Am I missing out?

[luethge]

Certain things with appeal to you and maybe increase your spending limit.... Materials, fit and finish also play a big.part......The link I'm posting below is an eye catcher for me.......This knife sold for $195.00!!!!! Seriously....
Talk about bang for your buck. He .makes the steel, forges 1084 and 15 N 20.....Just that labor alone...
Anywho,.I commissioned a blade from him and he just.finished it.... He's now working on the sheath. Ill include a shot of it too...... Add $130 to the above price and that's what the new one cost.....



First eye catcher

Thread 'Sold... utility knife 5"' https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/sold-utility-knife-5.1921046/


My new one,

https://imgur.com/V7p4Zng

Green canvas is the best canvas . Beautiful piece.

 

[jfk1110]

Green canvas is the best canvas . Beautiful piece.

Thanks!!! He does some good work too!!! The arrow head Damascus pulled me right in.....

 

[eveled]

T The Grendels photography professor hit the nail on the head. Its about Diminishing returns, the more you spend, the less you get in return for each dollar spent.

Find the price point YOU feel gives YOU the most bang for your buck, IYHO. In YOUR Honest Opinion. Note the emphasis on YOU and YOUR. Don’t try to impress anyone but yourself.

For me and my needs, I am less likely to spend extra money on embellishments than I am on performance. Especially if the embellishment diminishes the integrity of the performance, or if they are extravagant.

For example no exotic handle materials that are less rugged than the standard handle materials. No diamonds, no gold, etc.

I won’t buy a knife that won’t perform well if I need it too.

 

[Kettleman]

I bought my 1st brand new truck in 1998. F150 loaded for $18k. Huge upgrade from the $500 beaters I’d been driving since my first one on the farm at 14 ( 1979 ). A wrecker pulled it out of an intersection 3 years ago with 317K miles on it. Shitbird that hit me didn’t have insurance, got 250 from a scrapper.

My 1st pocket knife was as Buck 303, next was 301. 42 years later I now carry nothing but CRK and I drive a $500 dollar truck( my wife has a brand new Jeep).

Turns out the beater gets me to work warm and dry just like my old truck did when new and the CRK cuts all of the same stuff the Buck did and more. I won’t go back to the Buck and Ive owned my last new truck…

Are my CRK better than most knives? Simple answer is yes they are. Better materials, fit and finish with a vastly superior warranty. Quality both costs and lasts. Yes they are still tools and I work with them everyday. I don’t own a safe or a fancy shelf for these 500 dollar knives. I toss them on the dresser just as I did the Buck years ago. I wont baby them and I use them no differently than I would a 50 dollar knife…as a knife…a real freaking cool knife that I really enjoy owning and using. A knife that transcends mere tool and enters a higher level of thought and emotion, simply put they make me smile and Ive worked too freaking hard for too freaking long to not smile!

In the end it’s a knife and you have endless choices of knives to buy. I find I like certain tools in my daily life, some are real expensive some are not. I carry Glock, Malkoff and CRK because I find them to be the best for me. There are lots more expensive guns and lights, and well there are more expensive knives also, but these are the tools I find fill my needs and desires.

I suggest you spend some time on the exchange, buying and trying some of the nicer knives, and selling when/if they do not work out. The thing about the CRK and others is they retain value so you’ll get your money back if it’s not for you.

Anyway good luck with your journey and welcome to Blade Forums.


EDIT to add a pic of my favorite tool knife. Chris Reeve Large Inkosi Insingo
View attachment 2270339

 

[shinyedges]

I recently had a few employees questioning/admiring a knife I was carrying, when I told them how much it was they were shocked. Funny enough, one of them goes to panera and Starbucks regularly, where her latte and scones (lol idk wth the name of what she gets actually is) regularly costs 10 to 20 bucks I'm guessing. Multiple times a week all through out the month. In 4 to 6 weeks she could buy a sebenza.


All this to say, people spend money on things they like and many of those things are literally pissed down the drain. At least with knives we have something to show for it, and better yet, can recoup a decent amount of our $ when we sell the knife.

The quality, precision and beauty that comes from knives that cost a bit more are worth it to me. Ultimately these things make us happy, and life is short. I say be happy.

 

[Wild Willie]

I look at my one crk to be the equivalent of buying the Mac tools I use for wrenching on our equipment... If it's something we're going to use infrequently, a trip to harbor freight usually suffices. However, once we need that tool repeatedly and it wears out or breaks from heavy use we step up to Mac or snap on.

