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

I have a custom pakal knife. It is a self defense knife and as such doesn't get used for utility. It will absolutely be used if needed as it was designed for.
 
My personal end-goal is to have fewer "things" I happen to want and value more. As result, I tend to usually only have one or two dedicated "go to" folders at any given time(have a couple knives that hold sentimental value that very rarely see pocket time). Because I have such a small collection of knives, I tend to only buy what I want and worry less about the price. I guess I've spent upwards of around $800 for customs, and would go higher for the right knife, but am more comfortable in the CRK price range most of the time. I'd love to have a nice collection, but am simply not wired that way.
 
I'm sort of the opposite. Variety is the spice of life for me. At the same time, I'm not a hoarder nor do I feel the need to buy every knife I see, especially as nice knives keep getting more and more expensive. Last but not least, I'm looking forward to retiring next Summer and that will definitely put a damper on my knife purchases. Having said that, if I never buy another knife, I already have far more than I need. :)

As far as using a knife as intended is concerned, I wonder how many knife makers and manufacturers really care what happens to their knives after they sell them. Do you think they lose sleep at night wondering if their knives are being used? I don't. Do you think they're grateful for every knife they sell that doesn't get used? I do. Do you think any of them would buy back their knives for their current market value if they discovered that they weren't being used? I don't.

Here's the simple truth, knife users. Those who don't use their knives don't care what those who use them think.

Carry on. :)
 
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Charlie Mike said:
What are 3 things that every "operator" has?

Pickup truck, Rolex, and a divorce.

There was a time when the Rolex part used to be true. Now most "Tier 2 personalities" go for the G-Shock. Before the brand took on a luxury aura in the 80's, it's fame was it's durability and waterproofness.
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there was also 1 more element to the Rolex that makes it important to the real operators, though less so these days -- back then, it was highly functional, durable, waterproof AND! wearable currency. It was an easy way to quickly barter for something to get you what you needed to often, get the hell out of wherever you were. back then, who were the operators? easy to find -- middle age/slighly less looking, non-descript, stocky but not huge, wearing windbreakers, with street shoes (not dress!) and sporting a submariner. It was like a flag saying "I'M NOT CIA...REALLY...I'M NOT."

Even to this day if you look at photos of like the CIA special groups, it's all windbreakers, polos, street shoes, stocky build, middle age, and usually a good functional watch. What's amusing is when you see a guy wearing a rugby polo and khakis and has a full combat rig and sidearm...I'm like "Dad, is that you? where did you get all that hardware?" :) Though now I'm like....oh crap, that guy's my age and look at what he's doing....damnit......
 
Tdhurl1103 said:
Every knife I have is a user. Now, since they are mine, and I have more than I actually need, I can segregate them into usability groups, like hard use and light use. When I use the knives they are rarely outside its capability.

I have two customs, both fixed blades from the same maker. They are made to use hard. I bought them specifically to use hard. I know if they get wrecked I can send them back to the maker and he'd fix them up for me. With that "safety net" I don't really have any other excuse of ownership but to use them as intended.
Having said that, I'm a bit more fearful about my folders. I have no custom folders, and likely never will. Custom folders are just too expensive these days, have so many small parts and tolerances are so precise, that to mess it up would just be so.....demoralizing. I want to stay away from that. Last thing I want to utter from my mouth about messing up an expensive folder is, "dang, I screwed it up."
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I have numerous custom folders that I'm willing to kick the crap out of, saying things like "I wonder if my Demko can sheer that door off its hinges? LETS TRY!" (kidding!) - but I just got a knife that may be the first one that I'm scared to use mainly due to it's seemingly jewelry-like element -- A Begg Bodega Black & Gold. It's very nice, but it's the first knife regardless of price that I'm hesitant on....so I don't know how long it will last with me. My favorite high quality knife that I've had for 16 years now is my 1999 Socom D/A -- I use that knife willingly for anything and everything - and aside from some scratches...well...lots of scratches it still functions like a champ. I don't like "safe queens" - so if I'm not going to use it, it's gotta go.
 
bld522 said:
I'm sort of the opposite. Variety is the spice of life for me.
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Don't get me wrong, there's a pile of knives I want with a good chance I'll own a number of them. Just not all at once!:D

Edit-It might have come off in my last couple posts like I think I've got wads of $$ but that wasn't my intent. I try to keep this hobby in check as best I can[emoji106]
 
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flipe8 said:
Don't get me wrong, there's a pile of knives I want with a good chance I'll own a number of them. Just not all at once!:D
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"Not all at once" is something I'll always have to live with. I can rarely afford the knives I want when I want them, and when I finally can afford them they are sold out, no longer in production or the secondary market just pushes the prices into collector realm. (At least that's how I see it anyway). At that point I give up and look for something I can afford and use.
I dunno, I could go round and round about the price on some of these "customs" or "semi customs'" whatever you want to call them. My point is, if I wanted a Southard or even a Strider right now or in the next few months, I couldn't get either because at their cost I could get 10 or more knives I would actually not be afraid to use.

A caveat to this is: if I had a high dollar custom for 10 years or so.....at that point I would not be afraid to to use it hard because over time I've recouped the money I spent on it.
 
Tdhurl1103 said:
A caveat to this is: if I had a high dollar custom for 10 years or so.....at that point I would not be afraid to to use it hard because over time I've recouped the money I spent on it.
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For me it's not so much a matter of fear as a matter of opportunity. And, of course, if the opportunity were to arise, I have a slew of fixed-blades that cost less on average than the folders in my collection and would serve me better for hard use than of them would. I'm also never very far away from one or more of my fixed-blades. I'd always turn to them for hard use before I'd reach for something in my pocket. But hey, that's just me. :)
 
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Yes some of us use high end customs

Here is a video of me reviewing a very special blade from a maker that is deceased

They piece is ultra rare can not be replaced it worth probable around 5 K but I don't hesitate in using it for test cutting etc

[video=youtube_share;yBTkMjD5u60]http://youtu.be/yBTkMjD5u60[/video]
 
Randall Made Knives are expensive although not really custom, but this one at least looks it and gets a fair amount of use.

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