Family is mad of my expensive knife purchases

[Charlie Mike]

I've been buying $100+ knives since I was 18. (That was also when I found Bladeforums... coincidence?) I'm 32 now and I wear a $12,050 watch and carry a $2200 folder. My family isn't so phased anymore.

 

[The cow]

Everyone has their priorities and interests. Many have a hard time relating. Women often won't think twice about spending $150 on a pair of shoes or a purse they wear twice a year. Some people on this forum won't think twice about spending 3 grand on a knife that they won't even cut paper with. Some people will spend $75 on a haircut that looked exactly like what they had before they got the haircut.
Of course, there are ones that will brag about how cheap they can get things to work. ie my $5 gas station knife cuts just as good as your benchmade/spyderco/strider etc

Of course, I lent him my ESEE Junglas for a week (he had a job as a kid that required him to use a machete daily, so I wasn't worried about lending it to him). He was always saying how awesome the Junglas was and how good it chopped and he was going to get one. He asked how much it was and suddenly he was a little more "critical" of my purchase that he wanted.

Him and I don't talk much about the cost of the things we get until we consider buying something that the other has. Its also something I usually don't discuss with others. If it really mattered with me, I would have had a general idea or looked it up how much it was to begin with.

At the end of the day, people will always do some mental gymnastics that they do to justify the money spent on their purchases. Most will defend the money spent with great vigor too (like those people who spend $700 on a Hinderer or double the MSRP on some knives )

 

[Dr. Scott]

There is a lot of great advice on this thread. My contribution:

Only make promises you can keep.

How many times did I promise not to buy another knife?

There is no need to put your relationships under that stress! Just be open and honest and explain why it is important to you.

 

[RedLynx]

Can't say I've heard such comments, and I've been married a month shy of 30 years. My wife says nothing about my guns, knives, vintage wristwatches, or anything else really, but I've also paid the bills, ensured we have a house and eat well, put her and our three kids through college, and assure we're set for retirement. First things first. She always knew those were my first priorities, so she wasn't worried about the other stuff. If she was worried, I'd have backed off, but as is stands I rarely pay more than $20 or $30 for a vintage knife to begin with. Of course, I didn't acquire several guns, watches, or knives until well into our marriage when we were in a much more secure financial situation. Early on I had hobbies but collecting (of anything, really) wasn't among them.

Props for putting your kids through college... my siblings and I went through that on our own, although I consider it fair even so. (so far I'm the only one unlucky enough to have gone far enough to acquire debt from it though, ach.)

 

[GuyWithTheThings]

I feel you man, It gets frustrating sometimes, my friends pay over 150 for a pair of Jordans all the time and when I tell them I spent 75 dollars on a knife they look at me like I am crazy. Today at work I was cutting up some boxes in front of the store, I don't like the box-cutters they give us, and since they don't regulate the use of any other knife, I use my G10 Dragonfly, my co-worker walks past me and tells me why I have a weapon on me. I know this thread is focused on the price of a knife but I just wanted to add that on, I need to vent a little bit, still a little steamed-up.
But as for the prices, I always lie about how much I payed as much as it hurts, especially when I gift blades. Recently I gave my parents a Shun Chefs knife with Damascus, beautiful knife, I told them it cost 50 dollars, which is faaaar from what it really cost, and they still were "surprised at how I would waste so much money on a food knife"
I do not like lying about prices so I just keep my distance away from people when using a blade just to avoid questions.
People in this day and age are forgetting the worth of a good tool, but will give an arm and leg just to have the next best smart-phone

+1 on that brutha! Preach! xD

 

[leghog]

Props for putting your kids through college... my siblings and I went through that on our own, although I consider it fair even so. (so far I'm the only one unlucky enough to have gone far enough to acquire debt from it though, ach.)

We could do it so we did. We wanted our kids to have the education early and to graduate debt free. My Dad was retired USN and an engineer. USN paid for both of his degrees (he served 1942-1967). His dad was a grocer and couldn't swing putting him through post secondary school. Dad put Mom and all of his kids through university. 34 years of it. Incredible. He set the stage as today all of his grandkids have degrees or are in university now. I know Dad helped fund one of my niece's education.

Hobby spending has always been a challenge. My wife is thrifty. Always has been. Always will be. It's just the way she is. Even now when we are at a stage when and where we can afford most anything we want or want to do. While generous with others, she's Ms. Thrifty with us. She hasn't changed, and for that I'm thankful. She's my life-time mate and my life partner, so if I ignore her thoughts, feelings, and psyche regarding money and don't consider those, I'd be wrong. Then if I were to ignore those and lie to her about spending, that would be as wrong as wrong can be. That just doesn't make for a good marriage.

 

[Ji_Long]

My gf was angry when she found out how much some of my spydercos cost. I explained to her that knives are an investment. Quality knives hold their value even when used better than most other things. Knives are also more durable than most other goods in same price range. Using the 250 dollar purse as an example. My spyderco tuff will probably outlast me and my grand kids. The purse on the other hand probably won't last 10 years, and if you needed to sell that purse you would be lucky to get half of the original price if you could even find a buyer. Also if I ever had to I could sell my knives and get most of what I paid for them if not more for some models. I play video games a lot, a new game costs 60 dollars and quickly loses value.

 

[Angus McGunnigle]

What must come first, as stated above, is family, and if the hobby takes on a life of its own and and starts to become more important than that family, and affects the finances, then something is wrong. This hobby is great fun, but do not let it become an idol.

Well said. If you are spending/saving wisely, then your family should not be too worried. What I have seen with a couple co-workers, is that they are doing the "champagne taste on a beer budget" thing. That does not work. If you can't truly afford to be buying the knives you are buying, your family has a right to fret. Family can be greatly affected by one individuals bad spending choices.

 

[suedeface]

If someone criticized me as bad as the OP was, I'd turn on my knife snobbery and say "yes I bought this $100+ dollar knife and I love it, and there is nothing you can do about it. I don't care what YOU think about it because I spent MY money on it, and in the future, I plan on buying MANY more expensive knives and I am completely justified in doing so because I enjoy this hobby."

Luckily, my family realizes the value of quality tools, so I don't get much flak personally. My wife wasn't too crazy about me buying a Benchmade auto recently, but I very rarely buy knives over $40-$50 so this was a treat for me. I'm not really into cars or computers or boats, ATVs, snowmobiles, fancy clothes, ect, so I have to get enjoyment out of something, otherwise what's the point of living ?

 

[B.F.U]

I ask how much they think it cost. Unless it has some rare material that wouldn't be noticed or appreciated without being into knives, or is just a rare knife, my family members usually get close. If they are a bit low, I say it's around that. If they are a bit high I say it's a little less. If they're not close, I try to explain why.

I'm lucky to have several people who are interested in knives in my family.

 

[DAVE_M]

I've come to the conclusion that not mentioning I bought a new knife or how much it cost, is usually the best route.

 

[Craig083]

My wife is pretty cool and she understood my 4 hour drive (round trip) to get a knife I rally wanted, I just explained in every hobby there is high end where you have to pay a lot. Also she knows how much I love my knives