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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
i'd like to ask a question
- Thread starter lachine
- Start date
Gollnick
Musical Director
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A good way to look at it is as a fraction of monthly income.
According to the recent US Census, the median household income in America is 40,816$. That seems like a lot, but taxes take about 35% right off the top leaving 26,530$ to live off of, about 2200$ per month. So, a 220$ knife would be 1/10th of monthly take-home income.
1845 RMB is 4.6/10ths of 4000 RMB, so the knife is 4.6 times as expensive to you in terms of monthly income. That's a huge difference.
Another way to look at it is to compare it to other common purchase items. A pound of pork would be a good example. 500g of pork is 1.1 pounds. We can just round it off and treat them the same.
A pound of good pork in the US would sell retail for about 4.50$. So, the 220$ knife is equal to about 49 pounds of pork, about 22Kg.
If 500g of pork is 4 yuan, about .48$, then 1Kg of port is 8 yuan, about .96$. That makes 1 pound of pork 2.12$. So, pork in China is just a little less than half as expensive as it is in the US.
If 1845 RBM = 205$, then 1 RBM = .11$. And 1 yuan = .12$, so we can just say 1 RBM = 1 yuan for today's purposes.
This let's us say that the knife is equal to about 230Kg of pork in China, about ten times the amount of pork it's equal to in the US. That's an order of magnitude difference.
The American taking home 2200$/month is taking mome about 220Kg of pork per month. The Chinese taking home 1000 yuan/month is taking home 56Kg of port per month. So, the average Chinese take-home pay is roughtly 1/4 of that of the American in terms of pork.
Mr. lachine with his 4000 RBM/month is taking home 226Kg of pork. Congratulations, Mr. lachine, you have achieved a middle-class American lifestyle... at least if you like pork a lot. But, the knife is still gonna cost you a lot more.
According to the recent US Census, the median household income in America is 40,816$. That seems like a lot, but taxes take about 35% right off the top leaving 26,530$ to live off of, about 2200$ per month. So, a 220$ knife would be 1/10th of monthly take-home income.
1845 RMB is 4.6/10ths of 4000 RMB, so the knife is 4.6 times as expensive to you in terms of monthly income. That's a huge difference.
Another way to look at it is to compare it to other common purchase items. A pound of pork would be a good example. 500g of pork is 1.1 pounds. We can just round it off and treat them the same.
A pound of good pork in the US would sell retail for about 4.50$. So, the 220$ knife is equal to about 49 pounds of pork, about 22Kg.
If 500g of pork is 4 yuan, about .48$, then 1Kg of port is 8 yuan, about .96$. That makes 1 pound of pork 2.12$. So, pork in China is just a little less than half as expensive as it is in the US.
If 1845 RBM = 205$, then 1 RBM = .11$. And 1 yuan = .12$, so we can just say 1 RBM = 1 yuan for today's purposes.
This let's us say that the knife is equal to about 230Kg of pork in China, about ten times the amount of pork it's equal to in the US. That's an order of magnitude difference.
The American taking home 2200$/month is taking mome about 220Kg of pork per month. The Chinese taking home 1000 yuan/month is taking home 56Kg of port per month. So, the average Chinese take-home pay is roughtly 1/4 of that of the American in terms of pork.
Mr. lachine with his 4000 RBM/month is taking home 226Kg of pork. Congratulations, Mr. lachine, you have achieved a middle-class American lifestyle... at least if you like pork a lot. But, the knife is still gonna cost you a lot more.
Daniel Dorn
Gold Member
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- Apr 21, 1999
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- 5,318
Okay, forget what I said, I'm not as good at math as Gollnick, so see what he said.
DD
DD
calyth
#!/bin/sh of a man
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- Feb 23, 2002
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lachine: I think knife collecting or even just the fact of buying decent knives aren't exactly a cheap business. You're likely to find that you'll cringe at the amount you'll pay for a knife, no matter where you are.
As far as whether it's fine to spend that much on a knife, that's a personal call. According to my dad, who has a clear idea of income of an average Chinese, he said that you should be earning a decent living.
Anyways, enjoy your knives, buy one if you want to, save one if you need too
And welcome to Bladeforums!
As far as whether it's fine to spend that much on a knife, that's a personal call. According to my dad, who has a clear idea of income of an average Chinese, he said that you should be earning a decent living.
Anyways, enjoy your knives, buy one if you want to, save one if you need too
And welcome to Bladeforums!
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2000
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I enjoyed your little logic/accounting game.
Pork as currency...The lifestyle in China is probably very different from mine.
