Are expensive knives worth it?

[Lateck]

I own a number of Kershaws and ZTs. Are the ZTs worth it, yes. But I do carry my Kershaws, too. The 0452 is a big knife and I love mine (Ti Blue). Would I buy it again, yes. But it is all up to you, OP.

 

[Mo2]

Real Steel Megalodon 2017 or 2018. Each comes in m390. They come in around 160-200 depending on where you can find them on sale. Better steel than the zt, but costs less. Tc4 titanium instead of usa grade. The high end Megalodons have better qc than the rest of the real Steel knives, per what they say.
Its similar to a 0452. In fact I think it's trying to replicate it in a way when they made the 2018 version with a similar blade and carbonfiber show scales. The 2017 is a full flat grind though. Great flipping action and drop shut close. I have and enjoy both. They also have a 2018 version in N690 for a lower cost if your not a steel snob.

I and many others recommend these models.

2018:

2017:

Note the original 2017 I have is on roller bearings. The currently make them with ceramic ball bearings and have an action more like the 2018 version... The roller bearings are more hydrolic.

 

[not2sharp]

The price point is irrelevant. Knives are not a commodity, they are a personal tool akin to art. Weather a particular knife works for you depends on your specific needs, your manner of usual dress, and your physiology, preferences and taste. Kershaw and ZT make many great knives. If you know you want a ZT then by all means get one. If you are not sure, then get yourself to shows and stores and try to handle some of these knives.

Perhaps you will find that the ZT that you are looking at is perfect for you, or perhaps you would prefer some other knife or brand. Don't over think it; you will be buying further knives later on and having a variety of good tools at your disposal is a good thing, and that is what you should be looking for, a good knife. Excalibur, has never existed; it is a fantasy, since all tools have their limitations and none of them are perfect.

n2s

 

[Lapedog]

I'm convinced that 99% of our preferences with knives are aesthetic, not technical. And adding to that, price is a part of the aesthetic appeal of some knives for some people. Expensive things are nice because they are expensive and that translates to some perception or image of the owner. What I just wrote will be vehemently denied by both sides. Those that favor expensive knives will point to studies and charts and will argue that their preferred expensive knives are objectively and provably better and they'll salt their comments with tropes like "you get what you pay for".

Those that favor less expensive knives will argue that in an age of "good enough" materials and mass production quality control, performance is largely dictated by design, not materials and they'll salt their comments with references to millions of units sold and comparisons to Toyotas Corollas.

I'm in the latter camp but this will mean nothing to anybody. If you got the itch that a more expensive knife will be better than a less expensive knife, you may never get peace of mind from a less expensive one.

I'd recommend saving the money and buying a copy of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". That and studying knife design deep enough to judge the possibility of a knife based on how the design matches your intended uses. Price has little to do with that.

You don’t think its possible to be attracted to both? Some knives I like because of the way they look but I will not own a knife unless it is useful to me.

 

[straitr]

"Are expensive knives worth it" is a very generalized question, with a very subjective and individualized answer. 99% of people, myself included, could go our entire practical EDC life with a SAK Alox Cadet and never be left incapable. The Alox Cadet can be found for $25 regularly. Anything more is generally a want more than it is a need. Of course, there are exceptions, like there are in everything. To pretty much everyone on this board, knives are a hobby and source of enjoyment, not a required hard-use tool. Again, exceptions. Most "knife enthusiasts" want a "hard-use knife", but rarely cut more than tape to open boxes (of new knives), or some kind of food prep. Otherwise, you see people go way out of their way to find "hard use" tasks or make up "hard use" tests. It's not the reality of need, but fantasy and enjoyment. Boxes can be broken down with just about anything that will break tape, including our hands, but we prefer to cut them up because we enjoy using our knives. I make no apologies for that.

Ultimately, the perception of "value" is subjective, in that if a particular "expensive knife" brings you the right amount of enjoyment, then it's worth the purchasing price. If it doesn't bring you enjoyment, then it's not worth the purchase price. Remember, we can do most cutting tasks with a $25 SAK or $50 Spyderco Delica.

A common path is to see people start out early in the knife hobby with something in the $50 range, like a Delica, which brings them joy. The joy fades, and they step up to a Benchmade in the $100 range. They joy fades, and they get a $200 ZT. Joy fades, and.... you get the point. IMO, if you don't follow this path, then a $500 Sebenza won't bring you anymore joy than a $100 Benchmade, and you'll be one of the five people in the world who say the Sebenza isn't worth it. Follow the path, and by the time you get there, you'll totally understand why it's worth it. No, it doesn't cut any better, but the Benchmade or ZT doesn't cut any better than the $50 Delica.

