Lum Tanto non sprint?

[Skidoosh]

I think Sal has shared before that tantos have not been great sellers. Also, despite the high demand, there was a few people not pleased with the knife which is unfortunate because it really is a beautiful piece and I love that tanto grind, not a chisel grind.

[Slash]

Most just like a thin ground knife for slicing hairs in half to check how sharp they can get their knives or one with a fine tip for removing the occasional splinter. While those have a useful place a thicker blade shape like a tanto is a better all around general purpose knife.
I would prefer titanium frame lock over liner or compression though, any steel that doesn't chip easy is fine.

[Evil D]

The fact that it was discontinued in the first place suggests that there isn't much demand for it. Can't really compare the demand for a sprint/exclusive to standard production demand.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

Maybe one solution could be an exclusive run of say dark gray G10 with S30V since they’re now working with that steel in Japan. That would give folks another chance at the model (and in my mind they made some fantastic updates in the recent jade HAP40 one, it’s a really great knife!) with a very approachable low(er) cost steel and if the run is successful, then another run can be ordered. That way Sal doesn’t have to reintroduce it into the catalog but since the tooling is already there...! Seems like a win-win to me.

[Liquid Cobra]

Maybe one solution could be an exclusive run of say dark gray G10 with S30V since they’re now working with that steel in Japan. That would give folks another chance at the model (and in my mind they made some fantastic updates in the recent jade HAP40 one, it’s a really great knife!) with a very approachable low(er) cost steel and if the run is successful, then another run can be ordered. That way Sal doesn’t have to reintroduce it into the catalog but since the tooling is already there...! Seems like a win-win to me.

This please!

[Babalu32]

It's a cool model. The way the jade/hap40 came out; my humble opinion is it needs CQI.

[CanaBrit]

I really want one of these. The Jade/Hap40 would be awesome. If there were any way to make it in M390/Maxamet/etc. I would buy one tomorrow :)
And please, anything but a black handle...

[steelcity16]

If there were any way to make it in M390/Maxamet/etc. I would buy one tomorrow :)

+1 I'd rather see this one as a Golden model with steels like Cruwear, 4V, Rex45, and 52100. The laminated steels don't really appeal to me. And with G10 models being notoriously expensive out of Japan, I am left wondering if a Golden made Cruwear version would have come in at a lower, more palatable price point.

[dogrunner]

+1 I'd rather see this one as a Golden model with steels like Cruwear, 4V, Rex45, and 52100. The laminated steels don't really appeal to me. And with G10 models being notoriously expensive out of Japan, I am left wondering if a Golden made Cruwear version would have come in at a lower, more palatable price point.

Any of these steels would be a winner. I got a good one from the last sprint, after being in the chorus asking for one for years. Cruwear would also stack the deck in favor of sales, because there seems to be pretty good demand for that steel, and prices are usually decent too.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

OK guys, again Spyderco is extremely unlikely to swap any model around to a different factory for manufacture. If you’re interested in a “Lum Tanto”, it’s a Japanese model with a steel they’re able to import and more importantly, work with. Maybe they could do a 20CV-like steel but since they’re just getting rolling (no pun intended ) with S30V, I wouldn’t hold your breath. Maybe a Super Blue exclusive?

[Liquid Cobra]

A super blue Lum tanto would be insane.

[knivesandbooks]

Do a lil cqi and have knife center do a pakkawood hap40 variant. I would be all about it.

Would also be a nice knife with contoured and polished g10

[sal]

Hi Sage12,

Welcome to our forum.

sal

[Slash]

Bought and sold 2x gray g10 lums. To be completely honest I just didn't think the quality matched the $.
Wish I still had them now; probably could sell them for a bit more these days?
I'm sure they would do a way better job on them now, if they came to be. Like and love are always a tough balancing scale with many things in life.

[guywithopinion]

My suggestion would be a compression lock with S30V and black g10.

I think this would be a successful model.

My opinion is it probably would not be. Here's why I think that. The BHQ exclusive was $220, when their other models have been quite reasonable ($150ish for the PM2's and Manix's). That suggests to me that the Lum Tanto is more expensive to make. Then look at like the G10 Delica, a much more popular model. It was about $100 more because of the G10. So you'd be talking about a $300 knife, without the redesign to a compression lock.

There was a significant amount of criticism about the Lum Tanto BHQ exclusive. I suspect it's a knife made to the same standards as a $75 Endura or Delica. It costs more for other reasons (opportunity cost, low volume, etc, I dunno). It wasn't $220 because it had 2.5x the fit and finish. But people expected because they paid $220, it should have had that. G10 would be worse, it will elevate the price significantly, along with those expectations, but G10 doesn't change lock smoothness or blade centering or whatever it was people were unhappy with. It just changes the handle to look like G10.

So you'd have a $300 knife with the f&f of a $75 knife. I'm sure it would be a fine useful knife, but I think a non-trivial segment of the $300 knife market really care more about looks and finish than about function, which the Lum Tanto probably would not deliver on.

[Liquid Cobra]

My suggestion would be a compression lock with S30V and black g10.

I think this would be a successful model.

My opinion is it probably would not be. Here's why I think that. The BHQ exclusive was $220, when their other models have been quite reasonable ($150ish for the PM2's and Manix's). That suggests to me that the Lum Tanto is more expensive to make. Then look at like the G10 Delica, a much more popular model. It was about $100 more because of the G10. So you'd be talking about a $300 knife, without the redesign to a compression lock.

There was a significant amount of criticism about the Lum Tanto BHQ exclusive. I suspect it's a knife made to the same standards as a $75 Endura or Delica. It costs more for other reasons (opportunity cost, low volume, etc, I dunno). It wasn't $220 because it had 2.5x the fit and finish. But people expected because they paid $220, it should have had that. G10 would be worse, it will elevate the price significantly, along with those expectations, but G10 doesn't change lock smoothness or blade centering or whatever it was people were unhappy with. It just changes the handle to look like G10.

So you'd have a $300 knife with the f&f of a $75 knife. I'm sure it would be a fine useful knife, but I think a non-trivial segment of the $300 knife market really care more about looks and finish than about function, which the Lum Tanto probably would not deliver on.

Why would the price go up $100 is they used g10? They used g10 on the bladehq Lum Tanto and it was $220 like you said. I’m just not sure where you’re gettting $300 from.

[guywithopinion]

Why would the price go up $100 is they used g10? They used g10 on the bladehq Lum Tanto and it was $220 like you said. I’m just not sure where you’re gettting $300 from.

Ah, you are right! I thought it was FRN like most of the other Seki models, but of course it was natural G10.

[JD Spydo]

I can empathize with "Sage12">> because until I got my very first C-46 Lum Tanto folder out of the ATS-55 era I had never at all ever liked or ever even wanted a tanto. But Bob Lum's design is truly different because it's more of a streamlined and functional Tanto blade. I still keep my ATS-55 Lum Tanto folder and even EDC it on rare occasions. I also like the fixed blade Lum Tanto too. However it is one of Spyderco's specialty designs with a very limited following. It's usually only the most avid Spyderco collectors and users that even ever got one.

The best bet for Sage12 is to probably just get one on the secondary market. I see them available from time to time on ebay and BF.

It would be interesting to see how a C-46 Lum tanto would perform in one of the newer supersteels.