May "My SPork™" Be With You!
(And Carried On A Key Ring Your Custom Snow Peak SPork™ Always WILL Be!)
Can Be Held In Several Ways While Eating BUT....
....The Thumb, Index, & Middle Finger "Tripod" Grip Is Amazing!
(See 2nd & 3rd Photos)
Compact Key Ring Carry So It Goes Where You Do!
(Can Also Be Neck Carried With A Piece Of 3/32" Paracord Or Similar)
Customized Design Is Done In America!
(Yep, It Costs More Than A Stock One, But Feel Comforted You're Paying A Guy Minimum Wage To Do It! :-)
Hand Formed EDC SPork™ For A More Intimate Eating Experience
(Become "One" With Your Food! :-)
A Virtual "Pie Hole" Filling Everyday Eating Machine!
Durable & Lightweight 1/2 Ounce Titanium Construction!
(So Even Makes A GREAT Backup SPork™ That You Can't Forget To Take!)
Will Entertain Children So Picky Eaters Will Want To Eat More
(....And Us Older "Kids" Like Um TOO!)
Can Be Used In An Emergency!
(The Instant Karma Realization Of: "Stick a SPork™ In Me, ...I'm Done!")
One Year Money Back Guarantee If Not Delighted!
(Ebay lets sellers show 60 day returns max, but with me it's a Year!)
This is a NEW Ti Rod Tactical offering as of July 6th, 2018,... and carries the same "One YEAR Money Back Guarantee If Not Delighted" return policy as my other Titanium products! (I'd offer a Lifetime Guarantee if I could,..but geeze, I'm a one man operation and I'm 67 years old as of 2024,..... so practically speaking it's one year at a time folks! :-)
New product for sure, ....but as I recall hearing not long ago,..."What the hell have you got to lose!" If you find it's not for you, then well, ....return it and I'll "eat it"!
Makes a GREAT "Stocking Stuffer" Gift for the Holiday Season too! (and helps keep a workshop Elf busy! :-)
This listing is of my original prototype design, which has FAR outsold a few variations I tried for several years,... so I'm going with just this one style to allow me to make them up in advance and make my life easier. :-)
In ALL important aspects of performance, carrying a Prototype of this design for almost a month had proven it to be an exceptional Every Day Carry (EDC) eating utensil.
I went so far as using it exclusively during a three week period to eat ALL my meals using nothing else. Yep, at home TOO, ...'cause eating this way is FUN and, well,... a more "intimate" eating experience! :-)
The strangest part in holding a modified Snow Peak Spork (or SPork™) made this way is that it doesn't hurt your eating efficiency off most plates and bowls of reasonable depth, because the head extension beyond your grip is about the same as a full length standard Spork! Even a little deeper soup bowl simply needs to be tipped a little to get to the lower levels,... no big deal.
Much of the standard full length spork handle merely transverses the width of your palm, so unless you have to grip a standard length spork with your fingertips near the end in order to reach DEEP inside a "Meal Ready to Eat" (MRE) packet you've lost nothing!
Quite honestly, "If" I ever needed to eat a MRE and this was the only eating utensil I had available, I could do it in one of two ways. Either roll back the top opening to get the food closer to the top, .....OR carefully cut back the two sides and fold them down to accomplish the same thing. A third way comes to mind also as I write,...simply lay the MRE bag mostly on it's side (or push thicker dishes forward through the bag), and let your grub roll to you to scoop out. One thing's for sure, when I'm hungry I'll "get-er-done", and so will you! :-)
I ate my last MRE over 30 years ago, so it's not really a priority consideration these days in choosing which general spork to use when I'm on-the go grabbing a bite in the City. What IS a major consideration is,... will I have it ON me when I need it?
Attached to my Key Ring it's great for backpacking,.... even if only as a backup should you forget to take your full length spork, ...and especially anytime you're eating On-The-Go in the City! It's really simple: No Keys,...NO GO,...so NO Problem as I can't forget to take it with me! It could be for you too.....
By the way, this makes a great "backup" to ALWAYS have with you, even if you usually bring a longer spork for pot or pan cooking and stirring. Some folks just plain forget to bring their long handled spork when camping, but you HAVE to have your keys on you when traveling so your backup key ring SPork™ will always be available for actually "eating" with!
