A separate brand for Titanium knives from Spyderco ?

[Xformer]

I feel most people identify Spyderco with FRN/G10 utility knives. It's also a fact that many wonderful titanium knives made by Spyderco were discontinued (the Nirvana, the Slysz Bowie etc) because of what we assume to be low-volume sales. I fear one day the same will happen with the amazing Techno 2.

So I thought about how Spyderco should start a different brand for their titanium line up, much like they did for the Byrd line-up. A premium titanium brand with a different name. Imagine the Nirvana, the Slysz Bowie, the Techno 2, the Ikuchi and others being launched under the same brand new maketing umbrella ?

Does that sound like a good idea from a marketing standpoint ? Do you feel like it could help those models gather more sales ?

[Manixguy@1994]

I think it is an interesting idea , how it would be accepted by Spyderco is something that may be a challenge . MG2

[TkoK83Spy]

I'm a big Ti fan, depending on models and prices I'd definitely be interested.

[Mushroom]

Cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face.

I think that would be a quick way to devalue the “Spyderco” brand. They would be creating a perceived mid-tier quality level and placing themselves in it. They’re already close to the pinnacle of the knife industry. I believe there is more value and more to gain by staying with the brand-names Spyderco for their high end products and Byrd for their budget-friendly products.

I know there are other companies doing this right now but Spyderco and their reputation is so well established at this point that I don't believe they need to use those marketing tactics to be successful. They’ve already achieved success by making the best products they possibly can.

What makes you think “most people identify Spyderco with FRN/G10 utility knives?” Even if thats true, I would question why that matters. Low sales volume is not always the only contributing factor that leads to a knife being discontinued.

Why would a different brand-name change the sales volume or production duration of a specific knife? To use your example the Spyderco Techno has been in the lineup for over a decade. It’s even done well enough to warrant a second iteration, the Techno 2. Which has now been part of the lineup for five years. The Techno 2, will most likely be discontinued at some point but if history serves to prove anything, it might be followed by a Techno 3. All under the Spyderco name.

Lastly, the biggest reason I wouldn’t want them to create a different brand is because the new “different” brand wouldn't be able to use the trademarked round Spyderhole.

[Bemo]

I'm with Mushroom on this one. A GM/Chevy/Cadillac or Kershaw/ZT with Spyderco..... we have he Byrd line which doesn't get much respect outside of here, let's not do that to Spyderco.

[Enactive]

I don't see the potential benefits and see a lot of risks and costs.

Not to yuck your yum, or dogpile, just not into it.

[Danke]

I like my Ti with a spider on it.

[vandelay]

I don't see how they'd do it since the round hole is the Spyderco trademark. How would you fix that without making the knives lose their spyderco appeal?

I feel like the American models overshadow the taichung titanium models a bit. Before I was a Spyderco enjoyer, I just thought of the brand for the delica, PM2 and similar models. I don't see how making a separate brand would help this though.

[JRinFL]

I once floated the idea of a new brand for Spyderco’s culinary line since very few people are OK with a Spider/Tick on their kitchen knives. A Shun or a Victorinox seems so much more palatable. To me, at least. FTR, I have many Spyderco kitchen knives, but only after I fell in love with the pocket knives.

So the big B company has a gold line for their high end models. I also believe Spyderco needs a similar setup. So a Honda/Acura type branding scheme or one like the B company has setup, either would work.

[Mushroom]

I once floated the idea of a new brand for Spyderco’s culinary line since very few people are OK with a Spider/Tick on their kitchen knives. A Shun or a Victorinox seems so much more palatable. To me, at least. FTR, I have many Spyderco kitchen knives, but only after I fell in love with the pocket knives.

So the big B company has a gold line for their high end models. I also believe Spyderco needs a similar setup. So a Honda/Acura type branding scheme or one like the B company has setup, either would work.

They already do, Spyderco/Byrd. I wouldn’t want Spyderco to just copy Benchmades current marketing strategy either. Nothing wrong with it, I just believe Spyderco should continue do their own thing. It has served them well to this point.

[skeeg11]

Taichung titanium Spyderco is enuff incentive to get my attention. No other distinction necessary.

[mikey177]

Looking at the Titanium models I have, I feel that branding isn't the root cause of poor sales.

