Anyone use their customs or more expensive knives?

H

hudak

Joined
Feb 10, 2008
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200
Have a Bill Buxton EDC that is beautiful, but can't bring myself to take it camping and really use it. I'm thinking about selling it and getting a Rat-4 that I don't have to worry about rust, damage, etc.. Anybody put a hurtin on $200 or $300 plus knives? I'm at a point now where I'm considering getting rid of knives that I don't use or am afraid to use and going strictly with lower priced production pieces.
 
I absolutely use them, in fact I feel exactly the opposite that you do. Most great knives were made to use not to look at and life is short and I ain't getting any younger. I carry a Sebenza, a Strider, a William Henry, a Greg Lightfoot custom or a Bob Terzuola fixed blade every day. I take customs out camping and hunting and use them regularly. I only carry knives that are $400 and over on a regular basis with only a few exceptions.

I have had the whole spectrum from the low cost CRKT's and other production knives to a Walter Brend that I bought recently for about $3000. If you can own them why not use them? It is not being disrespectful to the knife or it's maker to use the crap out of it, in fact I think most makers want to see people use their knives as they were intended.

Don't buy a lesser knife to use. Don't worry about it and take your favorite out and put it to the test.
 
i carry my emerson custom specwar CQC13 every day, its worth right wround $1K.

really its no biggie carrying/using customs, most 'smiths will refurbish them for ya for a small fee when the get all scuffed up, so why not??
 
i have many customs(folders and FBs) in excess of $300. most around $500, and i use them, mostly for hunting but also as EDC for jobs on my "homestead" type property.
most i bought for the pleasure of using a really well made knife. a few, in excess of $500, i bought for their overall beauty and because i wanted a knife from that specific maker. these i haven't used but enjoy handling and showing to friends.
i figure as soon as a custom is used, resale drops by up to 50%. but they are high end tools, not investments. to me it is the same as buying the best vehicle you can afford or a tradesman buying the best tools of his trade.
life is short, treat yourself to the pleasure of their use, unless there is something you desire more to use your money on, in which case, sell them.
roland
 
I get the uttmost pleasure out of using my custom knives!! I EDC a custom every day.

I don't buy custom knives as an investment (knives make a poor investment, in my opinion.), I buy them to use and enjoy!! I can always send them back to the maker for a refurb.
 
Isn't it something of an insult NOT to use the knives??:confused:

Alright ... I'll admit some are just too attractive or perhaps artistic to use. But that's a very small minority.

All the rest I use. Monosteel, damascus, you name it. All the rest I use. No matter how expensive.
 
Use it. Currently my most expensive is my 3rd gen XM-18, and I'm using it whenever I can. I've held that there're three stages to appreciating a knife:

1) Observation appreciation. This stage is where you look at a knife and can see how xyz is a really good feature, or how this particular combination of materials really suits it.
2) Handling appreciation. This is where you hold the knife and understand how good a job the maker did in getting the handle to fit the hand, or the balance, or how the pattern on the handles allows so much more grip than you expected.
3) Using appreciation. Where you use the knife, and really appreciate the work put into the handle, blade design and so on after you've used it for some hard work.
 
OldPhysics said:
Isn't it something of an insult NOT to use the knives??:confused:

Alright ... I'll admit some are just too attractive or perhaps artistic to use. But that's a very small minority.

All the rest I use. Monosteel, damascus, you name it. All the rest I use. No matter how expensive.
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Well said, and the same for me. :thumbup: Today, I've been out clearing the results of a small storm with a $500 Busse FFBM. It's relatively expensive, but it wasn't made to look pretty, it was made to be used, and used hard. And that's what I buy my knives for - actual use.
 
I use them.
Although they seem to be very expensive,
I know very well that it takes very much cost to produce good knives.

But I have some blades that I will not use, because they are built as weapon.
 
I have one "special" custom that I will not use. Just for looks.

I use my Unique Graphic Sebenzas and I've carried one of my XM-18's.

I have a collection of Spyderco Natives but will not carry or use the rare ones.

All others I will carry or use when it suits me.
 
I use all my knives. I don't have many Big$$$ Customs But alot of High End Production knives.... It drives me crazy to see my toys not being used so I am always trying find things to do to utilize em.... I have always wondered if Custom Knife Makers think it is cooler to see their creations used or stored??? Hmmmm!!!!
 
T.K.C. said:
I don't buy custom knives as an investment (knives make a poor investment, in my opinion.), I buy them to use and enjoy!! I can always send them back to the maker for a refurb.
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Plus one on that. There are a lot of better investments. So unless you truly only get enjoyment from looking at them MINT, keep them MINT. If a part of you wants to use it, but just can't...... Get over it. Wack a cardboard box or two. That will put rub marks on the finish, while not scratching the blade steel(no real damage.) Then its a user! :D I have NEVER sold a MINT knife!

If you don't have the heart, send it to me. I can break a box or ten down for you. :D
 
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No heavy use for custom one-of-a-kind or "special" knives, but there are some semi-custom and production knives in that range I use. I take my Fallkniven TK1 and NL3 out on the trail. Not hard use, but they do see some action. Peter told me to do it. :)

BTW, the NL3 was the first new and reasonably expensive convex blade I've used (most of my new blades are flat or hollow) and people here were right - it sharpened up quite easily with a leather strap.
 
Well, I have a BRKT Aurora that because of its African Blackwood scales was about $240. Since I got it, I heven't touched my other knives in that size range. I even batoned it through some well-seasoned birch rounds and you can't tell it was used for such.

The only "custom" I have is a special order HI 20" Chiruwa Ang Khola that was over $200. You beat the hell out of these just testing them the recommended way to make sure the heat treat is OK. It's felled, limbed and bucked several trees and murdered all kinds of other vegetation. Has a beautiful patina on it from use.

I know these are at the very low end of the price range, but they're the most expensive I have right now.
 
Nah. "Replaceability" is a primary factor I use for selecting user knives. I'd be heartbroken if I lost/misplaced/laid-down-and-walked-away-from a beautiful handcrafted one-of-a-kind knife that couldn't be replaced.

Besides, my cutting needs are very simple and ordinary factory knives work just fine.

If I did have two identical custom knives, I don't see why I couldn't (hypothetically, of course) use one of them and keep the other set aside for safekeeping. I don't envision that scenario ever occurring though.

I am glad other folks use theirs' though. Otherwise I wouldn't know if my knives were any good. ;)

So if you truly only get enjoyment from looking at them MINT, keep them MINT
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That's me! :thumbup:
 
I'm carrying my Extrema Ratio Fulcrum 2D. Use to carry an XM-18 and Strider GB. I really don't carry less expensive knives any more except as back up fine cutters for my sharpened pry-bars.
 
I have just one knife that costs around $400, my Hinderer XM-18. A knife this expensive isn't easy for me to just buy whenever I feel like it and I have no problem using it. I certainly won't abuse it, but I'll use it for tough jobs. That's the reason I got it, to do the things I might not be able to do with a cheaper knife.

Buying an expensive knife with the purpose of not using it is okay if that's what floats your boat. But buying it with the intention to use it and not using it, that is a sin and you must repent immediately by cutting something with your knife.

Welcome to the forums:).
 
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