$400 Traditional Knife Poll

Which would you be more likely to spend $400 on?

  • Total voters
    161
  • Poll closed .
I have about 17 GEC’s that I paid anywhere between $70.00-$125. I don’t need anymore. Since Mr. Bose has passed, I don’t think there will be any NEW collaborations. Reese Bose makes some great stuff but I don’t think he is working with Case. I have and will spend North of $400.00. My vote goes to new maker, custom.
 
birdsbeaks said:
I don't relish ever spending that much on a knife (even though I have a Randall on order...), but rather than voting that I wouldn't, I chose "new or unknown maker's custom."

Additionally, if it were a blade of some historic significance - I'd consider ponying up the cash. General Washington's Steel-Hilted Smallsword for $400? You bet! Genghis Khan's Turko-Mongol Saber? Sure, I guess. Tutankhamen's space dagger? Quit twisting my arm...
Click to expand...

black mamba said:
People, this is the TRADITIONAL subforum-- let's keep responses to traditional knives, please!
Click to expand...
Apologies, but I do believe everything I mentioned easily falls under the category of "Traditional Fixed Blades."
🤣
 
pholder said:
I have about 17 GEC’s that I paid anywhere between $70.00-$125. I don’t need anymore. Since Mr. Bose has passed, I don’t think there will be any NEW collaborations. Reese Bose makes some great stuff but I don’t think he is working with Case. I have and will spend North of $400.00. My vote goes to new maker, custom.
Click to expand...
I believe Bill Ruple will be collaborating with Case. Excellent knifemaker from Texas. Pleasanton, I think, just a little south of San Antonio.
 
I answered "a new case-bose collaboration" but thats only because i found some at a hardware store to look at personally. Ive been kicking around the idea of getting the eureka jack but the only way id spend that much would be to sell a couple of gec i dont really want to get rid of.
I actually think theres not a knife on earth worth that much money.
On the other hand im actually thinking about a pair of Nick's boots that cost $400 though 😁
 
400usd is around 600aud...so for me that would need to be a raro old gec with classy stag, mammoth or horn.
Cheers
 
I chose Case-Bose Collaboration.
I might spend that much on a new makers knife, if I had the chance to handle it, and it was something special.
I'd never spend that much on any GEC knife.
 
Sticking to the Poll that you have given us Jeff, I would spend $400 on a GEC early- OR the GEC pattern I wanted badly, I also share this view on a Custom Knife, BUT a knife maker whom I know of.

Outside of the Poll Jeff I would ( and do ) spend over $400 on a custom.
So I put down on the poll to spend that money on a hard to get GEC, although I am torn between this and buying a very nice Vintage / Antique Knife for this money (or more).

Many many times in my earlier "Collecting days" (and mistakes) I would buy a multitude of Knives - and then look back and think- "Well.... I have 20 or 30 Knives here- that really aren't worth all that much in investment-wise etc, where as I should have spent less money collectively on that one Knife compared to the 30, and had a much more valuable Knife wrapped up in the one knife". This comes from a collectors point of view - I think maybe once you get a few Knives under your belt, one needs to look at buying a little more sensibly to further yourself further into the more quality Knife Collection.

I think when we Knife people look at things, we need to remember we are all in this game for different reasons, I buy knives to use, to enjoy, but have also have many more that are Safe Queens and are too good to use, and I too at times need to buy and sell to be able to support my collecting habit.
 
This is quite a Poll Jeff , and the results so far are little surprising to me also .
I expect that I may have a few that are worth more than the $400 amount but I would not buy one for that amount . The was a time when I would have paid more than that for one from a New Custom Maker if I could see some of their results first . But alas , that time has passed me by .
Take care my friend .

Harry
 
$250 - $300 is the most that I could see myself spending on the traditional, production knife. I mean heck, if you're patient, that gets you an Alber's Cutlery.

If I, personally were going to spend $400 on a custom traditional knife... I'd up my budget a few hundred more dollars and get a custom by someone like Signalprick Signalprick ... Which is the next higher-end knife I intend on (trying) to buy.

If I were dead-set on that $400 number, it would definitely be from an up and coming custom maker.
 
Last edited:
Sorry, went down a rabbit hole slightly off topic. But I’ll share. Apologies.

Out of curiosity I did a quick check on the bureau of labor statistics website to see what $400 today would be worth in the past. The farthest you can go back is 1913. It would be equivalent to about $13 in 1913.

I bet folks from that era would react to the idea of a $13 pocket knife the same way most people would react to a $400 pocket knife today (it’s crazy). But I’d like to do it
 
Last edited:
I would spend that $400 towards a known maker's custom. The other options don't hold as much value to me.
 
I wouldn’t spend $400 on any knife I couldn’t get close to the same out of if I were to ever sell it. If I were to spend that much on a traditional knife it would absolutely have to be a custom. The custom traditional’s that have peaked my interest go for much more than $400 from the makers I follow though
 
I wouldn't spend $400 on any knife. I don't really collect nice knives as much as I accumulate user knifes. Every knife I own has been carried and used and I don't think I could bring myself to toss a $400 knife in my pocket with my keys and change.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top