Ashamed of purchase price

D

Dsmroots

Joined
Nov 20, 2014
Messages
19
First off, I don't want this to turn into a pricing debate between manufactures. There is plenty of that.

I am a modest person who likes modest styling and prefer functionality over astetics. I find beauty in craftsmanship. The problem with this is that once you get into some of the more precision built knives, even in production knife territory, you still hit higher price ranges. So when I do compare knives to friends at work, the first thing they ask me is how much I paid for my knives. I have found myself ashamed to mention what I have paid for them compared to a $20-30 kershaw, sog, or Gerber. Am I the only one who finds this problematic? I love my benchmade's and there are plenty of other makes out there that I have my eyes on but even those are 200+. What I have opted to do is just not disclose the purchase price but the feeling of guilt/shame is still annoying.
 
Sounds like your "friends" are snobs, who are of the mentality of the person who wears a ROLEX WATCH, and think if you use a TIMEX, or YOUR CELL PHONE to tell what time it is. You are not cool, neat or worthy of being a friend.

Knife does what? CUTS THINGS you want to cut, does your inexpensive knifes, or knife do what you want it to do? If you reply yes, think about the people who your call your "FRIENDS"
 
If you like quality you'll have to pay for it. Of course there is a tipping point of diminishing turn. If you still food on the table, clothes on your back, lights on, etc. Then spend however much you'd like.
 
I don't sweat it much. The guys at work are used to me having an expensive knife on me. Most have some sort of hobby. My boss will carry a $30 Gerber, but spend $250 on an autographed baseball that sits in a lucite holder. I figure I can at least use mine in everyday tasks. My other boss carries an old carbon schrade pocket knife and is about $50k into restoring a '68 Chevelle & a '70 Nova. A lot of us have something that most would consider extravagant.
 
Akapennypincher said:
Sounds like your "friends" are snobs, who are of the mentality of the person who wears a ROLEX WATCH, and think if you use a TIMEX, or YOUR CELL PHONE to tell what time it is. You are not cool, neat or worthy of being a friend.

Knife does what? CUTS THINGS you want to cut, does your inexpensive knifes, or knife do what you want it to do? If you reply yes, think about the people who your call your "FRIENDS"
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You have his post backwards. He's the one wearing a Rolex while all his friends are telling him a Timex or his Cell Phone are just fine (to use your analogy), and he feels bad that they feel that way, not that he's rubbing it in their faces.

To the OP, it's your money, you can do with it what you please. Nothing rubs me the wrong way more than people who moralize or go on and on about how you should spend less money on things. People who do that often spend too much money on their own hobbies or other things that they don't need to, so what right do they have to tell you that you buying expensive knives is spending too much money?

For instance, I love when my coworkers who smoke try to tell me I spend too much on my stuff. When I explain to them how much they spend on smoking, they usually get mad at me.
 
I totally understand. I've had people ask me what kind of knife they should get, and then had to explain to them that I am a bad person to ask because I am willing to spend a lot more money on a knife than a lot of people (though I'm cheap by Blade Forums standards).

Ultimately I just accept it as the cost of being really into a thing. The improvements as price goes up are really incremental. What is totally worth it to me is not even detectable to others. I just tell people I'm a knife nerd and leave it at that.
 
Bob W said:
Before recommending anything, ask "What price range did you have in mind?" There are good knives at every price level. :cool:
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That's what I do any more. I had a friend ask what would be a good gentlemen's knife recently and I made sure he clarified what price range he was looking at since that category covers a pretty wide range of prices.
 
Lost Cosmonaut said:
You have his post backwards. He's the one wearing a Rolex while all his friends are telling him a Timex or his Cell Phone are just fine (to use your analogy), and he feels bad that they feel that way, not that he's rubbing it in their faces.

To the OP, it's your money, you can do with it what you please. Nothing rubs me the wrong way more than people who moralize or go on and on about how you should spend less money on things. People who do that often spend too much money on their own hobbies or other things that they don't need to, so what right do they have to tell you that you buying expensive knives is spending too much money?