I can always use a suitable 1/2" or so thick sharpened branch to turn my steaks or stir the pot with. I bet I could even tie my key ring carried SPork™ onto an appropriate sized branch to MAKE a longer cooking and stirring utensil,...and I bet YOU could also. Just don't forget the 3/32" Paracord,...TOO! :-)
The spork bowl edges are even suitable to cut through most softer foods and meats, so I rarely missed having use of an actual knife. Eating a tough steak once being the exception, SO I just SPorked™ it, and gnawed it all the way down! HA! (I got my SPork™ freak on that day, and have every day since! :-)
Lots of folks use the standard Snow Peak SCT-004 Spork while Camping, but rarely for every day travel needs as the length is not conducive for easy pocket carry in the original form. (Note: the last photo compares the size difference between my conversion and a "stock" Snow Peak SCT-004 Spork. Only ONE converted spork is for sale on this listing, unless you chose multiples. I try to have eight available most times, as shown in one of the photos)
Once I had an opportunity to try a self modified version, I realized it opened up and greatly expanded the market reach and potential base of everyday users for this item. Virtually everyone would find this a handy, useful, and enjoyable utensil to use while eating on the run.
Kids will love using them as well, as it gives them a quality eating utensil that makes "Fast Food" ....Fun Food, so "picky eaters" no more! The smaller overall size leads them to think it was made just for them,..... a reasonable stance I think.
I loaned a backup version I always carry with me recently to a 5 year old fussing at a Burger King,... not wanting to eat his Chicken Nuggets. His smile in using the SPork™ LIT UP the room!
Fun can = Yum with a fussy youngster. Consider it an older child's "Pacifier"!
I gave out my Business card to the parents when he was done and they almost had to pry it from his fingers, so we'll see if they contact me for a follow up purchase once the child wears them down enough! Oh,...he WILL! and DID! :-)
Also, a LOT of folks who don't even camp would find this much more compact design exceptionally convenient and useful to EDC. You'll always have it with you , attached to your key ring, since you're not going anywhere without your keys in most cases.
Easy to carry and have with you every day,....Oh Yeah! Reduce the bulk and make it a joy to EDC and use,..... and the "Smile Factor" goes WAY UP too!
Like most folks, I've always hated using those cheap throw away spoons, forks, and sporks so common at the usual fast food places, ....and the negative impact on the environment is substantial. Titanium is much more environmentally friendly (or "Green"),.....is tasteless, easy to clean, and will last for a very long time. Truthfully, most folks would have to outright "lose it" to ever need to replace it!
It's so easy to clean, that most times I simply give my SPork™ a quick dip and shake around in the remnants of my watered down Diet Coke when I've finished my meal, .....followed by a wipe down with a napkin or two to clean it up and put back on my key ring. You can follow that with an occasional washing at home if you wish, but I've never found the need. Snap it back onto your Key Ring, .....and "May the SPork™ Be With You" for your next eating adventure!
So, a brand new Titanium Snow Peak SPork™ is customized into a much more compact Key Ring Carry version, what's not to love? However, expect to have to buy several once your family members try yours!
It takes about an 40 minutes to make EACH one of these and get it ready to ship, so the pricing is where it needs to be. To save some dough you could always buy a stock fork for $10.00 to $14.00, and do the work yourself. But I doubt you can do it any quicker, as 35 years experience as a bench jeweler and diamond setter tells me this. Besides, working well up close is built into my DNA by now!
I'll "net" just about $7.00 for all my efforts after selling fees are factored in, which is below what many make at fast food joints! Hopefully you make much more than this per hour, so you're better off having me do it for you! It'll be cheaper for you, and no chance you'll mess it all up in the end.
So you may be wondering what do I get out of all this for so little gain considering the time involved? This is simply the way I chose to advertise my hand made products, as I've found that once a customer gets a chance to handle anything I make, they very often come back again and again for additional items! The VERY best advertising is a satisfied customer with positive word of mouth review, and is a very cost effective way to advertise. Check my feedback to see this is NOT all Hot Air! :-)
The Titanium is really tough to bend and hammer into the desired shape, as it behaves and bends very much like a spring. But this is also the reason it makes a great springy loop to attach and detach from a Key Ring or Neck Cord.
During all bending I have to use a layer of leather between my modified jewelry ring bending pliers and the spork handle to protect it from serious marks and digs. Hand bending around a steel ring mandrel gets it started, and hammering with a leather mallet against a leather covered steel block all help to get-er-done,.... with a little touch up with fine Scotch-Brite pad final finishes any light rubs.
