Knife Expectations

Steven Roos

Steven Roos

Joined
Jun 29, 2002
Messages
4,131
When you buy a high end knife, what do you expect? Do you standards change depending on if it is a custom knife or a production knife? If so, which one do you expect more out of?

What would you consider unacceptable? What is your standard for quality of materials? What is your tolerance for flaws?

What kind of standards would you have for a $650 knife? What would you expect from a $650 knife that is not one-of-a-kind? How would that change if it were the same design, but it cost $2,000?

In case you are wondering, these questions are drawn from a very specific situation, but I do not intend to smear anyone before the resolution is completed. The initial response to my complaints has left me less than satisfied however.

For now though, I am just trying to see if my opinion is shared by others or if I'm completely off-base with my expectations. Thanks for your responses.

EDIT: For the purpose of this thread, assume you are perfectly capable of purchasing both the $650 and $2,000 knife.
 
If I was to spend $650 on a knife I would expect it to be absolutely flawless, and I would expect to pretty much have the final say on the definition of "flawless". If I was to spend $2,000 on a knife I would expect to be divorced in short order (and I wouldn't really blame her, to tell you the truth).
 
Ritt said:
If I was to spend $650 on a knife I would expect it to be absolutely flawless, and I would expect to pretty much have the final say on the definition of "flawless". If I was to spend $2,000 on a knife I would expect to be divorced in short order (and I wouldn't really blame her, to tell you the truth).
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Assume you could afford it and not get divorced! lmao!
 
Hello Steve,

IMHO, when we're talking about CUSTOM knives, whether it is 650$ knife or a 2000$ knife, there has to be no flaw at all in the craftmanship. OK, nothing is perfect in our world, but what I mean by « no flaw at all » I mean no flaw in the craftmanship visible with bare eyes and no flaw in the heat treatment.

You may then ask me, why would one knife cost 650$ and the other one cost 2000$? Well, I would answer the difference should only be due to the complexity of the design and the materials chosen (high tech steel, rare wood for handle, gold plated pins/rivets etc...).

However, I'm not a knifemaker and perhaps I underestimate the difficulties that can be encountered when making knives and therefore have too high expectations.
 
Well, the design is remaining the same between the $650 one and the $2000 one, so nicer materials are implied.
 
Steven Roos said:
Well, the design is remaining the same between the $650 one and the $2000 one, so nicer materials are implied.
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Oh, I'm sorry. I read too fast the first time.

In that situation, I would only expect nicer materials for the 2000$ knife, NOT worse craftmanship for the 650$ knife.
 
great thread topic!

the most expensive knife i've ever bought was an 8" model 2 by walter brend for $1250. here's a pic of it above a randall model 1:

for anything at or over $ 350, i expect a total absence of production flaws. for something $650 or more, i not only expect that, but also a very unique, "signature" type of look/feel/vibe, along with an instant rush of emotion or thrill upon handling the knife.

for anything $1000 or more, i expect to experience the very essence of what a great knife is all about; a combination of flawless execution, tasteful art, and bottom-line functionality (not that it would ever get used!).

now, when we're talkin' $2000, i would expect all of that plus an extreme rarity & hard-to-obtain-ness. i feel like my brend model 2 attained this status at the $1250 mark.
 
Probably the nicest knife I ever actually held was a Ray Cover MOP Canoe that Danbo sold me a while back. $350 and it was absolutely flawless. Flawless. I had to sell it, I couldn't stand the thought of using it (not much of a collector). So for $650, definitely flawless, polished, fit together like the proverbial Swiss watch. And for $2,000, like Dalko said, same level of craftsmanship but with more expensive materials.
 
I would hope for perfection at $400 and expect nothing less at $650. For $2,000 the materials would have to be extremely rare and the sheath would have to be equally flawless and rare (assuming fixed blade).
 
nenofury said:
I would hope for perfection at $400 and expect nothing less at $650. For $2,000 the materials would have to be extremely rare and the sheath would have to be equally flawless and rare (assuming fixed blade).
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Yeah! At these price range, the sheath must be flawless too. I han't thought about it first, but it's a very good point.
 
Garlic said:
great thread topic!

the most expensive knife i've ever bought was an 8" model 2 by walter brend for $1250. here's a pic of it above a randall model 1:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=159177

for anything at or over $ 350, i expect a total absence of production flaws. for something $650 or more, i not only expect that, but also a very unique, "signature" type of look/feel/vibe, along with an instant rush of emotion or thrill upon handling the knife.

for anything $1000 or more, i expect to experience the very essence of what a great knife is all about; a combination of flawless execution, tasteful art, and bottom-line functionality (not that it would ever get used!).

now, when we're talkin' $2000, i would expect all of that plus an extreme rarity & hard-to-obtain-ness. i feel like my brend model 2 attained this status at the $1250 mark.
Click to expand...


