Are there really a lot of differences between a $50 EDC knife and. $250 one?

not2sharp said:
Is there a fundamental difference between a $50 pair of shoes and a $250 pair?

n2s
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I would say absolutely. If you're talking sneakers, that is. A pair of Nike Flightposites will vastly outperform a pair of no air having, Marshall's fodder Nikes. If I play ball for 8 hours my shoes really matter. It's similar to ergonomics with a knife. But you don't pay for ergonomics with a knife. I can't imagine better ergos than on my UKPK and that was like forty bones.
 
stabbing huh?

if thats your only perimeter then $15 bucks gets you a Fury Shiver folder, perfect for shanking! :P


Honestly
Any increase in price would be a waste for you when it comes to performance (unless you factor in coolness)

Personally,

The reason i would pay $200 for a knife is for cutting.

Having a razor sharp knife is very important to me.

I want an edge that can be the sharpest tool on me yet hold up to heavy cutting without chipping or rolling and needing to be resharpened every 5 seconds.

Also durable contruction that prevents the blade snaping if abused.

and lastly sharpens to that razor edge with ease.

$200 seems to guarantee these parameters and adds a few "bells and whistles" for comfort and convenience during use.

but if all I needed was a folding stabber? how could I justify a cost attributed to features i don't need or care about.

That's when I here others tell me" you spent how much on a knife? what a waste!"

so $15, Fury Shiver. Anything costing more to stab with is just cool factor, comfort and convenience.
 
22-rimfire said:
I can tell the difference between cheap wine and really good wine. But I don't particularly care enough about the fine wine to buy it or drink it. Table wine is fine for me.

As far as knives go, I do think you can tell a difference between generally a $50 and a $150 knife. Both will cut. Both will probably please you, but for me the $150 one tends to please me more. The $150 knife will likely have better steel that holds an edge longer with use, probably nicer handles and fit and finish. But if these things are not important to you, there is no reason to purchase anything over $100.

I still carry a $30 SAK everyday, so believe me, I don't "just" lust for expensive knives. I define expensive as anything over $200-$250 in a folder and $300-$400 in a fixed blade. But I really have to think about buying anything that costs more than $125 regardless of it being a folder or fixed blade.

The shoes comparison is an apt one. Dress shirts.... not so much.

I think it's better to have a $30-$50 knife than no knife at all. Even a Rough Rider or Frost is better than nothing.
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Wines are subjective really. The older vines in France and Italy are so old they have a very earthy flavor to them and the oak barrels they use don't help much at all. California wines are so heck bent on being European and the use of oak barrels makes most taste like you have a mouth full of oak chips. South American wines are much better with almost no earthy taste and no wood flavor in the wine. Australian wines use stainless steel barrels and the only flavor you get are from the grapes. Spectacular wines. I won't touch a California, French or Italian wine anymore. A $10.00 Australian wine will be much more pleasurable to drink and go with the proper foods better than much more expensive domestic or European wines, but the catch is you don't have an expensive bottle in the rack in the kitchen to impress guests when they come over. Knives are much in the same. You can over spend on a knife that just don't work as well as a much less expensive one, rather you are buying the name.
 
Boris74 said:
Wines are subjective really. The older vines in France and Italy are so old they have a very earthy flavor to them and the oak barrels they use don't help much at all. California wines are so heck bent on being European and the use of oak barrels makes most taste like you have a mouth full of oak chips. South American wines are much better with almost no earthy taste and no wood flavor in the wine. Australian wines use stainless steel barrels and the only flavor you get are from the grapes. Spectacular wines. I won't touch a California, French or Italian wine anymore. A $10.00 Australian wine will be much more pleasurable to drink and go with the proper foods better than much more expensive domestic or European wines, but the catch is you don't have an expensive bottle in the rack in the kitchen to impress guests when they come over. Knives are much in the same. You can over spend on a knife that just don't work as well as a much less expensive one, rather you are buying the name.
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I will agree that what is a quality wine is very subjective, but have to strongly disagree with your comments on wine production locations, California, Oregon and Washington in the US, France, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Argentina all make world class wines of many varietals at multiple price points. While not true all of the time more times than not the better made wine will cost more. If one does not appreciate the difference each maker provides then one should spend the money. There is big difference between enjoy a special bottle with friends and showing off the label.


Which leads to my main point, I have to admit these discussions get old, there is always the example of the cheaper whatever it is that is just as good if not better then the more expensive you name it item, knives, guns, cars, trucks, boats, fishing reels and rods, stoves, pots, sunglasses, one could on and on. The bottom line for me is that if you can appreciate the difference and can afford it is worth it to you if you can not, it isn't.
 
Landshark99 said:
...there is always the example of the cheaper whatever it is that is just as good if not better then the more expensive you name it item, knives, guns, cars, trucks, boats, fishing reels and rods, stoves, pots, sunglasses, one could on and on. The bottom line for me is that if you can appreciate the difference and can afford it is worth it to you if you can not, it isn't.
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Well said, "worth" in general is subjective to the consumer. To some it is simply not "worth" spending loads of money on a knife just to take it outdoors to beat on it and use the bejeesus out of it, so they'll opt for cheaper but adequate alternatives. For others it is "worth" the money to have higher quality materials and steel, higher quality fit and finish, the made in u.s.a. tag, something truly hand forged by a known and respected maker, etc. And so they opt to spend tha (THEIR) money.