Like it? Buy it. Go out, cut stuff, and enjoy your knives. Oh, and take pics, we like pics, especially of "expensive" knives.

 

[scottc3]

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.

I voted yes on the survey. That is quite a jump from a skyline to that ZT! Kudos to you for saving up. You could keep your money yours, AND choose to get a much improved higher quality knife, by staying in the Kershaw brand. Kershaw's Link, Dividend or Knockout have several outstanding modern steels: m390, s35vn, Sandvik 14C28N (I see a Kershaw Dash right now for 55 with sweet N690 on the exchange).
My advice comes from having more trips around the sun behind me than in front of me. And within the domains of my expertise, I notice that some folks don't know what they don't know. I have also noticed a general trend: quality tools seldom bring me grief, where less expensive tools may meet an immediate need but often just barely. As I write this, I'm staring at 2 gifting knives for 13 year olds (who have a history of misplacing knives) that arrived with issues (repairable) from the factory: No detent (20 bucks) and jamming frame lock (38). Your Skyline might last for decades, the ZT will, and I venture to say that over time, the 0452 will maintain a greater percentage of its usable quality than the skyline. Knives last a lifetime, so a few additional months of saving for any lifetime tool purchase makes sense (not counting losing the knife).

 

[sgt1372]

I currently own 58 Kershaws and 26 ZTs, including a 0452CF.

Never had a lock failure w/any of them but they are lightly used and I've never "strength tested" any of them by spine hammering them. Most folders (regardless of price) are not designed to take such abuse and if you need that much blade strength you should use a big assed fixed blade knife instead.

The only Kershaw that I ever returned was a Skyline which IMO was a POS. So, the purchase of any other knife would IMO be an improvement regardless of price.

Whether the purchase of a 0452 at around $160-180 is worth it to the OP depends on a lot of factors both functional and emotional. The quality of materials and construction of a ZT alone justfies its price. However, it sounds to me like the OP has already emotionally decided that he wants one and is seeking some tangible justification for spending THAT much money on one.

That's a frivolous exercise. IMO, if you like it and can afford it, just buy it. A 0452 is good slicer and stabber w/its thin 4" S35VN blade and would function well as self defense weapon. But it it is NOT a work knife and I would never use it to cut ropes or boxes. That's why they make $5-10 utility knives and $1 box cutters.

You can also get equal functionality out of a Kershaw Link, Dividend or Knockout, which are all made in the USA w/the option of M390 blade steel for about $100 less but none of them look and feel as cool as the 0452 does.

Just depends on what you like best.

 

[Cursum Perficio]

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.

OP, if you're thinking about moving up to a ZT, then I think you should because the thought will stay with you, and if you don't get one you will always wonder...
I have 4 ZT's, including an 0452CF. I am very satisfied with all of them, have no problems with them, the materials, build quality and functionality are all excellent, therefore I think you will be glad you got one.
My favorite and most used ZT is definitely the 0562. (The 0562 is available with CTS204P, if you want better edge holding).

By all means consider other brands as well (I carry a Spyderco most often), but if you want a ZT, I suggest you go ahead and buy one.

 

[coinbuysell]

OP,
Read this thread and look at all the people who have reported lock failures. There is a bunch.

Many of these guys on here right now are trying to save the values of their collections.

I hate to break it to you but there is no value in collecting ZT's since they are mostly full factory production and have sold hundreds of thousands of knives since their inception, i.e. they are not (for the most part) collectible like a VERY limited run or full on hand made custom knife. Most are just here trying to keep you from hijacking every ZT thread.

And I agree with the general concensus, I moved up from a s30v Blur to a ZT 0350 and never looked back but once I got up to the Sebenza and then Grimsmo levels I did not see enough of a difference to justify the huge jump in price. The "sweet spot' seems to be in the $150-$250 range imo and there are literally hundreds of quality knives available in that range.