This Walter Brend knife is certainly a great knife, a great performer, but I have to admit I don't see why it is worth 1250$. Could you tell me about the materials used?

Thanks
 
To put it bluntly, when it comes to a custom knife, I expect to get what I asked for. If the design differs from what I agreed to, back it goes. I don’t ask for artistic license. I ask for what I want. I do try to make sure that I spell out exactly what I’m after, so there is no ambiguity.

The only time I allow a lot of ground for the maker, is when I ask him to do something he hasn’t done before, or something he might feel uncomfortable in attempting. Taking a maker out of his comfort zone can be tough on the maker and customer. I try not to make it an unpleasant experience, as I know that I was playing on shaky ground to begin with. I will provide feedback on the final product though, if I think there is room for improvement.

Furthermore, the fit and finish should be above what I’d find on a high quality production knife. I personally don’t think that custom knives perform that much better than high quality production models, so the fit and finish is a very large aspect of my purchase. I do ask about this ahead of time, as I’m willing to pay extra for added attention to detail. I don’t want to get a folder home and find that the lock is slipping. I don’t want to get home with a fixed blade and find that the grinds are uneven.

I don’t really see the price as being a factor. I’d expect the same quality knife from Bob Loveless as I would from Joe Shmo newbie knifemaker. If what I ask for is beyond the newbie Joe Shmo’s ability, I expect him to tell me so. I’d obviously expect to pay a heck of a lot more for a Loveless, but that’s a whole different discussion. The maker decides the price of what I’m asking for, not me.

Production knives are a whole different deal. They vary greatly from sample to sample. If the knife is fully functional, I’m happy. If the fit and finish is good, I consider myself lucky.
 
For $650, I expect superior fit and finish. I don't expect flawless, because any $650 knife I buy will have been made by human hands. At $2,000, I would hope we're talking high end materials or something extremely labor intensive.

There's an emotional factor involved in the purchase of any high end knife -- sometimes the emotional attachment is to a knife, which may lead us to pay a higher price than might otherwise be justified; sometimes the emotional attachment is to our money, which may lead us to unrealistic expectations of "perfection." Last year, I purchased a folding Pronghorn from Bill Burke; it's the single most expensive knife I own. Quite bluntly, the fit and finish are nowhere near the level of $650 knives I own by Frank Centofante, Bailey Bradshaw, and others. Initially, I felt a bit of "buyer's remorse" because I had spent so much money for a knife that was less than flawless, but that didn't last long because this wasn't about possessing a flawless knife, this was about fulfilling my desire to own a folding Pronghorn. Now I just need to convince myself to carry and use it. :eek:
 
It depends on what kind of $650.00 knife we are talking about. If it is a folder or hunting knife I would expect it to be pretty darn good. If no fancy materials or embelishments are included then I would expect them to be as near perfect as possible. If it is a bowie we are talking about then I will expect less at $650.00. It is a big knife and that is kind of an entry level price range for a custom.

At $2000.00 I would expect any knife to be just about perfect. I say just about perfect, because I don't believe that absolute perfection is possible. I do realize that there are makers where $2000.00 would be an entry price level. Even so, I would expect that knife to be as well made as any of that maker's other knives, just without the fancy materials and embelishments such as engraving, scrimshaw, etc.

My standards do not change when comparing custom to production knives. A high end knife is a high end knife. However, because of the cost advantages involved in the production process I would expect that any production knife over $500.00 would be very special indeed.
 
Buzzbait said:
Production knives are a whole different deal. They vary greatly from sample to sample. If the knife is fully functional, I’m happy. If the fit and finish is good, I consider myself lucky.
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Even if that production knife was $650? $2,000?
 
Dalko said:
This Walter Brend knife is certainly a great knife, a great performer, but I have to admit I don't see why it is worth 1250$. Could you tell me about the materials used?

Thanks
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the materials are pretty common - d2 blade, black linen micarta. what is truly extraordinary is the overall execution & feel. those deep double-edged hollow grinds are simply breathtaking on his bigger knives (8" & up). those who have held a brend fixed blade will attest to what i mean. the handle alone is an ergonomic masterpiece. although you can't tell from the pics, the guard is radiused into the handle all the way around, and somehow he flawlessly fits the guard & the tang together almost as if it's a single piece. the tang is exposed all the way around, & it's flush with the scales. i would need to take more pics to show everyone what i mean, but these will have to do for now:

the brend:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=159171

brend blade closeup:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=159172

brend & randall:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=159173

whoever has pics of that incredible hilt radiusing + flush exposed tang/scale treatment that brend does, feel free to post shots.
 
I don't know. I've never purchased a production knife in that price range. If I were laying out that kind of dough, I'd be going custom all the way. Call me crazy, but I'd never expect a group of people to care as much as one person, about the quality of a finished product. One person would have an emotional investment in the product, which a group might not.
 
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