Demand more from your knife companies!!!

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You gotta realize that there are two very distinct groups in this hobby: "Users" and "Collectors". These two groups have extremely different expectations for their knives, and therefore definitions of perfect. For example, I'm a "user" type. I like knives, I love learning about knives, I love drooling over super expensive collections, etc. But I buy knives to use them. I honestly think that the Spyderco Native Lightweight is "near perfect" as you say. It could open a bit smoother. But as a user knife, taking price into account (as I believe other "user" types often do), it is as good as it gets. However, many "collector" types may see the Native as a cheap, unattractive, unmemorable little knife. And there is definitely nothing wrong with that. As people interest in a common hobby, or atleast hobbies with a common object, we should be able to appreciate the different sides to the interest. I would love to be able to buy full lines of knives, have a large collection I'll never be able to truly use, and order several customs. I just can't (although I find myself trying to and have to hold back). But "users" like me and "collectors" like those who buy very expensive knives should not have to disagree on what is a quality knife.

And as a final note, I love seeing ultra expensive knives as real users. I would love to see a thread of pictures of beat up 150+ knives.
 
I think we are lucky to live at a time when there's so many high-quality knives around to choose from.
Although they are not "perfect", lots of them are very, very good.
Spyderco, Zero Tolerance, Benchmade, all of them pumping out many models of knife at all price points.

And then there's the profusion of custom makers, more than at any other time, ever.

Demand more? We ARE getting more. :thumbup:

Also, I totally agree with this. It baffles me how many amazing makers there are and how easy it is to see their work. I just wish I could own/use some.
 
Judging from the comment about the materials "only costing 20% of what these guys charge, I think that the OP is under the impression that these factory knives are sold directly to customers by the manufacturers and they are making mall jewelry store margins.
 
Judging from the comment about the materials "only costing 20% of what these guys charge, I think that the OP is under the impression that these factory knives are sold directly to customers by the manufacturers and they are making mall jewelry store margins.

No, In this day and age with information available at your finger tips you can see all the prices for all the raw materials used to make your knife.

For example, you can buy a 1.5" x 12" S35VN piece for about $30...that's enough material to make about at least 3 average sized folder blades, right? So $10 of raw material per blade, I guess.
 
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What criteria are you using to judge "perfect" or "near prefect" or not worth the "coach purse" price? Btw do you know how much a coach purse costs and why it costs that?
 
For example, you can buy an 1.5" x 12" S35VN piece for about $30...that's enough material to make about at least 3 average sized folder blades, right?

And what about the cost of cutting, shaping, grinding, heat treating and finishing that blade? What about the employees that are making those blades?
 
Yeah? So? So take that, add in the other materials, then the labor cost, including benefits, overhead, marketing, commision for the guys selling your knives to distributors. a little bit of profit. Now take the MSRP for a knife and multiply that by .45. Thats typically what a knife company sells the knife to a distributor/wholesaler like Blue Ridge for. If we use your number of 20% for materials, then the makers don't have a whole lot of wiggle room, do they?
No, In this day and age with information available at your finger tips you can see all the prices for all the raw materials used to make your knife.

For example, you can buy an 1.5" x 12" S35VN piece for about $30...that's enough material to make about at least 3 average sized folder blades, right?
 
No, In this day and age with information available at your finger tips you can see all the prices for all the raw materials used to make your knife.

For example, you can buy a 1.5" x 12" S35VN piece for about $30...that's enough material to make about at least 3 average sized folder blades, right? So $10 of raw material per blade, I guess.

that makes it even crazier to me that you can find great folders in this steel in the $50-$70 dollar range. once you take into account the handle materials, machinery, time, labor costs, etc... (granted, their price for the steel is probably significantly less than that) still great deals by spyderco and buck there.
 
The question was about raw material.

Ok, so the question is about raw materials. So you can get "X" material for "X" price. Would you care to elaborate on what that proves exactly? Not trying to be snarky here, I'm genuinely interested in your thought process.
 
No, In this day and age with information available at your finger tips you can see all the prices for all the raw materials used to make your knife.

The steel itself is the least expensive part of the process. MACHINING expenses on the other hand...do you have any idea what it costs to run all that equipment and pay for the consumables, as well as the salaries of the highly trained individuals that operate the equipment? If the steel itself was the biggest cost we could have Sebenzas for the price of gas station knives. :D

With any knife you have to look at it almost from a reverse engineering standpoint--take the cost of that item and think to yourself, how was the money divided amongst the various attributes that make a good knife? It's almost like you're playing a computer game and your little character has various stats: Strength, Vitality, Dexterity, etc. and you have so many points to assign to each category, so you have to divide them in a way that balances against your needs. In the case of knives we have categories like fit and finish, steel choice, handle choice, country of origin, grind type, etc. etc. and the more points you want, the more money it costs. But that doesn't mean that just because you have a lot of points invested in a piece that it's a good knife. I could spend all of my points on cosmetics by making the knife out of solid 24 karat gold and fancy engraving, but even though it would be gorgeous to look at it would cut like crap.

As I often say, while Benjamin Franklin said "there never was a good knife made from bad steel" I would argue that many bad knives have been made from good steel. In the case of inexpensive but high quality knives it's because their "point distribution" is particularly streamlined to bring about the desired result in an efficient manner.
 
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Keep the questions coming men, I'm happy to soak your grey matter with knowledge.
Okay, definitely troll.
 
Coach purse prices vary from $100+. you can view more information here http://www.coach.com



I know some of the money has to go to the peeps in China making them.

Average $300..and money also goes to the trained leather workers in the US and Europe that are making them by hand. Skilled labor always should cost more as well as better materials. Also rarity.
 
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