Profit vs A sale vs The Program

[Scoutfish]

This may be the wrong forum. If so, I hope a moderator moves it.

 

I have a question. Now, I know there is no exact answer, and many may have a different answer for it. And part of it may be more personal opinion on our part than anything else:

 

I just recently bought my Bear Cub son a pocket knife to practice and work on his whittling chip. Nothing real fancy, just a stainless steel lock-blade knife. The blade is about 2 1/2 inches long. The handle is slightly thicker, and was the most comfortable feeling of the 5 or 6 he held.

 

Now here's the thing.....up to this point, I never bought my son a knife. So therefore, I would have just assumed that one of the knives sold by the Boy Scout Store (ours is National) would be fineand completely age /experience appropriate. There is even a Cub Scout model with 2 blades.

 

Now, I decided that experience beats what just "looks good". Apparently, that was a good decision too. Almost every single responce I got , told me to get a lock-blade knife. And the reasons made total sense.

 

 

So here's my question:

 

Why does The Scout Store sell a knife that (based on CM/DL/ADL/etc... responses) is not the wisest, safest choice? And to a certain extent - falls outside of BSA G2SS ideals?

 

Is it because BSA can make a bigger profit if an item has a licensed BSA/CS/BS logo on it?

 

Do they pick these items for a quicker sell? (no point in stocking stuff that wont sell!)

 

Is it because it's more profitable? (they buy cheap and have a better profit margin?)

 

Or do they have an advisory committee that decided that (in their opinion) that a simple non locking knive was just better/safer than a lock-blade?

 

Again, not sure if this is the right forum, but could see the potential as to why national does anything and safety causing heated responces.

 

 

[DeanRx]

My guess would be that they use the same supplier they aways have and this is the model that in the past has sold well. Our local scout shop has the little plastic flashlights with the cub logo on the side of it. Same cheap plastic one I had as a youth that I think might have made it on two campouts before shattering in by camp gear.

 

I doubt it has anything odo with profit margin. It probably has something to do with who the supplier is, how long they've been supplying it, etc...

 

Also, if its an item that sells - then I doubt anyone in procurement would have reason to think about reassessing it to see if there is an updated . safer (locking blade) model availible from the supplier.

 

My bet is its a "If it's not broke, don't fix it" type of thing more than anything else. Tradition and continuity have been the hallmarks of scout procurement for a long time. Heck, the Pine Wood Derby kits have only been changed maybe 3 times since its inception in the 1950's. Once to change the pre-cut block of wood, once to change to the current wheels, and once to allow the introduction of the new colored wheel kits. At any one of those changes, the kit could have included some weights, or at least an instruction sheet to tell the boy and parents "You should probably add weight, because running with a stock wood block and the wheels, Jr will not likely make it past the finish line on most tracks."

 

Nope - BSA usually sticks with what it has. A rare exception has been the numerous revamps to uniforms in the past 5 to 10 years, but other equipment is pretty standard and changes little.

[Eagle92]

ok which knife is it?

 

The classic design

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=CAMPING&c3=KNIVES&c4=&lv=3&item=1885

 

the utility design

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=CAMPING&c3=KNIVES&c4=&lv=3&item=1883

 

the swiss army

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=CAMPING&c3=KNIVES&c4=&lv=3&item=1865

 

or lockback

http://www.scoutstuff.org/BSASupply/ItemDetail.aspx?cat=01RTL&ctgy=PRODUCTS&c2=CAMPING&c3=KNIVES&c4=&lv=3&item=24076

 

I do have to respectfully disagree a little with Dean as as I worked for supply at one time. Probably someone thought they could make a little profit on it. Or someone with slim to no Scouting experience came up with the idea, and the BSA is stuck with a supply of them. best example of that would be the AOL leather belt buckles someone came up with. I haven't worked for Supply in 9 years, and they still haven't gotten rid of them. And yes I worked for someone with very slim scouting experience, and it was interesting.

[Scoutfish]

The Swiss Army Knife #1865. My local National store ( that make sense? LOL!) has them . As a faily new scout parnent, ans as a this year new ADL , I'd assumed that that would have been the "best" knife fora cub scout.

 

Granted, There is a difference between using a particular knife and training/earning your wittling chip with a particular knife.

 

 

Just think about those parents who don't go online to sites like this( and ask around), but just go to their local scout shop and buy one because it has the Cub logo on it!

[Eagle92]

Thought so. in ref. to Dean's post, that is the case. there is a BS version, and someone thought that it would be cool to have a CS version. Also there are a few folks out there that prefer a non-locking knife for teaching. Me personally I like the classic.

 

Now one thign that I've noticed changing at the national stores, is that more and more folks have some scouting background. Again this is at the STORES not Charlotte. The guy who replaced me was an Eagle and had extensive background. Also when I went to Raleigh a month or 2 ago. One clerk had her WB beads on and Key knot on, and the other had his Eagle, AOL, and religious award knots on. So maybe the folks on the front lines have expereince and can help out.

 

Also i diodn't realize Wilmington had a satalite (sp) store. I know fayettevill is a sat.

[Twocubdad]

It's called a free market. Enjoy it while it still exists.

[Scoutfish]

Wilmington just went National this past fall some time.

 

Not exactly sure when. I went in one time and it was a council store. Next time I went in months later, it was National and WOW!...I was impressed in the difference in the amout and type of inventory there.

 

Yeah, I admit to being alike a kid in a candy store! LOL!