Are expensive knives worth it?

Are expensive knives objectively better than cheaper ones or are worth it?

  • Total voters
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randomknifeperson

Joined
Dec 26, 2018
Messages
5
I EDC an kershaw skyline but want to buy a ZT 0452, I have quite a bit saved up, and I am not happy with the steel and handle of the skyline. Question is, should i upgrade.
 
You will experience a noticeable jump in quality/fit and finish with the ZT. I would say that it's absolutely worth it but that's subjective and you may feel otherwise.

My first real knife, not counting no name bs blades, was a Spyderco Manix 2 XL. A year or so later I purchased my first ZT and was blown away. ZT is responsible for my addiction. Be careful.
 
I voted sometimes.

Regarding the skyline. It is one of the worst flippers I've ever handled and doesn't cut that great.

The ZT is a huge jump in quality.

If Kershaw. Knockout all day!
 
Very different questions.

Answer to the poll: sometimes, not always.

Answer to the post question: make sure the handle and steel are more to your liking. The 14C28N on the skyline is a good knife steel, so you may want to specify what about it you don’t like.
 
Dangerously said:
Very different questions.

Answer to the poll: sometimes, not always.

Answer to the post question: make sure the handle and steel are more to your liking. The 14C28N on the skyline is a good knife steel, so you may want to specify what about it you don’t like.
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I use it quite often and I find it doesn't hold a very good edge for very long, and I have to sharpen it often.
 
Respectfully, do your research before you buy an expensive knife like a ZT.

10 percent of blade forum members have had lock failure issues with their ZTs. That's extremely dangerous. There was a poll done here not too long ago.

Also, go to YouTube and search "ZT lock failures." Many videos there.

I would recommend Spyderco or any knife made by WE or Reate.
 
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Are expensive knives better than the cheap shit found at truck stops? Yes. Are expensive knives better than say a $100+ dollar Spyderco, Benchmade, or American made Kershaw? I doubt it. But some guys just "like" expensive knives. A status symbol if you wish. Some guys have deep pockets, and can go buy Chris Reeve knives or customs all day long. I'm impressed with knife performance, not bling. Expensive knives can cut with the right steel for a long time. They will also last for a long time, but so will any decent American made production knife.
 
No, they're not worth it unless you're a bonafide knife nut that is obsessed with the name of the month.

The rest of the 99% percent of humanity out there just want to cut their ham sandwich in half. They'd be happy with a Ginsu or big box store 5.99 special with a serrated edge that will saw right through that bologna on white.

If they're on a job, a Home Depot bought Husky folding utility knife will do just fine.

The non knife nuts of the world just don't care.
 
Horizon7 said:
Respectfully, do your research before you buy an expensive knife like a ZT.

10 percent of blade forum members have had lock failure issues with their ZTs. That's extremely dangerous. There was a poll done here not too long ago.

Also, go to YouTube and search "ZT lock failures." Many videos there.

I would recommend Spyderco or any knife made by WE or Reate.
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Is it only the liner locks by Zt? Or all zt locks if that matters, and I am not going to to use it hard
 
I get nerdy about steels, and I'm picky about how well a knife operates. Details like good centering, playless lockup, and pivot smoothness are important enough to me that I find it easy to justify spending $150+ on a knife that I can be decently assured will have those qualities. If I were a purely practical person, however, I would probably just have a Steel Will Cutjack or a Ruike in 12C27, and would have an extremely difficult time justifying anything more expensive than about $40. Do I need a Manix in 4V? No, but I do like knowing that I could cut wire with it and not be concerned about damaging the edge. Do I need a 4" clip point Recon 1? Absolutely not, but I love how it looks, and it's such a bombproof knife that I relish opportunities to put it to work.

That said, there are some practical benefits to the more expensive knives, like generally excellent warranty service and having a much higher likelihood of getting a "perfect" example of the knife.