For me, food is really a pretty minor expense. Taxes, housing, insurance, and paying for/maintaining/fueling my vehicle are by far more significant.
"Expensive" is how you look at it. If you see 1/3 or 1/10 of your monthly income, it sounds pretty bleak. If you look at it as 10 or 20 so-called cheap knives that you don't have to buy, it seems like a deal.
-- Rob
Gollnick
Musical Director
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- Mar 22, 1999
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- 29,258
Sometimes, when non-Americans see American incomes, they are very impressed, or even outragged. But, let's look at that 40,816$ median family. Approximately 35% of that is taken right out by various income and payroll taxes. So 14,286$ is taken right there leaving 26,530$ to live on. That's still a lot. But, if you buy a gallon of gas for 1.45$, fifty cents or so of that is tax. If our median familiy is buying 15 gallons of gas per week, that's 7.50$ per week more tax, add a summer weekend car trip and our family is easily paying 400$ more tax per year at the gas pump. Speaking of the car, registration tax will cost an average of about 100$. If our family owns a typical home, they'll pay about 4,500$ per year in property tax. The monthly telephone bill includes about 6$ in assorted taxes and you'll find more tax on your electric bill and water bill. Add another 100$ per year for utility tax. Most states have a sales tax that will cost you 5-7% of what you spend on retail purchases. If you smoke, you're paying huge taxes with every pack you buy. Drink? That sticker you casually tear off the bottle top reminds you that you paid an extra tax on your spirits. And if the family takes a vacation by air, they'll pay hefty taxes on their plane tickets. Taxes are everywhere.
And then we start getting into indirect taxes. You bought an item at a store that cost you 10$. 5% of that was sales tax. So, fifty cents in tax, right? That item cost the store 4.75$. So, the store made a gross profit of 4.75$ on it. But they have to pay their employees, from the stockman who unpacked the item and put it on the shelf, to the janitor who mopped the floors you walked on while you shopped, to the clerk who took your money, and part of the store's payroll cost is payroll tax. If it weren't for that tax, the store could charge you less for the item. So, you paid an indirect tax. The item was brought to the store in a truck that burns gas. The store also pays utilities, electricity, etc. Part of that is tax. Again, if it weren't for that tax, the store could sell you the item for less. You paid another indirect tax. The store paid $4.75 for the item. Part of that is the cost of bringing the item to the store by a truck that burns gas. The trucking company paid tax on the gas. If they didn't have to pay that tax, they could charge the manufacture of the product less, the manufacturer could charge the store less, and the store could charge the consumer less.
And if the item is imported? Well, there's even more taxes. I recently bought a new car. The price of my new car was 400$ higher than it might otherwise be simply because my new car comes from Germany. I paid a tax.
Oregon, where I live, doesn't have a sales tax. But, if we did, I would have paid that tax on my new car too. Let's say the new car actually cost 10,000$. Add 400$ import tax and it's 10,400$. Now add 5% state sales tax and it's 10,920$. But that means that the state would charging me sales tax on the federal import tax. I'd be paying tax on tax! In many states you do, in fact, pay tax on tax in this situation.
I've seen estimates that as much as 75% of an American's income eventually goes to taxes.
So, the American wages may look high, but we don't forget that we pay pay taxes on our taxes.
And then we start getting into indirect taxes. You bought an item at a store that cost you 10$. 5% of that was sales tax. So, fifty cents in tax, right? That item cost the store 4.75$. So, the store made a gross profit of 4.75$ on it. But they have to pay their employees, from the stockman who unpacked the item and put it on the shelf, to the janitor who mopped the floors you walked on while you shopped, to the clerk who took your money, and part of the store's payroll cost is payroll tax. If it weren't for that tax, the store could charge you less for the item. So, you paid an indirect tax. The item was brought to the store in a truck that burns gas. The store also pays utilities, electricity, etc. Part of that is tax. Again, if it weren't for that tax, the store could sell you the item for less. You paid another indirect tax. The store paid $4.75 for the item. Part of that is the cost of bringing the item to the store by a truck that burns gas. The trucking company paid tax on the gas. If they didn't have to pay that tax, they could charge the manufacture of the product less, the manufacturer could charge the store less, and the store could charge the consumer less.
And if the item is imported? Well, there's even more taxes. I recently bought a new car. The price of my new car was 400$ higher than it might otherwise be simply because my new car comes from Germany. I paid a tax.
Oregon, where I live, doesn't have a sales tax. But, if we did, I would have paid that tax on my new car too. Let's say the new car actually cost 10,000$. Add 400$ import tax and it's 10,400$. Now add 5% state sales tax and it's 10,920$. But that means that the state would charging me sales tax on the federal import tax. I'd be paying tax on tax! In many states you do, in fact, pay tax on tax in this situation.
