Is a knife your most expensive hand tool?

hardheart

hardheart

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Sep 19, 2001
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Among your non-powered hand tools, does anything cost more than your most used knife and/or your most expensive knife? Hammers, screwdrivers, ratchets, prybars, scissors/shears, wrenches, etc? Individual pieces, no sets. Add measuring tools if you care to. Hand tools please, nothing floor standing or on wheels/casters.

For me, yes, by a large amount for my most exxpensive. I only paid $60 for a torque wrench, and nothing else without a cord or battery compartment is near that. I have a big rotation, so sometimes the knife in my pocket is cheaper than some of my other tools, but not often.
 
Some of my non-knife hand tools cost me about the same as my knives, but as a whole the knives are more expensive. I've been veering more towards what might be considered "tool knives" in recent years--i.e. ones more along the same philosophy of design as high-quality agricultural or gardening tools than the "edc functional accessory" class that encompasses the bulk of the market. As a result, many of these knives are pretty inexpensive. And yet I'm also willing to spend more on other hand tools than many folks.

I've dropped almost $100 on a shovel, around $70 on a digging fork, about $35 on a pick mattock, $30 on some hot forged scissors...you get the idea. My antique finds have generally been my best value purchases, as I was able to obtain my beautiful American scythe (snath parts whole and all moving parts still able to turn, excellent grass blade, etc.) for only $24 out the door. Numerous hammers for only around $8 a pop. A Hiram Holt "Lightning" hay knife for only $15. But if you were to try to buy tools of that quality new today they'd cost you a lot more than that--if they're even able to be found at all.
 
I have calipers that come in around $130, so close but not more expensive than my most expensive knife. I am not sure how much my torque wrench cost as it was a gift, but probably not more than that. I have a lot of gear wrenches that total a decent chunk of money, but by no means does one single wrench cost more than one single knife. Probably not going to happen for me, I do not own Snap-on or Matco. Hell, I even picked up a cordless tool kit with a drill, reciprocating saw, flash light, circular saw, two batteries, and a charger for $130. Come to think of it, I do not have a single tool, power or not that cost more than my most expensive knife. The only thing that beats it is my lawn mower. And that knife is just a Sage 2. Kind of crazy really.
 
Well, not these days, but I had plenty when I was a machinist. My shop instructor had a $200 Mitutoyo machnist's square, but my most expensive were my Mitutoyo calipers, also $200 and a micrometer that was $180. Most of my other tools weren't quite that spendy, but still moreso than most of my knives. I had a small pocket scale that was $50, measured all the way down to the 1/100ths, and my own machinist's square was $75. Also had a pretty nice level but I don't remember how much it was.

I've had some pretty expensive files too, but none that are really more expensive than a knife.
 
for me it would be my welding gloves. When I thought I would be heading in that path as a profession I decided to upgrade my gloves since my current fair only last around 6-10 months of heavy use, even with heavy use of duct tape.

So I got a nice decked out pair with proper felt liners, reinforced leather cuff lips, Solid leather outers and split leather cuffs. Ran me about $60 and theyve been going strong for 2yrs.

Aside from that, the only think I can think of that would come close are the set of BMW tools my dad was thinking of getting since they like to make specialty tools and parts on their engines.
 
Does a $500 watch count as a hand tool? My snap-on ratchets are the most expensive hand tools at around 80$ each. I have nothing against a 100$+ knife just haven't found one that I like yet.
 
+1 on mitutoyo calipers. I use them more than my knife, but I only have one set, not 60...... Like my knives.
 
Personally, no: my most expensive knife was $130 and the most expensive hand tool I own is a Starrett combo square – about $80. My nicest tools were all inherited from my great grandfather, so I can't really ascribe a dollar value to them.

If you're looking for some tools that get up into Sebenza prices and beyond, look no further than Lie Nielsen and Bridge City Tool Works.
 
My most expensive hand tool was my mitutoyo, coolant proof, digital micrometer. At 200$ it is only slightly less expensive than my most expensive knife.

I was on mitutoyo's website earlier. They (patent pending) have developed the first micrometer with a resolution of .1 micron! Thats .0001 mm or .000005" :eek::thumbup:
 
By far and wide. Unless you count firearms as tools I own knives that cost more than my entire tool-box worth of electricians tools. Damn i miss those tools.
 
Is my knife my most expensive hand tool? Nope, not even close. My Spyderco Paramilitary 2 cost me around $110. I have a couple of impact wrenches that would be my most expensive hand tools at around $400 each.
 
Excluding watches and pens as "tools" then yes my knives and my Hinderer specifically is much more expensive than my tools. Then again I am not a real handy man and don't own too many tools. Excluding general purpose tools and some bike maintenance tools my toolbox is rather meager.
 
for me yes. My Zt cost me around R2000 (about $220).
None of my tools cost even half of that
 
I wear a $3500 watch (RGM 300) and carry a $750 folder (DDR HD Maxx).

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My Mitutoyo Digital calipers cost around $200, while the Griptillian I am purchasing tonight (if the auction is still up) costs $125 retail, and I am not paying that much for it.
 
I was trying to think of stuff that's more expensive than my folders (nothing over $200 at the moment), but then I remembered that I still have a Busse KZII.
 
Lie-Nielsen hand plane $250, Mitutoyo 8" digital calipers around $200. No knives I have bought yet cost me over $200, but the Randall Made my dad gave me is worth more than the plane.
 
Yes. My CF M390 Military costs more than any hand tool I have. Some are in the ball park though (Snap-On torque wrenches).
 
Yeah far & wide for me too.I couldn't see myself buying a shovel for eight or nine hundred bucks,but a knife?..Hellz YEAH!!:D
 
Yes - I contract out most work and like knives enough to spend more money on them than is required for purely utilitarian purposes. I have a $150 axe and a titanium prybar that I paid $40 for, about 15 years ago, and those are the next closest things. For now.
 
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