Guessing how much a knife costs by fit/finish/feel?

Thrill

Thrill

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Sep 9, 2010
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So I was wondering if anyone has given a knife to a friend and asked them how much it cost based on the feel, fit, or quality they observed. We are sometimes skewed by brand names. I bet we could get a more subjective opinion if we listened to someone that doesn't know about knives. What are your thoughts?
 
someone guessed my umnumzaan (the standard production one) cost $40. the way they guessed it though would make you think as if $40 is as expensive as knives come.
 
Can't wait to see what people would guess when they handle production Emersons.
 
I have noticed that G10 and weight seem to increase perceived value. I had a couple nice but cheap G10 folders (Kershaw ~$30 and CRKT ~$15) and some FRN spydercos and benchmades (~$50 and $60). The guesses my family made were the opposite--they thought the CRKT drifter and kershaw knives would be around $50 to $60 and the FRN knives around $30. I was especially surprised by the CRKT Drifter, which is such a simple and small knife but strikes people as expensive.

Kershaw is an exception though. I dont know how they have such low prices on good knives.
 
I presented this exact experiment to a friend of mine a while back. He was at my house for dinner with his wife and asked me about my knife collection. I left the table and came back with a dozen or so folders and fixed blades of all price ranges.
The first knife I showed him, I told him about the materials and craftsmanship, and the price.
After that, I would tell him about the materials and he would guess the price.
He was pretty close for everything from SAK to Busse.
The only one that tripped him up was my Buck 110. He thought that one was worth much more, like $80.

Most people would think a Sebenza costs $100, and that would be a very expensive knife to them.
 
Everyone is amazed at the price of this Boker/Krein knife...

IMG_0240.jpg
 
Yeah, I've shown my Benchmade 930 off to a few people, and only one ever commented, "Oh, wow, that's a nice one," after handling it. He still didn't think it should retail at $200, and said he wouldn't have bought it for $100. People around here are pretty tight with their money though; Kershaws are about the "most desireable" knives around here along with Buck and Gerber.

Anyway, it so happens I was showing a friend of mine my 930 and my Kershaw Needs Work, and he wasn't so impressed with the Benchmade--at least when he heard the price tag.

The interesting thing though, was that he thought the Kershaw would be a $60 knife when it was in fact $40, and he thought the Benchmade was $30.

Then I told him about Sebenzas. lol
 
i found that if the person I’m taking to already has a pricy hobby (one where they learn to appreciate quality and its price) like collecting watches, pens, guns, optics, camera’s, music etc, they don’t find the prices of nice knives surprising.
 
Rough Rider looses its fit, feel and quality test with many when they see CHINA on the knife.It does not matter that it may better than a xxxx xx because it is made in CHINA.
 
J.Mattson said:
i found that if the person I’m taking to already has a pricy hobby (one where they learn to appreciate quality and its price) like collecting watches, pens, guns, optics, camera’s, music etc, they don’t find the prices of nice knives surprising.
Click to expand...

this seems to be the case for me, too.
 
J.Mattson said:
i found that if the person I’m taking to already has a pricy hobby (one where they learn to appreciate quality and its price) like collecting watches, pens, guns, optics, camera’s, music etc, they don’t find the prices of nice knives surprising.
Click to expand...

I agree. My friend, who I mentioned above, is a musician and music producer, and has over 50K in gear.
During his visit I gave him an Opinel #8 (thought it was appropriate as he was born in Marseilles), a Leatherman Original, and his wife a Leatherman Squirt with the scissors (she's a fashion designer, so I found it appropriate).
I would have given him something cooler but he lives in NYC and I didn't want him to end up in jail because of me.
 
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