$3,495? Just trying to learn why

Some knives are works of art sold to art collectors. Some knives are tools sold to users. Make sure not to confuse the two.

There are several knives in the grey area in the middle of these two groups. We all take a stand somewhere on the continuum that suits us.
 
I'd rather have that Walter Brend knife than this million dollar painting, just saying.
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abcdef said:
Perhaps some phil. majors will chime in here.
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God, I hope not.

The human race has operated along these pricing principles ever since there has been a scarcity of something (so forever). The only shocking thing in this thread is not the cost of that knife, it's that someone doesn't understand it. What planet are they from?
 
A custom hand ground, hand fitted knife that us a large piece of premium steel cant be cheap. Break it down this way- knife makers time spent working on the piece. Price of materials. Market demand for the maker.
 
Douglas Wever said:
My question as a consumer is, what specifically about the Bremer knife represents such exceeding quality, or industrial design, or craftsmanship, or rare metal, or whatever, that would compel me or another consumer in a free market economy to spend 3.5 times more than a seemingly similar high quality knife from say Randall? That is a legitimate question in the same way people compare any number of products prior to purchase.
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And what would compel me to spend the money on a Randall when a similar knife, in better steel, can be gotten for much less? Get a BlackJack at a fraction of the price.
 
Douglas Wever said:
View attachment 923435 View attachment 923438 So Walter Brend posted a very nice Bowie he made (bottom), but the price was a breath taking $3,495. Did not mention steel type in post (M390 at that price?).

I have for example a Randall 12-9 (with a Model 14 below it) that would currently be right at $900 to a thousand, and is just an ounce different in weight than the Brend, and seemingly just as nice. Maybe not. What feature would the Brend knife have accounting for 3.5 times the price? Thanks

“This Model 2 by Walter Brend features a double hollow ground blade with hand-rubbed satin finished flats and mirror polished grinds, and a 4" sharpened top edge, .276" blade stock and 1.523" blade depth, full tang construction. The handle has a satin finished titanium double guard, and black canvas micarta scales, hollow tube pins and lanyard hole. Comes with a nylon Spec-Ops brands sheath. This knife is beautiful and sports the "Etowah TN" logo. New condition from the 2018 Blade Show.”
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A surgeon charged me more than that to stab me in the shin and then lean on me... (drained a hematoma after a car accident)

You're not just paying for a product, but the time and skill level of the maker as well as the collectability and market value of his pieces.
 
mb> said:
I got into cigars for a while. In my enthusiasm and quest to dive deeper, I asked a friend about some high end Cuban sticks I thought about trying. He advised me not to spend the money - yet. It wasn't that I wouldn't have liked them, it's just that there was so much good stuff to be had for a fraction of the cost. And the subtle, nuanced differences that commanded the higher price really might be lost on me at that point. Same with wine. Takes time and experience to develop the palate.

Anyway, this discussion brought all that to mind.
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This is true, and is basically why Joe Paranee was posting like he was earlier. He is a knife connoisseur with the experience and discretionary time and money to sink a lot of both into this hobby. He sees very fine differences in quality that matter a great deal to him.

I think collectors and hobbyists at that level might still do well to remember (or imagine, at least) that most people don't differentiate at that level even in the knife community, just as it does most of us good to remember that we shouldn't be dismissive or condescending to non-knife people who thought we were crazy for buying a Spyderco PM2 at $125.
 
skyhorse said:
Man, I'd love to get a #25 at the factory price but I'm to damn old for the six year wait time.:eek:
https://imgur.com/eBVtpbh
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Exactly my point. Randalls, which our friend Douglas Wever Douglas Wever seems to be enamored of involve either a six year wait, or a significant markup on the resale market.

Say I want a Randall 1. From Randall is going to cost me $405 and a five year wait. BlackJack 1-7 is going to cost me $270 and I get it immediately.

So why spend the extra money on the Randall?
Becuase its a Randall.
Same reason someone spends the extra money on a Brend.
 
marcinek said:
Exactly my point. Randalls, which our friend Douglas Wever Douglas Wever seems to be enamored of involve either a six year wait, or a significant markup on the resale market.

Say I want a Randall 1. From Randall is going to cost me $405 and a five year wait. BlackJack 1-7 is going to cost me $270 and I get it immediately.

