TKC was out of stock of the Izula S35VN for months. They got some in the other day, and now they're once again out of stock. I use Knifeworks a lot and they have been out of stock for months, as are all the usual places knife buyers tend to shop- SMKW, BladeHQ, etc. I see they are or were available this week through a vendor on Amazon, but I find all of this rather odd. If it's due to a material shortage, why do I see ESEE 3 and 4 knives in S35VN in stock all over?
Supply and demand I would guess (I am not privy to the details) but the folks at ESEE have noted how much demand there is and the strain it is production to meet.
Just like you, there are details I am not privy to, of course, so I am left to speculate. What I can say that it was summer of last year when I contacted ESEE with the same question I've posted here. I received a polite response but which said in essence, "We're working on it." At the same time, I contacted a few dealers and they expressed frustration with the scarcity of the Izula in S35VN. Again, I'll point out that other models of ESEE knives which use the same knife steel have been available during this period of several months and it puzzles me why the ESEE 3 and 4, both of which use more steel than the tiny Izula, are to be had. Logically, one would think the knives which use more S35VN would be the scarce models. In this forum, do representatives of ESEE ever appear to answer questions? I confess that I haven't looked around this forum much. In an instance in which a particular model has been scarce for a long time, and with the manufacturer being aware of the shortage, it would be good for customer relations to speak to the issue.
Yes the staff will appear It may not be the steel which is scarce but perhaps the shop time to produce the particular model, for example, if demand for the 3/4 for higher it is reasonable for the finite amount of production capacity to be directed to this proportionate to the demand. Economically it may be best to meet the higher demand driven but those particular models than it is to factor in a higher production rate for another model not seeing demand at the same level. Not sure about production but the steel may also be more readily available in sheets of a thickness that works for other models vs the Izula. All speculation on my part however, Jeff and Shane have both expressed their frustrations with the production challenges they have faced over the past couple of years, challenges faced by almost every manufacturer of things from widgets to aeroplanes.
The whole supply chain is still broken. ESEE isn't the only company with production problems. It's a world wide problem.
I do happen to live on planet Earth. I buy groceries, I buy a whole range of items. It goes without saying that there are and have been supply chain issues of all sorts in virtually all sectors of commerce and it would be quite difficult- nearly impossible, even- for any conscious person to not realize the issues. My question is in regards to what appears to be an incongruity- namely, the absence of one particular model of a manufacturer's product while other models made of the same material remain available. The forum admin seems to have made the best guess at the reason why this is so. His comments were actually helpful.
I considered that. I also considered the admin's idea that the thickness of sheet stock used for the Models 3 and 4 may be more readily available. However, it would be nice to be able to set aside all speculation and hear directly from the manufacturer.
It’s really simple to explain. DEMAND. WE recently sent a fresh batch of Izula in S35vn to all dealers that ordered them and they sold out immediately. Demand for all our products is extremely high but it is especially high for ALL our s35 offerings. To provide some perspective I can tell you that we’ve never produced MORE knives more efficiently than we are right now. We’ve also never been so far behind on orders than we are right now…
@parabellum Just saw this over on BushcraftUSA and thought of you... https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/izula-s35vn-w-g10-handles.346463/
Thanks, Adventurer. And thanks to you, Shane, for responding. While I have your attention, I have one last question- at this time, do you have any plans to introduce the ESEE 6 in S35VN, or perhaps the ESEE 5? I'll wager an Izula-II in S35 would sell well. That extra bit of handle is appreciated by guys like me with large hands. Thanks again to all for the responses
We have zero plans for anything larger than the ESEE 4 in S35vn. It’s just not the right steel for a larger knife in our opinion. As for the Izula II in S35vn you are right. Same for the Candiru IMO…. But you guys keep buying the blades we are making and keeping us further behind. as it is now our production schedule is booked up with orders for existing product. We can find machine time to make the CR3.0/AGK simply bc there is no breathing room to fit them into production. If there is a shortage of ANY material that is causing delays it is LABOR! We can’t find people to operate machines and want to work.
I was afraid you'd say that. I'm certain your correct, but like most knife people, I have far more knives than I can ever actually use, so an ESEE 5 in S35, I would want just for the 'cool' factor. I love the idea of a big knife in stainless, impractical though it may be. I do hate to hear that you are experiencing labor shortages. I was hoping that this nation would have found its way out of such a dilemma by now, three years after the COVID panic. Something tells me, though, that the labor shortages in this country are symptomatic of far more issues than a country trying to recover from three years of utter nonsense. Thanks again