13 minute read
SHOT DAILY NEWS FEED
Dave Steiner, President, Real Avid
Tooling Up for Success
A combination of innovative products and complementary packaging helps keep Real Avid ahead of the pack.
fter spending 20 years in various merchant roles with big-box retailers, Dave Steiner joined Revo Brands in late 2014 as the general manager of Real Avid. At that time, the brand was primarily known for its gun multi-tools. Over the past eight years, though, the brand has grown ten times its former size by putting an unrelenting focus on leading with “on-trend” innovation and by measuring success the same way retailers measure success—by delivering consistent sales growth and profitability and by delighting their consumers. Under Steiner’s leadership, Real Avid remains committed to creating the “best-possible experience,” which is why he believes world-class shooters, gun do-it-yourselfers, and new gun owners choose Real Avid as their favorite brand for cleaning, maintaining, and building guns.
SHOT Daily: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the industry in the next five years? Dave Steiner: Based on the past few years, it may be that the unpredictability of the marketplace is the biggest challenge. It seems as though the one thing we can count on is that the factors influencing consumer demand and production are constantly changing. For Real Avid, staying focused on what we can control is paramount. We need to identify trends quickly, build product to satisfy underserved consumers, and have it available to our retail partners as fast as possible. SD: What opportunities do you see? DS: There is always opportunity to bring game-changing product ideas to the industry. Our retail partners know this and expect Real Avid to deliver innovation year after year. Our optimism, based on real sell-through data, gives us the confidence to try new things, knowing that the consumer will react with their pocketbook. When this happens, our independent retailers succeed. And their success becomes our success. SD: When you get up in the morning, what gets you excited about working in the industry? DS: I’ve had the opportunity to work in a variety of industries throughout my career. Hands down (with no close second) the people who live and work in this space are the best. The hearts and souls of outdoor enthusiasts (my team, our business partners, our consumers) make up an industry that I feel privileged and fortunate to work in. We all care deeply about our outdoor passions. We share many important values, and we want to see each other continue to preserve these commonalities as we work to grow the marketplace. Simply put, I’m having a blast doing what I do because of the people I get to do it with. SD: How will you meet the expectations of your customers? A DS: I actually hope we can exceed their expectations. We keep it very simple: listen, partner, and focus on making them successful. We don’t think of them as customers; we think of them as business partners. We’re not afraid to roll up our sleeves and work alongside of them, both figuratively and literally. No ivory towers exist at Real Avid.
The Pro Shop Upgrade helps create a simple yet compelling shopping experience.
SD: In a very competitive world, how does Real Avid stay ahead of the pack?
DS: It’s kind of you to suggest that we might be ahead of the pack. We will continue to try to do our best to bring innovation to the marketplace. Much of the time this is about product innovations, but we are also working hard to make the in-store experience different.
SD: You recently launched the Pro Shop Upgrade program. How does the program work? What are the benefits for your dealers?
DS: It’s a program that was built through collaboration with our retail partners. It was not something we just dreamed up and then tried to sell. It was created by retailers for retailers, and top independent dealers throughout the country were involved in building the concept. The main goal of the Pro Shop is to create a simple, yet compelling shopping environment in which both the sales associate and the consumer can quickly find what they are looking for. It also makes the shop look great. Our brand can provide the store and the consumer a complete gun-maintenance experience with a “one-stop shop” that provides customers with not only cleaning chemicals, cleaning kits, and components, but multi-tools, build tools, and gunsmith tools as well. When all this comes together, our partners see sales skyrocket. They also enjoy great margin rates and fast-turning inventory. For many dealers, our Pro Shop is the “easy button” because we are there from start to finish. We size it right for their space, we set it up, we make it easy to reorder. And it’s all done with just one brand.
SD: You have said, “Our product packaging has always captured the attention of the consumer.” How does it do this?
DS: We try to keep it simple with strong messages on the front and more detailed explanations on the back. Calling out the gun platform also helps the consumer find what they are looking for easily.
SD: Real Avid seems to focus on simple things, such as cleaning brushes and jags, exemplified by the Bore-Max Speed Clean System. What’s in the company DNA that allows you to be successful in this area?
