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

I'm more into balisongs than other knives, but my reasons are still basically the same: quality, looks, flippability and durability. My friends thought I was insane for spending $90 on my first Typhoon, even though I tried to tell them that it was worth every penny. Then they bought some standard cheap $15 CCC balisongs to get into flipping, and they broke in just over a week, while my Typhoon has been happily flipping away like new for several months now. The expensive knives are better at what they do, and they last soooo much longer. Over time, the cost of buying cheap replacement knives will be greater than the price of one expensive one.
 
Best explanation is I buy what I like. But I get defensive sometimes when I get that crazy look you mentioned. I would bring up their expensive purchases/habits. How much did you pay for your phone? watches, home theater etc. For example phones will be outdated in a year, also a $300+ smartphone is not a necessity. Or you can tell time on your phone, why do you need a Rolex? If its an honest question then I try to be nice, mentioning points like safety ie. non slip grip of G10. More than once Ive already had the same people struggling (dangerously) to open a package/take apart a box with a dull knife. I whip out my folder, slice through it like butter and say see, a sharp knife is safer than a dull knife. :) Usually its followed with a reply by them like ahh yes, or true.

Normally I stay around $100 so nothing outrageous, only expensive folder I own is a Sebenza. I dont need approval of how I spend my money but I do try to convince them on the benefits of having a good, sharp knife (doesnt have to be expensive). Recently I just gave away a Mora clipper to someone complaining about a cheap $5 kitchen knife.. who used it for food prep and said wow, now thats sharp and works great. Good enough for me..!
 
The only time a friend or someone I know asks me what something cost was because he/she was buying one from me. I never get asked "what did that cost" by anyone, most certainly not friends. It's kind of a dumb question really, why would they ask? does it matter what you paid? it's a quote or question that goes nowhere and has no purpose, what does asking that do for a conversation, unless he's reaching in his pocket because they are buying it. I just find that an odd question unless they are buying it, I would never ask a friend that if he/she was showing me something they just bought, what do I care? it's really not my business what they paid.
 
no need to justify a hobby and collection. heck when you consider how much everything costs, a few hundred for a knife isnt even that extreme. its just more about spending the money on a knife, not neccessarily spending that amount of money, that gets that wide eyed "you spent THAT much!"
 
I simply say the truth....You don't save money by cheaping out!

If your going to use the item you can't save any money once you take into account the costs associated with it failing. My buddy is the poster boy of cheep and he always ends up paying more.

He cheeped out on a mountain bike, it failed 20km in on a trail leaving him with a bummed leg, dislocated shoulder and no way out. That one cost him 3 weeks of work and a hospital visit. Far more then the 1000 dollars he should have just spent to begin with.

He cheeped out on a tent, which ripped the second night causing him to have to leave the camping trip early, (which cost money) waste his paid vacation, and he still had to buy another tent.

I could go on and on with his truck repairs, his shead he built etc, but point being a knife is like anything else, you need to buy at a quality point, not a price point.
 
Daniel Day Lewis has a line in "There Will be Blood" when he gets flustered and says something like, "I don't like having to explain myself to people." That's how I feel and I have no obligation to explain or justify my knife purchases to anyone. :grumpy:
 
I rarely if ever say the price, except when it is very low, like a Mora.

Sometimes I say, I bought it on ebay, after carefully comparing, and it costs me between a third and a half of the price here in Europe.
 
I don't say the price to people unless the specifically ask.... I just say I picked any of my knives off of Ebay for $50... that way that can't say that I did or didn't... and if they ever find out the value of the actual knife they will just say that I got a great deal.. and I will say.. hell yes I did :D

If there is anything I have ever learned from life.. it is that you end up spending way more when you purchase something cheap. It is usually always best to buy the best in the first place.
 
Heres somehting my dad taught me when I was around 15 and started earning my own income. He's preached it to me ever since.
When you buy something, regardless of what it is, always ask yourself three questions.
1) Do you need it? That is, can you make do without it? In the example of knives, we can say well yes because they are a tool and so forth.
2) Are there any alternatives that can produce the same desired effect from your purchase? Again with the example of knives, sure, there's plenty of different manufacturers that have a philosophy of use that you buy into when making a purchase.
3) Shop around. Can you find it cheaper elsewhere?

Then there's some supplementary questions like is it good quality, will it last a long time, reputable company and so on.

If all three questions are satisfied, then go ahead and make the purchase. This system has never failed me and if anyone ever asks how much I spent on a knife, then the answer is the price I paid for it.
 
One other thing I think of is the re-sell value. If I buy a knife that is $350 and I can sell it for $350.. then what is the harm in it (Note: Obviously a used sebenza)
 
Everyone spends their disposable income on something. For some it's their kids, better cars, a bigger house, or clothes. For many of us it may be knives, guns, art, or other collectibles. At least the recovery value for any of this is better then money spent on entertainment, booze, fine food, or loose women; and, all of these choices, are much better then laying out cash to cover medical expenses, or funerals.

From that perspective, knives are a pretty good place to spend your money.

n2s
 
It is not your job to demonstrate that something is worth the money unless you are selling it. Further, you never waste your time with any such demonstration unless the audience is potentially going to buy it.

Manners dictate that you do not go around asking people what their personal possessions cost. If someone asks me, I usually tell them, " sorry, it is not for sale". How they respond to that statement will tell you a LOT about the person.
 
I've been know to say, it cost less than what my Doctor charges for an hour of his time.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
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?
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most of mine do. I think people who appreciate high quality items wouldn't think twice about someone spending that much on a knife.
 
Everybody is different, you should not need to justify your actions or desires to anyone.

Relax and enjoy your knives :)
 
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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As others have said - you don't! ;)
 
it usually goes something like this for me:
Q: Is that knife really worth AUD$180? (what i paid for my Fallkniven S1)
A: Ask me in 20 years.
 
Be happy with your purchase and don't give a shit what your buddy thinks

The knife you purchased is one of the best , if not the best , bang for the buck I ever seen , in any price level


In my opinion the 200 is THE best ZT , I like it much better than the 300 series
 
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