Interesting response to my interesting comment, but since you seem interested I'll explain a bit more.
I use my knives a lot every day and tend to wear through them faster than most. Not that most knives won't cut in 20 years or more. It just irritates me when enough of a knife has been worn away that the blade shape is different from new or it needs to be reprofiled/ have primary bevels reground to get razor sharp. So far, I think FFG Delicas and Hollow ground Sebenzas are two of the best at avoiding the problem of having the edge thicken up on you.
My only real experience with a blade that got really worn down from repeated sharpening was a Case Barlow. The knife got beyond the re-profile stage and was dangerous (poked you) in your pocket. This happened because I was young, used a knife a bunch skinning furbears (there of course were better choices, but that was what I had and my only knife), and my Dad would use a grinding wheel on it periodically where he worked. Still got years of good service out of the knife. It was replaced with another Case that I still have. But that was before I had many knives, so there is no big itch to use the replacement Case. I even bought a late 60's vintage Case Barlow very similar to my original this past March at a knife show. Brought back memories.
Other than this single experience, none of my knives have been worn down so much to matter for the last 50 years and they still all work just fine if I care to use them. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
If you have to ask this question, the answer is "no"
It is worth the money once you make enough money so the price is inconsequential.
This is it probably in a nut shell. Kind of like buying an expensive sports car.... if you truly have to ask the price to judge if you can afford it, you probably can't. Still, I look at them more than you think at KSF, shows and so forth and have yet to get "my Porsche knife".
As with alot of other things, knives have a point of diminishing returns. A <$100 Spyderco or Benchmade will probably adequately handle any of your everyday cutting needs. Anything over that is all about what makes you smile.
Diminishing returns apply to most everything after you learn what makes things work or work well. But I do use this argument to choose knives in the $150 area which I believe to be a major break point on the diminishing aspect. But you see the biggest jump in "value" above $50 and <$100 for the most part. Diminishing returns never stopped me for getting something I really want and knives tend to be more want than need for me after a certain point.
its only worth the money if you get that money back when you sell it ?
Since I have never sold a knife, knives are a money pit which I fully accept. There are much worst pits. Thinking boats (and if you fish, the stuff that goes in the boat) are one of the biggest.
I actually have sold one knife but it was to a collector and I owned a special one he sought. Didn't particularly need it, so I sold it to him.
I know that eventually I may well buy a CRK. It will likely be a smaller model as I would be more likely to carry it.