So why spend the extra money on the Randall?
Becuase its a Randall.
Same reason someone spends the extra money on a Brend.
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Well said, Marci. But would you call the Randall a crude production knife? That would make the Blackjack a prison shiv.

While some of the knives posted in this thread are remarkable, the Randalls are far from crude.

Price and value are different matters... agreed.
 
Aias said:
Well said, Marci. But would you call the Randall a crude production knife? That would make the Blackjack a prison shiv.
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Thanks!

I wouldn't and didn't. Nor would I call the BlackJack crude. :)

My point was that it seems one who would pay a premium for a Randall, would understand another paying a premium for a Brend.
 
Just a note, for those that want a Randall without the wait. Look into the actual "Randall Authorized Dealer List". There are about a dozen, and they'll usually cut the wait time down to under a year. Also shop around with them, while some will take their Randall discount and then add to it, many will sell at book.

Just a note, because it seldom gets mentioned.
 
I think it is great craftsman can make function art that people are willing to pay $3,495 for. I doubt that’s it easy to produce these knives by hand. I only wish I was as proficient at my given occupation
 
The op asked what is the difference

I’ll try and sum it up

I work most the major knife shows and I am privileged to see many many knives

Lots of makers bring me their work at the shows to critique and offer advise

If someone brought me a knife built like the Brend I would not have much to say negative about fit and finish

If a maker brought me a knife built like the Randall I would be all over it with negative comments

I would encourage him to work on the fit and finish

This is the truth

I was responding to why the Brend was different compared to the Randall

Be honest if any of you commissioned a custom from a well known maker and it came in and looked like the pictures above yo might not be pleased but since it’s a Randall it is dismissed

Not being a knife snob just being honest
 
Please don't hate me if I can afford a $50,000 knife and you can't. On the same token, don't hate me if I only carry a Spyderco and you have a Shiro in your pocket.... No different than paying crazy prices for cars, watches, flashlights, guitars, guns etc, when a Honda, Timex, Maglite, Fender and Remington can all do pretty much the same thing.
 
JParanee said:
The op asked what is the difference

I’ll try and sum it up

I work most the major knife shows and I am privileged to see many many knives

Lots of makers bring me their work at the shows to critique and offer advise

If someone brought me a knife built like the Brend I would not have much to say negative about fit and finish

If a maker brought me a knife built like the Randall I would be all over it with negative comments

I would encourage him to work on the fit and finish

This is the truth

I was responding to why the Brend was different compared to the Randall

Be honest if any of you commissioned a custom from a well known maker and it came in and looked like the pictures above yo might not be pleased but since it’s a Randall it is dismissed

Not being a knife snob just being honest
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OK, I'll put this out there and am willing to learn, if you are willing to teach (and I'll love these blades regardless)...

Here are my two Randalls, a 5-6 and a 12-9 14; they were bought to be used hiking and camping, so I opted for single quillion, as that suits me best. The balance on the 12-9 is a little tip heavy in normal grip, and neutral when held with the choil. There is a distal taper, but nothing too dramatic--which is fine, my needs are not for a fighter/ kabober of organs per se, but rather for enough tip strength to do some light prying, carving, making divots, etc...

These two have clean lines and well made jimping (unlike photo above); while I recognize the attention to detail and exceedingly precise craftsmanship of the Brend, Bagwell, and other knives posted, the notion that these are crude production knives, I contend, is erroneous... again, respectfully. The 12-9 is a non-catalog knife, and it's options arguably make it a custom (it even has a compass in the butt). Even the 5-6 is somewhat custom, as the model 5 has to be ordered with blade length (among other things) specified by the buyer.

Now, did I buy these because they were Randalls, and thus paid more for the name, idea, legacy, history, etc. Sure. Would I buy the Brend, maybe, but not that one... if it had a single quillion, slightly different blade profile, desert ironwood scales, and was marked by the Stars and Stripes instead of the Stars and Bars (I've had too many family members and friends serve the Stars and Stripes to fly any other colors), maybe... but then again, I just got all I was looking for with the Randalls. So, I'm good.

The refinements that you will likely point out, and likely rightly so, may mark the finer points of construction... but the finer points do not translate into value added for me, thus, I pass. The case is otherwise for those particular Randalls. My only issue is the term "crude" (or production knife for that matter) applied to the Randalls. I just do not find it accurate (but no offense taken, once again)... just being honest as well.

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics:
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What would you say about this one form Lon Humphrey?

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