I never carried super high end knives, but they're ordinarily about used up after a couple of years. I got my first and only crk back in September of 2021, and it's been in my pocket for most of that time. Does it do anything my other knives can't do? Absolutely not, but it's getting better with age as opposed to wearing out just yet.

Plus, it's one of the only really nice things I own. It's also ok to have a few "just because" possessions as long as the bills are paid.

 

[GatorFlash1]

I believe the cost of a knife depends on (1) what materials are used to make it, (2) how much time the producer put into making the knife, and (3) in some cases it's rarity. Just because two knives appear equal doesn't mean they perform the cutting task equally.

I paid a fair price for my edc, a Spyderco Gayle Bradley #1. It does everything I need a knife for around the shop, house, yard, etc. with little attention being paid to it. I think it was well worth what I paid for it.

 

[sixplymaple]

Missing out? Yes… But does it really matter in the long run?

My family owns a 16’ Boston Whaler center console boat with a single engine under 100hp. Are we missing out on cigarette boats and mega yachts? Yes. Does it make a difference? No lol…

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

Extremely high rate of mechanical and electrical failure. Both KIA and Hyundai. I know I worked for them. Literally the only manufacturers I worked for that brand new cars would show up DOA with blown motors and transmissions with literally only 10 miles on them. Pure trash.

I place my trust in my vehicles similar to my food... Never ever Korean!

A refrigerator repair guy told us to avoid Korean fridges like the Plague: The electronics in the door that shows time, and other stuff goes wrong easily.

 

[BTTLBRN]

These are good questions to ask as you are starting out, and I would definitely echo the sentiment regarding diminishing returns.

For many years my most "expensive" knives were ZT, Spyderco (a PM2, my favorite model they make - great knife), some Microtech OTF's and a few others in that price range. I then fell into this rabbit hole and discovered some new to me makers that truthfully I hadn't either considered or even heard of before.

I saw many pictures and saw a good number of members raving about CRK, it took a bit of inward convincing but eventually I decided I would try one out. Needless to say I was hooked from there, that opened the gateway to exploration into knives that were in the $400-$800 range. I am definitely hooked now, to the point where CRK is somewhat the measuring stick for me when I consider purchasing anything now - for price, quality and the overall expectations that I have for a knife. I have a good number of knives in that price range, Medfords, Spartans, Arno Bernard, etc; they are all wonderful knives and they all get used, but I keep coming back to CRK.

That said, I too consider the point of diminishing returns; I don't typically purchase a knife if I don't intend on actually using it. I would love to handle/try out a Koenig Arius/etc; but I am not sure if it would fit my needs for a knife, I am not sure I would actually use one. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with owning a knife just to own; but for me I don't fall into that category. I am not really much of a fidgeter/fondler or a collector just to collect; but there are many different avenues that people go down. You have to find your own way and navigate where you fit into things, and what your objectives are.

As an example, will the tried-and-true PM2 be a great companion for you, of course; they are great knives. For me personally I take a lot of joy with a CRK in pocket, the pride of ownership, the amazing construction, the outstanding lineage that they have, etc; do they cut that much better than a PM2 - no, not really.

 

[Rob47]

There is a side to this we don’t talk about much. I am through spending above about $200. for a knife. I have experienced $700+ knives. I’ve also experienced loosing $700+ knives. Believe me, that hurts a lot more than loosing a $35. knife. Your mileage may vary

 

[kobold]

Personally, I view the Ritter RSK at 180$ as the optimal bang for the buck (design, materials, construction, fit and finish). Like a knife etalon or a Goldilocks knife. Going much below it means, I am buying a beater or expendable knife, (eg Opinel) and there will be some compromises (BTW, I am sure Opinels are just perfect for many people out there).

Going well above the Ritter RSK in price means, or should mean, I am getting something above average, something with better materials, f&f, warranty, design or whatever that is I am willing to pay extra for and there is often no compromise at all.

In practice, a Ritter RSK, a Vic SAK, and a Condor machete should perfectly cover even a demanding person's knife needs, but luckily, human nature always aims for nicer, better, next level things.

 

[NeverEnuff]

I only have experience with the Korean made KIAs, 2015 onward, and they do not seem to have more issues than most cars. I have had Mercedes and the newer ones are not that reliable. The pre-1990s, different story.
Maybe the KIA/Hyundai made in other countries have a different quality than the Korean made ones .