Additionally, before I bend the handle I sand off the entire length of the handle edges to remove the die stamping process that leaves a bit of corner sharpness. This isn't too noticeable when your hand is griping the full length handle, but once bent is noticed a bit since a finger is placed within the formed hoop. I do a bit of sanding on the tine edges as well, to remove the stamping sharpness there.
One thing to keep in mind in this throw away society we've adjusted to, it took a short while for me to remember NOT to toss it into the trash bin at my local Burger King! BEST to get into a habit after finishing your meal to immediately slosh it around in your soda remnants, wipe it down with a napkin, and put it back on your key ring and into your pocket. :-)
I love to use this compact spork to scoop out one side of an Avocado I always bring, and add it to my Whopper with cheese, or most any sandwich. I then scoop addition mouthfuls with each Whopper bite! (bring extra napkins to your table, you're gonna need them!)
Ummm ummmm GOOD,.....and I'm having it MY Way TOO! (since Burger King doesn't offer Avocado!)
This customized spork can also be held in a variety of ways, some of which are shown in the photos and adults have no problem using it effectively! The thumb , middle finger, and middle finger "Tripod" Grip is my favorite for most eating. (shown in the 2nd thru 4th photos)
If I want or need a little more length extension for soup or messy pasta dishes, placing the thumb through the loop and pinching the loop with your index finger works great.
One more thing if you have nothing else with you, I found that when attached to a key ring it can be gripped rather effectively and securely if ever called upon to repel an attack. Who knew....?
A few details and thoughts.......
I am pleased with how my prototypes turned out, and am now offering these customized hand formed Titanium Sporks directly for awhile,.... in hopes that Snow Peak will see the added value and additional market reach of such a utilitarian and compact product design.
I certainly don't have the dealer network in place to market these like Snow Peak could, and quite frankly they really need to be in stores where folks can actually handle them where I believe they'd SELL themselves!
In fairness to Snow Peak, I never actually showed them photos of this or even described my idea in any great detail at the time I contacted them,... simply couldn't as I was trying to get a very small ($0.25 ea.) compensation agreement in place first. I was a bit disappointed they never responded in any way, however. :-(
If Snow Peak Co eventually takes up my ideas offered publicly herein, I trust they will do the right thing by me. :-)
But then you can't say "yes" if you blow off any serious inquiry now can you? One response to three messages is not exactly what I would have expected either, but perhaps they will reconsider at some point.
To date (12-28-22), over just twenty four months of listing these for the first time both here and my own website, I've sold about 137 units in all variations. This lowest cost version has sold the most,....which is not unexpected as it is a great value considering the hand work time involved.
Not a single return to date either, which says a lot I think! Considering these are a NEW product design, and I don't have the much bigger dealer network already in place that Snow Peak does,.... to have these available for folks to actually hold in hand.
I think I've shown the Market Desirability and sales "Potential" of my Snow Peak Spork (or SPork™). Produced in a factory setting and at a bit lower retail pricing,.... I believe they could sell many thousands of units in short order, and probably become a long term Snow Peak Best Seller!
If they do, making these at the Factory level will bring the pricing down significantly for the masses, because it's not fun working for about minimum wage to do this work by hand!
Believe me, I was perfectly willing to have them make them in a more efficient factory setting using machine muscle, and I would be compensated just $.25 USD (25 Cents) per unit sold on a wholesale basis. At $15 to $18 retail, I believe they would FLY off the shelves and dealers would have trouble keeping them in stock!
Help me to show there is a market for these, and we can get the pricing DOWN together! Seriously, at age 67 now I'm not planning on making thousands of them. :-) But I have put my money UP front, and so far I've purchased 190 pieces to convert.
Do the math, as that's a serious chunk of change for a little guy,....but that's how much I believe in this "value added" project for Snow Peak!
I know what I like,.... I love using mine daily....and SO will you!
The fact is, my "One Year Money Back Guarantee If Not Delighted" policy doesn't worry me in the least,.....because a good product stays put!
This is a fact I've discovered in over 3 years of selling my other Titanium products with the same Guarantee, and to date over 8,900 units of ALL my products have SOLD into 20 Countries, and not a single one has come back under my generous guarantee!
This Guarantee is so unusually long in this day and age,...that Ebay doesn't even have a way for me to plug that long a return figure into the listing page,...where a 60 Days return is the maximum!
So, that oddly familiar phrase is worth repeating: "What the hell have you got to lose?" :-) Get Your SPork™ On Today!
Joe T
Ti Rod Tactical