Are average knife buyers just not informed? Does quality matter to the average buyer

[bigbcustom]

I, being a knife knut like most people on this forum, research things like QC, steels, lock strength, handle materials, etc., and spend quite a bit of time learning about knives, their uses, construction, and quality of manufacture. I would think that most people on this forum do the same (many to a much higher standard than I do I am sure). All that being said, many manufacturers and sellers still make and sell what people around here consider crap. They keep selling piles and piles of it. They wouldn't make it if it didn't sell. I see crumby knives being carried and used by people every day, even my friends. They invariably say something like "I wouldn't spend more than twenty bucks on a knife...I've had this one for years and it only cost me ten...it works fine." I try to educate, some people figure it out and come around, and others look at me like I said my knives are better because they are made by space aliens. I think we knife knuts are a minority among the knife buying public, and by and large most people are happy with the "crap" that none of us would touch with a ten foot pole. Hell, my brother considers himself a knife knut (he has more than 200 knives), and none of them cost him more than fifty dollars (and that was a sword). I was wondering what others thought about this phenomonon? Am I wrong? I could go on and on, but enough of my ramblings let's hear what you guys think.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

I think you've expressed a truth that we come across here in many different guises. The cheap knives hawked for a few bucks apiece on TV, the tons of semi-functional imports, the brand name knives made with less-than-stellar materials, and the terrible misuse we subject our knives to when we loan them to people who haven't got a clue.

How about cars? Are there cars all over the road that weren't really great to begin with and aren't that well-maintained now? What about cheap wristwatches, binoculars, TV shows, and venal politicians?

People can be very knowledgeable in their own fields, but inadequately educated about most everything else. I guess knife knuts should get extra credit for trying to show them what's better.

 

[BOK]

To non knife knuts cheap is all that matters.

I worked part time at a knife store for a few years and every second customer was like this:

"Hi I'm looking for a knife that never needs to be sharpened that I can do anything with and won't rust and I only want to spend 10-15 dollars max"

It was really annoying. I'm actually back to help out part time for this Christmas and wow...I am now remembering just how much retail sucks.

 

[bladeprince]

I sold knives at gun shows for a couple of years. Some knee problems stopped me for the past 3 years but hope to do it in December again. It's just a hobby and I like looking for the odd knife or gun deal.

Anyway, I sold Mtechs, Maxams, Jaguar, and other cheap brands. Also CRKT, Kershaw, and S&W. As you might guess, I sold about 50 cheap knives to 1 medium priced knife. I didn't even bother with Spyderco's or BM's.

Most people have no idea what they are buying. Wether it's a knife, a car, or a piece of jewelry. And the interesting thing to me is, that most don't care!

This is a hobby to us, a passion even. Without that passion, a person won't spend the time to education themselves about any subject. For example, I don't know jack about stamps or coins. They're boring to me but to someone with the "passion", they're better than sex.

Regards

 

[shaldag]

Remember that in this day and age, only a small percentage of people carry any knife at all.

I would be surprised itf there is a forum member that hasn't heard "whaddaya nee THAT for?" whether it be in reference to a Case Peanut, Mictotech OTF, or SAK.

In these dark times, even someone carrying a cheapie qualifies as one of us.

Unless, of course, they are a mall ninja or shopping-channel special.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

your average person buys knives for different reasons than we do. if it looks cool, has brand recognition, and is cheap, then it sells.

i buy old navy and dickies clothes. to someone who likes expensive clothes, they cant see why i would buy this crap. but its not crap to me, its comfortable, keeps me warm, and is inexpensive.

 

[bigbcustom]

Maybe I am obsessive/compulsive, but I do research on darn near everything I spend money or time on. Cars, clothes, food, guns, kitchen ware, ad nauseum. It would seem to me that any prudent person/consumer would do the same. Knives and guns are special cases/passions for me so maybe I notice the lack of care in these areas more than others. Of course my behavior must be off the wall sometimes....you should see the look on the doctor's face when I go in with my own preliminary diagnosis with supporting research/treatment options and ask what he thinks. I know when to listen to a professional, and I do (most of the time anyway), but it gets me some strange reactions.

 

[Blop]

I know a man who cuts off copper burrs with his SAK, maybe it isn´t an original SAK. It works and how should a higher priced knife serve him better?

I like the feel of a good quality knife and there are not many of them around. I pay for the extra fit and finish and i hope the manufacturers pay an extra attention to the heat treatment.

To me the key is: It must be a beater knife.

A cheap knife is mostly seen as the better beater knife than the more expensive. Looking at the high hardened brittle steel grades, most high price knives are featuring, for a beater you better go with cheap.

I understand, that quality and reliability are conected considering safe use (the lock won´t colapse) but i do understand too, that the higher price not always walks together with an extended use.

For me, actually the red class knives or Byerd knives are the win win knives. Best of both worlds fall together there.

The rest is just purely emotion.

 

[GoodGuy]

Quality matters to every buyer/user/collector/admirer. Individuals judge quality in relative terms and from their various perspectives. I don't think it's a "phenomenon" but, rather, a norm. When one throws emotion into the mix of variables we use to judge quality, all bets are off.

Shoot... the best dog I ever had was a "mutt" of questionable intelligence, stinky, and would likely place last in any sanctioned dog show. Still.... she was the best.

