High end knives - an acquired taste?

[clockman]

I started out with low end Spydies and moved up the ladder to more expensive knive and more expensive knives. I've had and have some Sebs and more

expensives customs that I rarely use and carry except a couple.

I wish I hadn't bought so many 50- 100 dollars knives and saved the money for better knives. I think it's part of learning to appreicate the knives you have

and buying better quality knives when you can afford them.

I really like the $100-$200 knives much better than custom with the exception of a few Spydie sprint run knives that I use and carry quite often.

 

[upnorth]

Tastes change.
A Sebenza can be replaced by a Sodbuster.

Indeed. Some die hard duck\goose hunters swing from serious hunting to serious preservation\conservation over time. Our perspectives may change while still appreciating the object of desire.

 

[evanPGH]

For me, it was a matter of climbing the ladder so to speak. I started out with a $60 Spyderco Centofante and then moved on to Benchmades, higher end Spydercos, mid-techs and finally my first custom that's due to be delivered in a few weeks.

By moving through the ranks, once can appreciate all the suble changes in quality, fit and finish, etc. Does a $600 custom perform ten times better than a Delica? No, and you'd be foolish to convince yourself that. But as you aquire different knives you learn to appreciate the workmanship that goes into higher end knives and all of the details that make them cost what they do.

Is it acquired? Honestly, I don't think so. Some people appreciate and want nicer things and some people are fine with something that just gets the job done.

 

[mcrow]

For me, it was a matter of climbing the ladder so to speak. I started out with a $60 Spyderco Centofante and then moved on to Benchmades, higher end Spydercos, mid-techs and finally my first custom that's due to be delivered in a few weeks.

By moving through the ranks, once can appreciate all the suble changes in quality, fit and finish, etc. Does a $600 custom perform ten times better than a Delica? No, and you'd be foolish to convince yourself that. But as you aquire different knives you learn to appreciate the workmanship that goes into higher end knives and all of the details that make them cost what they do.

Is it acquired? Honestly, I don't think so. Some people appreciate and want nicer things and some people are fine with something that just gets the job done.

I think for me I like a little of the aesthetics and "get it done". IMO, I can find a knife that looks nice and makes for a good tool for under $100. Now, that knife does not compare in aesthetics to high end knives but then I don't want to take my $800 knife out with me in the woods, fishing, hunting..ect and either lose it or damage it, particularly if it doesn't peform any better. I could see using a high end knife for EDC if use is light but I can't bring myself into a situation where I could damage a very expensive knife or even make it show signs of wear.

 

[Lincolnwelding]

I think that high end knives can be an acquired taste. But that it is also very possible for someone, given the right background in perhaps machinery or carpentry, to immediately be able to appreciate a Sebenza or a quality custom.

That said I went through about 2 years of collecting low end knives before really learning to appreciate high end productions and customs. But that initial period of loving high end knives and actually purchasing a few was coupled with my first few years of picking up my trade of welding which is quite hands on. So maybe it was 50 50 with me.

 

[Jim85IROC]

Isn't that "vicious cycle of buy/sell/trade" exactly what makes you an enthusiast in the first place? Just going out and immediately buying a top-shelf knife doesn't make you an enthusiast, it makes you just another person with money to spend.

 

[El Bandit0]

That buy/sell/trade cycle has claimed another victim.....

 

[ibute21]

For some people its an acquired taste obtained through the process of collecting less expensive options. For others a Hinderer or a Sebenza is their first knife purchase. Whatever it is I always suggest people keep an open mind and leave room in their wallet so they can figure out their personal tastes and preferences and grow as knife enthusiasts.

In my case I went from cheaper kershaw offerings to more higher priced production offerings from spyderco and benchmade to customs and then midtechs. I've come full circle, nowadays my always have on me never go anywhere without it knife is the one found on the victorinox compact and my "collection" is a sparse 5 knives (down from around 40 or so a year ago). I don't lament the fact that I spent so much money knives I didn't keep, I got to play with some seriously cool toys, It was a fun experience and it helped me refine my tastes.

