Is shopping by price a fundamental mistake?

[Bob W]

I like collecting them, I like variety.
I would rather have ten $50 knives than one $500 knife.

Excellent comment.

Even less restrictive with my buying habits, I like to shop across a wide range of prices. If spending $500, I'd probably end up with one $200 knife (custom), two $100 knives (custom or factory), a $50 knife (factory), and two $25 knives (Moras or SAKs). Just depends on what's on sale or calling my name at the moment...

 

[wutitiz]

Many good points and comments. I don't understand the mentality of the person who prefers ten $50 knives to one $500 knife. If the $500 knife has exactly the design & materials that I like, I can only use and carry one knife at a time, so why not have one knife that fits the bill, rather than ten that don't? However, to each his own.

I stand by my opinion that the way to shop for a knife is to decide which knife best fills your need, then buy that knife. If you are looking for pure function, that process will never lead to a $2000 knife. If it hypothetically did, I wouldn't rule out the $2000 knife. That's all I meant by the $2000 knife comment.

I have almost never lost a knife, aside from my absentminded childhood years. If that were a concern, the equation would change.

If I buy a knife, I am going to use it. But potential reluctance to use the high-dollar tool remains the strongest argument against the high-dollar tool. To use a gun analogy, if you have a $3000 custom .45, and hesitate to pull the trigger on an attacker knowing that it will be confiscated as evidence, you would be better off with a $500 Glock.


The comments of Hardheart are interesting and deserve a thread of their own:

...A knife is a tool, a hand tool, and I don't see other such tools in such a wide price range all being deemed the bare minimum for years of service. It's pretty hard to find hammers, wrenches, pliers, or screwdrivers that approach the price of some mass produced knives that are still considered middle of the road.

 

[mitchshrader]

i have more money tied up in whetstones than knives, and it's a lot harder to get it back out, supposing I wanted to.

i don't shop for anybody but me, and don't spend anybodys money but mine..

i recommend you shop for yourself, and spend your money however you please.

i won't diss your favorite tacticool fan club, and you don't diss my rockpile. fair deal?

 

[godot]

I like having a great knife,watch and pen.
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Just for fun I did a price search on men's watch-pocket knife and pen.
I found a watch for $1.99
I found a Frost folder for fifty cents and I found a pen for eleven cents.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I guess I could sell all my great stuff and replace it with $2.60 worth of crap, but I don't think I'd find it very rewarding.

 

[yablanowitz]

Many good points and comments. I don't understand the mentality of the person who prefers ten $50 knives to one $500 knife. If the $500 knife has exactly the design & materials that I like, I can only use and carry one knife at a time, so why not have one knife that fits the bill, rather than ten that don't? However, to each his own.

Why? Do you walk around naked? Every pair of pants I own has at least two pockets and a waistband. That's enough for at least four knives. Which would give you four chances of matching the correct tool to the job at hand instead of one. No single tool is perfect for every task. A serrated hawkbill works great for pruning shrubs, but just try skinning a rabbit with one.

 

[wutitiz]

No, lol, I don't walk around naked, in spite of the urging of some of the girls at work. :barf:

In reality I do normally carry 2 knives--a mid-sized folder and tiny folder for 'sheeple purposes.' I can understand the guy who has one knife to skin deer, another to carve wood, and another to cut vegatation. What I don't understand is the guy who has 10 somewhat similar $50 EDC's that he 'rotates.' To me, why not buy the one you think is best in the first place, and EDC that. That's all I meant by 'only one knife.'

As I said though--to each his own. As one poster so well pointed out, do not try to tell somebody else what to buy unless you're planning to pay for it.

 

[knarfeng]

No, lol, I don't walk around naked, in spite of the urging of some of the girls at work. :barf:

In reality I do normally carry 2 knives--a mid-sized folder and tiny folder for 'sheeple purposes.' I can understand the guy who has one knife to skin deer, another to carve wood, and another to cut vegatation. What I don't understand is the guy who has 10 somewhat similar $50 EDC's that he 'rotates.' To me, why not buy the one you think is best in the first place, and EDC that. That's all I meant by 'only one knife.'

As I said though--to each his own. As one poster so well pointed out, do not try to tell somebody else what to buy unless you're planning to pay for it.

Because I like to try different steels.

I only need one, but it has to be the right one.
How do I know it's the right one until I try the others?

 

[Dekz]

What I don't understand is the guy who has 10 somewhat similar $50 EDC's that he 'rotates.' To me, why not buy the one you think is best in the first place, and EDC that. That's all I meant by 'only one knife.'

I'm that guy

Because they all handle the tasks I use them for just fine. There ISN'T one "best" knife.

Do you have a whole closet full of plain white T-shirts? No, you probably have all different colors and designs, even though a plain white one would work just fine.

 

[wutitiz]

I'm that guy
...Do you have a whole closet full of plain white T-shirts? No, you probably have all different colors and designs, even though a plain white one would work just fine.

Actually I do--well mine are grey. I have a whole passel of pocketed grey t-shirts, all the same except that a few are sleeveless for hot days. That way I don't have to waste time deciding which shirt in the morning, or what to buy when it's time for some new ones. I have a few brightly colored t-shirts from running events, but I rarely wear them because they don't have a pocket.

I guess that might explain a lot about my post and why I'm the only one who agrees with me.

 

[Dekz]

Actually I do--well mine are grey. I have a whole passel of pocketed grey t-shirts, all the same except that a few are sleeveless for hot days. That way I don't have to waste time deciding which shirt in the morning, or what to buy when it's time for some new ones. I have a few brightly colored t-shirts from running events, but I rarely wear them because they don't have a pocket.

I guess that might explain a lot about my post and why I'm the only one who agrees with me.

Lol, you could have avoided this whole thing if you just would have told us you're a communist

 

[THG]

Many good points and comments. I don't understand the mentality of the person who prefers ten $50 knives to one $500 knife. If the $500 knife has exactly the design & materials that I like, I can only use and carry one knife at a time, so why not have one knife that fits the bill, rather than ten that don't? However, to each his own.

I like to have many to look at, that's all lol

It's not like I carry them all with me.

I actually plan to buy just two more... A Ti-Lite for defense carry, and a BM710 for work.

My other ones I just enjoy flicking open while I'm at home. The click is just so satisfying.

 

[Bob W]

I don't understand the mentality of the person who prefers ten $50 knives to one $500 knife. If the $500 knife has exactly the design & materials that I like, I can only use and carry one knife at a time, so why not have one knife that fits the bill, rather than ten that don't?

You don't enjoy using / collecting / accumulating / testing / buying / fondling lots of different knives?!? That's weird.

 

[melt]

I'm pretty sure that was said by Clint Eastwood as "Dirty Harry" Callahan in "Magnum Force".