Actual Spyderco Employees

[Tabo]

Just was curious, Is there any Spyderco employees on this forum? I know there are the moderators but how about the person that makes the handles or put the blades together. Never heard of them speak up before.

My guess is that they arn't allowed and to keep factory secrets from getting out but that's just a guess. It would be cool to hear from someone on the manufacturing end of things.

[Evil D]

In my 4 years here, I haven't seen one post yet.

[yablanowitz]

After a long day at work, do you go home, jump on the internet and talk about work? I don't.

[Ankerson]

After a long day at work, do you go home, jump on the internet and talk about work? I don't.

Exactly....

[3rdGenRigger]

After a long day at work, do you go home, jump on the internet and talk about work? I don't.

I do occasionally...but mainly to post photos that cause those afraid of heights to freak out because I find it entertaining.

I come here to exchange and garner knowledge and culture pertaining to knives in general, and more specifically Spyderco knives...I imagine employees know a lot more than I do and wouldn't stand to gain as much from membership as the rest of us.

[nccole]

I am a engineer at Caterpillar (Large Power Systems Division), and I can go home and check out Cat stuff on the internet. It is still fascinating that I have a part in engines ranging from 1800 hp to 7000+ hp. It might depend on the position I had at Spyderco if I worked there, but I would certainly enjoy positive comments and take pride in the product. I wouldn't be surprised if Spyderco asks employees to stay off the forums or keep the fact that they are employees unknown though. I am sure there are all kinds of issues that could come about from employees actively posting. From upcoming models, to costs of materials and labor, to QC issues employees could stir some stuff up here on the forums. It gets crazy at times as a lot of us know.

[timlara]

As much as all of us enjoy browsing online discussion forums, it's easy to forget that the majority of the population probably doesn't even spend a fraction of the time we do on them. In fact, excluding social media stuff like Facebook, I'd wager that a huge percentage of people out there may have never signed up for a forum at all. My wife would call such people "normal". :D

[bearfacedkiller]

My employer has very strict rules about sharing any pictures or information about what we do and the penalty is termination. Proprietary information must be protected. I wouldn't be surprised if Spyderco has a similar policy. Lots of companies copy Spyderco and some people even blatantly counterfeit them so they need to protect themselves.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

As much as all of us enjoy browsing online discussion forums, it's easy to forget that the majority of the population probably doesn't even spend a fraction of the time we do on them. In fact, excluding social media stuff like Facebook, I'd wager that a huge percentage of people out there may have never signed up for a forum at all. My wife would call such people "normal". :D

I want to keep this on topic but also throw in a more general question on this statement you made, timlara. It still puzzles me to this day, as to why so many of my fellow human beings (my fellow forum members here excluded) choose to use so much of their time on things that (And I am trying not to be biased, and I respect peoples' choices to pursue their own interests), are not super-interested in knives, steel, metals, and related things. For example: I can almost guarantee, that if each of you on this forum could purchase or receive the book, The Spyderco Story, for free, or for a very low cost, say 1-10 dollars, you would easilly jump at the opportunity. Yet most people I have seen or noticed, instead are more interested in stuff like the latest celebrity gossip, or other things.

Quick example: If most people on this forum had a choice between: 1 The Spyderco Story, or, 2, the latest standard best selling fiction novel, I am sure most or all of you would go for the Spyderco Story. I mean, yes, to each their own, but, how can the best selling fiction novel be more interesting than reading about knives, especially Spyderco knives, steel alloys, metals, and so on and so forth?

My second question has to do with the Spyderco forum: Personal free time permitting, what percentage of actual world wide Spyderco users and owners come onto this forum? Is it a small fraction or a majority of them?

[3rdGenRigger]

It's a small fraction for sure.

[Evil D]

After a long day at work, do you go home, jump on the internet and talk about work? I don't.

If I had a job like making knives I sure as **** would.

[bdblue]

At the companies where I've worked as an engineer, there seem to be a small percentage of people that are actually interested in what they do. Beyond work they don't care about it, don't talk about it, aren't interested in any outside study (continuing education), nothing like that. And sometimes those people are the most liked by management. I think it has to do with a person's likeability and not with how well they can do their jobs. The people that are interested in what they do and try to better themselves beyond work hours are clearly the ones that actually know how to do their jobs better.

At my current employer we have a lot of engineers and a lot of people that work with CAD. I'm always surprised to find out how many of them don't even own computers at home so they have no way to work outside of the office. That may be intentional, so they can spend all their time in "common people" pursuits.

But back to the original question, there are mentions occasionally of Spyderco employees that get on the forums but they probably do keep their identities secret.

[Evil D]

I can relate to the whole "it's work, not a hobby" mentality, but there are also a very large percentage of people who not only work their job but live their job. Maybe being the guy who screws together Spydercos isn't as glamorous of a job as us Spyderco fans imagine it to be. The job I do is pretty mundane and routine, it pays decent, but honestly I would take a pay cut down to the point of having to work 2 jobs if it meant I was doing a job like making knives. There just aren't any jobs like that around here.

[Ankerson]

When I used to be in the Computer Industry I actually did spend some time on various forums because I enjoyed what I did ...

I think a person would really have to love their job and live it to be an active member on a public forum.

As far as the other jobs I had I wouldn't go near any forums that would have related to them in any way....

[Knutty]

My employer has very strict rules about sharing any pictures or information about what we do and the penalty is termination. Proprietary information must be protected. I wouldn't be surprised if Spyderco has a similar policy. Lots of companies copy Spyderco and some people even blatantly counterfeit them so they need to protect themselves.

Ditto. My company is uber-strict too, for legal/regulatory reasons as well as the usual ones. It's strict enough that I had to lecture my daughter on how to behave while wearing a T-shirt with the company name/logo on it.

[Blerv]

I would bet a number of employees and makers in the various countries surf the forums on a daily basis. It's far safer than participation. My wife is a video game dev and she monitors the Steam forums of their games constantly but never says a peep.

[Ankerson]

I would bet a number of employees and makers in the various countries surf the forums on a daily basis. It's far safer than participation. My wife is a video game dev and she monitors the Steam forums of their games constantly but never says a peep.

I think you are correct....

I know the steel companies do, but they don't post.....

[Knutty]

I would bet a number of employees and makers in the various countries surf the forums on a daily basis. It's far safer than participation. My wife is a video game dev and she monitors the Steam forums of their games constantly but never says a peep.

I am in awe of her self-control!

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Does this mean the companies who produce steel used in Spyderco knives, such as the ones in Japan, and Europe, and elsewhere, probably read these posts we make, and add them to their overall files, to see what people think of a particular knife-steel and how to improve it, but don't ever post under those identities, like say, "Hey, I am from Hitachi, we make H1 steel. How do you like it?"

[sal]

As mentioned, there are a lot of potential problems with crew posting and most companies watch that closely.

sal