Help educate me about expensive folders

B

blade_guy

Joined
Jan 7, 2006
Messages
95
First post. I love knives. I have a lot of "cheap" pocket folders. The most expensive knife I own is a $110 Benchmade Axis folder.

However, I see that there are pocket folders and knives costing far more out there, in the several hundreds to thousands of dollars.

I've never had the pleasure of holding one, let alone owning one. Can you all educate me on what makes these super expensive knives so nice, and worthwhile to own?

I might bite the bullet and buy one or several, but wanted to be educated first.

Thanks.
 
welcome to BF :thumbup:

Usually more expensive knives, esp 'small shope " production like Chris Reeve or William Henry, and reputable custom makers, you get top notch attention to fit and finish, over say $500 usually you are paying partly for more exotic or rare materials (mammoth ivory, rare stones for example), and for fancier work on bolsters, spines, etc. But I would say mostly you are paying for the name of maker and prestige/ value that comes with it. That doesn't mean it is " not worthe it" but it will mean more to collectors and aficionadoes than "ordinary guy." You SHOULD get better performance from higher cost knife but that is not guaranteed, you can find better cutting performance in $10 Moras and Opinels then in "field" or "tactical" knives costing 10x - 20x more. A $2000 Loveless hunter I'm sure would perform well but would I really carry that into the field over a Bark river knife or even Cold Steel Master Hunter? Some here might say "yes" but not most...........
 
Well, in a nutshell, what can make some knives cost thousands of dollars are things like:

Materials used, they can be rare, expensive things like high-end fossil ivory(mammoth or Walrus), jade, high-end stag and pearl are costly, then if the knife has gold embellishment and/or engraving, that can add a lot to the value, a top engraver like Julie Warenski might charge well over $1,000 to engrave a single knife.

Then you have knives that have complex designs with multiple, difficult to make components, which require a lot more time/effort to build, more time/effort equals more cost.

Then you have the maker's name and reputation, and how rare and sought after his knives are, the price of a knife can often be driven by scarcity. If people go crazy for a particular maker's work and he makes very few knives, supply and demand set the price (high). Generally, with a great name, you get excellent quality, though I'd say there are a few exceptions, where the high price is based not so much on the maker's quality, but the maker himself, Loveless comes to mind, his knives are nice, but there are guys who make better knives for less money, but Loveless is the original, an icon, his contributions to the knife world and icon status keep his knives priced high and very sought after.

Often, it is a combination of the above things. And generally, when it comes to high-end custom knives, you get what you pay for, most of the highly regarded makers who's knives cost a lot, are so well thought of for a good reason, one which should be apparent to you once you see, hold and play with one of their knives in person, the quality of the (rare) materials, the fit and finish, and the precision with which they are made can be a real eye opener, if you are the type of person who appreciates these sorts of things.

One thing I will say however is, don't expect that because a handmade knife costs $3,000, that it will perform better than a $100 production knife, it's not about sheer performance when you're talking about high-end custom knives, it's more about fine art, precision, and rare, precious materials, if you appreciate that stuff, you will probably like these types of knives and not feel your money has been wasted, if performance is all you are interested in, you don't need to spend thousands on a knife, there are plenty of $100 knives that will outperform most of the expensive, so called: "Art Knives", like I said, when it comes to the very expensive knives that cost thousands of dollars, it's more about art, collectability, and fine things, than performance.
 
Thanks for the welcome, and the replies.

I guess right now, I want to pay for utility. Meaning that if $500 is going to get a knife that is a lot more durable, reliable, solid, sharper, easier to maintain, etc, over my $110+ Benchmade, then it's worth it to me.

I'm not a knife collector, yet, so I wouldn't pay extra just for exotic materials, or intricate designs, unless there are clear advantages in function over the cheaper knives.

So with that said, any more input?

Oh, and some top knife maker recommendations would be appreciated, since I have very limited ideas as to who are the nicest knife makers.
 
First welcome to the forum.

As with anything there is always name recognition involved with a knife from a custom maker. So, many times I think a buyer is paying for that but usually for a maker like say Chris Reeve for example, to get so popular is because of the quality of his work and the materials he uses as well as his consistant attention to details over time.

For productions it can be much the same way but there are always cases where a price doesn't necessarily indicate anything to do with the knife being better than say one half its price point.

I would say find one that is generally considered a quality well made piece where the general consensus across the board agrees (third party perspective) with that conclusion. Look at that knife, study it and use that as a reference piece to judge other knives by. The Reeve Sebenza is a good choice to use as a well engineered piece of work using quality materials, as is a Loacha folder.

In productions the BenchMade Axis lock you currently own is certainly considered by many in the know to be a quality well made reliable and strong folder using top materials.

STR
 
You won't necessarily see a huge improvement in quality, performance, or comfort when going from a top notch production knife to a custom knife. Much of what owning a custom knife is about is being able to get exactly what you want. You get to pick the steel, the blade shape, thickness, handle materials, etc. Or at least get some more choice in those than with a production piece.

You are also paying to get something that is truly individual and hand made. Generally I would say that there is a point of diminishing returns where you can get a knife that is not any better, technically speaking, than a production knife.

If all you are looking for is a good knife to use, and care nothing about collecting, who made it, how it was made, being able to actually work with a maker on the design and materials, etc. then I think going for a custom knife now would probably be a dissapointment. If you are just looking for a solid EDC knife then look at a plain Sebenza or something similiar. They are really very good knives, and available at reasonable prices. The more expensive true customs are great if you are into collecting, and want to be able to have a relationship with the person making your knife, or want something very specific.
 