I've seen estimates that as much as 75% of an American's income eventually goes to taxes.
So, the American wages may look high, but we don't forget that we pay pay taxes on our taxes.
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If you like it, buy it!! About 8 years ago I wanted this Rifle so bad that every payday I would go put my entire check minus bills on it. Did this for 3 paydays. Meaning?? I didn't eat anything, drank nothing but water and simply did without to get it. It's all about how much it's worth to YOU
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Where did you come up with that 35% income tax rate, Gollnick?
Gollnick
Musical Director
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I pulled it out of thin air.
Obviously, people pay different rates depending on which state you live in, your tax bracket, shelters, deductions, etc. But I'm told that 35% is about national average. When I'm soliciting charity contributions, I always remind people that their contributions are tax-deductible which you can look at one of two ways. You can either see it as getting about 35% of your money back at the end of the year, or you can take it as an opportunity to give 35% more viewing the deduction as a government-sponsored matching contribution. My big guns (as I call them), know what their tax rate is exactly. They'll correct me and tell me, "It's actually 31.7%," or "Actually, it works out to 37.423% last time I ran the numbers... last week, anyway." So, 35% seems about right.
Obviously, people pay different rates depending on which state you live in, your tax bracket, shelters, deductions, etc. But I'm told that 35% is about national average. When I'm soliciting charity contributions, I always remind people that their contributions are tax-deductible which you can look at one of two ways. You can either see it as getting about 35% of your money back at the end of the year, or you can take it as an opportunity to give 35% more viewing the deduction as a government-sponsored matching contribution. My big guns (as I call them), know what their tax rate is exactly. They'll correct me and tell me, "It's actually 31.7%," or "Actually, it works out to 37.423% last time I ran the numbers... last week, anyway." So, 35% seems about right.
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Gotcha.
What charity do you solicit for?
What charity do you solicit for?
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Why not become a politician or senior bureaucrat? Then you can have all the pork you want!
Gollnick
Musical Director
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Right now, I've got a deal going where I can double-match your contributions to St. Paul Lutheran School. If you give me $100, I can get it matched by two different funds at $100 each. Plus, you get the tax deduction. So, it costs you about 65-70$ to give 300$ to the school. Essentially, IRS matches your contribution .35 on the dollar. Then AAL and LB both match that dollar-per-dollar. So, instead of paying tax on tax, you get to, for once, turn the whole process around and get match on match! I love it.
You just can't leave that money on the table. There's only one hitch: you've gotta be Lutheran. But if you're Lutheran, e-mail me and I'll set you up. As I'm fond of saying, "If you don't come and see me today, I can't save you any taxes."
You just can't leave that money on the table. There's only one hitch: you've gotta be Lutheran. But if you're Lutheran, e-mail me and I'll set you up. As I'm fond of saying, "If you don't come and see me today, I can't save you any taxes."
common Chinese not necessary to pay so many taxes.China have no housing and assorted tax\electric and water tax\.sales tax have been put into the price of commodity.2 years ago,Chinese have no income tax,but now ,if your income surpass 800 yuan,you'll pay 5% income tax.if surpass 1300 yuan ,10% will pay.every year,domestic authority
publicize a basic salary,everyone should pay 8% of basic salary for endownment insurance,4% for medicare,1% for unemployment insurance,your company should respective pay 21%\6%\2%,in wuhan,the basic insureance is 960 yuan.almost all farmer own his house,although
it's very rough according to your standard.long years ago,townman got his house depend on his company's allot,after reform,townman must buy his house ,it's a great cost.many banks offer loan for buying house.
a ordinary house cost you about 180000 yuan.few Chinese own car,because it's too expendsive even in terms of your standard.a France-China joint venture-make citron 998 cost 150000 yuan.a gallon of oil cost 12 yuan.
publicize a basic salary,everyone should pay 8% of basic salary for endownment insurance,4% for medicare,1% for unemployment insurance,your company should respective pay 21%\6%\2%,in wuhan,the basic insureance is 960 yuan.almost all farmer own his house,although
it's very rough according to your standard.long years ago,townman got his house depend on his company's allot,after reform,townman must buy his house ,it's a great cost.many banks offer loan for buying house.
a ordinary house cost you about 180000 yuan.few Chinese own car,because it's too expendsive even in terms of your standard.a France-China joint venture-make citron 998 cost 150000 yuan.a gallon of oil cost 12 yuan.
