Is a 400+ dollar knife better than a 200?

Doug S said:
You're right...I should have left off the end of that sentence. My apologies, and not that it matters, but just for the record I wasn't speaking of serious "collectors".
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I wasn't upset, just digging you in the side a bit. :)

My favorite knife of all time is the cheap-as-hell Barlow (says "Ireland" on the blade) with plastic handle scales that my Dad gave me when I turned five. I doubt it cost more than single digits, but it was a knife I could carry, just like Dad did, and sometimes I still stick it in my pocket. Never has failed to cut anything I've asked it to!
 
I once wondered why Esee knives were more expensive than the half dozen 20-50 dollars Cold Steels I've owned. After holding the Esee-5 for a day, I can totally see why they are more expensive. They are rock solid knives, and are just plain better.

I would bet the same applies for knives 2-3 times more expensive than Esee. The old saying applies - 'You get what you pay for.' And, inversely, the more you spend the more you get.
 
It depends.

I have owned 100$ knives that blew some 200$ knives out of the water. I have owned 50$ knives that were an order of magnitude better than some 200$ knives. In my experience, therefore, you aren't always guaranteed to get 200$ worth of knife when you pay 200$ for a knife, if that makes sense.

Similarly, I doubt you'd get your 400$ worth out of a 400$ knife, 100% of the time. You may find that there are indeed some 400$ knives that you think are worth the price, but you may find there are lots that just aren't worth the extra money, for you.

Also, it's probably a pretty subjective matter - what might be 'worth' 400$ to one person might not be worth it for the next.


Here's an example of what I mean:

I bought a Spyderco Para 2 for around 100$. Fantastic knife, well made with good materials and suits my needs just great. For me, that was well worth the price.

On the other hand, I bought a Bradley Alias for close to 200$. Defective piece of junk that still doesn't work right after being 'repaired' by the manufacturer.

The Alias, for me, is definitely not worth double the price of the Para 2. Not even close. So, in this example, the 200$ knife wasn't worth the extra cost over that particular 100$ knife. With different knives, it might have been a different story.
 
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SOME $400 knives are better than SOME $200 knives

A $200 Busse is better than a $1600 SOG

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Yoko, it is marketing 101. I will not go into it but you can see the forest from the trees with holdind the knife. Most of it is BS once you pass the $200.00 mark. You can bank on that.
 
personal preference pretty much..it depends on what you are comfortable when it comes to spending..all in all,whatever makes you happy..GO FOR IT:)
 
I might just be rough on the few knives I have, there are a few high dollar knives I wouldn't mind owning , but the thought keeps going through my head is I can buy a firearm and ammo for the same price
 
Well yes and no.

I'm crazy about 52100/Sr101 steel. I wanted a 10" blade out of that steel, but after a couple years of fruitless searching for a Swamprat Ratmastiff. I commissioned a custom order for a hand forged 52100 chopper, with differential heat treat from Tad Lynch.

The custom chopper cost me $450 plus a year wait. It is to me worth every penny.

This year the Swamprat came out with the Rodent 9. It sells for $198 plus shipping which would take it up to $225 or so.

Both will work as a woods knife, both will chop (though the Lynch blade will outperform the R9 due to heavier weight and design characteristics).

So yes in this case the extra money spent was worth it. And in my case it was a stretch to purchase the custom taking several months of sacrifice and saving to get the funds, but the final result was definitely worth it.
 
Some are and some aren't. I've held custom framelocks that weren't any better than their production counterparts.

And I've held the same types of knife that was miles better than other knives in the same category when costing more.

a broad sweeping statement simply does no justice to this subject other than......sometimes.
 
It depends on if your life depends on that knife. In a life and death survival situation where every little bit counts, you want the best money can buy. Four hundred dollar knives are usually designed to be used hard and still provide a lifetime of usage. It's the same as the $400.00 flashlights that cave dwellers use as oppose to the flashlight you keep in your car, it all depends on the mission.
 
yoko said:
Is a 400+ dollar knife better than a 200?
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It really depends on the knife and the maker.

As others have stated, it's a very subjective thing.

Only the buyer/user can make that call.



I will also add, that often, high quality expensive knives hold their value better then lower priced knives.




Big Mike
 
Im sure it is... but not worth the money imo. Theres always a sweet spot when it comes to pricing... I'd say around $50-150 for a knife would get you the best bang for your buck... as well as a great knife in general.

In terms of cars(again), say a good performance sports car would cost around 100k... like the Nissan GTR and the Corvette ZR1. Paying 1.5 million for a Bugatti Veyron in that sense just isnt justifiable... unless you have the money and you WANT that car.

I guess if you want damascus steel, titanium linings, elk antler handles with some gold fittings, $400 is worth it. But for practical sakes, $150 will get you an awesome knife that'll last a lifetime(or more).
 
viper2788 said:
Im sure it is... but not worth the money imo. Theres always a sweet spot when it comes to pricing... I'd say around $50-150 for a knife would get you the best bang for your buck... as well as a great knife in general.

In terms of cars(again), say a good performance sports car would cost around 100k... like the Nissan GTR and the Corvette ZR1. Paying 1.5 million for a Bugatti Veyron in that sense just isnt justifiable... unless you have the money and you WANT that car.

I guess if you want damascus steel, titanium linings, elk antler handles with some gold fittings, $400 is worth it. But for practical sakes, $150 will get you an awesome knife that'll last a lifetime(or more).
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Mate, you clearly have no idea.....$400 won't get you anywhere NEAR damascus with titanium, antler and gold from a good maker.
 
I think if I had a dollar for everytime I've seen this question asked on Bladeforums I'd be able to afford a $400 knife. :D

Seriously though, this is a question that no one can answer for another person. A person can only answer it for themselves.
 
RevDevil said:
Some knives take literally 100s of hours to make, that would be one reason. Some steel is harder to work with than others and more expensive, heat treating costs are also expensive, machining, hand finishing, equipment costs, etc. lots of factors involved. In the end, knives will ultimately sell for whatever the manufacturer feels they should sell for (...)
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An excellent point. :thumbup:

It's actually quite astonishing to calculate the maker's time-investment into the cost of their custom work. Many work for less than minimum wage! Truly a labour of love...
 
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