This is pretty much what happened to me. I've gone from cheap knives to highly coveted sprints all the way to custom and now I get by just fine with a Kershaw skyline, a one off custom, and another pending custom. I do have my preferences though (I'd love a M4 wharncliffe SnG with DGG, hey, one can dream right?) but I get by with those.

 

[OrdnanceBubbaUSMC]

I like aesthetics, comfort, decent workmanship on fit and finish, etc. but I always keep in mind it is a sharpened piece of steel to cut and poke. It will get scratched, dropped, eventually hidden by the wife "cleaning up" If the lines aren't perfect on a knife, screwdriver, axe, baseball bat, they all still handle business.

If you have warm fuzzies over the smallest details or want custom then it is probably right for you to shoot on up to the $300 folders.

I don't think it is graduating to the next level of knifemanship or any such thing, which seems to be perpetuated and lead to peer-pressure sales.

 

[NjHart]

I think that high end knives can be an acquired taste. But that it is also very possible for someone, given the right background in perhaps machinery or carpentry, to immediately be able to appreciate a Sebenza or a quality custom.

I think there is something to that. I don't think it has to be necessarily a background in machinery, engineering, etc, but some people to have more discerning tastes right away. That isn't saying that everyone necessarily has to have the same discerning tastes (Sebenzas are unappealing to some for various reasons, just like Hinderers, Striders, or William Henry's can be to others). It is however possible, and I think this is probably where I fall, to be a super neurotic researcher as a consumer and have specific paradigms that you look for in all of your possessions.

Most people will acknowledge that with pretty minimal knife experience, though some does help, you could tell the difference between a Hinderer and a kershaw 1 ton. Google can quickly explain the steel difference if you are unfamiliar and the difference in feel should be pretty noticeable- all of that being said, of course someone could love or hate specific things about either outside of the quality issues and choose that as a deciding factor but that isn't the subject of the debate. At that point its just a matter of is that difference worth the extra cost for you, and for some people it absolutely is and for some it absolutely isn't.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

I like knives. I can appreciate the high quality stuff, but expensive knives are nothing more than a luxury. Just as with anything else, there is a point of diminishing returns. There is no real reason to buy something like a Sebenza other than you want something with that much attention to detail. It also becomes a problem when it’s not worth using that tool because it’s so valuable in a non used state.

I don’t have a knife worth more than $150. I’m not sure that I’ll ever buy one more than $200. I’m 100% positive that I’ll never need a knife that expensive.

That being said, I see nothing wrong with having expensive tastes in your hobbies. I’d love to buy a high end traditional, but I’m not sure I’ll have the funds for it.

 

[not2sharp]

I just buy whatever I like, whether its a $3 machete or a multi-thousand dollar custom, it is all part of the fun. Knife snobs can be something of a boor; there is no reason to limit yourselves to a specific brand or type of knife; anymore than you would limit yourself to 1 type of screwdriver. Knives are tools. Consider that most of the world carries inexpensive knives which do more work than any expensive piece of pocket jewelry, and that it is relatively inexpensive knives that have played a key role in our history. It is the functionallity that matters, and while knives can look great and function well, higher dollars prices does not always equal greater performance. As you progress to art knives functionallity becomes a secondary concern, because makers rightfully assume that few would want to risk damage the finish on a knife valued in multiples of $10,000, where a functionally equivalent substitute can be had for just a few dollars. There is nothing wrong with buying a pretty display piece, but you should also buy a few reasonably prices users to handle the multitude of everyday tasks. When it comes to knives the greater the variety the broader the range of available solutions.

n2s

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

As others have said, and said better than me, it is like watches, which is the other "man jewelry." Some think rolexes, Cartiers, Omegas are a waste of money and Timex's tell the time as good if not better. But some people possess, or acquire, an appreciation for the aesthetics and fine movements of high end watches, and are willing to pay for them. Neither type of person is right or wrong; just wired differently.