Nope this includes the all electric models which are 100% made in Korea. I've never seen such a high rate of major malfunctions, honestly it blew my mind. And that was just 2 months ago I last worked there, so we're not talking about yesteryears cars here. Never saw it at Honda, Toyota or Ford. Then again, at least with the Korean stuff you get a 10yr pertain warranty and 5 year bumper to bumper. That's impossible to beat!

 

[Fire King]

I think the sweet spot price as mentioned above works for me. I like my RAT type knives for versatility and toughness, I have a $17 Casio that I prefer over my Apple watch. I like my Sebenza, although I still don't understand the sluggish action, but its a thing of function and beauty. Spyderco's seem to be my sweet spot of late and if I were to loose them it wouldn't hurt like a plus $500 knife.

 

[Another Shepherd]

The most expensive knife I have is a Large Sebenza 31 UG from Knife Rights. Lots of people love their CRKs. I prefer a Protech Malibu, Spyderco PM2, Benchmade Bugout, Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter, Civivi Cogent, or at least a dozen other knives way under $800.

 

[JC972]

There is a side to this we don’t talk about much. I am through spending above about $200. for a knife. I have experienced $700+ knives. I’ve also experienced loosing $700+ knives. Believe me, that hurts a lot more than loosing a $35. knife. Your mileage may vary

There’s something to seriously think about! Excellent point

 

[The Mastiff]

I don't believe you are missing out. On the other hand there is nothing wrong with buying and using expensive knives. Everybody is different. When you are happy you are doing it correctly.

 

[irsh]

Like almost everything, it depends if you are a "user" or an "enthusiast". Is it about the destination or the journey?

 

[Crag the Brewer]

Of course you’re missing out. The real question is, is that a big deal?

Let’s represent your disposable income as “X”. Let’s further suppose that you have 4 different hobbies: knives, guns, fast cars and loose women.

If you divide X equally between the 4, each hobby gets 1/4 of it. If, in a moment of weakness, you spend 1/2X on loose women, the other three hobbies have to divide the remaining half, or 1/6X each.

If you spend the entire X on fast cars, you won’t be shooting, buying knives, or fornicating much until your next X comes along.

This example is vastly simplified (especially the part about loose women). Most males of my generation learned all this in high school, I’m not telling you anything new.

Two useful things to know:
1) different hobbies bring you different levels of enjoyment at different times - you’ll go through stages. Manage them for maximum personal enjoyment.
2) the same amount of X will take you farther in some hobbies than others. Additional spending is not always proportional to enjoyment - find the “sweet spot” in each hobby to maximize your overall return on investment. (Hint: it’s different for every person.)

Hopefully you can avoid falling below some minimum level of function in each category, avoiding the necessity to open mail with your car key or ride a Greyhound bus to Pittsburgh and back. Ideally, you’d maintain your knives reasonably sharp, your guns reasonably accurate, enough gas money to get where you need to go, and your woman (or women) below a punitive level of extravagance.

But you’ll always be missing out on something, there’s just not enough X to buy it all. The trick is, make sure what you’re missing out on is stuff you don’t care about.

Life is a balancing act. Sometimes you balance it pretty well, other times it can all crash to the ground in an instant. No guarantees, just smart and foolish choices.

Best of luck to you.

Parker

This above Should be a Sticky!!!

Well said.

 

[tony281sc2]

Extremely high rate of mechanical and electrical failure. Both KIA and Hyundai. I know I worked for them. Literally the only manufacturers I worked for that brand new cars would show up DOA with blown motors and transmissions with literally only 10 miles on them. Pure trash.

I place my trust in my vehicles similar to my food... Never ever Korean!

Baseball, Hinderer, Apple pie & Ford
FTW

None of my current friends circle know a Benchmade from a butter knife. To them a knife might as well come from a display at a gas station. I get excited about a new knife I’ve got on order and they’re like “meh… yeah great man.” They cut the same things as I do but I enjoy the knives I use. On the other hand they like fancy fishing rods and expensive watches. Me, I buy my shirts where I buy my car batteries and wear a Timex or G-Shock and could care less. It’s all in what matters to you, the user, in my mind.

Same here, I never met anyone in real life who was really into knives, like the people here are. Most people I know who do carry one just have a cheap Kershaw (or whatever I gifted them lol) and use it until it’s duller than a butter knife and has more corrosion than the Titanic (which is fine for a $40 beater, but I’d hate to see what they’d do with a “good” knife)