buying an expensive knife verse many "cheaper" knives.

[Larry Turko]

I've easily spent enough money on knives, swords, hawks and related items that I could easily have afforded to own ,say, a dozen Busses, Striders, or Sebenzas or whatever the snobs drool over. I've consciously chosen to buy many, less expensive ,knives because I would rather have a lot of cool things than a handfull of very expensive items, that I would probably be reluctant to carry and use anyway, because of the risk of losing or damaging very expensive items.
Anyway, some very nice knives are available at prices that aren't totally insane. Case in point is the new Spyderco Navaja, as cool and well made a knife as any reasonable person could want. I'd take a Navaja over a Sebenza any day of the week. [ of course I'd choose a Smith and Wesson over a Sebenza]

 

[T. Erdelyi]

By my definition those ain't cheap knives, a cheap knife is twofer/$10, those are very serviceable EDCs.

I personally won't buy "Cheap" knives because I have a certain level of expectation for the knives I EDC, be it superior building materials or handwork in the making and heat treating of an EDC.

If ya have enough users to keep in rotation than save your money and buy a higher end knife, I save up my change all year to be able to get one of the Traditional Forums knife so there's nothin' wrong with waitin' and savin'.

I guess it all comes down to what ya really want, instant gratification or the anticipation of knowin' you'll have a really nice one waitin' in the wings.

 

[BikerTrash]

I started out buying a variety of quality inexpensive knives, then stepped my price limit up to $200 and bought a few more. I then found the XM-18 I wanted, and at a decent price, and haven't looked back! I know edc that XM-18, and have bought 2 more since. I have found the knife that speaks to me, which is a manual flipper, so now I pretty much limit myself to buying that type.

 

[Dorito Monk]

I guess I have much lower standards than some when it comes to labelling knives 'expensive' or 'inexpensive'... The OP listed the Paramilitary 2 as one of a few 'cheaper' knives, but I don't think I still own a knife that expensive. My most expensive knife right now is an Orange Manix 2 at around 100$. For me, most knives above ~60$ are high-end, as opposed to your average 10$ 'smith and wesson'/off-brand junk, which I consider low-end.

I suppose, too, that I'm more concerned with quality than price when it comes to knives. I absolutely love my Victorinox SAKs and shaving with my Opinel no. 8 is a hoot, even though those knives are cheap as borscht by most folks' standards. On the other hand, I wouldn't touch the Taylor-brand junk with a ten-foot pole and I stay away from the really cheap chinese-made knives that permeate flea-markets and such.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

I don't usually associate "cheap" with price, (some of my most prized knives were bought for under $5 at yard sales) but when your price point is under $5 a knife, ya get what ya pay for.

I have a friend who would rather buy 52 POS knives a year for $2 a piece and replace 'em every week or so, ( he even bought a $200 electric sharpener to grind a new edge on these , (for lack of a better term) knives and he's happy with that.

I bought him a CRKT Kiss and he put it away and made a Safe Queen out of it.

To each his own, I have no Safe Queens except maybe 3 or 4 knives I plan on resellin' other than that, regardless of price they all get used sooner or later.

 

[PassinBy]

I don't really understand the idea with multiples or safe queens. If I wanted something pretty to look at that I keep locked up in a safe, I'd much prefer precious metals or gemstones. I personally don't have much of a problem with using a $725 knife. In fact, I might even go so far to say that I didn't baby the knife enough, and ended up scraping my R.J. Martin Overkill against the concrete floor slightly(still enough to put some small chips near the tip). I wonder if knife makers would prefer their knives to be used or babied.

I personally edc what i feel like and don't mind using them. However, im guessing there are some who will baby their knives, not specifically safe queens, I guess that might mean carrying them & never really cut a thing with them. For me its more like what I feel like or see the knife is right for the task. So I prefer the idea of just be comfortable with what your choice, heck, you love quantities go with multiples, you love the one blade then choose the more expensive one, I just wanted to address that OP should be aware of ending up not using his knife.

 

[R0CKETMAN]

I buy expensive 1911's and feel there are some comparisons. However, I can tell you with 100% certainty I will never lose a 1911.

