High dollar customs...to use or not to use.

ALLHSS said:
Are you personally affronted? This issue seems quite close to your heart, though I don't think others see it as an issue. I agree that there is a slight stigma against pure collecting and a definite stigma against flipping, but why the uproar? There are a lot of cliques, stigmas, and such on this (and probably every) forum.
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True that. Affront isn't quite the right descriptor, though. That would mean I'm harboring a resentment, which I'm not. I just like to call it like I see it. And I see an awful lot of stigma around here . . . stigma against those who don't buy knives to use them of whom there are MANY, stigma against those who buy knives to resell them for a profit, stigma against anyone who buys knives made in China . . . and so forth. If you're looking for people who are personally affronted, I'd suggest you seek them out in the company of those who are blinded by their stigma.
 
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bld522 said:
Yes, I understand. Now look at the posts in this thread, do a search on threads of a similar nature, and you'll see that the agenda is all around you. It's just waiting to pounce on posts like yours regardless of how innocent they may be at the outset.
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Well obviously you kinda did. Jumped the gun sir lol

As far as use customs I do or I dont keep them. I used to not do that but just having something for a nic nack to look at never really made me appreciate the knives, and then I would sell them off. I have a far smaller collection of knives now and its alot harder to get rid of any of them. I have buddies that are just into collecting not using and if makes them happy theres nothing wrong with that either.
 
bld522 said:
True that. Affront isn't quite the right descriptor, though. That would mean I'm harboring a resentment, which I'm not. I just like to call it like I see it. And I see an awful lot of stigma around here . . . stigma against those who don't buy knives to use them of whom there are MANY, stigma against those who buy knives to resell them for a profit, stigma against anyone who buys knives made in China . . . and so forth. If you're looking for people who are personally affronted, I'd suggest you seek them out in the company of those who are blinded by their stigma.
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Ahh, and it sounds like now we are trying to establish a stigma against those who hold the opinion that a knife is best enjoyed in use. Welcome to the party!! ;)
 
kamagong said:
What's "high dollar?"
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Yeah, as I said in an earlier post, that was a poorly worded title. I just meant our most expensive or treasured knives. The ones that we might have hesitated or deliberated over buying or even had to save up to buy. Was wondering how many of us still use those? The price could be $150 or $1500. It's all relative I suppose.
 
I carry and use a $550 Strider SMF every day. I also demolish anything I want with a Busse TGLB. I am the last one to ask that though, if I had the money I'd carry a $2300 folder and use the crap out of it. Buy and use....then buy another. It's only money and you only live once. Some people spend $350 on a bead to dangle from a lanyard on a $500 CRK. That won't be done by me but I understand why people do it. Same goes for the guy who won't spend more than $20 on a knife. I bet he has something in his life he spends useless amounts of money on. To each his own, but for me, a high dollar knife is the way to go.....I've broken way too many cheap ones to prove it.
 
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High dollar knives is a value judgement. I know people who would say that a $100 knife is high dollar and people who believe that stigma is deserved on knives valued at >$1000. Me, my values are pretty much established by my financial abilities, using knives over the years, and what I just like. I lean toward a $500 value as high dollar break point now. The break point changes as I have clearly still been very hesitant to buy knives in the $300 price range and thinking..... am I going to use it? Am I going to just add it to the pile? Do I want to use it? It comes down to use and if you are unwilling to use a $500 or $1000 knife, you need to look inward as to why you are considering acquiring such. It's a hobby and as such, you don't need a reason other than I want it and can afford it. Use has nothing to do with it for the most part once you have a number of knives that you use or are willing to use.
 
ALLHSS said:
Exactly.
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22-rimfire said:
High dollar knives is a value judgement.
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It's all relative. A $250 custom puukko is high dollar compared to a $10 Mora. On the other hand that $250 isn't enough to get a properly forged, distally tapered, differentially tempered fighting bowie.

Talk about a first world problem -- Should I or shouldn't I use my best knives?
 
