High End Carry, Thoughts, conversation, Questions, Everything.

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chrisfa

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Sep 15, 2012
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Well let me start with, im thinking about high end carry and have been for a very long time. By high end carry i mean like 250+$.

Alot of you guys out there edc some expensive knives and think nothing of it, because its just normal to you. Now i have like 350$ right now that i could spend on a knife and i know it wont hurt me and i don't need the money its just extra cash chilling. The whole time i was there i was like "man if i had that money now id get that knife without second thought". Well now i have the money, and there is a few blades id really like to get that are right at that price point (1. Mircotech Select fire manual, 2. Zero tolerance 0550 3. Zero tolerance 0560 earth brown, a few others but those are the biggest) i keep thinking like, wow, id love the knife but if i paid that kind of coin would it really be worth it?

I keep thinking i want it but would i regret the money even though i know there is nothing im going to do with the money, Things like "what if i lose it? what if i break it? what if someone steals it?" and things along those lines. I really like alot of those expensive knives, but now that im there im filled with nothing but second guesses.

The real question i think is, does your 400$ sebenza, or strider or 800$ hinderer (yes i know the secondary market prices are a huge controversy but some pay it) really serve you any better then your say 100$ para 2? 60$ endura? 35$ tenacious or skyline, 20$ kabar dozier or buck vantage?

I know it comes down to, all personal preference and how do i feel about a knife, but i was wondering if you guys would think id see a big difference in ability and use over a 280$ microtech select fire over my 30$ utilitac 2, buck vantage, kershaw oso sweet and ETC?
 
Have you lost, broke, or had stolen any other knife? If not, is it worth worrying about any of those things happening? (If so, nevermind :p )

The real concern, at least for me, is buying an expensive knife that I hate. That's where the gold membership to this site comes in--allowing for selling them :D

There are plenty of long threads on "Is a knife costing [$xxx] really worth it?", so I'm not going to go into that.
 
kreole said:
Have you lost, broke, or had stolen any other knife? If not, is it worth worrying about any of those things happening? (If so, nevermind :p )

The real concern, at least for me, is buying an expensive knife that I hate. That's where the gold membership to this site comes in--allowing for selling them :D

There are plenty of long threads on "Is a knife costing [$xxx] really worth it?", so I'm not going to go into that.
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im not really asking is the knife worth it, thats different, im asking does that price make the knife different? And i actually lost a kershaw whirlwind at work because of the smooth handle and high carry clip it got pulled out my pocket while i was shirnkwrapping pallets by hand.
 
I feel like I spend too much on a knife when I get into gun territory, which starts around $200. You can find some very nice old guns for that price if you get lucky. :D

Personally, I think any more than $200 could be better spent on something else that I will use more often because (it pains me to admit it) I don't really need a knife.
 
I dropped my high end knife on the concrete.

Best way to make your heart sink into your ass.
 
I say carry and use it. I sometimes carry and use a DDR custom that sold for approx $1100 on TNK.
 
I carry Higher end knives to support the maker the craftsmen and women that make them. All knives do the same thing in the end, but on a personal level I enjoy the Tech/materials/craftsmanship of the higher end knife. Most higher end knife makers are small business (under 50 employees) mom and pop types that have a hard time in the new USA where Wal-mart and Target is the norm for today's lifestyles where we need it NOW and as CHEAP as we can find it at any cost. It comes down to a personal choice Find a knife you like or love and use the crap out of it. If you loose it treat it like when your dog dies ya it sucks and bums you out, but then the new puppy comes along or knife and you start a new adventure, and hope some one find your lost knife and uses and finds enjoyment out of it.
 
MadMullet said:
I carry Higher end knives to support the maker the craftsmen and women that make them. All knives do the same thing in the end, but on a personal level I enjoy the Tech/materials/craftsmanship of the higher end knife. Most higher end knife makers are small business (under 50 employees) mom and pop types that have a hard time in the new USA where Wal-mart and Target is the norm for today's lifestyles where we need it NOW and as CHEAP as we can find it at any cost. It comes down to a personal choice Find a knife you like or love and use the crap out of it. If you loose it treat it like when your dog dies ya it sucks and bums you out, but then the new puppy comes along or knife and you start a new adventure, and hope some one find your lost knife and uses and finds enjoyment out of it.
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Nicely said.
 
Lets put it this way..after I got my vette painted I was afraid to drive it, park it, etc..then I thought what the hell did I bother if I wasn't going to use it..well guess what..it got hit by a moron who just decided to back right up into it..so now its in the shop getting fixed..and I'll still drive it around because that's what its for..so if you buy and expensive knife and don't use it..whats the point unless you buy it just for display or for collective value..its no different than an expensive watch..I have a bunch of them and wear them every day...if they break..I get them fixed...
 
chrisfa said:
im asking does that price make the knife different?
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Aside from the slight improvement in blade steel that you might see by going from AUS-8 or whatever to one of the "better" steels, paying more absolutely does not make the knife function better. It may make you feel better. You are paying for the emotion of enjoying a spendy knife. But an Umnumzaan does not open a bag of mulch any better than does a Delica 4. Anyone who tells you that a $420 superknife cuts a box open 14 times better than a $30 Ontario Rat-1 is delusional. It might make you feel 14 times better, and thats cool. Just realize what you are paying for.

rat-1.jpg
 
Will it cut stuff better? Nope, sure won't. Not even a little.

