Sage pricing

JudasD · #1

I was looking at the Sage line and i am curious about their pricing. They all seems to be a bit on the high side compared to the rest of the Spyderco lineup. The only reason i could think of is to help donate to the National Alzheimer's Association.
The Sage 2 and 4 i suppose i can understand due to the materials they contain (titanium and wood). The sage 1 does have CF scales, but still seems a bit steep. The sage 3 really seems high to me. It goes for more than a PM2 and i just don't understand why. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
JD

FroOchie · #2

Pricing is a big debate on these forums it seems. Regardless of all that I'm going to bet that Spyderco can afford to sell the Para 2 at it's price point because they make so many of them.

JudasD · #3

FroOchie wrote:Pricing is a big debate on these forums it seems. Regardless of all that I'm going to bet that Spyderco can afford to sell the Para 2 at it's price point because they make so many of them.

Do you mean the pricing on the sage or on all spyderco knives? There are a few other Spydercos that do seem a bit high for what they are but the Sage is the one that seems to deviate the most to me. It's not a criticism. Spyderco can sell the products for whatever price they choose. It is mostly curiosity just in case i am missing something.

Thanks,
JD

mikerestivo · #4

The Sage series all use locks that were designed by various outside makers. Maybe Spyderco has to pay a royalty fee or something like that for each model? I'm not sure on this. Maybe some of the other folks on the forum can chime in.

Oofa · #5

I think that if something is not selling, it is overpriced. But if it's selling, it's not overpriced. The Sage series is selling. What I'm willing to pay for certain knives is another story altogether.

phaust · #6

The Sage 1 is around a 3" blade of S30v with the added CF handles for around $80. The PM2, Yo2, M2XL are all S30v blades with around 3" of blade for $100+ with G10 handles. In those comparisons, the Sage 1 seems like a deal.

I'm not sure about the Sage 3. Having G10 handles, it is a better direct comparison to the above knives. Looking quick at CS, the Sage 3 is priced at $112, is $15-20 more than each of them. You could also compare it to the Sage 1, and I don't see why it's $30+ more. Perhaps the bolt lock makes it cost more (?)

phillipsted · #7

I can tell you that the members of the Sage lineup are some of the best production knives you can buy regardless of price. All four are extremely high quality, have fantastic ergonomics, and are great cutting tools.

With Spyderco, you always get what you pay for.

TedP

DedRok · #8

Regarless of prices that you might find high, the Sage series is a serious bang for buck knife.

gbelleh · #9

Considering the materials, quality, fit & finish, and R&D needed to design and perfect each lock mechanism, the prices seem reasonable to me.

JNewell · #10

One thing to bear in mind is that the Manix2 and Para2 aren't great price-point comparisons because Sal has posted that Spyderco has chosen to try a much lower profit margin on those two.

JudasD · #11

phaust wrote:The Sage 1 is around a 3" blade of S30v with the added CF handles for around $80. The PM2, Yo2, M2XL are all S30v blades with around 3" of blade for $100+ with G10 handles. In those comparisons, the Sage 1 seems like a deal.

$80? That sounds like a steal. Where have you seen it for that price?

JNewell wrote:One thing to bear in mind is that the Manix2 and Para2 aren't great price-point comparisons because Sal has posted that Spyderco has chosen to try a much lower profit margin on those two.

I had read that the Manix2 was a low profit margin, but i did not know that the PM2 was as well. This does make sense then.

Thanks,
JD

The Deacon · #12

The downside of corporate charity is that the consumer is always the one paying for it. The upside is that contributing that way doesn't get you added to the mailing lists of 100 other charities. Unlike many companies, Spyderco is up front about theirs, noting not only whether a given product's cost includes a donation, but also which charity will receive that donation. That way, at least, you have a choice. As for the Sage series, and other models made in Taichung, I'm sure the cost of shipping steel and other "Made in the USA" materials half way around the world contributes to their cost, as does the excellence of their fit and finish. But those things also add to the overall quality of the finished product and, again, you have a choice since Spyderco offers products produced in other countries as well. And, as noted, Spyderco has chosen to experiment with lower profit margins on the "base model" versions of the PM2 and Manix 2, so if you're on a really tight budget and not in the mood to share, you still have a couple excellent choices.

Blerv · #13

The Dodo CF sprint is going to use S30v and being made in golden will have a price tag of about $180 on the street.

The Sage1 given the fit and finish is a rotten dirty steal of a knife :) . Flat grinding, s30v, and CF add to the price. Country of origin isn't picked for cost savings so the product has very impressive F&F, even among Spydies.

oneunder · #14

Blerv wrote:The Sage1 given the fit and finish is a rotten dirty steal of a knife :) . Flat grinding, s30v, and CF add to the price. Country of origin isn't picked for cost savings so the product has very impressive F&F, even among Spydies.

I can't agree more. And besides the specs, there's something special about the Sage1, it simply feels great. As it is a homage I guess that Spyderco tried to engineer the best implementation of the Walker liner lock, and it's perfect. My stress reliever: to open the knife slowly and get the 2 clicks when the tang first frees the ball detent and then the liner... OK you can call me mad.

#15

Hi Judas and Oneunder,

Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

Pricing is a very complicated issue when dealing with different makers in different countries with different currency valuations. Further complicated by our own US factory. Margins at Spyderco are pretty fixed. Variations occur for different reasons, but value for the price paid is high in all cases.

sal

JudasD · #16

sal wrote:Hi Judas and Oneunder,

Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

Pricing is a very complicated issue when dealing with different makers in different countries with different currency valuations. Further complicated by our own US factory. Margins at Spyderco are pretty fixed. Variations occur for different reasons, but value for the price paid is high in all cases.

sal

Hi Sal. I figured it was something to that effect. It was not meant as a criticism to the pricing scheme. I was merely curious if i was missing specific about the Sage 1 model.

Thanks,
JD

SpinDoctor · #17

This thread needs some pictures

ViperGTS · #18

Thanks for the pics. The Sage 2 is my favorite one.

DedRok · #19

Here's my Sage 1.... it's an amazing knife. You know the feeling of opening and closing a zippo that feels and sounds amazing. Some how the Sage 1 has the same class and responsive feelings as a Zippo lighter.

KardinalSyn · #20

One must not forget royalties. A portion of the price will go to the maker of that lock/design etc. in an age where people don't get proper recognition for what they do, I think Spyderco has done a pretty cool thing with the Sage line up.