Custom, Midtech, Production or $$ what matters most

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clearkevin

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Oct 7, 2014
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Hey guys I wanted to see if anyone thinks about this the way that I do these days. I have basically come to a point where enjoy knives of all levels from $25-2500 obviously for different reasons (my limit for a knife I will own and keep is about 500). I don't really care how a knife is categorized in terms of production or limited production or mid-tech or custom. What I care about is how much $ I've spent. Basically I feel like any knife over $100 had better be functionally perfect or I'm gonna be upset. As the price goes higher it needs to be perfect in other ways like action and centering and fit and finish. I know that quality control and inspection adds cost and I'm willing to pay it but if at $300 your letting knives out with issues production custom or anything in between your doing it wrong. Am I alone in this approach or do others feel the same?
 
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Most purely functional needs can be met for under $100 . Above ~$250 , it becomes more about aesthetics , and so very subjective .
 
Ive played the catch and release game for about 6 years now looking for the magic unicorn. Never buy into the hype. Ive been amazed how a $250 midtech can absolutely blow a $2000 custom knife out of the water.
Buy whats important to you. Write down everything your dream knife would come with or should have and shop for "like" knives that fit the bill. Dont get caught up about where it comes from...it was a hard lesson learned for me. My wife's Honda runs circles around my F350 in overall reliability and maintenance cost...All my Spyderco knives made in Taichung Taiwan are better made than ones made in Golden Colorado...
I hear more professional sharpeners state that the heat treat of say s35vn made "over there" is way better than the stuff coming out of factories here..
And never sell the Sebenza....
 
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Honestly, what I care about is what kind of lock/opening mechanism it has and whether I already own an example of that type of lock/opening mechanism. Couple other criteria, but that's basically it.
 
IMO, for anything in life, $$$ does not guarantee quality. Some simple $15 knives can have just as good fit and finish as some $2000 knives. IMO, most knives are just man jewellery that cuts (nothing wrong with that).

I think many people try to justify their high dollar purchases, or try to find an excuse as to why they can't purchase something out of their price range. Head to a fancy art gallery one day, and try to figure out why some things are so expensive... fit and finish usually has nothing to do with it.

In regards to how sharp the knife is out of box, at some point, I think complaining about it is like complaining about a new car with tire pressure a few pounds off.
 
I have seen lots of very expensive custom knives that have flaws in all sorts of areas. Action, gaps in construction, overall feeling of the knife.

I think it is very hard for someone hand making one off knives to get them as exact as a production knife where many examples are done and so there is more of a chance to get things dialed in.

What really impresses me is when a custom maker can get a hand built knife feeling as well put together as say a Sebenza.
 
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So many problems with all ranges in price. I wish that wasn't the case. But it's freaking pain in the a when getting expensive knives with issues especially if it's like a zt or anything in the 200-500 range. But it just keeps happening. Wish these companies would pay more attention to quality and tuning.

I went from collecting crap boker knives into quality usa Kershaw and ZT and up... But even so, those more expensive knives have some issues. At least for the most part they are way better quality, construction and design.

All I can say is we are enthusiasts and most knife makers make knives for the average person, not us.
 
In a perfect world we would get what we pay for. In reality we are given just enough so when we pay for it we dont feel ripped off.
 
Well, since an Opinel or SAK outcut any other knives I have owned, and "cutting" is what a knife does, to me anything beyond those is just paying for "sexy." And I enjoy a sexy knife.
 
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