Have we ruined our knife appreciation for the simple?

jimh0220

jimh0220

Joined
Apr 15, 2008
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I was looking at my knives, selecting a few to thin the herd. I realized as I went through the Cases Bokers, Spydercos, Benchmades, higher priced Kershaws, etc, mid range to some, higher end to my unemployed, disabled, budget limited self. Then I saw them: the CRKTs, the Gerbers, the import Kershaws, and especially an old friend or two: A Gerber LST and Paraframe, and a minimal toy SAK. Just sitting there as m Pocket carries the expensive blades.

And it hit me: my best friends, sharp, useful as ever, and been through a lot together, were going to waste, all because I am supposed to carry Benchmades, right?

Has becoming a knifenut, collector, knife snob, or whatever, made me forget what matters about carrying a blade: Reliable, sharp, and there when I need it?

I removed my Dragonfly from my keys, and replaced it with my LST, and my parafame is in my pocket. No flash, no dazzle, but still working great.


Anyone else notice this?
 
I can be pretty snobby and not flinch when it comes to spending hundreds on a knife. I still like Opinels and Moras and my new Case trapper is in my pocket today. ;)
 
If you can afford it, carry it!

If you could afford a Ferrari, would you drive your Ford Focus so it doesn't feel left out?
I sure wouldn't!

Now if you don't get any joy out of something more expensive, that's fine, but don't feel like you're "supposed to" be carrying a more expensive knife. Carry what you enjoy and can afford.

Many people are happy carrying a SAK everyday; good for them! SAK's are great knives.
But me personally, I enjoy my CRK's.
 
Nope. For me it has to be more than just "basic". Otherwise im not a collector nor a knife nut. I am simply a guy who carries a knife. For me its more than just having some tool in my pocket for random tasks. Its an extension of my personality. A representation of my likes in the form of art in steel. And if it was just about having something that did the job, i would put a leatherman on my belt and go about my day. Its. More than that to me, and my desire to express that is unwavering.
 
I use my knives daily, sometimes for somewhat dangerous work. My fingers are worth a lot to me and I don't trust a knife, whose design is compromised to hit a price point, not to close on my hand and cut off something valuable.

Obviously, there's a point of diminishing returns, and it is different for everyone, but when a Benchmade or Spyderco or ZT or Emerson can be had for $75-200 it's an easy choice to go with a proven design.
 
If it feels right to you, go for it. Personally, I feel the need to carry what I like and what will be able to preform when i need it. This is what I believe the reason for high quality knives is.
 
To me simple is black handles with a satin blade, most knives have quite simple parts and design. But aside from that I kinda know what you mean, I want to carry my older, more budget stuff that has been through alot of use more often like the rat 1, tenacious and so on but for some reason I never do it. I get alot more enjoyment out of nicer blades though.
 
My appreciation of good knives covers many fronts. I still get excited when I see a good deal on an SAK on the bay. In fact I get so excited I have to quit going there, otherwise I'd never quit buying them.
 
I carry most of my knives, inexpensive or not inexpensive. Many have different reasons for carry. To the Gym or pool it will be an Aegis or Salt on me and a Thermite or EL-01 in my bag. No reason to but that Large Sebenza in a locker or swimming bag with the sunscreen. I will also carry multiple knives. An expensive one and an inexpensive one. Don't want to get that Limited Edition M4 710 all gunked up from packing tape? Bam, Zancudo to the rescue. I have down stairs knives dedicated for tasks that always seem to take place on the counter like opening packages or going out to do a little yard work or chipping at the ice maker (just got done doing this). Utilitac II and SOG Seal Team get those tasks often. And sometimes I'll just carry an inexpensive knife because. Most of my knives have a purpose.

The only ones that don't get carried are new fixed blades (it is winter), some older collecting SOG fixed blades, and some priceless retired knives from my younger days (if you can call a Flash II or CRKT KISS priceless).
 
Charlie_K said:
My appreciation of good knives covers many fronts. I still get excited when I see a good deal on an SAK on the bay. In fact I get so excited I have to quit going there, otherwise I'd never quit buying them.
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6

Yep! ^^This right here^^. Its the good deals that keep me buying. Especially on the Bay or These forums that list awesome prices sometimes. I just received another BlackJack Tac Ops 6 in the mail today as a result of an awesome price. A price so good that you know they probably wont ever be priced like that again, is hard to pass up.

