I am still confused by knives and uses

S

Scattergun2570

Joined
Apr 24, 2013
Messages
124
When an individual buys a knife like lets say a ESEE 3,,bout $100 bucks or so.. what do you guys use this knife for? I seem to have trouble seeing something like this for an EDC.. opening boxes etc with a hundred dollar knife seems kind of silly to me..so I ask you guys..when you buy a knife in this price range,what are these and other knives this price and higher being used for?
 
Opening boxes, etc.

If that seems silly to you or you don't get it...nothing wrong with that! Of course can less expensive knife will work. Some just like to use and own more expensive knives. That all it is.
 
Would like to know as well I can't see spending that much for a knife to cut zip ties, shingles, tape or drywall
A cheapo would do just fine
 
I open boxes with a Sebenza, a TSF Beast, GEC's, and every other knife I have. And cut wire, zip ties, insulation, paneling. Scrape flame rods, clean burners and battery terminals, and anything else you'd use a knife for.
 
Well.....Because I like it.
I don't even open boxes and use zip ties, but I still carry a brand XXXX $400 knife on me.
 
Your right in that a higher priced knife won't "cut" any better than a $15 mora. Yes materials will be better, steel will probably have better properties like edge holding, toughness but even a high priced 3V wont have as good corrosion resistance than a cheap CR18MOV. Tolerances will be better and it will probably out live a cheap knife in terms of not falling apart after a year or two of constant use. But there are other things to consider than just will this knife get the job done. What enjoyment do you get from your knife. Some people enjoy using nice things.
 
I'll tell you and anyone else who wonders this the same story.

A few years ago on "that other knife site" we had a similar question from a gentleman looking to get a knife for his son, and another for himself. He'd recently lost his work knife after 20+ years of daily use. It was a cheapo Smith & Wesson blade, nothing fancy and I don't even recall the model. Likely wasn't more than $20 (and there are some fantastic knives for that price by the way, although S&W isn't one in my opinion.) That knife served him and served him well for decades. He was considering getting a similar one but was open to suggestions.

The problem was, he couldn't understand our hobby/interest. Much like you, a cheapo knife that served his needs worked well, and spending anything above that seemed frivolous. Although different and better knives can do a cutting job better, he'd had no problems with his knife all those years. And that's great. But it made it difficult, nigh impossible, for him to walk in anyone else's shoes here. That isn't really a problem, and it's neither his fault nor the fault or forum goers, it's just the way it is. He wasn't stupid or anything, it just wasn't something he was going to ever understand, because he didn't have the mindset capable of understanding it. In the end, you simply cannot explain certain things or interests to people who don't, at least in part, share same. Explaining knives as a hobby to someone not interested is, essentially, pointless. And there's really nothing wrong with that.

That guy ended up getting another $20 knife and was very happy with it. Which I think is great. Better he buys what he knows he'll like and will do what he needs it to than spend more money than he wants to on something he feels is vastly overpriced.

The truth is we have a lot of logical reasons for liking the knives we like. None of them are going to make sense to you, I can tell you that right now. And that's okay. We're all like that in some areas of life.

A guy who restores old cars and spends a ton of money restoring them to perfection could likely go on for hours--and quite sensibly so--about the value of his hobby. But by the end of that conversation, I'm still not going to get it (obvious beauty of said restored cars notwithstanding).

We purchase these knives because we do. Although I can list about 50 other reasons, to save time, I'll just stick with that one. It's the only one that will work. And again, that is A-OKAY. :thumbup:

Buy what you like, and buy what works for you. If the current Wally World special is what works, I say, buy that knife and enjoy it, good sir.
 
All my knives, only keep 4 folders and 2 fixed blades around, are in the hundred dollar range. Give or take a couple bucks. I have found this price range gives me the best 'bang for my buck' in materials and build quality. And also all but one ( my Fallkniven F1) are made in the USA.

I use them for anything you would use a knife for. They are tools, nothing more nothing less.
 
Simply, I see knives as a work of art. Useful, beautiful, technical...form and function.
I love making them razor sharp and using them hard so I can sharpen them again.
Very expensive and inexpensive, but never cheap.
I want nothing cheap in my life.
 
Well said RedLynx.

A Timex and Rolex both tell time. A lot of folks that could easily afford a Rolex still wear a Timex. Everyone values different things with their own criteria.

A Louis Vuitton and purse from Walmart will both hold a ladies wallet and makeup.

A Hyundai and Porsche will both get you from point A to point B.

The parallels could go on and on.
 
drysideshooter said:
Well said RedLynx.

A Timex and Rolex both tell time. A lot of folks that could easily afford a Rolex still wear a Timex. Everyone values different things with their own criteria.

A Louis Vuitton and purse from Walmart will both hold a ladies wallet and makeup.

A Hyundai and Porsche will both get you from point A to point B.

