How do you convince someone to buy a quality knife?

topgunpilot20

topgunpilot20

Joined
Oct 21, 2003
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i have a friend who has a cheap spyderco knockoff that he just loves. it's the dullest POS i've ever held, but he thinks it cuts really well. when i tell him to invest in a spyderco if he loves it so much, he just shrugs and says it's good enough for him. how can i convince he needs a quality knife?
 
Show him what a really good one looks like and cuts like.
Seeing is believing.
 
Tell him that he can cut your arm with his uber-crap knife if you get to cut his with your real-thing Spyderco.

Sometimes blood is the only road beverage on the path to enlightenment.
 
I have the same problem with multi-tools. Someone buys one of those Chinese jobs for $5.00 and they think they've died and gone to heaven. Meanwhile, I explain that the implements really should not be wobbly and unfolding from the handle by themselves:rolleyes:
 
I don't bother... some people can't tell the difference and can't wrap their heads around the concept of 'good' knives or other quality tools. Somebody's gotta buy the POS stuff anyway, so it might as well be them.
 
Best thing to do is just show him what a quality knife is. That will either do the trick or not. If not, then there is probably no hope. It seems to me that people are either into quality products or they're not.

I like quality in everything that I buy. Knives, bikes, clothes, cameras, etc. I want to have the best quality of it all and even when I can't afford the best, I then buy the best I can afford. Other people just arn't that way I guess.
 
You can't do anything to these sort of people...it's relative really...

How do you convince someone to buy a Benchmade instead of a Spyderco? Or a Sebenza instead of a Benchmade? Or a Custom knife instead of a Sebenza?

A knife is there to do a job...if he finds that his POS knife does it then he'll stick with it...until he comes to a point when that thing doesn't do it anymore...THEN...i'm sure he'll ask you about a new knife...

You could try to put him in a real situation where he needs to cut something but you know that his knife won't work...like bringing loads of cardboard boxes and telling him that they need cutting up 'cos of some bull$#!+ reason...then ask him to help you out with his POS knife...while you use yours...
 
Give him a Stanley utility knife for Christmas... If it suits him, well, he's a lost cause. Certainly no Dis to the Stanley line of tools, but each tool should be task specific. Nothing quite like the recurve of a Darrel Ralph or the spike of the Dozier dagger! Only those of us who are truly addicted will ever understand....:D
 
You don't. People at my work think that I need to have my head examined for paying more than $20 for a knife. You either get it or you don't. They need to learn on their own. I went up the ladder the hard and expensive way. That neat knife that you bought works well for a while but after a few weeks or months the blade starts to get loose. I say to each his own and if your friend thinks his knife is good enough, who are we to tell him it's a POS?:) ;) :p
 
Originally posted by topgunpilot20
how can i convince he needs a quality knife?
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You can't, because he doesn't. Most people don't have quality knives, and they don't need them.
I carry a much better knife, multitool, and flashlight than any of my coworkers. Anyone I personally know, for that matter.
If someone asks my opinion about a knife, flashlight, whatever, because they're curious, or considering one, that's great. I'm more than happy to talk about the things I'm interested in.
At the same time, I don't need a guy with a 4WD extended cab telling me my 2WD regular cab sucks, when I don't need 4WD or an extended cab, and I won't push my stuff on him, either.
Seems fair.
 
Originally posted by topgunpilot20
how can i convince he needs a quality knife?
Click to expand...

As the others already wrote, you don't. Either he gets it or he doesn't (just like those who think Bud light is a acceptable beverage).
 
Interesting thread, and one that hits home with me because of a recent event.

One of the guards at the Govt building I work in, asked me to sharpen up one of this hunting knives. I said, "sure, bring it in". Well, he brings it in, and its some kind of junky, Chinese knock off of a Gerber folding hunter. Even has a friggin guthook. :rolleyes:

Of course, the edge is pretty thick and the blade is some kind of junk stainless, probably 420J2. I give it a shot, and even clamped it to my Lansky and brought out the heavy artillery(extra coarse diamond attachment) to no avail. This thing would NOT get sharp!

Rather than waste any more of my time, I got a slightly used folder of mine out and decided to sell it to him for about half what it was worth. He bought the knife, and now comments on how sharp the knife is, every time I come in the building. Just in case anybody is curious, he got a Spyderco Endura ATS-55 plain edge. I felt good, because I believe another person has been converted. :)
 
Don't. If your friend's joy in his knife exists at such a high-level, then let him have his joy. A lot of people can go through life without paying more than $50 total for every jackknife, kitchen knife, and utility blade they have ever owned.

Some of us are happy to use other low-price, lower-quality goods because they're good enough for us.
 
Take him to a knife show (and don't let him visit the knockoff/POS tables). If fondling all those high-quality productions and customs doesn't convince him, he's hopeless! ;)
 
I've never "tried" to convert anyone. But I think my example/experience is worth mentioning.

I married my wife three years ago. She knew I had a penchant for sharp and pointy things.

Over the years, I've acquired (and discarded) quite a few knives. One of the knives is a rambo-style knock-off that I only use on our occasional camping trips, for splitting kindling and such.

I leave all sorts of knives lying around, usually on the computer desks and the kitchen table. Needless to say, she often picked one up.

After time, she began emulating me, flicking knives while watching TV, etc. After a bit more time, she began carrying an EDC. She prefers a stud-gator gerber, a kershaw blackout, and a rainbow leek, in rotation, now.

On our last camping trip, she picked up the rambo-knockoff, thumbed the edge, and frowned. She looked up at me and said, "This thing's a peice of ****; I can tell by the feel".

I was very proud of her that moment ;)

MORAL of the STORY: Let your friend handle some quality knives. Mayhaps for a few days or even months. He'll come around.

WayLander
 
How do you convince someone to buy a quality knife?
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Give them one!

I've always liked watches and had a bunch (I'm talkin early teens here) Timex, off brands, all cheap digitals.

On my 16th birthday my uncle gave me a sub mariner style analog Casio. Now granted, it wasn't the most expensive watch but I had a new founded respect and fascination for better quality watches and haven't looked back since.

Tis the season! May not be right away but he will appreciate the quality the first time he goes back to the crapper knife for a task.

Something just won’t be the same.
 
Yeah, generally, you can't change their mind, especially if the money for the upgrade will come out of their pocket. Nic and Danbo are right, in that you should give him a quality knife. By just handling yours, he won't get a feel for the true usefulness. By owning and using one, he'll have every day experience, and therefore will be more likely to appreciate the difference in quality.

Christmas is just around the corner, and Ka-bar has a great deal in the Dozier designed folders at just $20 each. That's a sure-fire way to show him quality.

DD
 
My brother-in-law has EDCd a Wegner SAK for decades. I gave him a Calypso Jr and now he's well on his way to becoming a Spyderco freak.:D

I'm giving my other bro-in-law a Spydie for Christmas. He'll be a cinch to bring into the "quality" fold. I've never seen him carry anything but junk when it comes to cutlery.
 
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