At What Price Point does a Knife become a Safe Queen?

[irsh]

So it looks like we have a trimodal distribution:

1. The filthy peasants who won't use a $400 knife

2. The normal individuals who won't use a $1000 knife

3. The knife barons who use their jewel encrusted Napoleonic dagger as a pry bar

I'm currently a Filthy Peasant but aspire to Normal Individual status. Perhaps after retirement if my ASTS stock goes to the moon.

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[Maroco]

I do carry and use all my knives, even the 3k+ ones however I use them strictly as intended. No prying, etc. I’ve only bought one knife I couldn’t even bring myself to sharpen/use and in the picture you’ll see why. Just wouldn’t look right if I were to have sharpened it. I ended up selling because I wouldn’t carry it.

Totally understandable from my perspective. That thing is GORGEOUS

 

[gentleman_edc]

I don't buy buy super decorative knives. And I buy knives to use.

I have a few knives I don't use, but I like having, but price isn't the issue.

There are few knives over $400 that I would consider, because most of the time, the expensive knives don't become more functional, just more gaudi.

 

[Sleepereaper]

I do carry and use all my knives, even the 3k+ ones however I use them strictly as intended. No prying, etc. I’ve only bought one knife I couldn’t even bring myself to sharpen/use and in the picture you’ll see why. Just wouldn’t look right if I were to have sharpened it. I ended up selling because I wouldn’t carry it.

I don’t blame you. I would love it and hate it at the same time. If I was rich…

 

[Herzav]

It's more of a mindset thing in my opinion, I look at it as ease of replacement say a production can be replaced easily vs a one off custom.

Funny thing is, I have a custom that is all dinged and scratched, compared to as TRM shadow that is babied, the custom was way more expensive, but the PITA that was and is with getting something from TRM makes me apprehensive to carry it.

 

[vjb.knife]

For me it is not just a matter of price. There are some knives that I just buy because they are historic to me or have some sort of meaning other than being a user and they could be relatively inexpensive and/or do not have that much utility so I save them. On the other hand I have a few knives that are pretty expensive and are really made to be used so I don't have a problem using them. Sometimes I try to pick them up already used, because I might save a bit on price and because I won't feel bad using them even though they are special.

 

[Ozmose]

I'm kinda weird with my users. Price is less on an issue than how difficult it will be to replace. I have a $1,400 Rockstead that I have no problem using regularly. On the the other hand, I have a early run full Ti TAD Dauntless that is absolutely mint, and I absolutely can not bring myself to use it. It would break my heart to see so much as a snail trail on it.

 

[Quiet]

These type of threads always end up with the same comments that all knives have to be used and people should feel guilt if they are not using all their knives. In a forum, where just about all members have way more knives than they can regularly use and may even enjoy keeping some pristine for some reasons......

Yep. I don't let it bother me. Most of my knives are collectibles, I have them because I like having them and haven't ever felt the need to justify owning too many knives. I have way more than I'll ever use. I also don't have the cutting needs in my daily life that others do and that's ok. I like collecting and owning knives, and as I've said before, I see absolutely zero sense in using any of my expensive knives hard since A. I have plenty of less expensive knives in my collection for every conceivable cutting need or scenario* and B. being an expensive collectible, I may decide to move it along one day. I see little common sense in beating up and devaluing an expensive knife. That's just me, Of course, there are plenty of devalued users on the Exchange where people have had to take a significant depreciation hit, so in theory if there was a specific knife I wanted to use/abuse, I should be able to find a pretty good deal.




* Heh, let's face it. Nobody is better at concocting fantastical "need" scenarios than knife guys, come on now. Just buy the knife.

 

[GB940Rookie]

I haven’t spent enough on a knife to know the answer to the OPs question.
I’m no fun.

 

[Snacktime]

Why pay more for prominent designers work when you will never feel the benefit? I stick with my peasant attitude of its a tool and all less than $400 knives shall be treated the same. I refuse to pay more for a pry bar, it would not be treated the same.

 

[Roguer]

For me a knife becomes a "Safe Queen" when I have a "Collection" of knives I use and not get around to the others in my "Collection". As it should be!

 

[bayouace]

Some $150 knives I bought a few years ago were safe Queens, but $150 knives today are not.