As for the "old friend" knives, I still carry mine. I rotate my edc knives out every month or two. BUT, I have evolved into carrying higher quality blades due to the fact if your ever get stuck out somewhere, you will be better off with a Quality knife on your person instead of a pretty on the outside junker.

"The knife you carry will be the one your stuck with"
 
jimh0220 said:
I was looking at my knives, selecting a few to thin the herd. I realized as I went through the Cases Bokers, Spydercos, Benchmades, higher priced Kershaws, etc, mid range to some, higher end to my unemployed, disabled, budget limited self. Then I saw them: the CRKTs, the Gerbers, the import Kershaws, and especially an old friend or two: A Gerber LST and Paraframe, and a minimal toy SAK. Just sitting there as m Pocket carries the expensive blades.

And it hit me: my best friends, sharp, useful as ever, and been through a lot together, were going to waste, all because I am supposed to carry Benchmades, right?

Has becoming a knifenut, collector, knife snob, or whatever, made me forget what matters about carrying a blade: Reliable, sharp, and there when I need it?

I removed my Dragonfly from my keys, and replaced it with my LST, and my parafame is in my pocket. No flash, no dazzle, but still working great.


Anyone else notice this?
Click to expand...

Yes.

Sometimes the shiny bauble looses the shine, and it may be for many reasons. You go through stages in life, and what we may hold as important at one stage, fades to insignificance in another. Things change, and our circumstances we live in change. And after all, knives are just things, and there's much more important things in life than mere possessions.

I used to collect Randall and other custom fixed blades. Then I got married and had three great kids. The knives got moved to the back burner and put away. After some years, I looked at my custom knife collection, and thought "what the heck am I doing with this stuff?" I sold them off. Every last one. That was many years ago, and I haven't missed them. I fooled around collecting sodbusters and a few other knives, then did a huge downsizing. Gave it all away to family members, friends, co-workers. Now I still like knives, and I like to look, but actually own just a pale shadow of the number I used to. Other things in life have taken over. The kids are grown now, but there's grandkids.

It's funny, but I'm retired now, and have more time than ever for fishing, woods walking, and general screwing off. But my taste has moved back to the simple knives I had when I was a young guy with little money. SAK's, a few traditional pocket knives, a couple factory fixed blades. At this stage of my life, I don't need much, and a simple pocket knife or SAK does what I need.

If that LST does it for you, go for it. I have more than a few non knife friends, and a few of them swear by the LST, and use/abuse them heavily. Apparently a very durable little knife that cuts well. What more does a knife have to do. I think once you get past a certain point, snobbery raises it's head. I've been a member of motorcycle clubs/forums, gun clubs, and others, and in any small niche you get the snobbery. That's okay, it's human nature. But it can cause us to loose sight of the real world. We, the knife nuts, are maybe a fraction of 1% of the society at large. Most people couldn't care les about knives, and to them it's just something they get in the House Wares section of the store for 3.99 so they can process dinner. Most people don't even carry a knife in their day to day life, yet they get by just fine. They think 'we' are the nutso ones. There seems to be a gene in the human strain that likes to collect stuff. Coins, stamps, beer cans, drink coasters, matchbooks, coffee mugs, whatever. That's okay, as long as it's something you can afford and still put shoes on your kids feet and can spare the money. Use what ya like and the heck with what other people think.

I do think people can get so 'into' something that they loose sight of reality. You don't need a Porsche to commute to work, nor do you need a 200 dollar knife to open your mail. It's a balancing of wants vs needs. As long as you don't confuse the two, you're doing just fine.
 
Simplicity and quality are neither mutually inclusive nor mutually exclusive.
 
I have ten folders (well I have some heavily used ones in various states of disrepair that I don't count). I've found that this price range is where I'm most comfortable.

They range in price new from $80 to $300, median price about $172. Its the materials used more than anything that has steered me away from "value" knives. I've found that I prefer harder wearing steels that have to be sharpened less often to more budget steels. Of the ten folders I own, only one is a traditional. But I still do appreciate the simplicity and beauty of it LionSteel Opera). However, Ti and G10 have me spoiled as well as higher end steels.