Forgetting about customs for a moment, the reason high-end production knives like the Chris Reeve Sebenza and Strider SMF cost so much more than knives like the 710, Manix, and Skirmish is because they (CRK and Strider) are smaller companies and put more attention into detail. BM and Spyderco can charge less since they sell more in volume and seem to have *slightly* less human quality control.

So if you want a lot of knife for the money, 100-200 bucks for a good folder from a big company is what you want to look at. But more expensive knives like the Sebenza and SMF are still great deals. You just pay more for the better attention to detail and the more coveted name brand. With a Sebenza or SMF, you aren't paying for gemstones or filework. You are paying for quality, though also for the name a little bit.

If you don't have a "collection mindset" at all, and don't scan every knife you buy for even the smallest imperfections, then you should still with knives like the 710, Military, Manix, SERE2K, etc... The Sebenza seems to be for people that want perfection, but are still in it to *use* knives rather than collect them for display.
 
Fit, finish, materials, function, and the aesthetics of the design.

An expensive folder should have/get all of these things right. By right I mean that there should be a balance between all of these factors that results in an overall sense of quality.

Like all expensive things, folders suffer from an imbalance between price and what you get: at a certain point you get very little extra for a lot of extra $.

For me, Chris Reeve’s folders represent the most enjoyable, expensive, and acceptable balance between price and quality that I am happy to spend my $ on.
 
Welcome to the forum. Now please, for the love of your family, your sanity and your finances forget you ever found your way to this site. If you own a $100+ pocket knife already then just quit while you are ahead, you don't need any more of those and you certainly don't need anything more expensive. Run, run I say! back to your normal life. Look upon the ruin of our lives and tremble, and be glad that there, if not for the Grace of God, go I.
 
i got hold of really cheap folders when i was a lot younger (around 8 yrs old i think) - it was those macgyver days that i wanted to have one.

my mom bought me the cheapest one in a hardware store. of course what would you expect from a cheap one. the scales went loose with a single drop of 2 feet, the blades were dull after a few cuts, the scissors wobble a few days of use, the screw heads got deformed.

in simpler terms, expensive folders/knives offer quality. in my case i have the sak cybertool (i would classify it as a mid range knife in terms of price). i've been with it over the years and its still alive w/o any complains.

if you got the budget and your tasks demands/requires the use of one, go get a good quality knife - you'll never regret it.
 
As Lew Rothman of JR Tobacco, world's largest cigar dealer, say when asked "What's the difference between a $ 5 cigar and a $ 20 cigar?"....answer: $ 15
 
stjames said:
Welcome to the forum. Now please, for the love of your family, your sanity and your finances forget you ever found your way to this site. If you own a $100+ pocket knife already then just quit while you are ahead, you don't need any more of those and you certainly don't need anything more expensive. Run, run I say! back to your normal life. Look upon the ruin of our lives and tremble, and be glad that there, if not for the Grace of God, go I.
Click to expand...
LOL

Thanks for the great advice. I wish I could heed it.

But I feel like a moth drawn to a flame, just can't stop...

Thanks for all the great advice so far! :)
 
stjames said:
Welcome to the forum. Now please, for the love of your family, your sanity and your finances forget you ever found your way to this site. If you own a $100+ pocket knife already then just quit while you are ahead, you don't need any more of those and you certainly don't need anything more expensive. Run, run I say! back to your normal life. Look upon the ruin of our lives and tremble, and be glad that there, if not for the Grace of God, go I.
Click to expand...
:D :D I wish this wisdom would have been passed down to me five years ago. But now that the postman delivered my Sebenza large stars and stripes I have to go play.:thumbup:
 
When we hear, "You get what you pay for.", we tend to think this applies to design, material and workmanship.

But there may be more than those obvious characteristics.

For example, I bought a USED Gen 1 Strider SMF:
1) Since Strider considers that the warranty follows the knife, I returned the knife to Strider for a tune-up ($15 shipping). Got a short note back (from Mick Strider himself) with the knife explaining what was done, and he also added a Gen 2 feature to the knife.
2) The resale value of Striders is such that I could probably sell the knife for what I paid for it - perhaps a bit more.

I gave the knife to my son for Christmas, and the two 'extra value' characteristics described above now accrue to him.

There's price - and there's value. I suggest we shoud focus on value.
 
I think that with expensive knives you get a certain pride of ownership that you don't get with less expensive knives.
It's almost like belonging to a small private club.

But don't be fooled in to thinking "more expensive equals better performance".
I promise you that a Spyderco Native (and possibly even a Kabar-Dozier) will cut just as well as a Small Sebenza.
Opinels and Victorinox SAKs will outcut alot of high-dollar folders on any given day.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
Production wise, the next tier above the Spyderco/Benchmade etc are the Chris Reeve fixed and folders, the Strider fixed and folders, and the William Henry folders, just to name a few.

Looking at customs, look at the size and materials used by makers on here in the Maker for sale area and the Knife by Maker for sale area in the Exchange. There are some makers on here offering folders and fixed very cheaply and with some very good materials.
 
Always buy the best that you can afford. In the long run, more expensive usually translates to less expensive. Fewer problems, fewer replacements, etc. But like has been said here in several places; you reach a point of diminishing returns. You will get more use out of a $400 Sebenza than you will out of a $10,000 Larry Fuegen custom, but if you're a hardcore collector, there's no comparison. In 20 years, that Fuegen will be worth probably more than you paid for it, while the Sebenza will be worth less. Buy what you like, and what works, but buy the best you can afford.
 
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