For instance, I love when my coworkers who smoke try to tell me I spend too much on my stuff. When I explain to them how much they spend on smoking, they usually get mad at me.
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Correct. I have a few nice knives and sharpen a lot of knives for people at work and while on the topic I try to stay away from the price point so as to not look or feel like a showboat. At the end of the day all they do is cut things. I just prefer a little better quality than most of the guys at work. It is still a little awkward regardless.

I will say that there are 2 guys I work with who appreciate knives and workmanship for what they are and I have no issue talking about designs or companies with them. I think that is because there is a mutual understanding of the market. I'm not going to lie, prior to the last 4 months, I had a hard time justifying anything beyond $40. I took the plunge and can't see myself going back in the near future.
 
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Price and quality aren't that strongly correlated. If you feel weird, buy a simple but high quality knife that has fit and finish over features, exotic materials or name appeal. All factory knives are factory knives - none of them are hand fit or polished. Something like a $20 SAK is just as precisely made as a ZT.
 
If you can feed your family, pay your bills, and meet your financial obligations, buy what you want, and don't be ashamed of it.
 
I am a newbie here and have enjoyed all discussions. My own personal view is I try to not rain on anyone's parade. I have a $30 Gerber my wife got me for my birthday to replace a 30-yr - old cherised Case that got disappeared. This week I also got a ZT0300. I will gladly dump the ZT to keep the Gerber....

People get pleasure out of many things.

A wise person once said "there is nothing stranger than a rich man's economies and a poor man's extravegances". So very true!
 
SBXT said:
If you can feed your family, pay your bills, and meet your financial obligations, buy what you want, and don't be ashamed of it.
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This. Don't EVER be ashamed of how you enjoy your income after your needs are met. There will be plenty of other people who will try to make you feel that way, don't let them. They don't matter. :thumbup:
 
Firstly, tell your friends it is none of their business.

Secondly, remind yourself it is none of their business.

What happened to manners? In this case your friends lack them.
 
Lost Cosmonaut said:
You have his post backwards. He's the one wearing a Rolex while all his friends are telling him a Timex or his Cell Phone are just fine (to use your analogy), and he feels bad that they feel that way, not that he's rubbing it in their faces.

To the OP, it's your money, you can do with it what you please. Nothing rubs me the wrong way more than people who moralize or go on and on about how you should spend less money on things. People who do that often spend too much money on their own hobbies or other things that they don't need to, so what right do they have to tell you that you buying expensive knives is spending too much money?

For instance, I love when my coworkers who smoke try to tell me I spend too much on my stuff. When I explain to them how much they spend on smoking, they usually get mad at me.
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You are right my brain malfunctioned. Old Persons Goof. But like you said it is his money, if friends" don't understand, will he is spening his money, not theirs.
 
The happier you are with your purchases the less relevant anything else becomes. Just like your friends notice what kind of knife you have, they will also notice HOW CONTENT YOU ARE. :)
 
I would answer , I don't remember what I paid but what do you think of the knife? Talk about the quality and not the cost.
 
Dsmroots said:
First off, I don't want this to turn into a pricing debate between manufactures. There is plenty of that.

I am a modest person who likes modest styling and prefer functionality over astetics. I find beauty in craftsmanship. The problem with this is that once you get into some of the more precision built knives, even in production knife territory, you still hit higher price ranges. So when I do compare knives to friends at work, the first thing they ask me is how much I paid for my knives. I have found myself ashamed to mention what I have paid for them compared to a $20-30 kershaw, sog, or Gerber. Am I the only one who finds this problematic? I love my benchmade's and there are plenty of other makes out there that I have my eyes on but even those are 200+. What I have opted to do is just not disclose the purchase price but the feeling of guilt/shame is still annoying.
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These folks seem to like reasonably priced knives.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-favorite-flipper-that-cost-under-100-dollars
 
Quiet said:
Don't EVER be ashamed of how you enjoy your income after your needs are met.
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Well... it's yours to do with but there's a lot of good that excess income can do. This world is a mess.

We're too quick to justify our own materialism. I buy more way knives than I need and I'm not particularly proud of that (it's sort of an obsession).
 
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