Do you guys use your most expensive knives?

Yeah, sure, on the rare occasion I need to use a knife I'll use the one I have. They are all relatively expensive at this point, but I don't hesitate to carry any of mine because frankly I know they won't be tackling any particularly arduous tasks on a day-to-day basis. I have a knife collection because I like them and am able to afford it, but if they never got used I doubt I would suffer any real philosophical, emotional, or mental harm.
 
Every day, I carry a $300 Spyderco Slysz Bowie (clipped) in right-front pocket, and a ~3 inch fixed blade in a belted cross-draw rig. The fixed blade (cross-draw only) has been a long-term experiment for me, and I have tried at least ten or more various makers, including Bradford 3G, L.T. Wright, Hinderer fixed, CPK fixed, Fiddleback Forge, Bob Dozier, Jarrett Fleming, SurviveKnife 2.7", Busse Game Warden 3" blade, ONeill and at least one full custom blade.
Right now, I much prefer the Bradford 3G (~$170) and a $400 Busse Game Warden. I've carried the Bradford for nearly two years in cross-draw and love that model. The Busse Game Warden (1/8" spine) can be used in the same Bradford leather sheath, although I've added a small piece of thong leather in the sheath to aid retention of the Busse. The rather extreme number of fixed blade trials has resulted from various blade-shape designs as well as grip designs, variances in sheath retention, and the ability to deploy the knife quickly and safely.
I gotta say...Cross-draw beats the living daylights out of a clipped folder...
 
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Nah, I carry one of my Benchmade's for everyday use and have a small little Taylor Cutlery on my desk for packages but the most of the rest of the collection are just that collecting. there are a few that I carry for hunting, a very old Coast Cutlery carbon steel fixed blade and either a Benchmade 755 or a Lakota "lil Hawk or Gerber Magnum Hunting folder. Always have two knives when hunting, especially when hunting elk.
 
I've used my hoback A15. I typically dont use it much because its huge. And big knives at work arent super popular. Tennant's aren't a fan.

But I have pryed open elevator doors with that knife with no damage or blade play. Definitely worth the $1,200 price tag.
And it has a pretty thin edge for a thick blade. So it does cut pretty well!
 
SpySmasher said:
Certain knives get babied more than others but not because of money. It's more about wanting to preserve the looks of my fancier "dress" knives. If I know for sure I am going to be using a knife hard there are certain knives I'll choose over others.
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I'm with you on this. Going against the grain here, I don't see why you need to inflict damage on your $500-plus knife when a $100 (or less) beater can get the same job done. Is the "prestige" of carrying an expensive knife that important? The Nick has a good You Tube video where he talks about the law of decreasing returns when it comes to knives, which basically says you get what you pay for, up to a point. Beyond that point you're just paying for some intangible quality you don't get in the less expensive knife, but doesn't mean you're actually getting a better knife.
 
Every knife I own is a user with the exception of the sentimental ones. For example...I don't use my dad's old pocketknife.

Everything else if fair game and I try to carry based upon what I'm doing that day. If I'm on my land, I carry big. A night out with my wife might be a gentleman knife.
 
My most expensive knives are my two CRKs & my Hinderers, and they're the ones that get carried almost all the time. Whatever I'm carrying gets used every day.
 
Coming in second on the Damascus Mnandi (by just $30) would be this one, a true EDC in that it lives on my belt. If I have pants on, it's with me and getting used :)

Ohta Whittler, ZDP-189 main/ATS-34 secondaries
IMG_20180828_061402.jpg

~Chip
 
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F8DB7E43-807C-478D-BCEA-2F60871FC22A.jpeg 72344285-8A4C-4309-9D72-2EF5E804F493.jpeg Yup. I use all of my more expensive knives a ton.

Here’s a couple of $150-200 examples (higher end for me)....
 
My most expensive knife is a Spyderco Endura 4 in VG10 steel and cost me roughly 90 bucks. I never use it for reason I use cheaper blades to do landscaping and work. I carry into town as a strict self defense blade.
 
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My most expensive knife isn't my favorite. But I determined it wasn't my favorite by taking it to work. I don't use my knives as a pry bar, and I try not to cut any live wires.
 
JBoone said:
Yes I use them all but I have too many to use any of them much. I could get by fine with only one or two but I am on a knife forum so that is not going to happen anytime soon.
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Amen, brother. :)

I joined here a year ago when I had maybe a half dozen knives... I don’t want to think about how many I have now. :eek:
 
manny90 said:
So me and my friends have recently started buying more high end knives. I have bought knives since i was old enough back probably 9-10 years ago but just recently have we been buying the more expensive (in our opinions) range of knives like the pm2 and manix. We even have second thoughts about using these knives for anything else besides opening packages, but when i see people spending thousands on grimsmos and other custom knives, i always wonder if those knives are used for anything else besides the occasional packing tape or are they purely for collection?
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my brother has a set of limited edition CaseXX damascus pocket knives. all but one are still sealed in factory packaging. the one that has been opened is only handled while wearing plastic or cloth gloves. I think a lot of very high end knives are never used and spend their days in a box or in a display case.
all of my knives are used often except for ones like the 5 pound 12"blade cleaver which i have no daily use for.
 
Yep. This is me as well. Also a user and not a collector. Unless I make it to a different tax bracket, i won't own a knife I'm reluctant to use.

Jocephus1 said:
Every knife I own is a user with the exception of the sentimental ones. For example...I don't use my dad's old pocketknife.

Everything else if fair game and I try to carry based upon what I'm doing that day. If I'm on my land, I carry big. A night out with my wife might be a gentleman knife.
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scott.livesey said:
my brother has a set of limited edition CaseXX damascus pocket knives. all but one are still sealed in factory packaging. the one that has been opened is only handled while wearing plastic or cloth gloves.
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Gloves? Seriously? To me that is just nutty.

Why own them? Even for investment purposes they are just knives, not the Crown Jewels or a Gutenberg Bible.
 
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