How Quickly did the price get out of hand

Bought my first CRK about a month after joining Blade Forums, tipped the scale a bit with a Tendick Kwaiken and a few Busses at around $700 but that's the all out limit.
I rarely consider anything past $200 these days and really like to keep it $150 and below. High end stuff is nice but my most comfortable and useful EDCs have come from the sub $200 range
 
Was doing OK for about 20 years...production only. Cost crept up over time as I made more money, and $250-300 was about the max. Joined BF in 2016 and held out for a while, and then last year the dam burst and I bought my first customs. No hope for me now...:D
 
My first year I thought SOG, CRKT, Ruger, Kershaw, and Gerber where something to be proud of.

Then I got my first ZT and my bank account started hemorrhaging.

Now I rarely buy a knife under $350 and fell into the mid-tech/custom game.

I gave my under $100 knives away and although it’s expensive, I thoroughly enjoy my knife hobby.
 
After I broke the $100 bubble I spent about 4 months around $150-ish before grabbing a used Umnumzaan in the $300 range.

I’m not buying a lot these days, but that’s largely because I went kinda crazy on knives a few years back (and I rediscovered firearms).
 
In the 30 years of owning knives before I joined this forum I never owned more than 3 or 4 at one time and never spent over $80 one one.
After 6 months of hanging out here I broke my $200 barrier and within a year I had a dozen in the $100+ range. Second year I broke the $400 barrier and stopped counting. Honestly at this point I probably only have 4 or 5 more knives I want to buy for the rest of my life.
Oh yeah and I’ve made a small pile of my own too.
 
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when I really started getting into knives, it went from a ZT0562ti to a Rockstead TEI in 3 months.
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i'll be slowing myself down now.
 
I think it is all relative to the income and preference. Some folks buy to collect, while other use it like it was stolen. There is no right or wrong in the hobby, so as long it makes one happy and not regret it later.
 
Let's see...carried a Kershaw clash for 10 years then my teenaged daughter wanted it so I gave it to her. Replaced it with a leek and about a month later bought the knife that really accelerated my collection and spending-a PM2! Within 6 months I had over a dozen spydies but hadn't passed $200 yet. Throw a ZT and Benchmade or two in there...then it happens...CRK SEBENZA 21, then within a week a small INKOSI!! I'm resisting the urge fora hinderer xm-18 but I know I will own it sooner than later....
 
I am down to 5 knives total and been thinking of selling two of those. My tastes have changed dramatically in the last few months. Had 30 a year ago. I think when done I will be at 3. Price for those 3 (once I find the other two) will range from $500 to $1k.
 
It has been a roller coaster ride. Enjoyed it. Years ago, my dream knife was a Randall Model 14 which I eventually got in the early 90's. I just wasn't ready to spend $300+ (Randall cost when I finally was willing to play) on knives of any kind for many years. And 25 years later I'm buying slip joints, Vic SAKs, and the occasional handmade fixed blade knife and this is the level I believe I will stay. My modern knife purchases have devolved to the more manual one-hand openers that I open with two hands.

When I look at a Hinderer, I don't even have an itch to buy one.
 
I went from $20 Gerber Paraframes 20+ years ago to knives mostly in the $75-150 range now. My self imposed limit is $150. I can get plenty of knife in that price range. I'm totally content with a Spyderco Delica, PM2, Ontario Rat 1 D2, or BM Bugout.

I'm a big budget person. I have a "toy fund" that needs to cover knives, firearms (currently 2 handguns, 2 rifles, 1 shotgun), ammo, etc. I didn't save as much as I should have during my 20s, so part of my strict budgeting is to put into my underfunded retirement accounts.

If I hit the Powerball, disregard the crap above ^ . :p
 
I’m not there ...yet. Carried a Spyderco Delica for decades. Suited me fine and still does. In the last month I have purchased 2 Benchmades -an Osborne and a Casbah. Spyderco is now a truck knife. I hope the itch is scratched but this forum does not help
 
Over about a year, my limit doubled from about $120 to $240. I'm encroaching on the $400 range, and have set an arbitrary limit of $450.
 
Duffer1 said:
I’m not there ...yet. Carried a Spyderco Delica for decades. Suited me fine and still does. In the last month I have purchased 2 Benchmades -an Osborne and a Casbah. Spyderco is now a truck knife. I hope the itch is scratched but this forum does not help
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Thing about knives is the Delica would still do you just fine. The forum is full of enablers as it should be. I have been moving more toward stuff I liked years ago and still do. You can only use one at a time. But I have spent a lot of money to get where I am now. Enjoy the ride.
 
Some of my earlier purchases back in the bachelor days were a custom Dogwood, a Busse SOB, and a Randall 3-5.

Then we had a kid.

I bought my first knife in 3 years yesterday. A $29.95 Case Sodbuster in an old hardware store in downtown Murfreesboro, TN while traveling.

I'm definitely AS jazzed as I was getting those 'spensive knives because it's still a quality knife. I'm learning that good enough is good enough. Finding my personal ideal price point is more fun than jonesing for that $450 CRK. Sure I want one to scrape the rest of the paint off the propane tank, but... the Case'll do.
 
marcinek said:
The more I know, the less I spend, it seems.
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Took the words right outta my mouth... or off my fingertips or what have you.

How long did it take me? Overnight. I dropped into BFC 20 years ago and discovered customs, Balisongs, brands I'd never seen before.

There was no limit. I found things I wanted and I worked on getting them. Bought, sold, traded, commissioned customs...

It was fun as hell.

Now I have one kid in college and another getting ready for same. So the game is to find the best knife I can for as little money as possible.

That's a really fun game too. I still have no limit though.
 
I've been pretty lucky to own some really great knives over the years but that wOw I felt with my first Buck 110 was the best.
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