 

[bladerunner01]

I'm sure this is mostly dependent upon budget, but I think it's important to define what a safe queen specifically is. I've been under the assumption that it's a knife one refuses to use for anything, won't even carry for fear of snail trails or potential harm to the scales. If that's the agreed upon definition, or at least general concensus, then there's no dollar amount and no knife that would be a safe queen for me. I carry all my knives and am happy to use for light duty. I will not, however, use any of my knives for hard use/abuse, like prying.

 

[not2sharp]

I'm sure this is mostly dependent upon budget, but I think it's important to define what a safe queen specifically is. I've been under the assumption that it's a knife one refuses to use for anything, won't even carry for fear of snail trails or potential harm to the scales. If that's the agreed upon definition, or at least general concensus, then there's no dollar amount and no knife that would be a safe queen for me. I carry all my knives and am happy to use for light duty. I will not, however, use any of my knives for hard use/abuse, like prying.

It is not about dollars, at least not about just the investment. I have pieces that are well over 100 years, some over 200 years old, that I prefer to preserve. I have a couple of Chamorro knives, which is a culture limited to Guam and the last known traditional maker passed 10 years ago. There are also gifts and other family owned knives that I am reluctant to use. I have plenty of knives that I can and do use. But some of you make it sound like we insult the gods of Joe X if we fails to beat every last knife against a steel pole. Get with it. The crew here generally have plenty of knives and there is nothing wrong with keeping some of those in a safe.

N2s

 

[madcap_magician]

I don’t blame you. I would love it and hate it at the same time. If I was rich…

* Heh, let's face it. Nobody is better at concocting fantastical "need" scenarios than knife guys, come on now. Just buy the knife.

BUY THE KNIFE! BUY THE KNIFE! BUY THE KNIFE!

Looking back at this, price isn't really the determining factor for safe queen status to me. It's replaceability combined with the reason I bought it. I'd use a Sebenza 31 all day. Why? Because I can get another one with relative ease, even if it is a pretty expensive knife for production knives. Wouldn't use my damascus 2024 Annual small 31, though. Why? Because I'll probably never see another one for sale, and if I ever did, it'd be twice as much as I paid retail, and why would I use it when a plain-jane small 31 does the exact same thing (arguably marginally better since it's MagnaCut at appropriate hardness instead of soft stainless damascus)?

 

[bladerunner01]

It is not about dollars, at least not about just the investment. I have pieces that are well over 100 years, some over 200 years old, that I prefer to preserve. I have a couple of Chamorro knives, which is a culture limited to Guam and the last known traditional maker passed 10 years ago. There are also gifts and other family owned knives that I am reluctant to use. I have plenty of knives that I can and do use. But some of you make it sound like we insult the gods of Joe X if we fails to beat every last knife against a steel pole. Get with it. The crew here generally have plenty of knives and there is nothing wrong with keeping some of those in a safe.

N2s

That's very cool and I agree that should be considered in the definition. However I'm simply playing the OP's game. He or she made it solely about dollars. Thus I went along for the ride. When it comes to the dollars, I care nothing.

 

[mitchnola]

I had a few safe queens that were designated so more because of rarity than price. I have never really been a collector of things till I fell down this rabbit hole. Largely from joining this forum. I have no issue with safe queens and I get it but turned out not to be my thing.

A few mos ago I had a epiphany and felt I had gotten out of control and a little carried away. I decided that I was going to get rid of all my safe queens and only keep users as I had in the past. So I sold them all. While difficult to let some go knowing that I would probably never have a chance to own again, I have yet to regret it. I just wasn’t getting any appreciation or enjoyment from them sitting on a shelf. Just owning them wasn’t something that grew on me.

I now carry and use everything I currently own regardless of cost. And I get to thouroughly enjoy all of em. I still have 2 or 3 rare ones but I carry and use them because I have no intention of ever letting them go.

I actually enjoyed sharing those rare piece’s with fellow enthusiasts/collectors that were going to really appreciate owning them and I still enjoy seeing guys get their latest safe queen. Especially those rare finds.

 

[Brawny]

I'll never fault a man for paying any amount of money for a knife, but I don't think I'll ever spend enough to feel like it should not be used for its intended purpose. I'm like that for everything, though. There's only one thing in my safe that I don't touch regularly, and that's my dad's hunting rifle. If I ever get a chance/time to hunt, however, I'll use that thing like a rented mule.