Anybody else give up on high-end carry?

Haven't read through the whole thread yet, but wanted to say that for me, it's just the opposite. Since I've started carrying high end knives (customs primarily), all of my lower end knives have been sitting in my knife chest. I take them out sometimes and flick/flip/open them when watching TV sometimes, but that's about it. I don't have an issue using any of them for cutting chores when those arise. That said, when I'm camping, I break out a Cold Steel. If I'm working in the garage or on my car, it'll be an Emerson or something along those lines. But when I'm out and about, it's high-end all the way.
 
Since my Spyderco Dragonfly (of all things) was stolen, I’m just left with a few CRKs and a Shirogorov. I do tend to leave the one with wood inlays and Damascus blade at home... just too pretty to get scratched up.
 
I edc and use high end productions, and customs. Just something satisfying about using a tool that is also beautiful.
I mean...why would i use a black and decker drill when i can use a nicer hilti?
Just the way i look at it. I appreciate attention to detail almost as much as performance...so ya, well built high end knives are what i carry. :)
 
.... and Damascus blade at home... just too pretty to get scratched up.
I have the same feeling about Damascus blades. I just don't want to use one. If I buy a new knife with Damascus, I know going into the deal that I will likely never use it for anything and won't sharpen it So, I simply DON'T any more. For the most part, I don't even want one, custom or not these days. Damascus does seem to be the rage these days.

Can't do the "one and done" thing any mroe. I'm just not satisfied even though I carry the same knife every day pretty much. I toss in another one or two as the mood strikes me.
 
For me, it is not the price.

I have several Case Sod Buster Jr and love one of them because that sample is perfect in grind, centering, walk, talk, the cover texture, etc.
I did not carry it for a while and instead carry one of other samples due to fear of losing or damaging the favorite.

My mental cycle on a newly acquired favorite knife is like follows:
(1) Can't lose it mode. Just play with it at home! (Maybe about a week)
(2) Unhappy without my favorite mode. Start to carry but do not use it! (a couple of weeks)
(3) Scratch-free mode. Use it lightly with care! No cardboard cutting! (weeks to months)
(4) Post honeymoon mode. Why not just use it and have pleasure cutting with it!
By the time I reach #4, I typically have a new knife and start over.

I have minimized maintenance effort with coarse edge sharpening lately, and this seemed to accelerate the above cycle quite a bit.

Just my case.
Hilarious lol. but very true!
 
I use and carry most all my knives heirloom(knives given to me that were used by grand father and great grand father) and "novelty" knives(I don't buy typical cheap novelty knives but there is a novelty to 1 or 2 knives I own) are the exclusions. I have really just one knife that I really hesitate with and such and it is my gentleman knife. It is a Queen Abalone D2 Tiny Toothpick nothing expensive or terribly fancy and the fact it is abalone isn't an issue for me for use but the blade is mirror polished and etched so I don't want to ruin that beautiful blade.
 
Nope, carrying a Umnamzaan in right pocket and Atlas in left today. I always have my Atlas in my left pocket and just pick whatever looks right for the day for the right. When I'm working around the farm I like to carry a heavy user but it's probably going to be some flavor of Hinderer or I might grab a Cold Steel. I don't consider my Spydies heavy use knives but I like them for office carry although the Vallotton is a tank and a user. Right now all my knives except 1 are users, that one I don't carry much because of the Mokuti clip and marbled CF scales, thinking of sending it down the road so don't want to mess it up. If I'm opposed to using it I really don't need it. I have no problem carrying a $700 Hinderer and using the heck out of it, they're built for hard use and aren't pretty but are very appealing to me (so I have a few). I've only ever lost 1 knife that I cared about and I replaced it within a week, fortunately it was just over $100.
 
For me the $30 Alox Vic Cadet beats out almost every folder I have ever had. Its always with me and honestly does 95% of the work (even when I have a more expensive folder as a 2nd carry). Because the others don't get used they end up for sale.
 
I never got into anything too high end. I've had four production folding knives in the $150-250 range. I sold two of them about two weeks ago and irrevocably damaged one in an acid wash attempt. I haven't changed my carried knives since stumbling upon the combination of a Spyderco SE Endela in my left pocket, a Buck Squire on my belt, and a Victorinox Manager on my keychain. In my area of the country, my high-end knives get funny looks. I think I've reached an equilibrium.
 
I can’t get much enjoyment out of a knife I don’t use. (Edit: ok that’s not entirely true... I still enjoy owning all the non-users) Carrying the knife is what makes it fun. When I get a new knife it goes directly into the pocket, regardless of price.

It seems weird to me to spend 200-400 bucks on a tool just to not use it. If I’m paying a premium for better materials, workmanship, and brand names I want to experience the aspects of a knife that set it apart from cheaper options.