Models like the Southard, Domino, Hanan and Mantra had a reputation --based on the reviews and comments I found-- for sub-par flipping action and/or easily deformed washers.

Admittedly, newer models like the Spydiechef and Swayback have much better action, and hopefully better sales.

I feel that instead of branding, it is high price in combination with country of origin that may account for poor sales.

I love my Taichung Spydies, but outside of the knife afi world, perhaps a good number of knife buyers would prefer a US-made Ti framelock over one made in Taiwan, cost being equal. For example, maybe folks would hesitate to buy a Spyderco Swayback for $313 when they could get a ZT 0470 fro $292, or a $448 Stovepipe instead of a $455 small Sebenza?

Pricing for Spyderco titanium framelocks is even harder to swallow because Chinese companies like WE and Kizer have solid offerings in the $180 to $240 price range, for those people that are not particular about country of origin.

[zhyla]

I feel most people identify Spyderco with FRN/G10 utility knives.

This isn’t true. Spyderco is known for quality, ergonomic knives that are mostly on the expensive side. It’s a very well known name. Adding a third tier is possible but problematic given how well known the Spyderco name is.

A new name doesn’t change the economics of titanium. Spyderco knives are already very expensive. Titanium models even more so and that’s very unhelpful for sales.

[Evil D]

Mazda tried this with the Eunos and ɛ̃fini brands. They're all gone today, that should tell you all you need to know.

[Xformer]

Mazda tried this with the Eunos and ɛ̃fini brands. They're all gone today, that should tell you all you need to know.

Very true.

As a counter exemple, Citroen separated their DS line from their mainline offer and it works. KTM created Husqvarna and it works well too.

[Evil D]

Mazda tried this with the Eunos and ɛ̃fini brands. They're all gone today, that should tell you all you need to know.

Very true.

As a counter exemple, Citroen separated their DS line from their mainline offer and it works. KTM created Husqvarna and it works well too.

Yeah and I guess others have been successful, Lexus/Toyota, Infiniti/Nissan, but also like Mushroom said it creates the mindset of having a higher tier brand and puts the Spyderco name below it, so it's a very calculated business decision that you put a lot of risk on how well that upper brand is going to sell and how much loss you may see from perceived "mid tier" sales.

There already is a sort of hierarchy within the brand, we have Spyderco/Spyderco Value line/byrd, and then I guess unofficially/subjectively you have some hierarchy between the different makers in each country. What county would make this premier upper tier titanium brand, and would that suggest that everything they make should be the same tier?

Spyderco already do separate some models in the catalog by the Signature/Specialty/Prestige categories, they just don't give them any designated brand to go along with it. I think they could hit a safe compromise on this idea by doing something like "Spyderco Ti" as a trademarked brand, maybe even make a different bug logo to go along with it and that would separate them as a higher end option without making the usual Spyderco brand seem like a lesser or mid tier option.

Toyota and Lexus and I think some other brands differentiate their hybrid models by adding a blue background to the brand logos, maybe Spyderco could do this with the bug logo, add a circle around it or something to signify that it's a top tier model.

[JRinFL]

I have said a few times in the past that Spyderco needs to move upmarket due to the extreme pressure the Chinese brands are putting on the low & mid markets. I'm not sure you can just "lift" the whole brand up to a higher tier, so a new premier brand might be helpful. It worked well for Honda & Toyota. Even GEC has several brands that represent different tiers.

It's all just talk anyway since the Glesser's will do what they do with their company as has always been the way.

[Danke]

KTM created Husqvarna and it works well too.

No it didn't. KTM bought Husqvarna from BMW who bought it from MV Augusta who bought it after. It was split off into Husqvarna and Husaberg.

Husqvarna has been around for a long time. They used to be a musket company; that's why their logo has a gun sight.

[JRinFL]

Ha! I always thought it was meant to be a stylized crown. Now I see the sight.

[cjk]

I do not see the benefit of the upscale branding. Launching a brand has costs. I personally don't see any benefits of doing so.
I also do not identify Spyderco with only FRN handled knives. Spyderco's product line is pretty vast and varied.
I see Spyderco as an often innovative high performance cutlery company.

Spyderco also has a willingness to make niche high performance products which I don't think any other knife company can match. Who else would have made a whale rescue blade?