How do you justify spending so much $ on a knife?

C

Chinikaylo

Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Messages
86
Hey guys, first off I want to say, i have no problem spendin a couple hundred dollars on a knife. My question is, how do you explain it to someone who isnt into knives like we are?

Last night I was showing a buddy my new ZT0200 and he couldnt believe that I spent over $100 on it. I tried to explain that I paid for craftsmanship, quality, style, build, reliabilty, etc but he just kinda looked at me like i was crazy or something.

Is this something that I will just have to deal with or is there something I can do to show that its worth the money?
 
Just like with my offensively large collection of fountain pens, I simply dont tell them how much it cost. Works better that way.
 
Does your buddy buy the cheapest jeans, the cheapest watch, the cheapest car, the cheapest whiskey or does he have toys and tools he appreciates the good stuff, too?
 
Truth is, it probably isn't worth that much to everyone. There are lots of people who don't carry knives and look down upon them and probably will never see the usefulness of them.

To me a suit that costs a couple thousand, a 5 thousand dollar watch, and a purse that costs a couple hundred dollars (not that I buy purses) are not worth it and I would probably shake my head at anyone who tried to rationalize it to me. Different people like different things and they are going to be willing to pay a lot of money if it is something they want and important to them. But not everyone is going to like the same things and be willing to buy them even if they cost a fraction of what others usually pay for them.
 
Chinikaylo said:
Hey guys, first off I want to say, i have no problem spendin a couple hundred dollars on a knife. My question is, how do you explain it to someone who isnt into knives like we are?

Last night I was showing a buddy my new ZT0200 and he couldnt believe that I spent over $100 on it. I tried to explain that I paid for craftsmanship, quality, style, build, reliabilty, etc but he just kinda looked at me like i was crazy or something.

Is this something that I will just have to deal with or is there something I can do to show that its worth the money?
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i don't. in fact, i wouldn't even show one of my knives to "someone who isn't into knives..."

as far as "justifying". unless i hurt someone, i don't feel the need to justify ANYTHING i do. i tend to avoid contact with humans with whom i share no commonality, all together. they, generally, just reduce the quality of my day.
 
Some tools need to be trustworthy. Dive watches for example, if it fails, you could die. Same with mountain climbing, your gear=your life. Some would never pay much for a knife, because they have never depended on a knife. Nor have they considered the work, effort, level of craftsmanship, or materials involved in that $100+ knife.
Yet guys pay two months salary for a diamond ring? Diamond rings are useless, unless you can cut something with it. So, what if an ingagement knife was the norm? Would they spend two months salary for that?
 
Chinikaylo said:
Hey guys, first off I want to say, i have no problem spendin a couple hundred dollars on a knife. My question is, how do you explain it to someone who isnt into knives like we are?
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I don't even try. For me I don't even mention how much I paid for it, even if someone asks me. It's honestly none of their business how much I paid.

If you were to add how much someone spends on something as little as coffee everyday I'm sure that the number would be incredibly higher than the money you paid on that knife, plus you get to keep it for many years.

Second, if you take the value of that knife and divide it by the number of days that you carry it, I'm sure that paying .50¢ a day for the satisfaction you get and the utility that you receive makes the purchase seem like a more rational decision. Usually people don't think these things through.
 
I see knife, I want and I can afford it, I buy it. I want it good enough justification.
 
Here is something I posted earlier:...

I figured I will look at it this way. Out of all the toys I have, guns, knives, axes, mountain bikes, etc.... the knife is the one that will be on my 24/7. I have guns and what not worth much more and they sit there and look pretty and maybe get taken out once in a while to get shot and go hunting. A knife is on me all the time, and a sebenza still costs less then most quality handguns and rifles. And I can't play with a gun while sitting in traffic , but I can play with a sebenza, flicking it, cutting a piece of paper, scrutinizing the latest scratch and try to wipe it off, etc... lol. Then I can go home and cut my steak up with the knife... It will probably see the most use out of any tool I will have.
 
People can justify spending $40,000 on a truck, $1500 on a gun, have a house full of useless knick-nacks and beanie babies but won't put down more than $20 for a knife.
 
I could see this being a legitimate concern if you borrowed the money for the purchase otherwise who cares whether they think it's worth it or not? Why bother justifying it at all, it's your money isn't it? I don't go around expecting people to justify their purchases to me. . .
 
Ive stopped showing off my knives and explaining my hobby to non-knife ppl. Much easier this way.

And i dont have to justify squat for over people. As long as the bills are paid and theres food on the table, i do with my money whatever i please.
 
zignal_zero said:
i don't. in fact, i wouldn't even show one of my knives to "someone who isn't into knives..."

as far as "justifying". unless i hurt someone, i don't feel the need to justify ANYTHING i do. i tend to avoid contact with humans with whom i share no commonality, all together. they, generally, just reduce the quality of my day.
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:thumbup: Yeah that.

Unfortunatley that is most humans :grumpy:
 
Chinikaylo said:
Last night I was showing a buddy my new ZT0200 and he couldnt believe that I spent over $100 on it. I tried to explain that I paid for craftsmanship, quality, style, build, reliabilty, etc but he just kinda looked at me like i was crazy or something.
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Congratulations on your ZT purchase. The ZT200 is a fantastic knife and EXTREMELY WELL PRICED considering the fit, finish and excellent quality of materials.

As for your post...........

It does not matter what your buddy thinks it matters what you think. If you find value, quality, and joy of ownership in anything then it is worth it to you.

What others think is irrelevant.

Anyone who asks me what I paid for something usually get's my standard answer.....

"it was a fair price"

Enjoy your ZT and welcome to the world of quality knives and to Bladeforums where you will always be understood:)
 
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Try & explain a $700 driver to someone who doesn't golf . . . Try & explain a $350 baitcaster, a $300 rod to someone who doesn't bass fish . . . Try & explain a $350 bowling ball to someone who doesn't bowl tournaments . . . etc. etc. The way my father explained it, if you pay $250 for a pair of hunting boots that are waterproof, not water resistant, & those same pair of boots last 15 years, I will guarantee you got at least the $16.00+ per year out of them. It all boils down to if the purchaser can justify the initial cost of the item & how much it will be used.
Be safe.
 
"Why so much money for a knife?"

Cause they wouldn't sell my my Sebenza for $100:(

If you want to play, you got to pay.
 
I point out that pack-a-day smokers spend a hell of a lot more for a lot less:thumbup:.

But honestly, why do you need to justify anything? I think I can assume that you earned that money yourself and you're not spending someone else's money.
 
I don't usually show my knives to none knife people. But if on occasion I do and they ask I usually say "too much' and leave it to there imagination. That or "I don't remember" if they demand a ball park figure I give them something. I have been surprised how many people NEED to know how much I've spent, and I understand how hard it is to say that you've spend a lot of money on something that they don't understand. What it breaks down to is that, to each his own. if your happy with your purchase and you can afford it you shouldn't worry about being judged for it.
 
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