DS: Our founders are entrepreneurial, innovative, and creative people. We look for and hire talent capable of thinking the same way, too. When we put a bunch of smart, creative, collaborative, and passionate gun enthusiasts in a room, good things happen. From the most basic product needs like our new Speed Brushes to the most sophisticated tool like our new Armorer’s Master Vise, it is in our DNA to make the best tools for the job. Booth #70823
Real Avid’s Armorer’s Master Vise features reversible steel jaw plates, leveling knob, and other features designed to make gun care fast and easy.
(realavid.com)
KNIVES 2023
by Christopher Cogley
This year retailers will see a renewed focus on innovation.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “Change is the only constant in life.” That just might be a fitting theme for the knife companies that are launching new designs at this year’s SHOT Show. The most immediate change you’re likely to notice as you step into the convention halls is that the majority of the knife companies have new booth locations this year. Much of this shuffle is because so many companies were still getting back to normal after the pandemic and didn’t attend the SHOT Show last year.
The other significant change that might, or might not, have anything to do with the pandemic is that many companies are releasing knife designs that have moved away from the standard three-inch EDCs that were so prominent a few years ago. Look for innovative designs, out-of-the-box thinking, and new ways of capturing a customer’s attention with many of this year’s new releases. Of course, there are still plenty of the tried-and-true designs that will never go out of style. Because not everything always has to change.
BEAR & SON CUTLERY
At their new booth (#12865), Bear & Son will be featuring a new Bowie knife that’s sure to turn few heads. The Cocobola Gold Rush Bowie features a hefty 73⁄8-inch Sandvick 12C27M stainless-steel blade. The knife has an overall length of 12 inches and weighs 16.4 ounces. The handle is made of Cocobola wood and features a curved brass hand guard. SRP: $154.99, which includes a leather sheath. Booth #12865 (bearandsoncutlery.com)
BROWNING
Browning is giving hunters a sharper edge this year with the release of their new Primal Scalpel Kill Kit. The Kill Kit comes complete with everything hunters need to make easier work of field dressing big game, including a pair of disposable gloves, zip ties, 10 feet of blaze paracord, and a blaze storage bag to keep the kit together. The Kill Kit even includes four washable and reusable game bags that feature a reflective logo to make it easier to spot in the dark. The highlight of the kit is the Primal Scalpel knife. The knife features stainless-steel replaceable scalpel blades locked securely in a foldable frame complete with a thumb stud and pocket clip. The blackand-orange handle is made of sturdy polymer with a rubber overmold and non-skid grooves on the spine. The knife comes with 10 replacement blades housed in a storage container that doubles as the blade installation/ removal tool. SRP: $99. Booth #12238
(browning.com)
BUCK
The Buck Alpha Hunter is built to withstand the rigors of big-game hunting. The S35VN steel blade will hold an edge through the entire field-dressing process without the need for resharpening, and a high-panel flat grind adds strength to the blade that allows you to cut with confidence. Jimping on the top of the blade delivers ultimate control when using different grips on the knife for detailed work. The purpose-designed textured handle gives you a trusted grip, even in wet conditions. Includes a reinforced leather sheath.
Booth #13651
(buckknives.com)
CAMILLUS
Camillus is presenting its new line of knives from a different location this year in Booth #13660. One of the standouts of the 2023 line is a knife that will no doubt be unlike anything else featured at the SHOT Show this year. The Swedge is part fixed-blade knife, part chisel, and part file. Created to handle a wide range of campsite chores, Camillus describes the Swedge as a cross between a “bushcraft knife and a small hatchet.” The 8.75-inch knife features a thick 4.3-inch titaniumbonded 420 stainless-steel blade with a textured ABS plastic handle. SRP: $24.99, which includes a molded sheath with a belt clip. Booth #13660
(camillusknives.com)
COLUMBIA RIVER KNIFE & TOOL
Columbia River Knife & Tool is continuing its tradition of developing designs that seamlessly blend aesthetics and functionality to create knives that look every bit as amazing as their performance. Case in point: the new Pilar IV. The 7.34-inch knife is designed with a natural contour that effortlessly fits into the user’s hand and features two deep finger choils to ensure a secure grip whether it’s being used to field dress large game or slice open the tape on the latest package left on your porch. The 3-inch clip-point blade is made from D2 steel and is deployed from the G10 handle on CRKT’s IKBS ball-bearing pivot system. SRP: $90. CRKT is also adding to its Forged by War line with the new Taco Viper tactical folder. Created and named by Antonio Rodriguez in homage to the nickname for his former unit, the Taco Viper features a 4.22-inch high-carbon stainless-steel blade with Veff serrations and a stonewash finish. The blade is housed in a glass-reinforced nylon handle and features assisted-opening deployment. SRP: $135. Booth #10051
