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

Bigfatts said:
it takes something special to excite me.
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I agree with Bigfatts. And, that's a good thing for me, because "buying and trying" a knife, only to sell it again shortly thereafter, for a loss, can be very expensive in the long run. But then, it's been a fun trip.
 
stabman said:
Try more varieties.
My Umnumzaan does way better than my SAK; I like the SAK for the saw, file and tools, but I put it away and pull out one of my nice single blade knives to do actual blade work. :)
A lot of the Spyderco offerings cut very nicely, and run the range from low-mid-high price range, depending on one's definition.
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I've tried a lot of knives including some highly regarded on this site and they're all great in this or that but overall the SAK is better. And I'm not even talking about the other tools which are a bonus, I'm saying the knife works better. At least for what I do which is cut strapping, plastic and cardboard at work and a bit of woodworking at home. Thin geometry coupled with handles that have actually been rounded off(I know a bit bizarre in this era of square handled knives:D) and none of my other folders can touch it. It looses it's edge faster but a 1 minute strop every other week isn't too much maintenance for me. Everyone has a different idea of what their perfect edc knife is and it just so happens mine's a swiss army knife. I guess I'm just a cheap date. ;)
 
All paintbrushes paint. Not all are the same quality, and not all of them are as good at doing certain things. I would rather have one top-of-the-line paintbrush than 100 super crappy ones that lose all their bristles and snap in half when you look at them wrong. But I would pick a dozen "very good" paintbrushes of different types over the one top-tier one.

;)
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
All paintbrushes paint. Not all are the same quality, and not all of them are as good at doing certain things. I would rather have one top-of-the-line paintbrush than 100 super crappy ones that lose all their bristles and snap in half when you look at them wrong. But I would pick a dozen "very good" paintbrushes of different types over the one top-tier one.

;)
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Wise words.

The same is true for all tools.

I enjoy using high quality knives, but I supply my work crew with less expensive knives that I know they will destroy in short order.

There is room for both in my buying philosophy.


That said, my foreman does carry a Bark River Knife, and I know it if he does destroy it Bark River will take care of us.


Sometimes trust in the manufacturer and their customer service is as important to me as the knife itself.




Big Mike
 
I never really saw what made really high end knives all that great until I handled a SNG. Needless to say its over for me now.
 
Shotgun said:
Thin geometry coupled with handles that have actually been rounded off(I know a bit bizarre in this era of square handled knives:D)
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Square cornered knives get the old sand-paper treatment around these parts. :)
Same with sharp-edged spines; I don't like the way it feels when using thumb pressure in cutting tasks.
The only part that should be sharp is the blade. ;)
 
Lots of high-end. It's the way to go.

Seriously though, I think definitions of "expensive" shift the longer one spends here.
 
^^^God is that true. I used to be blown away by the prices of CRK and Strider's, but after buying Begg's, Medfords, Mosiers, and Microtech customs, they seem down right reasonable.

Quality over quantity. I love Spyderco, but I'd prefer to have 1 Bodega over 10 Spyde's or even 1 Praetorian Ti over 2 Striders. Now just because you pay more, doesn't mean you necessary are getting better quality, but typically real quality comes with a larger price tag. Personally, I don't mind paying the extra price
 
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In the beginning of my knife addiction I bought $50 ish price range tryed several knives.
Then I broke the $100 price range then $150 and now $200 for both collector and users.
I find myself looking at customs and thinking that's not a bad price but haven't pulled the
trigger yet. I may haft to break the $300 price range first I will admit that buying higher priced
knives does slow down the buying frenzy but it makes me enjoy my latest purchase much more.
 
AreBeeBee said:
For me the problem with expensive, top-end knives is that I have a strong hunch they all lie waaaay out on the diminishing-returns part of the goodness curve. That is, every little improvement in fit, finish, and materials costs the buyer disproportionally more than at the lower end.

Given the existence of inexpensive knives (Mora, Opinel, Rough Rider, etc., etc.), I simply can't justify to myself spending gobs of cash on the upper end knives. As many have said here, they all cut.

But then I'm a knife user, not a collector. Collectors can (and will) spend what they like for reasons that are good enough for them. Me, I'm always more impressed when I find a cheap knife that punches above its weight, and these are found down at the low-price end.
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I've been wondering about that -- at what point do knives start to hit diminishing returns in terms of price to quality? In a general sense, tangible qualities are things like blade steels, handle materials, filework, grind work, overall materials (Screws, bearings or bushings.) and the way it was all assembled. It seems like all or most kinds of steels can be found in 100$ish range knives.

So, what's the dollar point where a knife can't possibly get any better? What would a knife with the best EDC usage steel/generally best steel, most comfortable and toughest handle materials, any type of blade and handle design, cost? Just counting the materials - assembly and design is free.




