I recently stumbled upon an article in North County Times about the surprisingly burgeoning specialty knife sales of Cutco Cutlery, marketed by Vector Marketing. The recent recession has left people as frugal as ever. I know I’ve cut down on a lot of my own spending, only buying things that I deem absolutely necessary, so I assumed that luxury knife sales would be at an all-time low, but Vector Marketing has once again proved its staying power by withstanding the test of time.

Vector Marketing is a company founded on the hard work ethic of their independent contractors working out of their regional offices all over the country. The company is built on a top-notch product perfectly complimented with a direct-sales initiative that enables them to recreate the rapport of a friendly, neighborhood salesperson that knows your family, understands your needs and will happily provide them.

Vector Marketing has recently found success for a couple key reasons. One of them is increased interest in cooking at home. Instead of choosing to eat out at an expensive restaurant, people are choosing to prepare their meals at home, often from scratch, to save money. Additionally, the increasing popularity of cooking shows on Food Network suggests that people not only cook at home out of necessity but people are learning to enjoy cooking at home and desire to expand their knowledge of it. Owning a decent set of knives, then, becomes a priority. Cutco’s “forever” guarantee helps because people feel like they are making a one-time investment that guarantees a sturdy set of premium kitchen knives in their homes for generations to come.

By sticking to a proven formula, Vector Marketing has found success in an unlikely place: the frugality of the battered American consumer. If I didn’t already own a set of trusty Cutco knives, I might even consider investing in a set myself, despite the low balance in my checking account.