$100-ceiling for knives for most?

timdennis

timdennis

Joined
Sep 4, 1999
Messages
591
Last night I went dimlight shooting with a group of friends.We usually stop either for dinner or at the least Dunkin Donuts for coffee and talk.Oddly enough we don't talk guns that much because we've known each other a long time and know each others preferences.There are of course exceptions if someone just bought something.In addition one in the group is an armourer(and SWAT supervisor) who will do minor fixes for us if we're having problems.Mostly we talk about food,resturants,local news,etc.
This is a varied group and includes a female teacher(and martial artist),SWAT supervisor,contractor,high ranked karate teacher(6th dan),etc.WE talked about knives and the knives carried included a: spyderco delica,copilot,SAK tinkers,SW linerlock,Benchmade auto-mini-reflex,REKAT fang,Coldsteel paraedge(neckknife).So you can see this also varied.Well concerning the discussion on costs-Everyone there felt over $100 was too much for a folder or neck knife.The mini-reflex is slightly over that and the only exception.Everyone there understood why handmades cost what they do but not higher priced production knives. Not so much that there not worth it but rather they would not carry them because of the risk of loss,damage ,etc.Except for me none belong to Bladeforums or subscibe to Knife magazines but these are big users and carriers of knives.

------------------
Tim

 
$100 does seem to be something of a psychological barrier for many of us.

Dave

------------------
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of More Knives

 
I think most of the people I know irl have a ceiling considerably below $100.

I'm reminded of the Paul Simon song, "One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor."

(Irl stands for in real life, what you used to see occasionally when you used to turn the computer off ... yes, computers do have an off switch ... I can't imagine why....)

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
For me, it makes a lot of sense not to carry a knife I can't afford to lose, or easily replace. When I decided, not too long ago to collect knives, I chose some for Show and some for Go. Spending $100 to $200 for a knife wasn't hard, it was the $300 and over category that kind of pushes my comfort range. Especially because I'm not going to use it. I've been tempted by some production knives in the $300 and over range, like the Boker Skywalker, and the Case/Bose Trapper, to name just a few. I've found a very nice selection of Custom knives in the $300 price range, and that's what I'll be buying this next year. In the $100 range I'd have to go with Mike Irie.
 
$100.00 does seem to be the line . I held to it for years.

I snapped big time.

------------------
James Segura
San Francisco, CA


 
There are many great fixed-blades for under $100.00 (Ontario SP-10 leaps to mind). I thought the same of folders until I became realistic about folders as a self-defense tool. Perhaps I'm deranged, but of the ones I have examined, I can't think of one for much under $100.00 that seem reliable. (I think the AFCK goes around $80.)

After trial and error with all manner of watches, guns, knives, appliances, tools, etc. I have reached the position that I would rather have one good, reliable tool that cost a few extra dollars, than have a bunch of mediocre equipment that I don't feel comfortable using or relying on.
 
$100 was my limit for many years, then along came the "Sebenza" and goodbye limit.

------------------
Dale Richmond
AKTI Number A000949
 
I wish I could keep my limit at $100.00, but all the discontinued Benchmades I want have been costing me considerably more
smile.gif


Dark Nemesis

------------------
<A HREF="http://home.att.net/~dark-nemesis/" TARGET=_blank>
http://home.att.net/~dark-nemesis</A>
All the knives in the world go round and round, round and round, round and round...DAMN, one of them took my wallet !!! :)
 
I think most of the people i know think that $ 50 is about the limit.At one time i thought $ 100 was alot to spend on a knife,then i bought a sebenza about 4 years ago and now anything under a $ 1000 can be reasonable if i really want it.
You should have seen the look on the faces at the range when i showed them a CQC6 and then told them the cost,i think they wanted to commit me.
Today i was carrying my JSP CC blade,Crawford bolstered KFF,Terzoula bolstered ATCF.
Who knows where the threshold will go in the future.
 
If you look at the list carried that day most were considerably under $100-in fact $50 is closer,but $100 was the ceiling.
I agree that some of your best carry knives for defense/fighting cost more then this.For the most part this group do not look at the knives as their weapon or at most a last ditch backup.They all carry firearms. PA is a state with shall issue concealed carry laws and those in the group not in LE have carry permits.
I think those of us on the forums are somewhat different and our ceiling is more attuned to how much money we have.

------------------
Tim

 
I'm not sure what sets the ceiling for me, income probably, but I will spend up to about $600 for a knife that I will use, if it offers a true step up in performance or design from anything I already have. For example, I was willing to pay $475 for a Darrel Ralph Apogee to get a folder with a 420V blade, integral lock, and a more ergonomic design than a $325 Sebenza. If you want the ultimate folder, that's the price you have to pay.
 