Neither is particularly right or wrong...

Same with wines, some like those earthy tones.. Some like particularly fruity tones. Some people would rather have a beer! Some don't like onions, some people don't like mayonnaise, some people don't like chocolate.

Regarding Knives, I have the 1095 Schrade extreme survival knife too, its been relegated to the bottom of my grab and go bug out bag, but my truth about it is as such; it was very generic; grind lines, fitand finish weren't impressive, handle ergonomics were OK, sheath isn't impressive, nothing about this knife was going to "wow" anybody with an appreciation for detail. But it does exactly what it was intended to do, it cuts, it chops, it takes a beating. AND LIKE CHAMP! I'd say AS good as any other 1095 steel knife I've had the pleasure of using, not particularly better, nor worse, but as good considering geometry... (though cro-van definitely holds an edge better). It's a no frills factory produced knife, perfect for outdoor work...

That's not to say a handmade custom with well laid out grind lines, better/more exotic/nicer looking handle materials with better ergonomics, a better final finish, (smoother jimping and such, maybe brass pins, a nice bolster, even down to maybe a stronger epoxy, etc), hand forged in 1095 or whatever, or stock carved from something stainless and tough, with a really nice detail oriented sheath is not "worth" a much higher price tag, to hang on a wall or to use, even "IF" it only cuts "just as good" as that $30-50 (shipped) schrade does. Especially to someone who can appreciate those finer detals...


A basic model truck like mine can do the job just fine.
An upgraded package is definitely nicer, better even, in most ways: leather seats, wood trim, power everything, maybe heated seats, better stereo, nicer rims, the list of options is extensive, but engine to engine, suspension to suspension, tow package to tow package, mine will still hold up just as well in use as any nicer version with comparable "guts"... That is like your steel...
Others however have "better" beefier versions there as well, bigger or more efficient engines, heavier springs and tow packages, and they will be able to outperform my truck, be it towing, carrying loads, or highway milage, (these are your "better" steels), but that doesn't relegated my truck instantly to "junk", it is exactly what it is, a a base model dodge ram 1500, and it performs exactly as it should. No frills. And just like a heat treatment, head to head, a much nicer model, a beefier model, any other model could break down before mine no matter how much it cost, or mine could crap out first, or mine could hit 300k? Only one way to find that out though.
 
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If you want a knife for stabbing, take a look at the new EK No. 4 made by Kabar (fixed blade). That's a stabber and a fighting knife. Looks "cheap", but I suspect performance wise, it would hard to beat. With a fixed blade, you don't have to worry about how good a lock is on the knife and your fingers will never be cut by a blade closing on them during a stab.

I haven't stabbed many things with a knife in my life and as a result, I tend not to focus on locks and fighting knives in general. This is clearly illustrated by my routine carry of a SAK. I am not immune to buying "cool knives" however just because I think they're cool.
 
Use the right tool for the job.

You wouldn't carry a $100 ESEE 6 to a suit & tie dinner party and you wouldn't carry a one off Todd Rexford to chop some firewood.
 
I think it comes down to the fundamental debate of what you determine "EDC" means to you, so to me I have two focuses, one is a defensive / survival / worst case type knife where there you should be quality built to last

The other focus is simply practical every day domestic tasks you need a knife for, where unless your into agricultural or trade fields, most people cut tags, open mail, packages, peel fruit, get crude out from under your finger nails

In that scope lots of awesome under $50 knifes and some are incredible useful for even hard use task, like a sod buster or the sword peasants , one of my favorites is the douk-douk it's cheap good quality and has a cool retro factor or anything case makes which are affordable and well priced in that range or so is the Swiss army Alox cadet

I carry both as let's face it in some settings breaking out a scary big black tactical knife to cut a pool wrist band off your kids wrist is gazed at negatively

Past that point it's about what you like, from simply a collectible perspective or just desiring well made and/or unique products

So there is no direct answer to your question, would decide what you want out of a knife and focus on best in class around those parameters
 
LX_Emergency said:
Depends on the knives you're comparing and your demands on said knife. Sometimes the difference will be huge...with some comparisons the difference will be minute.
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Exactly. :)

There really isn't a solid answer to the question.

A person has to figure out what they really want the knife to do and or are actually going to do with the knife before they even start to look.

Even in knives costing the same, say $300.... If one wants to actually cut stuff with it and they are down to 2 choices, one that's thick as a pry bar while the other is thinner, both being the same steel the choice would be obvious.

Cost is always going to be a rather large factor with a lot of people as not everyone can afford to spend $250 on a knife or can justify spending it.
 
Quality/Materials are subjective and not directly correlated to price. To answer your question, it really depends on your definition of an EDC knife.

