong with some extra small profit stream in there.

It does surprise me there is not some government help/protection for Crucible. Steel is steel, if COVID taught us anything we need to insure we have a strong industrial sector to include steel and not rely on other countries.

While I am never a fan of price increases, they should be able to raise their prices enough to cover costs as there are very few direct competitors.

Maybe they also need to expand their product scope. As you know I am an into wood working and there is a demand for high quality steel for tools. Saw blades, planes, chisels, drill bits, etc could be made featuring their steels. A set of Spyderco chisels featuring Crucible steel would not hurt my feelings, but any big tool brand could produce them.

The video is only viewable by those who are Patreon patrons.
Anyone care to summarize the video?
That's assuming it wouldn't violate the spirit of the Patreon system.
I don't want to take food off someone else's table.

When I saw that I had to be a Patreon subscriber to Larrin to see the movie, I subscribed for $5 per published article. I forgot all about the fact that he was on Patreon. I'll increase it to $10 per video, and the total can be capped per month.

Then I went to TeeSpring and bought 4 more t-shirts. 2 more MagnaCut shirts and 2 Knife Steel Nerds shirts. Always need some excellent knife related shirts!

The video will go public in a day or two. If you want to see it now and support steel research you can sign up.

Hi Larrin,

Thanx much.

WilliamMunny,

Of course, I agree with you. Maybe Larrin and/or Shawn can suggest something the Industry could do for Crucible?

sal

Spyder Steel Co?

WilliamMunny wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 5:26 pm

It does surprise me there is not some government help/protection for Crucible. Steel is steel, if COVID taught us anything we need to insure we have a strong industrial sector to include steel and not rely on other countries.

If a cash infusion would make Crucible sustainable then they could get a loan and continue. I assume they just aren’t able to run a profitable business. But will see what Larrin’s video has to say when it drops.

Probably the best thing to do is start a car company that employs steel frames and bodywork again.

What percentage of Crucible's production is blade steel?

chronovore wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 10:07 pm

What percentage of Crucible's production is blade steel?

From what I understand, very little, which is no surprise when you consider that knives are very small objects, and I think steel companies usually sell literally multiple tons of steel at a time. It takes a lot of knives to ammount to a ton of steel. I doubt we can get any exact numbers though.

Danke wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 9:00 pm

Probably the best thing to do is start a car company that employs steel frames and bodywork again.

Like most of them?

Sell to Nippon lol.

Larrin wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 6:22 pm

The video will go public in a day or two. If you want to see it now and support steel research you can sign up.

In the spirit of another thread currently running on The Forum, I decided to pony up the two bucks and watch the video. Use it to take your wife someplace nice for Sunday dinner.

Thanks for making the video. While I don't know much about the steel industry, I remain optimistic regarding the short-term viability of the company. After all, there are four or five potential suitors. I don't think they're all dummies scrambling to buy a white elephant. Nor do I think they want to bulldoze the site and build condos, just to acquire a handful of trademarks.

This isn't the first time a steel company has reorganized. One of the places I go to play was financed by a guy who started his own steel company. Eventually he ended up selling out. The buyer changed the name, but the descendent is still around today. Attached is a picture of an I-Beam with the dude's name on it. I like the script they used in the old days. It adds a level of panache that we rarely see today.

Danke wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 04, 2025 9:00 pm

Probably the best thing to do is start a car company that employs steel frames and bodywork again.

Automotive is not a great answer at the moment, they're all struggling hard currently as well. Majority of OEM efforts and budget in the industry going to software development at the moment, more so than actual product quality and design. It's sad to watch the trend. Even product validation and testing is going all virtual. I'm about to step away from a career at an automotive supplier because I'm sick of watching it, not to mention the never ending waves of layoffs, nobody is safe. Unless Crucible can get involved in processor chip materials, then stay away haha...