(crkt.com)
HOGUE
Hogue will be launching its Collector Series of knives at its new booth #14838. As the name implies, the line consists of high-end collector-edition knives made from premium materials. The signature knife in the line is the new Counterstrike. The out-the-front automatic features a 3.35-inch doubleedge blade made from cryogenically heat-treated CPM MagnaCut stainless steel. The hard-anodized aluminum frame is housed in a black carbon-fiber handle complete with a carbide glass breaker and lanyard hole. The Counterstrike features an ambidextrous trigger deployment and retraction to make it effective regardless of which hand it’s held in. SRP: $399.95. Booth #14838
(hogueknives.com)
OUTDOOR EDGE
Outdoor Edge is releasing a more-compact version of its popular Razor-Lite EDC replaceable-blade knife from its new booth location at #70935. The new Razor-Lite 2.5-inch features a black-oxide coated blade holder that houses 2.5-inch replaceable razor blades made from Japanese 420J2 stainless steel. The knife comes with four blades, which are replaceable with the push of a button, and features a double-molded Grivory handle with rubberized TPR inserts. Available in black, olive green, or blaze orange, the RazorLite EDC 2.5-inch comes complete with thumb studs on both sides and a replaceable pocket clip. SRP: $39.50. Booth #70935
(outdooredge.com)
ONTARIO KNIFE COMPANY
Ontario Knife Company’s new Epoch folder is a prime example of the innovative new designs prevalent at this year’s SHOT Show. The 2-inch blade, which is made from D2 steel, is designed with sharp diagonal edges at the spine and tip to create a modern-looking EDC that has the kind of substantial heft to handle even the heaviest of cutting tasks. Adding to the style of the Epoch folder is the golden finish on the blade, which contrasts sharply with the handle that features olivegreen G10 scales on one side and brushed stainless steel on the other. SRP: $135.95. Booth #20305
(ontarioknife.com)
SPYDERCO
Spyderco is continuing its long-standing tradition of releasing top-quality knives for nearly every purpose and multiple price points. Standing front and center in their new booth #10555 at this year’s SHOT Show will be the Stretch 2XL folder that provides a powerful option for people who want something more substantial than a three-inch blade in their EDC. The Stretch XL is nearly 9 inches overall and features a 4-inch blade made from CPM CRU-WEAR tool steel with a full-flat grind. The handle features gray G-10 scales with a back lock on the spine. SRP: $406.50. Spyderco is also releasing two versions of its Ambitious lightweight knife for those who are looking for something a little lighter and more compact. Both versions have a 2.31-inch blade and tip the scales at a mere 2.8 ounces. One version features a CPM S35VN stainless-steel blade with a blue fiberglass-reinforced nylon handle. Available in either a plain edge or fully serrated option. SRP: $130. The other version of the Ambitious EDC has a blade made from 8Cr13MoV stainless steel with a black-oxide finish that coordinates with the black fiberglass-reinforced nylon handle. SRP: $60. Booth #10555
(spyderco.com)
W.R. CASE
At this year’s SHOT Show, Case is breaking away from what people traditionally expect to see from the iconic knifemaker by releasing an assisted-opening EDC from its new booth location #10538. Not only is the new Westline knife a break from tradition for Case, it’s also a break from the traditional design of the EDC. The 3-inch S35VN stainlesssteel blade has a stylized drop-point design, which gives it a modern flair. That contemporary feel is further enhanced by the blade’s stonewash finish and the hard-anodized handle, which is available in blue, red, silver, and black. SRP: $199. Booth #10538
(caseknives.com)
DID YOU KNOW
Your attendance at the SHOT Show® directly supports the mission of NSSF® – your industry’s trade association. Its strengths and successes on behalf of the industry are fueled by you and your business.
NSSF.ORG/MEMBERSHIP
KNOCKDOWN™
Developed for the hunter looking to gain deeper penetration and flatter trajectory from their favorite rifle, this all-copper hollow-point bullet offers pass-through penetration, devastating energy transfer and controlled expansion. Reduced barrel fouling, improved accuracy and increased velocity provides flatter shooting for better down-range performance. Our proprietary powders burn clean and hot to maximize efficiency for even greater consistency, round after round. All it will take is one shot to convince even the most discerning hunter there is a new cartridge for their hunt.