Do I find differences between a $50 and a $250 knife? Yes. I have my own core requirements for what I want/look for in a knife, therefore justifying the cost.
 
sutherland said:
Quality/Materials are subjective and not directly correlated to price. To answer your question, it really depends on your definition of an EDC knife.

Do I find differences between a $50 and a $250 knife? Yes. I have my own core requirements for what I want/look for in a knife, therefore justifying the cost.
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+1

A kershaw leek will cut the same as a ZT 0560, but they are completely different knives with completely different designs and materials.

You can't compare apples to German diesel engines.
 
You are essentially asking the philosophical question: What is worth.

There is no right answer. Yes, the more expensive knives generally have better steels, use a frame of titanium instead of steel, and are made to tighter tolerances, but there is no way to know how much more that should make them worth.

In the end it is all about personal choice. There is no need to buy a $400 knife, nor a $100 one. In fact, in this day and age most could probably get by without a knife at all.

But need isn't why we buy them ;)
 
I own and use knives ranging from $100 to $1000 and up. But I'd say it's all in what your into. For the purposes of this thread, let's say kershaw/spyderco vs the likes of strider/Hinderer/CRK. With kershaw and spyderco you get great quality and pretty cheap pricing (for most models) yes it's usually lesser quality blade steel, and handle material, but that doesn't matter to some. And that's just fine. With the expensive 3 I have listed your not only paying for excellent quality and tight tolerances, but your hard earned money is being spent on an American made knife. Buying "made in America" is usually a much more costly way to go. Same with knives. Made in America / made by well payed skilled workers , equates to more cost. No doubt there are more and less expensive American made knives, I just use strider/Hinderer/CRK cause those are the ones I'm familiar with.
 
Bigtiny6181 said:
I own and use knives ranging from $100 to $1000 and up. But I'd say it's all in what your into. For the purposes of this thread, let's say kershaw/spyderco vs the likes of strider/Hinderer/CRK. With kershaw and spyderco you get great quality and pretty cheap pricing (for most models) yes it's usually lesser quality blade steel, and handle material, but that doesn't matter to some. And that's just fine. With the expensive 3 I have listed your not only paying for excellent quality and tight tolerances, but your hard earned money is being spent on an American made knife. Buying "made in America" is usually a much more costly way to go. Same with knives. Made in America / made by well payed skilled workers , equates to more cost. No doubt there are more and less expensive American made knives, I just use strider/Hinderer/CRK cause those are the ones I'm familiar with.
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Made in America doesn't cost much more. Check out Kershaw, Spyderco, and tons of other US manufacturers who are producing very good quality knives at very competitive prices, many under $5025.00. Just kidding, make that $50.00 or $25.00.

I'm a Spyderco Delica EDC carrier. I like the Kershaw Leek with the Sandvik steel blade. Here are some cool videos about US made knives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZjiOAT13Lc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppNuIw9wclA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-um1RGYysg
 
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DAVE_M said:
Use the right tool for the job.

You wouldn't carry a $100 ESEE 6 to a suit & tie dinner party and you wouldn't carry a one off Todd Rexford to chop some firewood.
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Don't tell ME what I can and cannot do with my knives! :p

If you have the budget, go nuts. If not, choose... wisely.
last_crusade_choose_wisely.jpg
 
I've owned inexpensive and expensive knives, and overall I have to say that the extra money buys extra pleasure, there's something about the higher level of F&F that really just gives you a buzz when you use 'em. Sure, the Blur, Skyline, Cryo, Delica, and Mini-Grip are all great ~$50 knives that are acknowledged all over as being quite good, but after owning and using all of them I gravitated towards the ones I spent a bit more on: Spyderco Native and BM Rift specifically. There's something about the solidity of the Native, every time I open it I love it even more. The Rift is a pleasure to carry around, and to use, it fits everything I've looked for in a knife (other than a FFG), and it just feels better than the less expensive knives that came before.

It really is all about personal preference, sure there are some noticeable differences in materials and build quality, but what really makes or breaks it is how the knife feels to you, and if you are getting the pleasure out of it that you wanted for what you spent on it.

My average EDC cost is $120, I doubt I'll find any other knives that could push that lower.
 
Have no idea what my average price for knives is, but I do know that the unit cost per knife has increased. Ten years ago, I felt that the Spyderco Endura, Delica, and Native (versions available then) were fairly expensive. They were my first Spyderco knives; and at the time, I didn't know if I would to use them or not. Now, with powder steels, most of the Spyderco's I am likely to buy will exceed $100. My problem with knives is that I like them just for the sake of having them and I continue to carry a SAK daily. A second carry knife is a bonus.
 
GatorFlash1 said:
Made in America doesn't cost much more. Check out Kershaw, Spyderco, and tons of other US manufacturers who are producing very good quality knives at very competitive prices, many under $5025.00. Just kidding, make that $50.00 or $25.00.

I'm a Spyderco Delica EDC carrier. I like the Kershaw Leek with the Sandvik steel blade. Here are some cool videos about US made knives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZjiOAT13Lc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppNuIw9wclA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-um1RGYysg
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I dig spydercos and kershaws, but most are NOT made in the U.S. The ones that are... Have a heftier price.
 
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