Most of the reason to dip into the 200+ range, though, is for a combination of consistent precision machining, materials, design, and pride of ownership. How much a knife is worth to you really comes down to how much you value the aforementioned aspects. Unlike with, say, audio equipment, spending more is not necessarily going to make the item better at the tasks you put before it. The sound quality of my $400 Westone W40s absolutely destroys the $90 Shure headphones I had previously, and the Shures are leaps and bounds ahead of, say, stock Apple earpods. This kind of linear quality relationship relative to price does not exist with knives, as my $45 Stedemon is going to cut a thing just as well as my $170 Spyderco Vallotton - the most significant difference* is that the Vallotton feels better to operate and looks better with the more elegant design and materials.

(putting aside edge retention, because it's really not that important as long as you can maintain an edge)
 
I got a ZT 0452 a while ago and it’s one of my favorites. My guess is that despite the price, you’ll love it. As for the much-touted ZT failures--if you weed out all the so-called “tests” that don’t even resemble appropriate or ordinary use (like spine-whacking, etc), the “failure rate” is nowhere near what it sometimes gets blown up into being. Just remember that your knife isn’t a masonry tool, a wedge+sledgehammer or a crowbar, so don’t go trying to bust down concrete block walls or split firewood with it and don't use it as if it was a 4’ crowbar. My ZT 0452 is and does everything it’s supposed to be and do without any kind of problems.

My suggestion is you should definitely upgrade. My ZT 0452 was an excellent choice when I bought it and I doubt you’d regret getting one.
 
randomknifeperson said:
Is it only the liner locks by Zt? Or all zt locks if that matters, and I am not going to to use it hard
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As far as I can tell, it's a largely overblown issue. These "lock failures" are typically from intentionally striking the spine of the knife against a rigid surface. Unless where you live has a plague of people with mallets running around hitting the spines of unsuspecting people's open knives, I wouldn't concern yourself with it.
 
For me and what I need a knife for no. But what I say always about everything is use whatever you like for whatever reason. It's your money and you only come around once so if it makes you happy and you got the scratch then go for it. You have to know with everything that there's no end to it. There will always be another. But again if you have to have it then get it!
 
When you go from a $5 gas station/truck stop piece of crap to a <$50 production knife such as the Buck 110, Cold Steel Voyager, Ontario RAT 1 (or 2) and the like - the jump in quality and functionality (as well as safety) is enormous!

When you go from a $50 (or <$50) knife to a $100 knife, the quality, functionality, fit/finish and overall ownership experience increases a substantial amount; to some extent, although a lesser one, the same can be said when leaving $100 and heading towards <$250.

North of $250 is where things change - where the average Joe, or even average Knife Knut may appreciate the bump in quality but question the cost delta for the extra quality as one surpasses $350, $550 and upwards. At a certain point, the only satisfaction is to those knife erogenous zones that not all of us have or care about if we do have them.

The same can be said (albeit with different numbers) about watches, vehicles and other items.
 
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The definition of an expensive knife can be very subjective. It may be worth to one, while not being worth it to the others. See the law of diminishing returns.
 
Horizon7 said:
Respectfully, do your research before you buy an expensive knife like a ZT.

10 percent of blade forum members have had lock failure issues with their ZTs. That's extremely dangerous. There was a poll done here not too long ago.

Also, go to YouTube and search "ZT lock failures." Many videos there.

I would recommend Spyderco or any knife made by WE or Reate.
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This is absolutely NOT an accurate representation of that poll. Some folks reported lock failures. Others reported having owned dozens of ZT knives without a failure. The number of knives reported with failures is far, far less than 10%. To say it is extremely dangerous is extremely disingenuous.

I don't personally own any ZT knives. I have, without any issues whatsoever, though. I did not participate in that poll. Maybe I should have...


To the OP, jumping up in price from your Kershaw reference point will certainly bring more bang for the buck. Can your frustrations be solved with just a small increase in budget - probably. ZT knives are well regarded for their quality at their price point, and are a generally a good value. Only you can decide if it's worth it. A word of caution though... once you cross a certain mental threshold, there is usually no going back. It can be a slippery slope and someday that high dollar ZT will be in the rear view mirror. Ask me (any of us) how we know... :D
 
Every make and model is affected by this. Look it up man.

randomknifeperson said:
Is it only the liner locks by Zt? Or all zt locks if that matters, and I am not going to to use it hard
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There are a lot of guys here that are just trying to save the values of their own collections. I don't blame them.
 
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