 

[grey menace]

I mostly have Busse and Randall knives and while i do have some safe gueens, mostly older Busse A2 steel straight handles , i use the hell out of my knives, i live in the woods and use my blades all the time, don't really have any use for cheep knives, i'm not rich but i save my money to buy quality.

 

[stabman]

I've easily spent enough money on knives, swords, hawks and related items that I could easily have afforded to own ,say, a dozen Busses, Striders, or Sebenzas or whatever the snobs drool over. I've consciously chosen to buy many, less expensive ,knives because I would rather have a lot of cool things than a handfull of very expensive items, that I would probably be reluctant to carry and use anyway, because of the risk of losing or damaging very expensive items.

Snobs? Why is someone a snob because they like to have the best they can afford?
And why be reluctant to use expensive equipment?
Hell, I'm a 34 year old university student with no car and a tiny apartment, but I carry and USE my Striders, Umnumzaan, Junglas, as well as my Spydercos.
Other than a fully justified sense of being superior to everyone else, I cannot fathom why one would classify me as a snob.

 

[T.K.C.]

I am about quality, not quantity. Someone once said, buy the best that you can afford.

 

[timberweasel]

Just picked up 4 relatively inexpensive folders, (Boker 101, Kershaw tremor, spyderco paramilitary 2 and CRKT m21-04g). I spent a little over 200 for all four and feel I got a good deal. All 4 seem pretty nice and I'm happy with the quality of the knives. My question is prior to buying them I went back and forth on should I spend more money to get a sebenza or something in that price range or get several knives. I ultimately chickened out and went for the bargain. Does anyone else have this issue; buying an expensive knife verse many "cheaper" knives. Also, does anyone have comments on the 4 i bought.

I personally do not believe that the price-tag on a knife is any indication of how much I will enjoy it. A knife has to catch my eye (hopefully not literally ) before I will consider buying it. After that, the more affordable it is, the better! I’m still a fairly novice collector, but the more I learn about knives, the better I can understand what makes one knife more expensive than some others. Suddenly an asking price of $200 can seem like an insanely good deal, a $50 tag seem like an insulting rip-off, and vice-versa… maybe it’s ‘an appreciation of value’ that develops with a little knowledge. I still have so much to learn. I consider every purchase a lesson.

See, I’m the kind of guy who feels a little agitated or unsettled if I don’t have a knife in my pocket. I feel the same way on the rare occasions when I forget my wristwatch at home—when I need it and don’t have it, I get frustrated. So rather than go without a knife, I have different knives for different occasions. Perhaps one day, I’ll find that one ‘go-anywhere-do-anything’ pocket knife, but until then, I have knives that are at home in a suit pocket, some that go nicely in khakis, and others that are appropriate for jeans. I have knives that are suitable to come along to the office with me, and knives that are better for camping. There are knives for the kitchen, some for the garden, and blades for general utility. I prefer to have a selection of good knives than one very fine blade. At least, that’s my mileage at this stage of the game.

I don’t begrudge anyone who buys art-knives either. A safe-queen or display piece can have just as much enjoyment value as a trusty user blade; perhaps only on a different level.

Just remember: learn as much as you can, buy only what you want, spend only what you can afford, and never drink the Kool-Aid… you should never have to convince yourself of the things you truly want.

Cheers!

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

When I buy a new knife, one of the things I look for is what kind of functionality does it bring to the table, and what knives (if any) do I already have that are suitable for use on similar tasks. As a whole I tend to buy knives that perform above what you pay for them, as that's what I get the most enjoyment out of.

 

[Joben]

I can't be the only person who read the OP and said "Wait, a paramilitary is a "cheaper" knife?"

I have knives in that price range, but to me cheaper is more like under $50.

Heck when I truely became a knife nut a few years ago $50 was a really expensive knife...I hemmed and hawed about laying out the cash for an Izula...it's all relative I guess.

 

[22-rimfire]

I think buying expensive knives is either a case of affluence, conditioning, or both. Before I met my future brother in law (BIL), I wouldn't have considered spending $200 on a knife. It took time and certainly reading and participating here at BF affects the conditioning. To me a good knife was a Case slip joint. I looked no further. I continue to look at Case knives as being a good knife, but not a great knife. I carry a SAK everyday. Why not a Case? Well... most SAKs are cheaper but are still a very servicable knife. If I mess it up or loose it, I buy another. It's a tool. I use tools.