I just recently started collecting knives, and I just don't understand this:


Medford TSP Tactical Spear Point Fixed 3-3/4" Satin D2 Plain Blade, Woodland Camo Handle, Coyote Kydex Sheath -- 400$,-

MFTSPDNKWDKC.jpg


http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/MF...lade-woodland-camo-handle-coyote-kydex-sheath
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Medford Emperor Fixed 3-3/4" Black D2 Plain Tanto Blade, OD Green G10 Handle, Camo Kydex Sheath -- 600$,-

MFEMPDOGOD1KWD.jpg


http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/MF...o-blade-od-green-g10-handle-camo-kydex-sheath
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Extrema Ratio Fulcrum Bayonet 7" Black Tanto Combo Blade, Forprene Handles -- 475$,-

EX300MIL.jpg


http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/EX...inch-Black-Tanto-Combo-Blade-Forprene-Handles
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Rockstead HIGO X-IW-DLC Japanese Folding Knife 3-1/2" Blade, Ironwood Handles -- 1199$,- (Rocksteads knives, in particular, seem outrageously expensive.)

RSHIGOXIWDLCa.jpg


http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/RS...japanese-folding-knife-blade-ironwood-handles
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These are all seemingly production run knives, or mass produced knives.

In every type of industry, stuff that's made by, for, etc. someone famous or well known (Within that industry or even in general.) tends to be relatively higher priced. But knife prices, on a general basis (And what seems to be accepted.) seems extreme. Again, I'm new to collecting knifes.
 
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High end knives are a matter or perspective. My older brother would be comfortable with a common Case slip joint. I try to nudge him toward buying a Great Eastern Cutlery (GEC) knife of his choice. He looks at the price and says... why would I want to spend $100-$150 for a knife that cuts just like a knife that I paid $40 or $50 for? Well... I think it's better.... okay, but so what, my Case cuts everything I need to cut. I can say the same thing about Victorinox swiss army knives (SAKs).

You can make this argument about custom knives, chinese made knives, us made knives and you'll get conflicting opinions.

I buy custom knives and some really inexpensive knives (like $20 or $10). I like them all. I like some better. My better is not somebody else's better as it depends on knowledge, experience, and financial resources. So, in answer to the OP theme, I say, acquire the knives that interest you. You'll buy things that a year later you won't use. But it is all part of the process.

If you're interested in knives, it's a terrible thought for me to know inside that I won't buy another knife unless I loose one or break one even though I am prefectly satisfied with what I currently own. It is all about fun.

In reference to the Jac_solar; generally a knife in the $100 area has hit the point of significantly diminishing returns for the cost. The amount could be $75 for one or $150 for another, but I think you get the point. Folks that like knives like the knife for the knife, not only for what it can cut or how it feels in your hand or performs.
 
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My philosophy (and 2 cents) is to have a mixed bag. Knives you aren't afraid to use beyond what is expected of them and higher priced items that you can be proud to own and excited to admire. I have a rat 1 that gets abused, an edc delica that I don't want to ruin but is constantly being used, and a Chris Reeves I adore and wear as both a conversation piece (hoping one day I'll find another knife nut irl) while still being comfortable with using it. No safe queens though. Haven't quite figured that aspect of ownership out.

I love the knife obsession, the engineering, the discussion, the talk about new vs old, and I'd feel that I'd be cheating myself if I only lived vicariously through all of your possessions. So I come here to be informed and make intelligent decisions about my purchases.

YAY blade forums. :thumbup:
 
I make the comparison to expensive watches. All watches tell time, day, date, calendar etc with near perfect accuracy and reliability, and for as little as $12.
Once you get to the $200-300 watch range you're getting 99% of all the aesthetic amenities and enhancements that you'd look for in a $20,000 or $40,000 watch.

To me a $1000 production knife is as appealing as a $1000 carrot scraper. My .02 cents, YMMV.
 
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Purchasing several lower-cost knives is incredibly helpful in assisting a person determine their personal preferences. Once a person can distinguish between and favor various knife features, such as size, lock type, grip, and blade style, it becomes wiser to invest in more expensive purchases that match personal preferences.

Assuming a knife user has one basic knife of each type [large EDC, fixed blade, small EDC, multi-tool, etc], purchasing a quality knife, which is often more expensive, provides a more refined, reliable tool.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
All paintbrushes paint. Not all are the same quality, and not all of them are as good at doing certain things. I would rather have one top-of-the-line paintbrush than 100 super crappy ones that lose all their bristles and snap in half when you look at them wrong. But I would pick a dozen "very good" paintbrushes of different types over the one top-tier one.
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Yup. Or with the car analogy - I don't need 30 cars worth 10k, but I don't want 2-4 worth 100K either... how about 10 cars worth 20-50k?
 
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