Is this hobby becoming too expensive?

Nellem said:
Mark, you know the famous knife shop that used to be in Sandton City. Go check their website and look at the custom/handmade knives they have on offer. You may find a great custom there for a very good price. Buying local is lekker.
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I actually do on a fairly regular basis. Some nice items there! The irony is that many SA makers now sell everything on to the US market as they do much better that way, what with the exchange rate.
 
Buffalohump said:
I actually do on a fairly regular basis. Some nice items there! The irony is that many SA makers now sell everything on to the US market as they do much better that way, what with the exchange rate.
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Almost every SA maker I know will still make a plan for locals. Speak to them in person at a local show, they will sort you out.
 
It's merely a matter of adapting . Add a Peasant knife to the collection. ;)
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2 to 3 knives get sold , 2 more bought , 3 sold , 2 bought , 1 sold , 5 bought… I’m not in denial that I have a problem. $7 gallons of gas are definitely affecting the addiction.

Knives, like everything else, are becoming more costly.
 
luethge said:
2 to 3 knives get sold , 2 more bought , 3 sold , 2 bought , 1 sold , 5 bought… I’m not in denial that I have a problem. $7 gallons of gas are definitely affecting the addiction.

Knives, like everything else, are becoming more costly.
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Lol, be glad you don't have to buy diesel. o_O
 
Knives are definitely becoming more expensive, but hey, everyone has to enjoy this hobby at whatever level they feel financially comfortable at and thankfully, there are quality knives to be found at virtually every metric point.

I personally think that the source of the disappointment that always swirls around this topic* is that people understand full well that there are plenty of decent, inexpensive knives available for those on a budget, but that's not what they want. They want nice, high-end knives from well known makers to be cheap, and to fit within their budget. That hasn't ever really been the case, and it certainly won't be at this stage in the game.



* Which isn't new in the slightest, people have been complaining about prices for years and years
 
Buffalohump said:
... must be a condition that occurs as you age and you start remembering when things cost next to nothing! 😆
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Things didn’t cost next to nothing back in the day, in comparison to income. I’d like to see my favorite knives selling for 25 or 30 bucks again, but when I was earning $2.35 an hour, that was a lot of money.

Somewhere I read a historic comparison of one day’s skilled labor wage to a nice suit of clothing, a quality handgun, and a new car. Sure prices have risen, but not as much in relative terms as a first glance at the numbers would suggest. What has changed dramatically is the availability and method of procurement.

Parker
 
catspa said:
Things didn’t cost next to nothing back in the day, in comparison to income. I’d like to see my favorite knives selling for 25 or 30 bucks again, but when I was earning $2.35 an hour, that was a lot of money.

Somewhere I read a historic comparison of one day’s skilled labor wage to a nice suit of clothing, a quality handgun, and a new car. Sure prices have risen, but not as much in relative terms as a first glance at the numbers would suggest. What has changed dramatically is the availability and method of procurement.

Parker
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I would like to see that comparison because then apparently inflation is all in our heads... I highly doubt wage increases are keeping up with rising costs for the average working stiff. Although, there is also the factor of having kids and buying property etc as you grow older. All of which reduces your disposable income considerably.
 
Other thing is, when new stuff comes out, it’s usually expensive. Some people buy the new stuff and sell off their old stuff cheap. So if you stop chasing the new stuff, you can still find deals.

Last weekend at a swap meet, I bought a Klein hawkbill TL-29ish electricians knife, lightly used, for 10 bucks. Gave it to a friend who wasn’t carrying a knife yesterday. Did not hurt me financially, but will provide him years of cutting stuff if used properly.

I’ll go out on a limb here and say that it’s cheaper today for any American citizen to meet their basic cutting needs than it has ever been before. Perhaps what you want is expensive, but that’s not the hobby’s fault.

Parker
 
The days I bought €1300 knives definitely belong to the past.
Financially / economically things have changed so much over the last two years that saving up is most of the time impossible.
I still consider myself fortunate to be able to buy a few - €200 knives this year.
I'm happy with what I've got and focus as much on that part of the hobby for now.

I don't think the prices are extremely higher today, there is just so much more High End stuff to get than lets say 10-12 years ago.
On the other hand the segment of good, affordable user knives have also increased quite a bit.
There's just more to choose from, more options for everybody which is a positive effect of the CNC technology.
So I don't think it's become more expensive overall, in my case my wallet simply shrunk.
 
Buffalohump said:
Although, there is also the factor of having kids and buying property etc as you grow older. All of which reduces your disposable income considerably.
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True that. The fact is, the average working person has more choices available to them than their parents or grandparents ever dreamed of.

My grandpa had about half a dozen knives, grandma had about that many in the kitchen. I don’t think any of them cost more than 2 or 3 hours wages. I have over 120 knives, some more expensive than 2 days wages. Am I 10 times the man he was? Are there any BF members reading this who only have 6 knives? I’ve seen more knives in one posted picture than my grandpa owned.

Maybe we should examine whether we’re comparing apples to oranges.

Parker

ETA: In another thread, member eveled says of a Buck 110, “…it’s the worker, the rest are just entertainment.” I think that sums it up. Entertainment can be quite expensive.

Parker
 
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I’ve got somewhere around 25 knives. The most expensive being a buck 192. I did however buy it used for about half price.
 
Depends on what you're going after. There are quite a lot of good budget knives being put out. Far more than in the past. Ruike knives in 14c28n for $30 ish. Civivi/Sencut does a good job with their 9cr18 and several of those are around 40. Mid-High end stuff is going up in price though agreed.
 
could be worse. have you seen the prices on ammo lately?
A lot of knives are still a little more affordable than a box of ammo ... and will presumably last longer, to boot.
But yes, it is getting expensive to buy a basic nothing special not "collectable" user knife. ☹️
 
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