However, there are many Kershaw budget blades that I wish were available in better steel, and for those that are available, I'd like to see something other than S30V.

Someone made a comparison of cars, that I don't think is quite appropo for this topic. A Ferrari and a Ford Focus I believe. Both offer advanced technology, safety, etc. The Ferrari is like an LE ZT or mid tech. We are talking modern versus the simplicity of older designs--traditionals, sak's, etc. I'd love to own a classic muscle car, but not as my primary driver. Maybe when I own a house, and can afford a second car. However, I'll take the safety, gas mileage, handling and features of a modern car over that 1969 Baldwin-Motion 427 Camaro I want. It does one thing, and one thing well--balls out acceleration and speed in a straight line.

IMO, traditionals are great for putzing around the house, opening mail and packages at the office. But when I'm out in the yard, camping etc, I want the performance of a modern with the premium steel and strong lock.
 
Our loyalty to inanimate objects is sorta foolish. They are in fact not alive and cannot appreciate loyalty. I'm preaching to myself as well as anyone out there.

Now, loyalty to a company that has gone over-and-above in customer service or even consistent (good) quality is the right thing to do. I like being rewarded for my efforts also.

I never could AFFORD to buy knives to look at. All of my knives are used. You will never find me selling a like new, never used knife.

Because I often wish that I had better quality knives for some purposes. I can't imagine using a lesser knife for a job if I owned one that would do that job better! This must be common for those of us with less expensive knives. Thank goodness for Mora, Opinel and to a lesser degree Cold Steel.
 
Knives are usable pieces of art for me... BUT I also expect a high level of quality and durability in terms of materials and if things should still fail for some reason, an equally high level of customer service. My expectations unfortunately demand higher prices usually.

Besides that, there's really no comparison in terms of feel between a well made knife and a mass produced budget folder... Try a USA made from CRK, RHK, DDR, Strider, ZT, Spyderco or Benchmade- and then go back to Gerber... I cant do it.

If you can, more power to you (and your wallet) :)
 
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I used to have a Gerber Ultralight in translucent camouflage. Despite being a lockback, it would open with a wrist flick. I miss it.

I bought a Sanrenmu recently for the same joy of the basic.
 
While we were away from home at Christmas our house was broken into and among the things taken were some of my knives .
One of those knives taken was my Small Seb 21 Macarta .
It was the most expensive knife Ive ever owned .
After the initial heartache , I realised that I needed another similar knife to replace it because a small Framelock with pocket clip had become an essential part of my work requirement in combination with my Surge .
I live in Australia and CRK's don't grow on trees down here so I needed a cheap available replacement until I got better reinforcement .
I went into a rural supply shop the next day and bought a $25 Chinese knife .
Here is a couple of pics .






When I got it home I checked it out and found that it was the sharpest out of the box knife I've ever had , certainly sharper than the Seb .
The action was a bit stiff , but some oil and an evening sitting in front of the TV opening and closing it smoothed it out quite a bit , not as smooth as the Seb but perfectly adequate .
At work the next week it performed every task that the Seb had done without fuss , in fact it is a better slicer than the Seb , maybe because the grind is near flat .
It is very similar to the Seb in size and weight , the Seb had a much grippier feel to it , the new knife is shiny and at times when your hands are wet or slippery its harder to hang onto .
The blade is made from 8 Cr13Mov which probably will never set the world on fire but touches up easily and lasts the week before needing a couple of swipes on the stone , the Seb seemed to hold an edge better but not massively better I still need to touch up the Seb on occasions .
The pocket clip is tip down which I actually prefer , when retrieving the knife from the pocket tip down is more ergonomic for me and the movement is quicker and more natural than a tip up retrieve .
The Seb cost me 18 times what this Chinese thing did , I don't like admitting it but the Seb was no where close to being 18 times better , far from it .
I sat here today contemplating life the universe and everything and it made me do some honest analysis of my own knife requirements .
This cheap one is going to stay around for a while . I'll get another quality knife at some stage , I know myself well enough that sooner of later I'll get the urge , but for now Cheap is Cheerful .
Cost is not a deciding factor , I could go out and replace my CRK today if i wanted to .
I've had a taste of expensive , and I've decided to take break from it.

Ken
 
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