But, I have found that I enjoy high end folders for what they are, and I'm good with that. I don't own any on the "higher end" of the high end spectrum, and probably never will, I think that $250-300 range is fine for me, but you never know.

Right now, I tote an 0561, and its been a good enough folder, that its replaced everything in my normal rotation of EDC. I back it up with a SAK Farmer, and a Fenix PD20. Good enough.

Will my 0561 cut open anything better than my Paramilitary, or Rake? Nope, but man, when that buttery smooth action swings in, and that tight lockbar snaps in place, and I get me a handful of that handle, ahhhhhhh, now that's the stuff, right there.

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Moose
 
powernoodle said:
Aside from the slight improvement in blade steel that you might see by going from AUS-8 or whatever to one of the "better" steels, paying more absolutely does not make the knife function better. It may make you feel better. You are paying for the emotion of enjoying a spendy knife. But an Umnumzaan does not open a bag of mulch any better than does a Delica 4. Anyone who tells you that a $420 superknife cuts a box open 14 times better than a $30 Ontario Rat-1 is delusional. It might make you feel 14 times better, and thats cool. Just realize what you are paying for.

rat-1.jpg
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Thats what i worry about, iv never been a expensive stuff guy. Cheap shooes, walmart clothes, i got a junk car, not a lavish house small bed, old furniture old tv, only thing on the higher end i got is my computer, because a 800$ computer is noticeably better then a 300$ 1. And i got a iphone because i just fell in love with it after looking at it, even though i rarely use it and didnt need it but i feel good having it.

Is that what the knife thing is?
 
If you bought a $75000 SUV, would you dive it off-road, rock climb and drive it like you stole it?
 
The time I needed a knife most in my life (working as a laborer at a recycling center at the young age of 14), I carried a "Jaguar" partially serrated P.O.S. that was heavy and just terrible. At the time, it was AWESOME to me. Here's the bad news...it did everything I needed it to do and more, from cutting endless amounts of cardboard to prying and cutting some not so soft (or clean) materials.

If you really NEED a knife, most people can get by with a crappy locking folder. And by most, I mean 99% of people. That being said, I need a knife these days quite a bit (not as much as when I worked at the dump), but I use a PM2 or ZT 0551 as my EDC. I always back that up with a Vic (farmer or officer). Why? I like using them, and there have been a few times I've been happy that I had more than a $10 "Jaguar" folder in my pocket.
 
Life is short. A well designed and made knife with superior materials, fit, finish, ergos, and style make it a joy to use, fondle, carry, and cherish. A great knife is cheaper than a sunroof. It will last longer than a blender. It delivers positive vibrations when it is being used and when it is being contemplated. Good tools are a joy to use. Cheap tools may get the job done, but life is short. A $1.00 flea market knife will cut a lot of things, but you won't dream about it while you are falling asleep.
 
tiguy7 said:
Life is short. A well designed and made knife with superior materials, fit, finish, ergos, and style make it a joy to use, fondle, carry, and cherish. A great knife is cheaper than a sunroof. It will last longer than a blender. It delivers positive vibrations when it is being used and when it is being contemplated. Good tools are a joy to use. Cheap tools may get the job done, but life is short. A $1.00 flea market knife will cut a lot of things, but you won't dream about it while you are falling asleep.
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i only got 30-40$ knives right now
 
chrisfa said:
The real question i think is, does your 400$ sebenza, or strider or 800$ hinderer (yes i know the secondary market prices are a huge controversy but some pay it) really serve you any better then your say 100$ para 2? 60$ endura? 35$ tenacious or skyline, 20$ kabar dozier or buck vantage?

I know it comes down to, all personal preference and how do i feel about a knife, but i was wondering if you guys would think id see a big difference in ability and use over a 280$ microtech select fire over my 30$ utilitac 2, buck vantage, kershaw oso sweet and ETC?
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with expensive knives you are usually paying more for better level of materials, better fit/finish and exclusivity.

dollar for dollar, the buck vantage pro is one of the best pocket, cutting instruments you can buy. head to head competition, a microtech select fire wont cut 4 times better than a vantage pro. i'm willing to bet that their cutting performance would be extremely close.
 
chrisfa said:
i only got 30-40$ knives right now
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If you're jumping from that price range to $400 it's quite possible that you might not truly appreciate what makes a $400 knife a $400 knife.

I'd suggest getting something in the $120-180 range. The jump in quality will be quite noticeable. If, after carrying and using it for a while, you still want a $400 knife then your "want" might be something more than just a passing fancy. In addition, you'll likely then have a better ability to appreciate what separates a $400 knife from what you currently have.

If you end up really liking your $120-180 knife and have no desire for a more expensive one later on, you've gotten off pretty cheaply compared to a lot of us here.
 
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