$100+ for EDC?

M

Marty_E

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Jun 7, 2016
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Is it worth spending over $100 for an EDC? My collection of EDC ranges from $15 for Opinel No. 8 to a $95 Griptilian. While I feel the Griptilian is vastly better EDC then the Opinel I wonder if a more expensive EDC will be significantly better than what I have. I've been eying the Benchmade ("BM") 943, but the cost is giving me pause. Would I notice better utility in spending over $100 for an EDC by purchasing the BM 943 as I did between when I purchased Griptilian and No.8?
 
I'm going to go with "sort of", and curious what others chime in with.

Disclaimer/context: I own the Opinel No. 8. I don't own a Griptilian, although I've handled them. The 940 series is my next grail knife.

You changed nearly everything in your jump to the Grip. You went from a simple, ruggedly basic folding knife (that can take a wickedly sharp, thin edge) to a modernly convenient, pocket-clipped, one-hand opening/closing knife. That's like going from a bicycle to a car - the car is way more convenient, but the bike can still do things a car can't, and it's cheaper to maintain.

Moving up from the Grip to the Osborne, you don't change functionality. You're getting a longer, slimmer knife. Possibly better materials (I can't recall the blade steel), although whether steel matters depends more on your use habits. It'll feel different, but at that point it's more personal than inherently different.

Just my $.02
 
yes. :D

Was going to stop there:D:D
No doubt that there is a point of diminishing returns - spend another $50, get smaller improvements. Spend $50 on top of that, and the improvements might be miniscule.
That said, the 943 is different enough from the grip that the change will be noticeable. Will it be "better?" That depends on what you are looking for. Very different form factor, different hand feel, different use, really. If nothing else, the aluminum or G-10 will be very different from the grip.

Perhaps the question is - what are you looking for that the griptilian does not satisfy?
 
As someone that owns knives from $10-$1,000 I'd say that you don't get a huge increase in performance over a certain price point. It depends on your uses, but you can get a lot of utility from knives costing around $30.

For $100+ you'll start paying for higher end steels and other materials. Sometimes you're paying more for exclusivity, sometimes you're paying for the labor that went into the knife.

In short, only you can determine if it's worth it. But no, it is not needed.
 
I think that once your (the OP) tastes evolve so will your curiosity concerning different brands , steels , lock mechs etc. You will also most likely read about certain knives here on the forums and you may want to see what all the fuss is about.

There is of course a performance increase that accompanies the price increase (in most cases). But "performance" is a broad topic. You have things like edge retention and lock strength. But you also have superior quality/fit and finish that will cost you a pretty penny depending on the knife.

Give a +$100 knives a try. But be warned : it may turn out to be a gateway drug. That's how it went for me.
 
Marty_E said:
Is it worth spending over $100 for an EDC? My collection of EDC ranges from $15 for Opinel No. 8 to a $95 Griptilian. While I feel the Griptilian is vastly better EDC then the Opinel I wonder if a more expensive EDC will be significantly better than what I have. I've been eying the Benchmade ("BM") 943, but the cost is giving me pause. Would I notice better utility in spending over $100 for an EDC by purchasing the BM 943 as I did between when I purchased Griptilian and No.8?
Click to expand...

Man, you just missed a 943 for sale for $90 in the for sale section.
 
I'm gonna go with what Blues Bender said. There's a point of diminishing returns with functionality. The Opinel and the mini-Grip that you already have can be sharpened to the point where they'll cut with almost anything out there at any price point. They won't "feel" like other knives and they won't give you the satisfaction of ownership that others will give you. They may not stay sharp as long as knives with higher end steels.

Like foofie said... it depends on what you're looking for. Personally, I've been better than halfway up the mountain of high end knives (had mid-tech and customs at $500+) and I'm on the way back down looking to see how INexpensive I can go and still get a dependable, day-to-day, general purpose user that I like and feel confident carrying. But that's just me. If you haven't been there yet, there's a lot of fun ad excitement in the climb.

Figure out what you want in a knife that the Opinel and Grip don't give you, then look for those features in a knife you're comfortable buying.
 
from and opinel to a modern folder there is a big difference. But from modern folder to modern folder the differences are very minute. Obviously materials, mechanisms, and build quality. The jump over 100 does make a difference, but once you break 200 its kinda just about build quality of exclusivity. I know im kind of repeating, but thats just all it is so... But yeah you should get a 943
 
Just go ahead and get a 943 and enjoy 👍👍👍👍😊
Kevin
 
Opinels and Moras. All else is vanity.

I'll admit to just enough vanity to have a Grip, and a Mini Barrage. That's plenty for me.
 
Worth is relative. If you're asking, the answer is no. If you would be comfortable with a $100 knife, you wouldn't need to ask if it's "worth it"

The right knife will seem like a bargain, even if others don't share that opinion. Save up if you think you'll make the jump, but remember that you're buying a tool and not a status symbol. Aside from us forumites, nobody will care what's in your pocket other than you. I say that because price doesn't necessarily reflect 1:1 in quality and build materials. $100 buys you a Spyderco Paramilitary, a CRKT Homefront, a Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter, any number of Kizer folders, or a Benchmade Griptilian. Those are all over the place in materials and quality, but all fall in roughly the same price range.
 