Now, since being exposed to my BIL, I have purchased much more expensive knifes. But I have not gotten to the point of being willing to spend $400 for a knife I use everyday and might loose. So, I guess I am still buying middle price range knives for the most part, but I buy very few "cheap" knives (<$50)anymore except for some Case and similar fairly well made less expensive knives.

I went through a "Buy Custom" phase, and have slowly returned to my comfort level of middle priced blades. I still buy Customs, just not as many as pretty well made production knives. I bought a CRKT Razel Stubby a while back and it was <$30. Discovered it was made in China and I felt like I was taken. But the truth is, I like this knife, but would certainly like to have one of the Graham Bros customs eventually.

 

[Chris Pierce]

I used to buy more expensive ( for me ) knives, in the $150-$250 range. Recently I sold off all of those knives. I find that super steel doesn't work well for the things I do. AUS8 and 8cr13mov are fine by me since they don't chip as much as harder steels. I think the most expensive knife I EDC is my newly acquired Hogue Ex-01 tanto with aluminum handles which cost me $100. Then this knife I'm not sure about since I have not used it much. My favorite EDC is a Cold Steel American Lawman with a triad lock. I'm also quite fond of my onatario RAT1 and Kershaw S60V blur BLEM.

 

[banana-clip]

I have both cheaper knives and higher end knives, but the last few years I have been buying more expensive knives like Busse and Hinderer. Id rather save up and buy the best that i can afford plus Id rather have 1 really nice high quality knife than 6 cheaper knives.

 

[Davor]

I rather have a high quality knife, and if its also expensive, then I will appreciate it more. Cheap items just end up piling up in a box and its a waste of money.

 

[enderwiggin]

I've started to get the new-knife itch real bad again lately. I've already been through buying different types of knives in the $40-$200 range, and have ended up selling just about everything off save for what I really like to carry.

I've had my eye on a William Henry EDC E10-3 for a while now, but I'm still trying to justify the $300 cost of the knife when I know I could get, say, a Spyderco Paramilitary and a Superleaf for the same price, shipped.

I would say it really depends on the knives you're looking at, and not only how appealing they are to you both cosmetically and functionally, but how much value you're getting out of the knife. My 550HG Mini Griptilian was a tremendous value at $60, and I'm not afraid to use and abuse it. Same goes for my Spyderco Persistence at $30.

...But I'd still much rather be carrying the WH E10-3

 

[Shadow213]

I am about quality, not quantity. Someone once said, buy the best that you can afford.

I agree with T.K.C., and I have been told something similar to buying the best you can afford. What I have been told, and live by is....."You get what you pay for". IMO, if you can afford a Sebenza, buy it. You won't be disappointed and even if you are, reselling it won't be a problem as they maintain good resale value. As I am sure many here have heard as well, you 'only cry once' when you spend the cash on a higher end folder, or fixed blade, but will have a lifetime of enjoyment of such a purchase that can be passed on after you leave this earth.

However, not many here(myself included) can just go splurge on a fine CRK, Busse, Randall, etc., in which case many $100 and up knives can fill an individual's EDC needs just as well. In the beginning of my knife collecting, I owned some POS knives that didn't hold up and therefore ended up in the trash and now I don't give those things a second look. When it comes to buying knives, I'd rather buy quality over quantity as well.

 

[Larry Turko]

Snobs? Why is someone a snob because they like to have the best they can afford?
And why be reluctant to use expensive equipment?
Hell, I'm a 34 year old university student with no car and a tiny apartment, but I carry and USE my Striders, Umnumzaan, Junglas, as well as my Spydercos.
Other than a fully justified sense of being superior to everyone else, I cannot fathom why one would classify me as a snob.

Granted, not everyone who buys expensive knives is a snob ,but there does seem to be a mindset, among many on this forum, that more affordable knives,[ and of course the word "affordable" is relative] aren't worth buying. Currently my self imposed price limit is $300.00 per knife, and I've only twice been close to that limit. I almost never feel deprived by that price limit, as there are a huge number of knives in that price range that I like.