Do you guys carry less than your best?

Joined
Oct 27, 2015
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So do you guys who have top tier production knives, like CRKs, hinderers, strider's, etc still carry lesser (but still excellent) knives like zt, benchmades, emersons, spyderco, etc?
 
I don't discriminate much anymore. The only thing I wont carry anymore are really cheap production folders. I just cant appreciate $20 knives anymore. Not because they wont work but rather just because my tastes have evolved past what can be attained at that price range. But I am over any sense of brand loyalty or hate. If I like it and will pay the price for it I will carry it. My taste is now heavily influenced by ergos and features.
 
In my book there is nothing lesser about any excellent knife.

I agree. It gets to a point where the price doesn't reflect a huge increase in quality. You can pay $150-$200 for a knife that is every bit as well made and solid as a $400+ knife but because of the name on said knife you have to pay double or triple to obtain it. The sweet spot for me is in that $100-$200 range with $200 being pretty rare and if I pay that much for a knife I have to be absolutely in love, but you can buy top notch stuff in that range and anything more you would just be paying for a name or exotic build materials but the quality just doesn't improve enough to justify the price for me.

As for the original question, I do find myself not carrying my more expensive knives quite often. If I'm kicking around the house in my PJs and just want something to flick then the nicer ones come out, but when I'm out and about during the day I usually have a Spyderco Delica, Tenacious, mini Grip or a full size grip on me. The nicer stuff stays home. I'm not hard on my knives at all and to be honest I may have to use one to actually cut something a couple times a week and when I do it's usually just opening a package or mail or something light, so even my less expensive knives still look basically new.
 
Always. While I really appreciate the finer attributes of my more expensive knives, I generally carry my quality knives that are relative bargains. These generally include Spydercos , Cold Steels, and an occasional low end Benchmade. I m just more comfortable doing this. Probably due to all those years when I couldn t afford expensive knives. Maybe one day I ll start carrying the expensive ones. I m not sure what I m missing carrying my current edc s.
 
Sure, all the time. $$$ don't really enter the picture for me, I carry what I like...whatever mood hits me when I pick my gear every day.

The 'lessers' I've been carrying lately include a Cold Steel Ti-Lite IV, RATs 1 and 2, etc. Now and then I even slip a Duk-duk or Mercator into my back pocket. ZT's, Benchmades, et al I consider kind of mid-tier. The nicer ones come out on occasion. Down to my last Sebenza and it spends most of its time stored in a cool, dark place frankly.
 
I've yet to step up to the higher end knives. I guess my "high end" knives would be my ZTs. Most days I'm content with my Wally World Gerber Air Ranger or, as of late, my new G10 Grip. Every once in a while I carry a Schrade 830T or my Victorinox Tinker.
 
The knife I'm currently having the most fun playing with is a $42 Real Steel E775. I'm honestly working hard on getting rid of any knives that I don't either carry and use or have an absolute blast playing with and some quite inexpensive knives have definitely made the cut. In fact, my MOST expensive folders pretty much all ended up on the chopping block.
 
Crk small sebenza and a spyderco roadie in my pocket today. Sigil or lochsa always pair up with my case sodbuster.
 
I don't buy knives unless I have a purpose for them. The cheapest knives in my collection are some big cheaply made Bowie knives that I bought as wall hangers. Current daily carry is usually a Benchmade, or ZT, which are also the most expensive folders I own. My girlfriends parents moved last week and asked if they could borrow a knife to use for opening and breaking down boxes, I loaned them a Kershaw that I wouldn't lose sleep over losing. They were shocked I thought that was a cheap knife, so I guess everyone places a different value on knives.

If I didn't like shooting so much, I'd have a Sebenza or 3 already. Ammo ain't cheap, but by end of the summer, I will have a Sebenza. I hate budgeting my hobbies.
 
Of course. While my XM-18 may be my favorite knife, I still enjoy all my knives. Spydercos, Benchmades, ZTs...I like a variety, and use them all.
 
still carry lesser

Within very wide parameters, as in "its sharp and it works", I don't think it can be said that any knife is objectively lesser than any other. A Delica is not lesser than a CRK, if one factors in cost, ease of opening, 4-position clip, and so on. Its like women or cars or anything else - there is good to be found if you are looking for it.
 
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