 

[IUKE12]

The people I know who have what I would call "cheap" knives lack the passion for quality tools like you and me.

 

[enderwiggin]

To non knife knuts cheap is all that matters.

I worked part time at a knife store for a few years and every second customer was like this:

"Hi I'm looking for a knife that never needs to be sharpened that I can do anything with and won't rust and I only want to spend 10-15 dollars max"

It was really annoying. I'm actually back to help out part time for this Christmas and wow...I am now remembering just how much retail sucks.

I hear that. I have about 6 years retail experience, working places like Robinson's May (before it went under), The Gap, etc. And mostly during the holiday season. I will never work retail again.

I think a large percentage of the population just has no idea what they're buying, knife or not. Even on a small budget, you have to choose some things you aren't willing to compromise quality for price on.

For instance, I had a pair of DKNY jeans for four years. They look the same as the day I bought them. I'm willing to buy DKNY jeans again, without the store discount I used to have, because they've outlasted $30.00 Target jeans I've had, and even some of my Levi's.

And yet, I know many people who will keep buying cheap jeans and replacing them every few months, or even expensive designer jeans that rip out or fade after a few washes.

Jeans don't matter to everybody, I'm just saying that certain things you buy should do what they're designed to do, and keep doing it for years. For the modern-day consumer, these things are harder and harder to find. I guess some people turn it into Consumer Science, and some just say 'screw it,' buy what other people do and throw it away when it falls apart.

 

[bh49]

Do all of us driving BMW or Lexus? I don’t think so. We driving cars, which we can afford and satisfying our needs. Everybody also has different standards for quality. Some can use only CRK and happy with $5 knife and if they brake it or loose it, than it is not big deal. For many people $50 is a lot of money and they never spend them for a knife, unless they are knife nuts.

 

[MaxFisher]

Almost everything has been said already but I'll throw one more thing out there. Knives aren't out there retail anymore like they used to be. Most people get their knives at Wal-Mart or similar. It's all CRKT, imported Buck, Gerber and things like that.

 

[EDCeeker]

I think we knife knuts are a minority among the knife buying public, and by and large most people are happy with the "crap" that none of us would touch with a ten foot pole.

It isn't just knives. As Esav notes:

How about cars? Are there cars all over the road that weren't really great to begin with and aren't that well-maintained now? What about cheap wristwatches, binoculars, TV shows, and venal politicians?

The problem exists with pretty much all products and services. Part of the problem is the "advertising oriented" culture in which we live. People, at least here in the U.S., seem to tend to "buy" whatever and whomever advertizes the most & the flashiest, regardless the quality of the "product" or the entity selling it. I quoted "buy" and "product" because this problem exists with everything from soap to politicians.

There was an article, years and years ago, in a local newspaper magazine suppliment, entitled "Why Things Break." I'll tell you why things break. Things break because... well... I guess my signature pretty-much says it all.

 

[EDCeeker]

Do all of us driving BMW or Lexus? I don’t think so. We driving cars, which we can afford and satisfying our needs.

"Expensive" does not necessarily relate to "quality." If it did, Japanese car makers wouldn't have been so-badly kicking Detroit's back-side all over the place in quality all these years.

 

[allenC]

"Expensive" does not necessarily relate to "quality." If it did, Japanese car makers wouldn't have been so-badly kicking Detroit's back-side all over the place in quality all these years.

Right on the money!:thumbup:

 

[hardheart]

I try to avoid an elitist attitude about knives. I'll spend a couple hundred on a blade because I want to, not because I need to. I sharpen my own knives, so things like steel, geometry, and heat treat are important. I was spending $100+ before I got even the tiniest bit of education about these things. That really didn't make sense, especially when I didn't know any more than the person buying the chinese knockoffs. Even today, someone could pretty easily argue that these reasons are only excuses from a practical standpoint for the amount of work I do with a knife.

My first edc was a Vic Tinker, and I really can't say I need anything more pricey or whizzbang. I still buy other, much more expensive knives, but I don't feel I'm doing any better than the average person who finds a knife at whatever price that suits their needs.

 

[LRJ35A]

Quality matters to every buyer/user/collector/admirer. Individuals judge quality in relative terms and from their various perspectives. I don't think it's a "phenomenon" but, rather, a norm. When one throws emotion into the mix of variables we use to judge quality, all bets are off.

Shoot... the best dog I ever had was a "mutt" of questionable intelligence, stinky, and would likely place last in any sanctioned dog show. Still.... she was the best.

Well put

 

[RLR]

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING you buy reflects exactly what kind of person you are (yeah, yeah, materialistic I know). You can tell a person's social/professional style by his or her watch, shoes and pen. I have done totally unprofessional, biassed studies to prove this to myself. The cheap watch, crappy shoe, throw away pen guy is an analytical bean counter (no matter what he does). OK, I exagerate a little, but keep your eyes open to this. Add knives to the mix a see what happens. And it's not all about "cost" but quality and maintenance. A never sharpened POS handed to you by a guy with a cracked face digital watch, wearing sloppy heel-worn shoes, a half-chewed Bic in his mouth screams volumes about character.

 

[J_Curd]

Some people buy Craftsman, while others buy Snap-On...the same Craftsman buyer might drink fine wine, while the Snap-On buyer might drink cheap light beer.

I dont think there is a type-cast for peoples spending habits that encompass how they spend all of their money.