I don't get love for folders!

Knives are more than just a utilitarian tool for most of us. We have fallen in love with design, materials and function. We appreciate and honor craftsmanship that these knives represent. If you want to get into the psychological I can say they connect me with my grandfather and what he represents.

It's ok if you don't understand these things but for many of us a knife is more than the sum of it's parts.
 
SteelSnob said:
So you mean to tell me you only have one of each type of knife? One folder one fb etc? If not why did you chose to get more than one? Use your brain man.

And if you don't have more than one of any type you're probably not a knife enthusiast and don't belong here.
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As you can see, I haven't been on this forum for long. I don't know much about knives in general due to my lack of exposure. Hence why my elementary questions. Same reason why I don't have multiple knives.

I am not sure if that would correlate with me being not a knife enthusiast, but then again, that's different discussion.
 
bleev3 said:
Knives are more than just a utilitarian tool for most of us. We have fallen in love with design, materials and function. We appreciate and honor craftsmanship that these knives represent. If you want to get into the psychological I can say they connect me with my grandfather and what he represents.

It's ok if you don't understand these things but for many of us a knife is more than the sum of it's parts.
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Bingo sir. Thank you. This is what I was looking for.

I needed to feel your (not particularly you but the folder community in general) love for knives with the words you typed. Why did I need it? because I for myself wasn't able to understand it due to lack of exposure.

Anyways, Thank you for you constructive comment.
 
Knives are like anything in life. People have different uses and different tastes. Some people value fit and finish very highly, some people value a bargain. As with most hobbies people tend to get more than one of the item they are a enthusiast of and if they can afford it they may get dozens. People aren't buying knives out of necessity only, they're buying them to use and enjoy or maybe just to collect and never use. The reason people have more than one IMO is they enjoy buying and trying new and different knives or just handling them and appreciating the crafstmanship.
 
Knives are tools. Each different knife can have a different purpose. Blade style, lock type, blade size, blade material. Each of these design aspects are what make every knife different. There are different size screwdrivers and wrenches for different size screws and bolts. There are different size knives for different tasks. This is even apparent in your kitchen knife set. You don't use a paring knife for large chopping tasks and you don't use your chef's knife for carving radishes into roses either.

Folders have a much more prolific role in most people's lives as EDC blades because they can be put in your pocket and carried discretely. 50 years ago you would have been hard pressed to find any man(who called himself a man) without some kind of knife in his pocket for every day tasks from cutting food and string to cleaning fish and other game.

The reason people carry knives that cost more than the drug store $20 china made piece of metal is the same reason people live in houses instead of trailers, drive cars instead of ride in buggies and wear designer clothes instead of old bed sheets. All these things solve the same problems and are solutions to problems, some just work better. Some can afford to have something that is better. In knives, just like everything else in life, you get what you pay for. A knife that is more expensive will be made out of better materials and have more time spent on it by a person to make it function better. In economics we learn about a law of diminishing return where at some point the amount of money you put in to something, the less you receive back. It is up to you to decide where this is in YOUR opinion. Some of us enjoy having a $100, $400, or even a $2000 folder for EDC use. The $2000 will probably be the most elegant and best fitting of the 3. All will cut a piece of string.

If you do not think you need a folder that cost more than $20, that is fine. I like my $400 EDC. It is sharp because it has a high quality steel. It stays sharp because it has a high quality heat treat. The lock is completely solid and I have no fear it will disengage accidentally because it is made by a great maker and again, is made from a high quality material. And the best part about it is, because it is made from high quality materials from a good maker, it will last several lifetimes. If I choose to, I can sell it for what I have in it.
 
maximus0723 said:
I don't know much about knives in general
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That explains a lot.

BTW: You can do somewhat "heavy work" with a quality folding knife. I think my Zero Tolerance 0200 would hold up to some pretty rugged applications.
 
Knives also connect us to our primal past. In this day of a somewhat disconnected technological existence knives connect us to what men needed to survive. I think you will find those that have an affinity towards knives feel the same way towards flashlights. "I need fire..I need blade"....so we accumulate both.

I don't need 10 knives and 10 flashlights but fore some reason I want 15 of each.
 
bleev3 said:
Knives also connect us to our primal past. In this day of a somewhat disconnected technological existence knives connect us to what men needed to survive. I think you will find those that have an affinity towards knives feel the same way towards flashlights. "I need fire..I need blade"....so we accumulate both.

I don't need 10 knives and 10 flashlights but fore some reason I want 15 of each.
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Absolutely.

My Quark 123^2 tactical R5 is always in my pocket and my iTP A3 EOS (I think I got that right) is always on my keychain. :)
 
Sometimes we ( knife junkies ) feel like rewarding ourselves with finer and quality made knives. We may not need it , but we can all appreciate the extra level of fit & finish , higher quality blade steels , better lock-up , etc.
So yes , we spend the $$$ we do , not because we absolutely need it , but because we like the feeling of the way it opens , closes , cuts and how it looks.

Is there a difference between a $25 and a $250 folder ? You bet there is. I have worn out plenty of $25 knives ( and I am only 42 ).

Just like other tools. If you aren't using them all the time , a set of harbor freight wrenches, sockets and screwdrivers will suffice. However , if you are a gearhead , and wrenching on cars is your gig , you will appreciate Craftsman , Snap-on or Mac tools as the quality is better , finish is better and they last longer ( and have a better warranty ).

I call it " smiles per dollar " , how long after the purchase , will that knife keep my smiling ? While a Case Sodbuster still brings a smile to my face many years after the purchase , that grin will be nowhere as big as the day my Kerry Hampton Knuttbuster arrives or 5 years later after :)
 
Best way to answer the question is probably to tell you about how I got into folders.

Since I were young, I've always been fascinated by Swiss Army Knives. I saved some allowance and bought an economical Spartan followed by a SwissChamp. Those two SAKs along with a Manager that I later acquired were "good enough" to do quite a few day to day cutting jobs. Cutting off labels, zip ties, etc. However, there were bigger jobs that were asking for a bigger blade, either a lockable folder or fixed blade.

Would a box cutter do the job? Sure. But it doesn't look as pretty or fun. That and it's somewhat limited to the use. i.e. cutting fruits while camping. So I bought some cheap cheap folders. No name brands that were adequate for the "bigger jobs." Now first of all, why folders? Because like many have mentioned, you can carry them more discretely and comfortably in your pocket. It's also lighter and smaller.

As for your other part of the question, why $100+ for a folder? Well, honestly, a lot of them are just better made. Better material, much faster and smoother to open/close, they hold their edges better, and just like any other product in the market, there is a better research and design put into the product. Functionally speaking they do work better and they are more durable.

I must say though, my favorite folder and my EDC folder, the Benchmade Mini-Griptilian, is not $100+. With that said, it is one of the cheapest Benchmades with the AXIS Lock mechanism that I simply fell in love with. When I first was looking at Benchmade knives, I ordered a red class lock back, a black class, and then the Mini-Grip. Would the blade on the other lower classes work? O yeah for sure. They looked mighty fine too. But there is just something about the AXIS Lock that just feels so great it's a pleasure to use.

But of course the bottom line is, everyone's value is different. You don't see the need for more than one knife or spending $100+ on one knife, others do. Just like how some people are fine with McDonald's/Taco Bell and others prefer fine-dining cuisine.
 
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THink about it this way maximus... would you like to eat the same food every day?
THe tastiness is in the variety.

besides, folders rule. handy little things.

btw, welcome here, some of the dudes are apparently having to deal with their gf's pms...
 
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