How does the Price of a Knife Affect You?

""How does the $ affect me" It means if I'm eating hotdogs or steak that month. Extreme cases can mean sex or no sex with wifey."

Can you trade-off, and eat the hot dogs; yet still keep Wifey close??
Or (Heaven forbid...)
Eat steak by yourself??
 
I think the sweet spot for performance and quality per dollar is between $100 and $200 right now. A Gayle Bradley 2 or a Hogue Ritter can be had for that. Also a LC200n Pacific Salt or a Leatherman Wave or Vic Swisstool. Esee 4, etc.
I use all of these $100-$200 knives as hard as I want.

My Inkosi is my knife for going somewhere dressed nicely I also use a Spyderco Chapparel carbon fiber/stonewash for that purpose but I don’t recall what it cost.

So aside from my Carothers, I take it easy on $300+ knives.
 
If you care at all about what I've seen so far...
This entire discussion has been non-judgmental
Nobody has been picked on for the amount of money that they spend: regardless of the amount.
Thanks guys!!

 
For me I found that around $150 is my limit, and it has to be something I really want to be willing to spend that much. I am more of a practical / analytical kind of guy and I always felt that when you get above around $100 you start getting diminishing returns
Are expensive knives nicer? Cooler? Made of premium materials? Sure they are! Does it make you happy? If so, then it is worth the price for you. I personally find when a knife gets too expensive (really if I feel it would be hard to replace) then it becomes “precious” and then I am hesitant to use it as a tool. In those cases I find I can enjoy using and abusing a less expensive option without worries and I find myself “enjoying” it more. All that being said, now that they are lifting the auto knife ban in Virginia, I have been gazing at those Microtech’s pretty hard, so my price limit is starting to flex a little :)
 
Bob Denman said:
I wasn't sure how to approach this topic; so I apologize in advance...
When you are looking at another knife to buy: is the price a "static" barrier that you will not cross?
Or is it dependant on the make of knife, and Country of origin?
When I was first gripped by this madness; my stomach would hurt if I spent over $130 on a knife. (Those were the days!!)
Now I look at the knife, and if I can justify the price based on it's attributes: it will end up in my grubby little paws.
Are you guys setting a firm barrier; or do you have a sliding scale for your purchases?
Click to expand...

Price isn't a barrier, if I think the knife is worth it. For example, I'd like to buy an actual Terzuola at some point soon (when I see the "right" one), but that's going to be between $2,500 and $3,500. Will that knife cut better than a $15 Opinel? No. Hell, an Opinel is probably just as good at sentry removal as a Terzuola is, but it'll be a Terzuola and not an Opinel. So, the price is definitely relative.

The only really firm line I have is that I don't buy knives from China, and it will take a lot to get me to cross that line. The rest is just general guidelines like "no teeth, or tantos, tip down carry only", that sort of thing. Of course, I own outliers to all of those, so nothing is absolute.
 
Yesterday evening I wrote out a response saying:
After an initial accumulation and impulse buying phase, I over the buy it to try it aspect.
I won’t buy a knife made in China/Pakistan etc, and try to avoid Made in China as much as I can though it’s hard to avoid.
I haven’t broken the $500 mark on a single knife yet and rarely have internet in the sub $150 range. I believe I’m over impulse buying and can name today with 90% accuracy the knives I’ll buy over the next 5 years.

…


For some reason I didn’t post the reply.
About a hour or so later I jumped on a Leverletto here on the exchange. I’ve shown no interest in these before but when I saw it I had to have it. Well, so much for my theory of knowing what I want.
 
Personally, I have no interest in a knife that costs north of $300. I have a different perspective these days. There are certain brands which I own and I have carried for years that cost around $500 to $600 and I just don’t think that they are worth it anymore. Just my opinion. To each his own.
 
I have to factor in the jewelry I will have to buy my wife. Hence any knife I buy...the cost is doubled!🙃
 
"

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"I have to factor in the jewelry I will have to buy my wife. Hence any knife I buy...the cost is doubled!🙃"

But keeping her happy is WAY cheaper than any alternative!
 
I balk when production knives get up over $500. At that point, I’ll start looking at customs. I’ve broken the $500 mark a few times on a production knife, but it takes a force of will!

…and usually copious amounts of whiskey.
 
Hackenslash said:
I balk when production knives get up over $500. At that point, I’ll start looking at customs. I’ve broken the $500 mark a few times on a production knife, but it takes a force of will!

…and usually copious amounts of whiskey.
Click to expand...
Did you actually break it; or maybe just crack it a little bit?
Because that's not your fault!
 
Cost is a concern,yes. If the cost is higher I have to save longer.
Like many others , it is the knife it self. Last year I saved and bought a Coyote from Horsewright. Last week I got a Grohmann #104 (6 1/2") or so pocket FB.
I'm not as curious about super steels as others, so that helps also. BG42 is the upper end of the steel range I have .
Don't know if S30V and S35VN are super steels or not, but they have both served me well.
 
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