Custom makers are a different situation and I believe they are the driving force or are somewhere behind eevery great production knife made.
Also this post was not an argument over how much we should spend.Most of us here are limited mainly by how much we have not whether we think its worth it.The group I had this discussion with are all good consumers and a few steps above someone buying inexpensive knives in a 5 & 10 store. I think they are more atypical then we are of the knife buying public.I don't think there are enough of us to support a lot of tiny,boutique type makers.

------------------
Tim

 
The most expensive knife I ever got was $88. I feel hesitant to use a really expensive knife. If I'm hesitant to use it, I don't want to buy it. To me, up to about $75.00 I consider a comfortable price depending on the knife.

I'm actually going to be winding down my knife buying very soon. I've been spending a lot on knives, and I really need to not be doing that and start enjoying more what I do have. It hasn't been the price on each knife but the number of knives. Time to start putting each of the knives through the paces!
Jim
 
When I buy a knife I consider it to be a non essential purchase, I really don't need another knife. I just want another knife, it makes me happy. Now I want nicer and nicer knives, because I'm learning more and more. My budget, or my play money has stayed pretty much the same over many years. It will probably be in the same range this year. For me it's about $50 a week, or between $2000 to $2500 a year. This year my knife purchases have been way down, I spent my allowance on Computer stuff. I'm planning what to buy for next year. I don't see myself buying any production knives this year, only customs, and probably only fixed blades, and all Stag. What I'm focused on is Quality vs. Quantity, and one beautiful $2000 knife, well not this year. I can see it happening down the line. We all make decisions on what's important to us, of course depending on disposable income.
I've found that being at the Forums, and hearing about other peoples purchases, can be very satisfying. It really dosen't matter if it's a $50 knife or a $5000 knife, as long as it does the job. Even if the only job, is to make you happy.
 
I have only carried and used two knives valued over $100. A Microtech HALO II and a Speedtech Synergy (which was given to me by Jim O'Young).

The knives I have used the most over time are my HALO II, My Benchamde Mini-Reflex, Benchamde AFCK and Mini-AFCK (man I love the AFCK), Spyderco Endura (broke 3 clips and stopped carring it) the new Spyderco's don't have this problem, and a Dragon Forge Cheetah and BodyGuard.

------------------
Best Regards,
Mike Turber
BladeForums Site Owner and Administrator
Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW!

Support BladeForums! Check out the BFC Store!
www.bladeforums.com/store
 
I think $100 is a fair limit/ceiling. That's what I paid for my CS recon scout (OK $115), and my NLWK marshall. If I paid more, I think I'd be hesitant to USE it. I shoot a Savage 110 & a Mossberg 500, again they aint pretty, but they get the job done and I don't worry about scratches etc while hunting. (I turned down a weatherby at a way low price, cause it was too nice to take in the woods)
My question is ... what dollar amount defines the boundary between quality and, for lack of a better term, 'show or bells and whistles'? I think it would be around $150-200...After that aren't you paying for the name and exotic materials? Then again, it is probably me, I like plain vanilla.

------------------
Can it core a apple?
 
Right On PhilL!

I also agree with James Sass about paying more for fewer quality using knives.

Ebbtide, I also like 'plain vanilla'. But I paid several hundred dollars for a Roger Green skinner. There is absolutely nothing embellished or frivolous about this knife. It is a great user. Materials are O-1 tool steel and stag. Nothing too exotic there. I think it represents the art of knifemaking more than many other even more expensive knives. It's perfect in everyway you can look at it, and Boy does it Cut. I will Never sell this knife. So I use it. I don't think of knives as investments. There are much better ways to invest money.

You asked "What dollar amount defines the boundary between quality and, for lack of a better term, 'show or bells and whistles'?".

Only YOU can decide the answer to that question. It's different for each of us, depending on our finances and tastes.

Everyone: Like PhilL said, Focus on Quality and less on quantity. Your knife budget doesn't have to change At All.

Paracelsus


[This message has been edited by Paracelsus (edited 25 November 1999).]
 
I agree with Phil on not NEEDING any more knives. Realistically I'm only going to NEED one knife at any given time. For me it's the satisfaction that I can have a diffrent knife for a diffrent type of task. Sure, I really don't need more than just one knife. But now I have a few. And soon I'll have a few more. And before I know it, I'll have too many (is that possible?).
The most I've spent on a knife is $120, it's a MT mini-SOCOM that I bought from Phillip on the Knife Exchange. I don't plan on using it. I have been contemplating if it's better to buy three $100 production knives (all of which I'll use), or save the money and put it into a custom.
Well that's just my random thoughts and input.

~Mitch
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top