I would be heartbroken if I lost my Sebenza or 562cf but at the end of the day, they’re just objects. I have no problem just “writing off” the money I spend on knives because this is a pay to play hobby, and I can’t be more than 1.5k in at this point. Which really isn’t a lot compared to many people’s collections
 
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I have knives ranging from 85 bucks to 1200. I have many in between... and I carry and use them all the same.

Granted if I need to do something harder-use I'll go for a cheaper one, but that's primarily due to the fact that it is partially serrated and is more useful.

And if someone asks me to borrow a knife I cringe all the same regardless of the cost of the knife I am carrying... and I'll offer to do the task myself, or it's not happening at all.

If I planned to re-sell at some point then I'd care more about keeping the expensive ones in mint condition, but the knives I have are here to stay, so they may as well earn their keep.
 
I like buying knives, and I can afford to buy knives, so I buy knives. I fluctuate between buying knives and buying guns, those are my main hobby purchases. Whether or not they're useful or necessary doesn't much matter, I'm doing it because it pleases me.

If I carry fifteen hundred dollar William Henry that looks like pocket jewelry, and I need to cut stuff, I cut stuff. If I'm carrying a sixty dollar Cold Steel and I need to cut stuff, I cut stuff. I have more knives that I like than useful ways to use them, or pocket space to carry them, so a lot of them end up pretty much totally unused but it's not because I'm keeping them protected, it's just because they haven't ended up getting carried much.
 
I live and work and sell my knives in a subculture where handcrafted is appreciated and used, hard. Not just knives but dang near everything we use. saddles, bits, spurs, belts, leggings (chaps) and knives. Its kind of a conundrum because one of my knives might set a working cowboy back a 1/5th of a months pay, sometimes more. A new saddle 2-3 months pay. But thats what you see, expensive stuff used hard.

One of my damascus knives castrating calves:

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anLW9ZE.jpg


5D7Zqao.jpg


Ue8hAcK.jpg


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Anyhoo you get the idea.
 
I live and work and sell my knives in a subculture where handcrafted is appreciated and used, hard. Not just knives but dang near everything we use. saddles, bits, spurs, belts, leggings (chaps) and knives. Its kind of a conundrum because one of my knives might set a working cowboy back a 1/5th of a months pay, sometimes more. A new saddle 2-3 months pay. But thats what you see, expensive stuff used hard.

One of my damascus knives castrating calves:

MHLEZrG.jpg


0UECzKT.jpg


anLW9ZE.jpg


5D7Zqao.jpg


Ue8hAcK.jpg


Glue8CM.jpg


Anyhoo you get the idea.

Your pictures are always so richly amazing. The absurd level of quality in all the leatherwork on the belts, saddles, chaps, saddles, etc. you post never ceases to impress me. I sit at a desk all day, and am absolutely not the target market for your work, but I enjoy seeing it all the same!
 
I typically use what I buy. I carry what I buy.

I've castrated cattle with a knife worth $2200 ish?

I found that the expensive knife did not cut open the ball sack of a calf any better than a $6 Opinel knife, that I've also used for the chore.

I cared a lot more when one of the calves stepped on the expensive knife.

I've also lost that knife more than once. One time I did not find it for a week... there was much worried searching!!

I tend to cary a custom or two, and also a few production slipjoints at a time, so I have multiple options for cutting.

I would really feel the loss of one of my customs......some I really would have a hard time replacing.

But darned, if I still don't search for lost production knives of much less value just as hard. I've been trying to find my blue handled Delica in VG1 for 3 years now??

I am sure it is some where in my house.....
 
All of my collection are high end knives now (over $300) and I don’t have a problem with using them everyday. I EDC a Hinderer or CRK during the week and a CPK on the weekends. I started out with buying a bunch, and I mean a bunch of knives under $150, and they were all great knives to handle whatever task I needed to handle, but I had too many knives, if that’s a thing around here..haha. I wanted to get my collection down to four or five absolute folders for edc and I use the snot out of all them, and they are something I can pass down for generations because of the quality. I’ve fallen into that it is quality over quantity. I really don’t need a crap ton of knives at the end of the day. I am happy with the ones I have because they are all great, well built knives made here in the USA.
 
For folders, I just don’t get it. I’m not a collector so maybe that’s why but sub 200 dollar folders cut great. I hear people rave about the “tight tolerances” and such of this brand or that and I just laugh. Talk about different priorities in purchasing methodology. :D There is NO WAY I’m spending twice the money for “tight tolerances.” Especially when said knife is only as good if not inferior in use to what I’m currently using.

For fixed, yeah I use the cheap stuff. I’ve bought high end and custom but usually end up with a mora, izula or something like that. They cut better but I’ll probably end up buying more customs. Gotta try them all. :D Maybe I’ll find that diamond in there somewhere. I’ll continue to rock that mora til then.

That reminds me, I gotta get off my bum and start selling them. I’m not a collector yet I’ve ended up with a collection. That bothers me. :(
 
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