Are expensive knives worth it?

[marchone]

Most everything has been covered here. Expensive is relative.

The first supposedly good flipper I bought was a $250 RealSteel 570S Pro that fell apart after a few months. It soured me on RealSteel. No customer service available at all. That knife instantly became too expensive. For me.

I have an $1800 Anso that I never use. That is too expensive to sit in a drawer. But it does.

My current EDC is an $850 custom Laconico EZC flipper. It’s a perfect EDC. For me. MBK’s version is 1/4 the price and just as good IMHO, and just as usable. Why would I spend more for an original? Because I can.

 

[EngrSorenson]

Debate of rare and/or extreme high-quality blades aside; some people actually complain about ALL blades being too expensive and useless. Any blade is better than nothing and you pay a price for quality (most of the time). These people have probably never operated a firearm, or even slept outdoors in their life. Americans like to call these people woke. In Australia we call them p*****s.

Agreed- if folks spent a week out-of-doors they would probably spend a little more on a knife and a little less on the latest Iphone.

Just make your point without saying weird things. "Woke", right, wrong or indifferent doesn't belong in this discussion- it's a politically charged term that's just going to cause aggravation. Also, keep the language family friendly in this part of the forum.

 

[Quiet]

Trash hot take.

Reported.

 

[Bob Denman]

"Each to their own notion.", said the old woman as she kissed the cow...

 

[EngrSorenson]

"Each to their own notion.", said the old woman as she kissed the cow...

uh... what?
Do expensive knives induce this kind of delirium?

 

[Insipid Moniker]

uh... what?
Do expensive knives induce this kind of delirium?

Only if you sharpen them on very specific species of frogs and then lick the blades.

 

[Blues]

Debate of rare and/or extreme high-quality blades aside; some people actually complain about ALL blades being too expensive and useless. Any blade is better than nothing and you pay a price for quality (most of the time). These people have probably never operated a firearm, or even slept outdoors in their life. Americans like to call these people woke. In Australia we call them pussies.

That's not really the standard for what constitutes "woke" over here in the States...as to what they are called in Australia...that's outside of my particular realm.

Either way, we are not going down that road here...so take that as a gentle reminder to keep it family friendly and apolitical so that we don't have to clean it up or take other steps.

 

[Owen K.]

uh... what?
Do expensive knives induce this kind of delirium?

Depends what the maker had for breakfast.

 

[Zerk]

Someone took your apostrophe, so I'm definitely not giving you my stick.

apostrophe? I guess you are keeping stick.

 

[Zerk]

How much has been said about the people buying expensive knives, other than I like them? Which is cool. But that does tell you they are not worth it, or they would list the attributes. Not that I am against spending money.

 

[Andy the Aussie]

Or why does anyone need to list the things/attributes that make them worth it to them (beyond "I like it", which remains as good a reason as any) for random questions on the internet. There are countless threads here on steel, grinds, edges, locks, action, fix v folding, handle material, fasteners etc etc. To list over why someone values a combination of XYZ over ABC even though XYZ costs 100% more is probably a waste of time and not to the intent (that's another issue entirely) of THIS thread. The answer is simply in some cases to some people a very expensive knife is absolutely worth the admission price and to some it is not.

 

[not2sharp]

How much has been said about the people buying expensive knives, other than I like them? Which is cool. But that does tell you they are not worth it, or they would list the attributes. Not that I am against spending money.

Items are worth exactly what you can get for them and that largely depends on you. If you want to buy a pile of $500 knives and sell them for $10 the next day at the local flea market, they would sell fast. There are no rules preventing you from being a lousy sales person. There are others out there who can take $10 knife and sell them for $500 …. We think of them as crooks…but most of the time they are simply knowledgeable and talented. But, my point is that the item is only part of the equation. What matters most in determining a striking price is whether you can sell, and how well you can negotiate.

N2s

 

[Oklahoma Outlaw]

 

[Insipid Moniker]

How much has been said about the people buying expensive knives, other than I like them? Which is cool. But that does tell you they are not worth it, or they would list the attributes. Not that I am against spending money.

I find this kind of joyless mentality pretty amusing. The idea that liking something isn't enough to make it worth it makes me think you must sleep on a pile of rags, never watch movies or play games and only eat soylent. Either that or, by your own philosophy, you're wasting your money.

 

[EngrSorenson]

The answer is simply in some cases to some people a very expensive knife is absolutely worth the admission price and to some it is not.

That’s true, but where’s the fun in that?

I also like to see where I fall on the scale of knife expenditure relative to folks I consider to be true knife knuts.

It’s kind of like last weekend: my brother in law wanted to go to see a polo game in Greenwich, CT for his birthday. I drove an hour and a half to find out just how squarely middle class I was.

 

[catspa]

Were the polo players wearing high thread-count shirts? If so, I wonder if they were worth it.

Parker

 

[P. Ortiz]

I've returned to this thread several times trying to come up with a clear answer, only to conclude that one may not exist. So, here's the best I can do based solely on my own circumstances:

Yes. Expensive knives are worth it, but only if:

- you can very comfortably afford it without sacrificing other areas of your life
- you are clear about whether you purchased it as a superior user or an art piece
- you own the knife and it doesn't own you
- it doesn't represent more than you are willing to lose if it is lost, stolen or confiscated

I mention the last point because about one year ago, I had to throw my pocket knife into a trash can and reluctantly say goodbye. I was with my wife at a political event where we waited a couple of hours in a very long line to finally enter. As we approached the entrance to the event, I saw that the Secret Service were checking people before allowing entry. It was only then that I remembered my trusty Opinel #7 was in my pocket (they're pretty lightweight y'know). My options were to split from my wife, take the knife back to the car, wait in line all over again, and then try to find her in a crowd of thousands. Or, I could just ditch the knife in a nearby trash can. While I was sad to lose the Opinel, the decision that day would have required much more deliberation had I been carrying any one of my other more expensive blades. Replacement cost for the Opinel was $15.00. The sentimental value however, was priceless. I own a number of higher cost knives, but that little Opinel gave me peace of mind right to the very end, and it also taught me that design excellence can be had at a very attainable price point. I hope something in here adds some value to this discussion.

 

[Quiet]

How much has been said about the people buying expensive knives, other than I like them? Which is cool. But that does tell you they are not worth it, or they would list the attributes. Not that I am against spending money.

False.

 

[Quiet]

I find this kind of joyless mentality pretty amusing. The idea that liking something isn't enough to make it worth it makes me think you must sleep on a pile of rags, never watch movies or play games and only eat soylent. Either that or, by your own philosophy, you're wasting your money.

You'll find that people with poor critical thinking skills use this sort of logic, but then obliviously turn a completely blind eye to the money they spend on whatever they enjoy. "Why do you buy high end (insert literally anything here) when a cheap inexpensive alternative (or nothing at all) will suffice? "Well, I mean, THAT'S worth it, and, and, STOP ASKING QUESTIONS!"

 

[jng1234]

depends who u ask/needs. would u feel better opening mail w $500 knife? also, there r those buy expensive knives never really use it too scared to mess it up. just let it sit admire.