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

[Artfully Martial]

I have money and think knives are cool.

 

[KJlost]

Better spent on knives than a gaming system.

 

[mrjefe2u]

how do you explain it to someone who isn't into knives like we are?

I don't explain. I don't tell them the price.

If you feel like you have to tell, say "it was either knives or collect all those stupid stuffed bears that you collect".

See ya---Time for this alpha monkey to go to weekly sensitivity training.

 

[Mannlicher]

Chin, ya gotta stop worrying about what others think.

 

[tsuba]

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?

I paid 180 euros (245 USD) for my 200st...

 

[Planterz]

Most everybody has at least one "something" that they spend entirely too much money on - at least in other peoples' eyes. Some people spend thousands on car stereos that are too damn loud. Some feel the need to buy/build a new computer every 6 months so they can have the latest-and-greatest. Some have thousands of dollars worth of ink tattooed on their skin.

Heck, when people give me funny looks when they find that I spent $150-$250 on my EDC knife, think of the look they give me when they ask how much my keychain flashlight cost ($300!).

 

[dinozzo]

i dont really talk about knives and or prices with anyone who isnt interested in them. I dont feel the need to tell them how much my stuff costs, or to try to explain why it costs that much. Unless they ask or are interested, knives dont really come up in conversations for me

 

[cziv]

Most everybody has at least one "something" that they spend entirely too much money on - at least in other peoples' eyes. Some people spend thousands on car stereos that are too damn loud. Some feel the need to buy/build a new computer every 6 months so they can have the latest-and-greatest. Some have thousands of dollars worth of ink tattooed on their skin.

Heck, when people give me funny looks when they find that I spent $150-$250 on my EDC knife, think of the look they give me when they ask how much my keychain flashlight cost ($300!).

Well stated Planterz, only I don't get the whole flashlight addiction...like big bucks for a little flashlight? What's up with that?

So I checked out some videos on a few expensive small falshlights last month and they were like freaking stadium floodlights!!

I'm not even logging into a flashlight forum - can't afford more cross addictions. Guns & knives are bad, but add $2 or $300+ or - mini flashlights.....not goin there man........well not yet anyway.

 

[Big Bo]

I do not explain my actions to people that would not understand them.

Ask Bob why he smokes crack? He knows, I do not understand it.

 

[dasmi]

I don't have to justify it. It's my money, I earned it through honest, hard work. I can spend it as I please.

 

[CWL]

My question is, how do you explain it to someone who isnt into knives like we are?...

...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?

Why do you have to explain anything? You are spending your own money, right?

Only reasons you ever need to justify something is worth what you paid for it is if you a) want to show off, or b) need other people to validate your actions (see "a")

 

[dobervol]

Well, this post pretty much sums up my feelings, and as several others have echoed the same thoughts, I think this one is the unofficial winner:

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.

 

[hardheart]

The only justifications would be to say you wanted it and could afford it.

To explain the value, well, you simply can't. Whatever was worth $200 or $2000 to you doesn't have to be worth that much to the person you're talking to.

Does it make sense to buy this pair of shoes? http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/c...840816&010=N03E9&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=N03E9

How about this knife? http://www.knifeart.com/gblpeanddafo.html

They're the same price.

 

[Dorito Monk]

I have money and think knives are cool.

That's a good way of putting it. :thumbup:

 

[marksky]

I know what you are saying.It is true you don't have to "justify" anything,but if they are your friends,you want them to understand"why" you spent that much.I make custom rods,sometimes I get asked how much one costs,they want the one built that is the most elaborate,but they shudder when I tell them how much.Then they say"but i can go to Walmart and get one for 35 dollars!" so I say "go right ahead,stop wasting my time"They aren't into rods,so trying to explain it usually is a waste of time,even though I have "turned" a couple of them into "rod" nuts,or at least got them to understand.Try if you want,if they don't understand,don't sweat it,just let it go. By the way,I was ONE of those guys,UNTILL I tried a BUSSE,NOW I have 5,LOL.Good luck!!!

 

[freq18hz]

So a friend of mine just recently gave me a lecture about how he thinks I'm nuts for spending 400 dollars on a Chris Reeve knife.

3 Days later, he was showing me his 500 dollar espresso coffee maker that he and is wife bought for Sur Le Table, which makes espresso from little foil canisters. It only uses these particular coffee canister shots, you can't buy beans and grind them. It's like a coffee gun, that needs special bullets. Don't ask how much the coffee shots cost a piece.

Which do you think will be in service longer? My Sebenza, or his latte machine?

 

[Gadgetaholic]

There are several approaches when someone questions why you spent so much:

1. Don't bother justifying: Why not, it's my money.

2. Turn it around: What about what you spend on your car - why buy a BMW when a Toyota is both cheaper & more reliable. What about your cigarettes? What about what you spend in a year on alcohol? What did your new iPhone cost? etc.

3. Give an example of why it isn't expensive: Here is my SAK, I bought it a decade ago and have been carrying it everyday since. It is in good condition and the pen still writes. Nothing is missing from it - I still have the toothpick, tweezers, pen, stainless steel pin, little screwdriver in the corkscrew, etc. Regardless of the original cost this has been really cheap to own - you shouldn't judge the cost on the purchase price alone.

I have a friend that likes flashlights, he has several - they are all junk and they will all fail and need to be replaced. I have a Maglite 2D and a Maglite 4D that I bought early in 1999, they still work fine (though I have modded them since to make them better).

Spending good money on something that will last for decades isn't so bad. Throwing money away on junk that will soon fail is foolish.

 

[CWL]

So a friend of mine just recently gave me a lecture about how he thinks I'm nuts for spending 400 dollars on a Chris Reeve knife.

3 Days later, he was showing me his 500 dollar espresso coffee maker that he and is wife bought for Sur Le Table, which makes espresso from little foil canisters. It only uses these particular coffee canister shots, you can't buy beans and grind them. It's like a coffee gun, that needs special bullets. Don't ask how much the coffee shots cost a piece.

Which do you think will be in service longer? My Sebenza, or his latte machine?

Actually, each shot of espresso costs 73 cents if you by the packs from Amazon. And you can buy a different insert if you want to use ground coffee rather than the little pods.

But I agree with you about quality knives.

 

[Gadgetaholic]

Actually, each shot of espresso costs 73 cents if you by the packs from Amazon.

Drink 3 per day and that is over $700 per year (not counting power, milk, whatever). I drink tap water mostly and spend more on knives than most people would think makes sense - I'd rather have a new knife than drink coffee.

 

[JGON]

I usually threaten non-knife people with my knives and coerce them into saying that knives are cool. After these altercations, the non-knife people that I threatened are usually so busy buying knives that I hardly ever see them again, and when I do, they run because seeing me reminds them of how many knives they need to buy, and they just can't wait to get to bladeforums and buy some more knives!

That's why they run... right?