Lance, my response isn't as philosophical as many. I can answer with a resounding "Yes". 😀 I'm not a "collector", I'm an end user. I live knives, probably more than guns, and I use them. I collect both, but I carry a gun for a living, so it's just a tool. A knife, that's just for the sheer enjoyment I get from it. I got a new Strider DDC this morning and it went right in my pocket. I'm definitely pro USER. 😀
 
kamagong said:
It's all relative. A $250 custom puukko is high dollar compared to a $10 Mora. On the other hand that $250 isn't enough to get a properly forged, distally tapered, differentially tempered fighting bowie.

Talk about a first world problem -- Should I or shouldn't I use my best knives?
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Hah, ain't that the truth! :rolleyes: :)
 
What do I spend my money on??? Booze and women and knives, usually in that order. Gotta have some priorities. The first two are black holes. At least with the last one I may see something back one day.

But for real though. I'm a firearms instructor and like knives more than guns. Still though, I carry what I think is best while my teammates carry shit. And they keep talking about why their knives suck and they feel the need to keep a box cutter in their bag. They just won't listen that 150 bucks is all you really need to have a sharp knife. 50 bucks for a sharpening system of some kind, a knife thats not junk, and a couple of bottles of rum to me for getting them set straight. They look at me and hear that I carry a $150 pocket knife and a handmade fixed blade and they think I'm nuts. Absolutely nuts.

For whatever it's worth, the highest priced knife I've owned was one of the lowest on my list to carry. Not because it sucked badly, but because it wasn't made for actual, real life work. I would've never have known that had I not at the very least tried to make it work. A knife that can't work has almost no value to me no matter how pretty it is, the same is true for women and booze.
 
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I own customs or handmade knives. My problem is that I honestly don't see all that much difference in terms of use between a handmade knife and a good factory knife.
 
craytab said:
I only have a couple customs and they are far from high end. I do have some productions that I likely won't use (also not high dollar). However, most of my knives are users. It is hard for me to buy a knife and not use it. I do have some high dollar knives (at least for me) that I have no problem beating the snot out of, literally. Always love your pics surfgringo, thanks for posting em.

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How that 562 CF treatin' ya?
 
Have to chew on this a minute cause I know I may be flamed. I bought my first custom knife in 1981 and it was a true custom, built to my exact request by a young man named Chris Miller in South Florida. It had a blade of 440C with ivory micarta handle and I used it for 10 or so years, still own it. As the years went by factory knives improved and the steel offerd improved greatly. Custom knives grew to great fit and finish and I bought some folders by Harvey McBurenette and Bob Conley as well as Russel Easler and a few others. They were all flawlessly made and highly engraved and they became safe queens though they would have been great users. When I look at some of the so called customs today and the prices they ask I wanna puke. So, use the ones you want to use and admire the ones that you want to simply appreciate the craftsmanship.
 
craytab said:
Fantastic! Excellent flipping action. Great detent. Steel gets real sharp and stays that way. Slim in profile. Looks good too.
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That knife is incredibly popular. I was sad that the 560 got phased out. But once I held a 562cf I was really impressed with the materials, fit and finsh and the feel.

Definitely in the realm of the 940 and the PM2.

Bout' broke my thumb off though trying to use what looked like thumbstuds haha
 
kamagong said:
What's "high dollar?"
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The number might change for each individual person but I think most of us understand the question.

I have a strong connection to anything that I buy and I don't want something, even a tool, to suffer unnecessary damage. If I buy a knife to use, I will use it. Otherwise I won't buy it. I've been in the gray area a couple of times, and eventually sold those knives and bought something else that I wouldn't mind using. I carry and use all of my folders, although I pick some of them to use for more intense use and the others mostly for EDC. I have a lot of fixed blade knives, many more than I can use, and I've identified certain ones that I will use. I would not mind using any of them if I needed to but most of my nicer fixed blade knives are hunting knives and I have very little chance of doing much hunting.

I used to be a watch enthusiast and there are a lot of parallels between watch enthusiasts and knife collectors. I've bought several low cost watches to wear as "beaters", but even a low priced Seiko that I bought turned out to be too nice to wear where I knew it would be beat up so I couldn't bear to wear it. I finally bought a cheap used Casio that I was willing to let get beat up a little and did wear it during those times.

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