 

[Therom]

I have a skyline and I am not impressed with it even so it is a robust knife for the price but I don’t like the flipping action on mine
I also have an Atmos and while it feels more fragile in hand than the skyline I prefer it over the skyline due to the action
I had a small spear point CQC-4K and I liked it

That is my experience with Kershaw to give you some background

IMO you will notice a clear jump in quality with ZT
If you can save the money you should try

The 452 may be quite large if you are used to the skyline, I think a 0450 may be a more natural transition ... just my thoughts

If you can find a store selling ZTs it can be great for you to go their and to handle some models, it should not be too difficult

You have so many options

Give a look at the entry models from WE, you can get some good action and even better materials than on some more expensive ZT

if you want to go for American companies and if a flipper is not mandatory , look at Spyderco. They have some great options for if you want to really use your knife: PM2s110v or GB2 can be found in the range of $150 which is less than a lot of ZT

I like ZT and if money will not have been an issue, i would have been interested in the 0456cf, 0640 and 039x series

I have handled a 0450 at a store and it compared very closely to my BM940-1.
I recently got a Massdrop Gent and it is quite comparable too even if I prefer the finish on the ZT

 

[scottyj]

If your interested in knives you can visit my website at bogusSpamWebsite.com

Pretty sure those are the "cheap" knives the OP was talking about.

 

[Peter Mandrake]

Youtube is loaded w/ videos of cheap knife catastrophic failures. And many from what most people wouldn't even consider *hard use*.

You can't justify paying more than 30 bucks for a brand new blade? That's fine, just don't complain when the edge rolls over or the blade snaps completely.

Cliche as it may sound...'you get what you pay for'

There's also another saying...'buy expensive once, and cry ONCE'

 

[GermanyChris]

There is a lot of competition at the 0452's price range so make sure when the time comes you check those out too.

I didn't make the jump to $250 I went from $150 to $500 and stayed there that's what I'd recommend you do.

 

[bikerector]

I voted sometimes, because "better" is too subjective. Many cheaper knives function just fine but more expensive generally means a better fit and finish which is more pleasing to look at and use/handle. For me, once I hits a little north of $100, it needs to strike the "artistic cord" because it's functional art, in my mind. Kind of like a nice looking wrist watch, nice boots, or a carbon fiber bicycle (to add in a different expensive hobby).

Sometimes, something just speaks to you and the price isn't as important. Sometimes, it's not the most expensive knife either. One of my recent faves is the CRKT hunt n' Fisch fixed blade. A more recent one I'm becoming fond of is the CK plow V2 in blue micarta. Nice mid to low-level priced knives designed to be used and last a long time. Hess pioneer was another recent acquisition. Compared to a busse, these are pocket change but there's a busse I'm after also. Busse is a different league, harder to justify, but I know it's going to last longer than I will even with the amount of use I plan to throw at it performing trail work, assuming it functions as well as it looks (still on order).

 

[3fifty7]

 

[HappyDaddy]

If you have the disposable income and your present knife isn't working out, then buy something else.

My own feeling is that at some point, you reach the point of diminishing returns. The more money you spend, the nicer the features. But at some price point, the additional features may not be worth the additional cost. Whether there is such a point for you, and at what price point that may be, only you will be able to determine. But I would bet the price point will be beyond that of a Skyline.

With due respect to everyone else who has participated in this thread (with one obvious exception), there is, in fact, a right answer - and it can be found above.

 

[craytab]

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.

You need to stop reporting this horse crap. It's just making a bad argument. You are doing your campaign against zt a disservice because of the basic logical fails of your claims.

 

[Mo2]

You need to stop reporting this horse crap. It's just making a bad argument. You are doing your campaign against zt a disservice because of the basic logical fails of your claims.

I won't buy zt's any more for many reasons that one included.

 

[DJC72]

Knives like anything at a certain point reach a point of diminishing returns. I enjoy knives, from my Ontario Rat 1 to this Shirogorov. I appreciate both those mentioned blades for what they are. For me, it’s about the enjoyment of the hobby. I carry and use my blades and am fortunate enough to be able to splurge on occasion. I don’t look down on more economical brands or in awe of expensive makers. Maybe I’m talking in circles, I just love collecting knives and don’t place much emphasis on cost.

 

[22-rimfire]

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.

I was sort of where you are a few years ago in that I read all these great reviews of various ZT knives, but didn't know if they were worth it to me. I went to a store that sells ZT's and handled a number of different models to get the feel for them. I wasn't interested in a pocket brick or some heavily over-built knife. So, I basically familiarized myself sufficiently with what a ZT is by inspecting them..... then it was a matter of choosing the model and size I felt I would be comfortable with. At the time, my choice was the 0770CF in elmax when it first came out. I liked it. But I have grown away from AO knives now. But that doesn't mean it is not an excellent knife. End of story. Get a ZT as long as you aren't a person who looses knives.

Added: I have looked at and handled the 0452. It is a good knife and most here really that model if they own one. I don't. This past year I looked into the CF version thinking I might like it.... long story short; the knife is too big for me to comfortably carry in my world.