Difference between a $100 knife and a $500 knife?

M

Maverick44

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May 18, 2016
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Howdy folks, I'm new here so I though I'd make my first post a doozy. What exactly is the difference between a $100 knife and a $500 knife? For $100 I can find a very well made, beautiful knife that will last a lifetime. So what is the justification in a knife maker charging $500 for their knife?

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with charging that much, obviously there's a market for them. I'm just curious exactly what about those knives makes them worth that much.
 
The name on it. Sometimes the materials. Hopefully the customer/company relationship and sometimes fit and finish. If it's custom made to your specs then it fits your hand perfect


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Depends on the maker. Sometimes its just the 400 bucks.
 
For the extreme tolerances and attention to detail. I haven't ventured into customs too much, but would not pay hundreds for just the name. It surely has to come with great customer care, quality, superior materials and reputation (for resale mostly). You're not gonna get that with a $100 dollar production folder thats being popped out of a factory.

CRKs have met this criteria for me when spending ~$500 on a knife.
 
The most important thing Ive learned while searching for the ultimate EDC is that money does not buy happiness! I think 4-5 hundred dollars usually buys one heck of a knife and above that, your just buying or fulfilling preferences. Ive been let down so many times now on custom knives that I just dont buy them anymore. It truly is hard to beet an Insingo.!
 
brandoak said:
The most important thing Ive learned while searching for the ultimate EDC is that money does not buy happiness!
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Price and worth and value are hard to judge but frequently the higher priced item is not as much better as the price would suggest. But everybody has their own interests and desires and price limits. Some people view it as an expensive knife, others view it as the knife they carry everyday. If a person wants to buy the more expensive knife then they get something out of it. You can probably find people who would suggest that their $25 or $50 knife could do just as well as a $100 knife, why would anyone buy a $100 knife.
 
I don't own any $500 knives but I do own $150 knives. I have been involved in other activities where there can be huge price differences. I was involved in cycling big time for many years until illness and injury slowed me down. I even worked in the industry for 8 years. Up to around $2500 you saw huge gains in performance for every $100 more you spent. But at some point, the actual performance gains were minimal and really a $2500 bicycle would perform at 98% of the $10k bicycle given all the other factors were the same. The real benefit of a $10k bike was exotic looks and bragging rights with your buddies (except for some of us it was more like the guy with the $10k being a total poser).

So I imagine in knives it will also be the law of diminishing returns. Up to a certain price (let's say $150 just for fits and shiggles) you see big improvements in materials and craftsmanship. But at some point, you are going to spend a lot of money for very minor performance gains. It will be more pride and bragging rights. Since all my knives get use and I don't own any safe queens I see no reason to spend that kind of money but that's just how I roll. I never owned more than a $3k bicycle either even when I had huge discounts available to me.
 
If I'm ever going to get a 'custom' knife, it better be custom as in exactly how I want it on design, materials and fit. Custom to me.

Made from top shelf maker wouldn't hurt either.
 
Bob Dozier raptor series is a good compromise. Little Workhorse is a good start into the custom area. It's $395.00 and ones available on the featured inventory on the Dozier knives website.
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Thanks fellas. I think I understand now. I can definitely see the appeal of owning a $500 Benchmade. I'm just too broke to consider getting one. :o
 
Name and Design are the two important things from my point of view. Follow by fit and finish and some hidden qualities that can be perceive at the time you are using it like ergonomic, geometry, heat treat, proper lock-up, action etc.

You will barely see any difference in material being used on $200 ZT and a $500 CRK or Strider SMF... even a custom which cost thousands of dollar like Mayo or MSC often just a plain Titanium frame lock with newer steel.
 
CascadianAaron said:
I don't own any $500 knives but I do own $150 knives. I have been involved in other activities where there can be huge price differences. I was involved in cycling big time for many years until illness and injury slowed me down. I even worked in the industry for 8 years. Up to around $2500 you saw huge gains in performance for every $100 more you spent. But at some point, the actual performance gains were minimal and really a $2500 bicycle would perform at 98% of the $10k bicycle given all the other factors were the same. The real benefit of a $10k bike was exotic looks and bragging rights with your buddies (except for some of us it was more like the guy with the $10k being a total poser).

So I imagine in knives it will also be the law of diminishing returns. Up to a certain price (let's say $150 just for fits and shiggles) you see big improvements in materials and craftsmanship. But at some point, you are going to spend a lot of money for very minor performance gains. It will be more pride and bragging rights. Since all my knives get use and I don't own any safe queens I see no reason to spend that kind of money but that's just how I roll. I never owned more than a $3k bicycle either even when I had huge discounts available to me.
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For me, not everything is about performance nor bragging rights or even 'needing' it.

I like high end stuff because of craftsmanship, exclusivity, quality and knowing the maker went the extra mile to create a product at the very best they could, having spent more time than usually done on similar products to please me and strive for perfection as much as possible. Of course I take pride in what I own, and enjoy it when people comment, but I would never start such a conversation myself, let alone brag about something I own. The main point is that I know the above, and it brings me joy to own/use something like this, even if no one else ever sees it.

If someone would let you choose to pick one out of two bike for free, and one is a basic bike worth $2500, and the other has everything you can imagine upgraded to the best parts available complying with your wishes. Would you still pick the $2500 one?
Wouldn't you enjoy the other bike, looking at the parts machined especially for your bike, how everything is finished and fits together perfectly, painstakingly manufactured to perfection, just for you? Wouldn't you ride it with confidence knowing that you have something underneath you that couldn't be better or nicer looking?

Maybe I can't explain it to someone who doesn't have the same feelings or eye for detail, or enjoys these little things as much, but this is how I can best describe it.


Of course I am not speaking of creating an object out of steel and selling it for $200, sticking $500 in diamonds to it, and then selling it for $2000...
 
There is a difference between most $500 knives compared to $100 knives as many have noted. It all depends on your ability to purchase such, your sense of value, and your interest. The $500 knife is usually not 5x better than the $100 knife. One needs to seek a happy median price range where you are comfortable with it and the value. Bark River does a fairly good job of hitting that midpoint on many of their models.
 
I posted before here and will again now. I never thought of paying more than $75. Now I feel that if I break my delica I may spend closer to 175 next time. What made me realize this is I bought a used pair of boots for real cheap that are normal $300 and tho they feel maybe $200 it's the customer services and customer/company relationships that add value. Same with higher end knives. Chris reeve could probably sell some 8cr14 knife for $125 and sure a lot could be the name but the customer service aspect would add value as well I'm sure.


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