There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
The debate for and against patents and patent law also is convoluted with good points on both sides and no real winning option.
It takes creativity and sometimes hard work to come up with good ideas, and I feel that should be rewarded, or else why bother? Maybe that’s very Capitalist of me, thinking I need merit-based rewards just to “have enough,” or that Art and luxuries have their place and without them life is dull like a suicide of the soul. Maybe I’m a bit Socialist too, to think that complete business Darwinism stifles creativity and the little guys that can’t compete but could bring innovation, and civilization demands a certain amount of abstract respect for others.
On the other hand, Tactical Keychains is essentially a custom knife operation, either unable or unwilling to take what is essentially another take on a box cutter to mass production and consumer-friendly economies of scale, and unwilling or unable to keep using Massdrop for distribution and marketing. It’s a simple idea, generic in concept though as FFKW said in their sticky post it took a lot of engineering, extra engineering to function the same but work differently. It still feels morally wrong for Jonas to decide Masssdrop still wants a premium compact box cutter and ask FFKW to redesign it in response. It’s much easier to see myself in Brad’s shoes than Jonas’, and if I was in Jonas’ shoes I wouldn’t feel justified.
I do see Tactical Keychains as an aggrieved party here, though I would not like to see the same thing happen to Massdrop like a bigger fish like Amazon copy and compete with Massdrop‘s business model, or for some of the other unique vendors to lose trust in Massdrop. I still remember when Massdrop was banned from Head-Fi because of damaging business practices... but I think Massdrop is at its best when it acts as a platform for discovery or collaborative efforts to provide a distribution and economy of scale benefit to small scale innovators, like Tactical Keychains and Ferrum Forge Knife Works.
Sunday morning philosophy from a third party, out!
@RayF , It certainly is easiest to be true to yourself, probably makes the biggest impact. I know you meant everyone looks out for themselve, but staying true can be a positive too. I have seen several companies become unaligned with the philosophy that I originally liked them for (like Apple), and sometimes they come back (like Apple). You’ll notice I criticized but also called out good things; I feel it’s just as important to celebrate a good direction as much as try to dissuade the bad. Nobody’s perfect, but neither is anybody all bad, though sometimes far enough that I avoid.
He's being an enormous baby and it is completely wrong to validate his temper tantrums.
Imagine if Lumintop went on a week-long diatribe against Massdrop for selling Nextorch flashlights. None of you would treat them with the deference and kid gloves you are using for Brad.
It would rightly be seen as an absurd public mental breakdown.
I'm aware of course that regulations become law, but I wouldn't say laws against bank robbery or kidnapping are regulations. On the other hand, I would say laws that control the kinds of pesticides one can use, are regulations--if you catch my drift?
this is a huge generalization dude. visiting the country all the time, you see many factory workers making a decent living wage. mind you this is a decent living wage IN CHINA where the cost of living is much, much lower than here in north america. considering the level of fit and finish that WE knife gets out of their factory, im pretty sure they aren't the bottom of the barrel workers but instead are considered higher tiered. also you need to know that the manufacturing industry in china is going through a huge shift. wages in china are increasing so much that lots of the smaller factories are going out of business. companies are choosing to go to countries like bangladesh or vietnam because theyre just as or even cheaper now.
now construction workers in china... well thats where your point starts to be more valid. but we're talking knives here not high rises built in weeks ;)
@RayF was partially right, I don‘t want anybody barely making enough money to cover the costs of going to work; here, China, or anywhere. I’ve lived that life, I was even under-eating, and it just felt like it wasn‘t going anywhere and pointless. Nowadays, with the experience I gained in side activities before doing the half a year with no days off, I have a job with an open schedule and a web commute, and I’m amazed what happens when I can also work on my own life.
It really does seem like WE Knives have the kind of artistry and precision work that can inspire pride of work, make the effort something more than a task to get by. I hope they feel that pride, in addition to the living wage plus a little margin for fun. Same goes for Ferrum Forge and Tactical Keychains, in fact I’d say they have an inspired design creativity and chose to live the entrepreneurial life, which is like a hobby taken seriously. And Massdrop, as a marketing, sales, and distribution platform, helps make opportunities and move product that can really help make collaborators better known, and support clever ideas. I also think Massdrop helps link potential partners such as WE and Ferrum, and provides unique resources (and customer base).
By commissioning this knife, I don’t think Massdrop did anything illegal. However, it’s creation in reaction to Tactical Keychains not being in the store, the “How can we make this and yet make the ‘how’ different enough to not be a clone?” inspiration, and the final salt of naming it so similarly, all contribute as a bridge burning activity. I feel that if people DON’T point it out, then Massdrop might cut out some of its other partners and collaborators in order to make more money with loyal partners or just by itself. It’s not a question of “Is the knife different enough?” It’s the questionable act of competing with former collaborators, and the potential of deciding to do it again in the future to others.
Where are you on every other drop in the Blades category, you keep insinuating that this utility knife is a sleazy encroachment into someone's business, why don't you appear in every drop for a framelock to accuse Massdrop and the knife company of stealing from Chris Reeve?
Why don't you accuse Massdrop and Millitt of 'stealing' the Axis lock for the Perpetua? That design was literally created to replace the hole left by Benchmade's decision to stop producing the HK Axis, even the handle design is reminiscent of the HK.
Have you got nothing to say about liner locking knife makers, who are obviously just finding a way to make a liner lock without paying off Michael Walker?
TK has absolutely zero right to pretend he has a monopoly on utility knives or to pretend that a company he doesn't even sell products to is taking something from him simply by offering an item that is the same kind of item as one of his offerings.
It's damn near slander or libel to keep repeating that claim. These utility knives have a lot of overlap in build style because there are only so many ways to build a little utility knife. This one is still uniquely designed and uses different mechanisms than the TUKK.
Why don't you accuse the TUKK maker of stealing the concept of a replaceable blade utility knife from Xacto? It's not reasonable. Even if this were a nearly direct copy, intellectual property rights to the design of manufactured goods do not last forever.
This isn't a novel or a movie, it's a knife. Tools evolve and the TUKK is just a different twig on the same branch as the RUK.
I’m also not a grizzled veteran or knife nut to know every instance of one larger company appropriating money making ideas from small start-ups. I have learned a little, and do know that Benchmade had a patent and over 25 years to make money off their axis lock design and become a larger established company... and now that their patent has “timed out,” Benchmade still had some sort of license deal with Spyderco to put a round opening hole into their Griptillian. Other companies like Spyderco also license and credit the designers too, like the Emerson Wave feature and I think they even state it is a Walker Liner Lock in their knives that use it. Is it silly to cal something a Boyd Detent in marketing materials? Maybe, but I can’t fault their commitment.
Anyway, I’m getting back to my holiday weekend, and shopping for a larger complimentary knife. Truth be told, I looked up the Perpetua after you said it, and kind of regret missing out on that knife despite it looking a little plain. I hope you have a fun weekend too, and wouldn’t mind me leaning on your knife experience sometime in the future for suggestions.