The parallels could go on and on.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I mean, of course we can find differences in quality. The LV purse probably has better, more robust stitching, for one (I have no idea about purses to be honest) and some knives have steel that take a better edge and hold that edge longer. But all that said, I've used cheap, even at times what could be considered "crappy" knives to do a lot of work and they've done it quite well. There are some brands and models I don't like, but if I was in a situation where for some reason that is all I had, I would make it work. And I'm sure it would absolutely work fine.

Watches I really don't get, since there aren't any that tell time better than others, but that's just me. I wear a very old vintage Russian watch, because it was a cool gift and it is my second language.
 
OP, if you're having trouble accepting EDCs in the $100 range, I suggest you stay away from the Hinderer and Chris Reeve sub-forums :)

Back on topic, different strokes for different folks, plain and simple. As long as you enjoy what you carry, ya know?
 
Mikey's Deli said:
Simply, I see knives as a work of art. Useful, beautiful, technical...form and function.
I love making them razor sharp and using them hard so I can sharpen them again.
Very expensive and inexpensive, but never cheap.
I want nothing cheap in my life.
Click to expand...

Well said, brother. I basically feel the same way. And any excuse to use my knives turns a mundane activity into a pleasurable and cathartic one.
 
RedLynx said:
Exactly. I mean, of course we can find differences in quality. The LV purse probably has better, more robust stitching, for one (I have no idea about purses to be honest) and some knives have steel that take a better edge and hold that edge longer. But all that said, I've used cheap, even at times what could be considered "crappy" knives to do a lot of work and they've done it quite well. There are some brands and models I don't like, but if I was in a situation where for some reason that is all I had, I would make it work. And I'm sure it would absolutely work fine.

Watches I really don't get, since there aren't any that tell time better than others, but that's just me. I wear a very old vintage Russian watch, because it was a cool gift and it is my second language.
Click to expand...

You see Scattergun, most of us have been in your shoes with one product or another. It takes time to change and accept the "better" knife as being better or more impotantly, better for you. I am not a Timex fan, but I have a hard time justifying anything more than a Casio watch.

With knives, it took years and years of exposure and use to so called "better" knives and the better knives change all the time... new steel, new brands, new handles, and so forth. I personally am not comfortable cutting boxes with a "ESEE 3", but it is not so much the ESEE 3 as I just prefer folders for everday use. My fixed blades get limited use, but I continue to buy them.... why? Because I like them. It's a hobby.

My older brother is much like you. Try convincing him that a GEC traditional costing more is better than a Case when both cut. Or to use a more far flung example, buying a Frost Cutlery folder vs a GEC or Canal Steet traditiona folder? I can see a difference, but many can't. Keep an open mind.
 
Scattergun2570 said:
When an individual buys a knife like lets say a ESEE 3,,bout $100 bucks or so.. what do you guys use this knife for? I seem to have trouble seeing something like this for an EDC.. opening boxes etc with a hundred dollar knife seems kind of silly to me..so I ask you guys..when you buy a knife in this price range,what are these and other knives this price and higher being used for?
Click to expand...

Some people use $2,000 fixed blades to chop logs apart and fell trees. Not unheard of, just sounds like you are new to the world of knives. There is life beyond the gas station pieces. Same as with cars, some people get by with a $15K Kia, and other like to drive a $120K Audi R8. What about the world of firearms? That gets stupid expensive in a hurry, custom pistols that cost $10k or more? Ever seen what some comic books go for? What about stamps, coins, or even old motorcycles?In the overall scheme of things a $100 knife is very, very mild. Look what some of the high end collection pieces go for and that will make you want to rip your hair out.

Silly or not, you need to keep in mind that many people here own thousands and thousands of dollars worth of cutlery, I know a couple guys that owns a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of knives. What are they used for? Whatever the owner wants really. Nothing magical going on I assure you.
 
I've always liked investing in the every-day. I'm going to cut something every day. I'm going to write something every day. I'm probably going to drive somewhere every day... A box cutter, a BiC stick pen and a Kia Rio would all perform these tasks perfectly, but if I won't get any enjoyment out of using them. (Unless the Kia's a rental.) My Spyderco Native 5, my Montblanc (even my Zebra F-701), and my Mercedes on the other hand feel special and in turn make those mundane tasks more enjoyable than they would have otherwise been.

That's why I carry a $100+ knife anyway.
 
grownstar said:
OP, if you're having trouble accepting EDCs in the $100 range, I suggest you stay away from the Hinderer and Chris Reeve sub-forums :)

Back on topic, different strokes for different folks, plain and simple. As long as you enjoy what you carry, ya know?
Click to expand...

There's some real nut jobs over there:D

But it's funny how you always seem to get acclimated to the price ranges eventually, slowly working your way up higher and higher. At one point, I was scared to drop more than 40 bucks on a knife. Last week I bought a small sebenza costing 350:eek:

The more time you spend around people with our mindset, the more you will start to accept the prices and the more normal they will begin to seem:)

In other words, GET OUT NOW, WHILE YOU STILL CAN! :D
 
Using my 400.00+ knife for menial chores makes me happy. That's all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top