Buying a lot of Knives vs 1 Expensive Knife -Philosophy?

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BrolyJr

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Nov 7, 2012
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Buying a ton of less expensive knives vs buying 1 CRK, Strider, Hinderer, or Custom knife. Your philosophy?
 
I love value/budget type knives, and get as much fun from them as I do the spendy ones. I have more than my share of spendy knives like CRKs, Busses, Striders, etc. But I also sorta feel stupid for dropping $435 on a knife that doesn't cut any better than a $40 knife. So for me, I'd rather have 10 Kershaws at $20 to $30 each than one $300 knife. There is something very cool about having a big, beefy Kershaw Tremor in your pocket, with G10, decent 8Cr13MoV steel and an assisted opener, and knowing you only dropped $23 or whatever on it. Now, the CRK guys without a doubt would rather have one "good" knife, but "good" is completely subjective isn't it? So I like my budget knives, and would rather get a new one each month for a year than blow it all on what to me is way overpriced for what you get. What you are getting by going from $23 to $423 isn't performance (except a modest improvement in edge retention), its bling. And that's fine if you are into titanium and S35VN. I just enjoy the budget lineup way more. Plus, you cry less when you lose a Kershaw.

20130919_162915_zpsea6d48e7.jpg

Kershaw Oso Sweet: assisted opener, 8Cr13MoV steel, feels great and cuts great, and ships for around $22.
 
Why do you ask? (if you don't mind me asking! :)) Have you gone from wanting one higher cost knife like you have been asking about in your 10 or so threads in the last 11 days, to wanting several lower cost knives? I hope we don't get a series of threads for each of this bunch of lower cost knives you are thinking of! :) We will never keep them straight!

For me...my buying is driven "quality." Not by "cost" or by "amassing quantity".
 
marcinek said:
Why do you ask? (if you don't mind me asking! :)) Have you gone from wanting one higher cost knife like you have been asking about in your 10 or so threads in the last 11 days, to wanting several lower cost knives? I hope we don't get a series of threads for each of this bunch of lower cost knives you are thinking of! :) We will never keep them straight!

For me...my buying is driven "quality." Not by "cost" or by "amassing quantity".
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I agree completely.
 
Let me add here that what this all boils down to is what makes you feel good. They all cut stuff, and they all do it pretty much the same. A carrot has no idea whether it was just decapitated by a Strider or a Tenacious. The one that makes you feel better while killing the carrot is the one you are going to buy.
 
Budget for me is the way to go. I have a few real nice ones that stick out but they are nothing custom or special.
 
I agree with Mr. Noodle for the most part. IMHO function trumps form most every time.
With that being said I love fondling my Spyderco Air even though it is unlikely to ever cut more than an envelpoe or thread.
 
powernoodle said:
Let me add here that what this all boils down to is what makes you feel good. They all cut stuff, and they all do it pretty much the same. A carrot has no idea whether it was just decapitated by a Strider or a Tenacious. The one that makes you feel better while killing the carrot is the one you are going to buy.
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Carrot hater ;)
 
powernoodle said:
Let me add here that what this all boils down to is what makes you feel good. They all cut stuff, and they all do it pretty much the same. A carrot has no idea whether it was just decapitated by a Strider or a Tenacious. The one that makes you feel better while killing the carrot is the one you are going to buy.
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This.

I prefer inexpensive (but good performing) things so if/when they get scratched, damaged or lost, I'm not bereft. Opinel for me.

Others like ultimate objects. Tony Bose for them.
 
If I were to plop down over $75 for a knife, it would probably never get used. I love buying cheaper lines from quality makers. I picked up my Kershaw US made Leek at a pawn shop for $13 and since it was already dinged up, I don't worry about banging it up. My $15 CRKT Point Guard is my other daily carry knife that I use to do anything I need a knife for. I have a few other models from both companies, along w/a couple of Sogs but haven't had a reason to use them yet.

I'm still debating on using my Ripple, and it was only about $45! I can afford a more expensive knife, but I don't see the point in it.

It is in my mind that I'd lose it if I carried it. Ever go to take a picture while in a hot air balloon or hanging your arm over a railing from a great height? Were you filled w/anxiety while you did so, worrying that you'd drop it? That is how I'd feel w/an expensive knife in my pocket.
 
9blades said:
I agree completely.
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I certainly don't mean to imply that any other knife-buying philosophy is wrong! :thumbup: I'm just at a point where, honestly, the knives I use most are my Vic Classic and my chefs knife (and my Leatherman). I don't need much more than that. And I'm probably covered for just about any other scenario.

