I have a $17 Superknife. It is 12 years old and uses razor blades.
I have a $398 XM-18. It has a fat Spanto blade.
When Im in a situation where all I cut is cardboard, I use the Superknife. Nothing works better for this task. The lock never fails and the pivot is just fine after all these years.
When Im in a situation where I have to pry and twist while cutting something that may not be such a good idea to cut in the first place, i.e. hard use, I use the XM-18.
Both knives excel at their intended design. Both fail miserably when used for jobs in which they arent designed for, the right tool for the job and all that.
If all you cut is string and envelopes, all sharp knives work the same no matter the cost. Design always trumps cost.
I have a $398 XM-18. It has a fat Spanto blade.
When Im in a situation where all I cut is cardboard, I use the Superknife. Nothing works better for this task. The lock never fails and the pivot is just fine after all these years.
When Im in a situation where I have to pry and twist while cutting something that may not be such a good idea to cut in the first place, i.e. hard use, I use the XM-18.
Both knives excel at their intended design. Both fail miserably when used for jobs in which they arent designed for, the right tool for the job and all that.
If all you cut is string and envelopes, all sharp knives work the same no matter the cost. Design always trumps cost.
Just kidding.
Cutting ability isn't really what drives the cost of a knife up. It's the amount of hand finishing and attention to small details that does.