Henry Beige said:
Opinels and Moras. All else is vanity.

I'll admit to just enough vanity to have a Grip, and a Mini Barrage. That's plenty for me.
Click to expand...

And here to think, all this time I thought one hand opening/locking/closing and full tang was utility. Turns out I'm just vain. Thanks for the top tip!
 
I'd say yes absolutely yes...
In your case yes is guaranteed. The light 940/943 is one of the best edcs ever if not the best. If you would of suggested a different knife maybe not so much. As you know the axis is aa great one handed method. The 943 is a larger blade for your etc than the mini grip. And the pride of ownership feeling is fantastic. It's slim and light with sexy looking/feeling scales. I love the 940 series you can not go wrong with it. The only down side is if you lose stuff often. It would be heart wrenching if lost, due to price and companionship 😬. I have the 940bk green with black blade and the 940-1. If you find it at a good cost grab it. If you don't like it, sell it here. It's such a great knife you can probably sell it for a little less than you bought it for. I'm sure you would probably rent one to try before you spent the money. View it as a rental. If you don't like it sell it as a loss and consider the money you lost a rental fee. I have a full size grip and went through the same thought process and I can tell you with full confidence it's worth every last cent. I even bought the 940-1 because I wanted the best 940 made other than the gold way overpriced imho.
Now the 940-1 over the 940 probably not worth the extreme price hike but I'm never seeing it. It's just plain old fun to own/carry nice knives.
 
It's kind of hard to say definitively because I don't know what the laws in your state are. I'm in Oregon, so I can own and carry any knife in existence. Because of this, I use a Benchmade AFO 2 automatic folder as my EDC and I could not be happier
 
I think your Gripillian is a pretty good regular carry knife. Two of my favorite carry knives are the Spyderco Native (S30V) and Delica (VG10) are under $100. The S35VN G10 Native costs more than $100. To me it was worth it because I like the Native.

You're pretty curious about value. As mentioned, only you can determine if something is a value. Will the higher priced knife be significantly better? Probably not, but I suspect you'll think it's a bit better. So, I would budget about $200 for something and try to keep it under $150. See how it goes. You'll be back to the knife trough again more than likely regardless.
 
It really depends on what you are doing with your knives. If you are just buying a knife only to be used as a cutting tool then there are plenty of knives under $100 that will get the job done just fine. If you are a collector and enjoy buying knives as both a hobby and to use as a cutting tool then it gets a bit complicated. There is definitely a point of diminishing returns on a knife and I would say that the $100 range is probably about where that point is. You can spend more and get better materials "titanium or Carbon Fiber scales, higher end exotic steels, etc." but you really aren't going to get anymore function out of them. It's more about personal "wants" at that stage and not so much about "needs". A $130 Spyderco Gayle Bradley with M4 blade steel will cut and perform just as well as a $400 Hinderer, the only difference is the Hinderer does it with a bit more style. Like anything, when you get up in the more expensive range you're going to pay for the name of the manufacturer. A new Honda Accord will get you where you want to go the same way that a new 7 series BMW will. The BMW is going to have more bells and whistles to help you enjoy the ride more though. In the end both drivers will end up at the final destination at the same time though.
 
Yes,

I remember my first knife in S30v

It was a game changer.

Also the quality, fit and finish, warranty and pride of ownership goes a long way.

If your not skidish about using it hard and sharpening it you'll notice that the knife is more durable as well.

$100-$150 is the sweet spot for high performance EDC

There is always a drawback though.

Some people lose knives too often to justify or are to skidish about using something so expensive.

Nothing wrong with budget blades too
 
Imo once you get passed the $100-300 range you start seeing less noticeable differences in performance, it's often subtle details or handcrafted by so&so that starts really jacking up the price, but in that $100-300 range sits a plethora of very nice options, that will be noticeably better then your standard $25-50 knives; BM's, ZT's, Spyderco's, Kizer's, Lionsteel's, etc... better steels, better handle materials and detail work, often (but not always), better factory finishes, etc.

Although like blues said, you can find a lot of utility in a (quality) $30 knife.

If you want one, go ahead and buy the 943. Come back and tell us what you think.
 
Really depends on what knife to what knife. I like the 940 series, but the "standard" steel of CPM-S30V doesn't do a whole lot for me. Now if you were upgrading from the 154CM or D2 grip to a Spyderco Para-Military 2 in CPM-S110V, then yes it is definitely worth the money.

Just know that as you increase in steel quality, you will be sacrificing something. 154CM (standard grip) is easy to sharpen, and keeps a decent edge. S30V is going to hold its edge longer, but be more difficult to sharpen. If you are good at sharpening or don't mind shelling out for someone else to do it, this shouldn't bother you. But if you are new to sharpening and don't want to pay for someone else to do it, the upgraded steel will prove daunting.

When I started my foray into $100 plus range, I looked for the best value.
 
Depends of your job. If chances are high for you to lose your knife (like working by or at sea, in clogged areas with a lot of activity (warehouse, mining...)), you should stick with a cheap one. If it is a work knife, efficiency prevails on style, IMO. If you have an office job and want to show off while opening your mail, then a William Henry will surely get you more cred than a RAT. To each their own values...
 
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