That said, if some shiny, sexy, sharp thing catches my fancy enough....I'll buy it if I can afford it (and even sometimes if I can't).
 
marcinek said:
my buying is driven "quality."
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But even "quality" is completely subjective, right? Quality can mean smoothest opening, in which case a CRKT Ripple or Sebenza are players. Quality might mean edge retention, in which case D2 steel might rise to the top. Other guys place a premium on cost or value, which are no less a qualities than are the other measures of what makes a good knife. Its how we arrange our list of qualities that determines our purchase, and we arrange that list subjectively. That's why a cool knife to me may be a crap knife to someone else, and vice versa.
 
Sometimes I frustrate myself buying cheap knives because it's much easier to sell one $300 knife than ten $30 knives. It doesn't keep me from giving them a try though. I love so many knives in the $20-$50 price range that I can't stop giving new ones a shot. My advice is buy the knives you want. Sometimes if I'm saving up for an expensive knife I'll buy other knives along the way that I know if I don't like them I can sell them for a minimal loss. I just have a tough time going more than a week or so and not buying some kind of knife, even if it's just $20. Gotta get my fix ;)
 
I have a dollar amount (secret ;) ) ceiling that differentiates a user or a collectible non-user. I just can't face that first scratch on an expensive knife when I know I've got 50 other reasonably priced EDC's that will do job just as well.
I carried some high-end knives and found that when there was a cutting task at hand I'd look for something else to use rather than risk the damage performing a menial job.
That said, I've sold most of my safe queens and picked up a bunch of usable (to me) EDC's. I enjoy the variety of a large collection so it just fits.
 
I think their are pluses and minuses of each one but I think the fact of you just comparing materials is not quite just. I have budget Kershaws and enjoy them, but I also have multiple $300 knives that I also enjoy very much and find the fit, finish, quality, materials and overall build along with country of origin to be more superb. There are many differences and everyone has their own limits, tastes and preferences. I use to think the same thing but then I experienced higher quality knives and enjoy them more at least for me or at least can justify the price. I also have the outlook that we only live once and if you can afford it then why not enjoy the finer things in life. I am do not have a ton of money being a poor college student but am able to save and be art with it so I can buy nice things.
 
Since I always use my knives as tools, I have to remember there is a good chance that they could be damaged (by accident or mistake) out on the jobsite. Also, they can be dropped, misplaced or stolen.

I have a tendency to buy nice work knives I can beat the snot out of (favorite brand for that: Kershaw) that are moderately priced. I only spend money on nice traditional patterns, but a nice Queen knife or similar isn't that expensive for what you get.

On a personal level, I would cry real tears if I was using my StriBenzaHind and dropped it in a concrete pour. If it was one of my Kershaws, I would rinse it off and put it back in my pocket hoping I could get it clean enough to work well again. I don't want to worry about my tools. I would likewise be upset if I dropped an expensive knife off a roof or scaffold and it got really banged up. Not so with the Kershaws, it doesn't seem to hurt them and visible damage is just a work stripe it earned.

I really like a nice knife, but as far as utility value goes I don't always think you get what you pay for with the expensive brands. It would take me a long, long time to get $750 dollars worth of work out of a knife.

Robert
 
It depends on what stage of the sickness you're in. If you're still at the "I want this one and that one and that one over there too" point I would say buy more lower range knives, say sub-$150. That way you get to handle lots of knives and really boil it down to what you like in a knife. But if you're like me, I've bought and sold more knives than I can count or even name and it's gotten to the point where it takes something special to excite me.
 
I love having a bunch of high quality, budget knives (Svord Peasant, Boker Trance, Gerber EAB, Byrd Cara Cara, etc.). However, the ones that find time in my pocket are neither the cheap nor the very high priced. I carry middle of the ground knives, around the $100-150 range mostly. My main carry is a Hogue EX-01 Al. If I want to be little lighter and more classy, I'll carry a Caly 3 CF or something similar. I don't own any knives over $250. If I owned a CRK or other $400+ knife, it would be used for carrying, not just display. I guess that's why I don't own knives that pricey; the ones under $200 suit me just fine.
 
BrolyJr said:
Buying a ton of less expensive knives vs buying 1 CRK, Strider, Hinderer, or Custom knife. Your philosophy?
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To each his own. People buy stuff for all sorts of reasons. Plus, it's not like anybody on this forum needs more than one knife. We buy knives because we want to, not because we need to. Bottom line: You buy a CRK, a Strider, a Hinderer or any other high priced knife because you want it and you have the money for it.
 
Bigfatts said:
...it's gotten to the point where it takes something special to excite me.
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You know, they make a pill for that...:D

In all seriousness I completely agree with what you said. Unfortunately I'm still in the 'teenager hot girl' phase, aka if a knife looks at me the right way I immediately want to buy it. I know that will die down in time, but for right now, I'm enjoying the variety.
 
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