I personally get great pleasure from wearing a fine watch, and carrying a high-end knife. In spare moments I fondle my knives, and admire my watch. Are they worth the extra cash? To me, yes. Yes they are. I told my wife I wanted to be buried with my William Henry (that she gave me). She laughed and said when I croak it is going on the selling block with the rest of my knives (*_*)

 

[mcrow]

I just buy whatever I like, whether its a $3 machete or a multi-thousand dollar custom, it is all part of the fun. Knife snobs can be something of a boor; there is no reason to limit yourselves to a specific brand or type of knife; anymore than you would limit yourself to 1 type of screwdriver. Knives are tools. Consider that most of the world carries inexpensive knives which do more work than any expensive piece of pocket jewelry, and that it is relatively inexpensive knives that have played a key role in our history. It is the functionallity that matters, and while knives can look great and function well, higher dollars prices does not always equal greater performance. As you progress to art knives functionallity becomes a secondary concern, because makers rightfully assume that few would want to risk damage the finish on a knife valued in multiples of $10,000, where a functionally equivalent substitute can be had for just a few dollars. There is nothing wrong with buying a pretty display piece, but you should also buy a few reasonably prices users to handle the multitude of everyday tasks. When it comes to knives the greater the variety the broader the range of available solutions.

n2s

A good example is Mora knives. They are among the best knives out there and cost $15. Of course, this is with using them as a tool in mind. They won't win any beauty contests or make us drool over their inovative designs but you'd be hard pressed to find a better work knife.

The best thing about knives is that there are so many different ways to appreciate a knife. I love Mora knives because they are a great work knife and durable as all heck, not to mention a great value. I love Bucks for the tradition of the 110's and the build/value of the Vantage series. I like the overbuilt nature of the ZT knives and the Kershaw for making quality entry level knives. I've even grown to like Cold Steel because they make a tough knife and are sort of like the "pro wrestling" people of the knife world. I like Case knives for the old time pocket knife feel and history. I could go on about 20 companies or so that I have some sort of love for, even Gerber.

 

[mjolnir74]

I believe that people should experience the different levels so they can really appreciate the differences.

That's only if they can really afford the higher end knives though.

Because if you can't really afford it you'll never use it much, which is where some higher end knives shine.

 

[powernoodle]

Do you think new knife enthusiasts would appreciate the attributes of a high end knife or do you think they need to wade through the sea of lower end knifes and learn to fully appreciate the quality of a high end knife?

Maybe its aficionados of expensive knives who need to fully appreciate the value and utility of a $40 knife. Expensive knives have little objective superiority to inexpensive knives. Titanium is not objectively "better" than FRN, for example. Rather, its heavier, colder and less grippy. A knife with S35VN steel may cost 10x that of an AUS8 knife, but it doesn't hold its edge 10x longer. A convex Umnumzaan does not slice as well as a FFG Delica or Swiss Army Knife. You get the idea.

My point here is that expensive knives are not "better" than inexpensive knives, and one does not have to graduate from reasonably priced knives to expensive knives in order to appreciate the nuances of the latter. Rather, and as I have said many times, our subjective determination that expensive knives are "better" merely makes us feel good, and that is a plenty good reason to like them. But expensive knives are not "better" than their less spendy counterparts. They are just different. And people who prefer a $50 knife to a $450 knife are not less sophisticated knife enthusiasts. And in many respects, I think the guy with the reasonably priced knife sees the knife world much more clearly and less emotionally than the spendy knife crowd. To many knife enthusiasts, and I think to most "average" people, it makes no sense whatsoever to carry a $450 knife when a $50 knife will cut a box or peel an apple just the same - or even better.

I'm not dissing spendy knives or the people who dig them. I own CRKs, Busses, Striders and other spendy knives, and I appreciate and admire you guys who really dig your "high end" knives. Your enthusiasm is contagious, and enthusiast people are fun to hang with. Its just that I don't hold to the view that a person who appreciates a CRK or other spendy knife is somehow more sophisticated than a Tenacious guy. In my view, he's just willing to spend more to get something that makes him feel good.

 

[XiaolongJackson]

"To say that life is to be enjoyed (just enjoyed) is like saying that mountains should only have summits."

I have the money for a Sebenza or a Busse and I can run out and buy one right now. I don't own a mansion or my own private beach, but I do have the money to get all the knives that I want right now, but I choose to buy relatively cheap knives and at a relatively slow rate (about once a month; not counting multitools and other gear) so I can take the time to appreciate them before moving up. Also, I think that people that want to get into knives as a hobby should start with a cheap Taylor Brand or Frost Cutlery knife- the type of knife that falls apart while sitting in a drawer- so they can learn what a bad knife is before moving on to cheap but well made knives, and slowly moving up the ladder. I think anyone who wishes that they could have started out with a super high end knife and be done with it there just regrets having all the fun they had with their hobby.

Also, I'm with everyone else here who hates titanium framelocks. I think the Sebenza looks nice and all, but I can't understand why so many people like titanium framelocks so much.

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

3,000 yrs ago, a Tibetan monk wrote, "A fine blade infuses the soul with bliss." Okay, I wrote it, but it carries more weight if it comes from the ancients.

We assume aliens visit this planet to score with our women, but actually they are scarfing up Hinderers and Sebenzas, which cannot be found on any other planet. So lock up your high-end knives, or you may find yourself on the examining table of a bug-eyed knife-lover.

 

[mcrow]

Maybe its aficionados of expensive knives who need to fully appreciate the value and utility of a $40 knife. Expensive knives have little objective superiority to inexpensive knives. Titanium is not objectively "better" than FRN, for example. Rather, its heavier, colder and less grippy. A knife with S35VN steel may cost 10x that of an AUS8 knife, but it doesn't hold its edge 10x longer. A convex Umnumzaan does not slice as well as a FFG Delica or Swiss Army Knife. You get the idea.

My point here is that expensive knives are not "better" than inexpensive knives, and one does not have to graduate from reasonably priced knives to expensive knives in order to appreciate the nuances of the latter. Rather, and as I have said many times, our subjective determination that expensive knives are "better" merely makes us feel good, and that is a plenty good reason to like them. But expensive knives are not "better" than their less spendy counterparts. They are just different. And people who prefer a $50 knife to a $450 knife are not less sophisticated knife enthusiasts. And in many respects, I think the guy with the reasonably priced knife sees the knife world much more clearly and less emotionally than the spendy knife crowd. To many knife enthusiasts, and I think to most "average" people, it makes no sense whatsoever to carry a $450 knife when a $50 knife will cut a box or peel an apple just the same - or even better.

I'm not dissing spendy knives or the people who dig them. I own CRKs, Busses, Striders and other spendy knives, and I appreciate and admire you guys who really dig your "high end" knives. Your enthusiasm is contagious, and enthusiast people are fun to hang with. Its just that I don't hold to the view that a person who appreciates a CRK or other spendy knife is somehow more sophisticated than a Tenacious guy. In my view, he's just willing to spend more to get something that makes him feel good.

I will say this:

It really annoys me when people make sound like those of us that stick to cheaper knives (mostly) don't know enough to appreciate high end knives. I think you're in it for the wrong reasons if you think owning high end knives are status symbol in the knife collecting world.

For me, I just can't own a knife I'm not comfortable using everday if I need to. I appreciate a finely crafted knife but generally speaking I'm not into wall hangers (Nor is my wife for that matter...lol).

 

[HSC ///]

my journey started with a Buck Vantage, and SOG Pentagon Elite. But I have always liked the finer things and have appreciated the design and quality of any high-end item. Only recently in the last few months after coming onto this forum did I really learn and begin to appreciate various knife design and builds.

It'a a bit ridiculous if I think about it, but I have about $5,000 into 7 knives in a few months.
One of the reasons so much is invested is that I prefer non-production handmade quality. Often this level of knife is not readily available at a store. You have to commit to the purchase just to handle and feel the knife, and then decide if it is a keeper or should be released.

I don't know if this was an acquired taste or not, but it did develop over time. My preference is to have a small collection of high quality knives that I will use.
With that said, my biggest purchase to date should be coming in the mail any day!