knife snobbery?

BladeChick777 said:
Or That My Para2 Is Still Performing As Good As It Is Today, Whether It Be Light Or Heavy Use.
Bet Your $20 Gerber From Walmart Will Either Be Broken And Replaced Or Will Not Be Performing Near As Well As It Was.
It Will Probably Have Unfixable Blade Play, Not Hold A Good Edge, Maybe Have Some Chips In The Edge, Etc.

Knives Are Made To Use.
But I'd Much Prefer To Use A Spyderco Paramilitary 2 Vs. A Gerber Paraframe.
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Someone is really getting on a roll here. :D
 
Ankerson said:
Depends on what one is looking for, if it's pure performance then $400 isn't really that much when talking about Customs in high end steels. ;)

If one is looking for cheap that's fine, but don't expect it to perform like the above because it never will.
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Indeed. Same is true with a really hand crafted grind. Or amazing handle materials. Or a impeccably thought out sheath.

$400 is hardly "laughable."

I respect the fact that for you (bladeboss), it is, but I'm a little irked by you saying that the members here willing to spend $400 dollars on a knife are "laughable."

I have spent that kind of money on knives....and they are $400 knives. I didn't just throw money at them like a moron.

And because I have spent that kind of money on a knife, do I "pooh-pooh" Moras and SAKs? No.
 
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Giorgos said:
Price does not denote quality, but quality most of the times comes with a high price. There are of course, gray lines. A mora knife will shave out of the box (although they do not come in a box most of the times) and has been proven for years now, while most knives in the same price range are only suitable for stirring paint or used as screwdrivers. Same goes for some expensive knives, which are total crap.
But I DO believe, that after a certain level of quality, the price goes up without any particular return on the user.
I would say that the best ratio of price to quality can be found in the 100 to 200$ range of production knives. They have a more than descent steel, and same goes for materials used and will most probably satisfy 99% of all users, BF users included.
Having said that, I have never tried a 1000$ knife.
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I agree with alot that you say but for me mediocre steel is just that...mediocre. I make sure when I spend my cash on something expensive it will have a "value" equal to that albeit the steel, the craftsmanship and the product as a whole.
 
Actually, Do Me A Favor.
Buy A Gerber Paraframe For $20.. And Then Buy A Spyderco Tenacious For $30.

Not A Huge Price Difference. And Neither Have Super Steels.

Use Them Both.. Heavily.. For One Week.

Report Back Here In One Week And Tell Us What You Think.
 
Ankerson said:
That's what I was thinking too... LOL

Likely never been in the same town with one, more less in the same room, or touched one. :D
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Agreed again. We all know that price doesn't necessarily equal quality....but assuming all more expensive knives are costly merely because of hype shows that one could learn more about knives.
 
marcinek said:
Indeed. Same is true with a really hand crafted grind. Or amazing handle materials. Or a impeccably thought out sheath.

$400 is hardly "laughable."

I respect the fact that for you, it is, but I'm a little irked by you saying that the members here willing to spend $400 dollars on a knife are "laughable."

I have spent that kind of money on knives....and they are $400 knives. I didn't just throw money at them like a moron.

And because I have spent that kind of money on a knife, do I "pooh-pooh" Moras and SAKs? No.
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Yeah I have my throw away knives that sit in my tackle box or out in the garage in a tool box, it don't care about them because they are what they are...
 
marcinek said:
Agreed again. We all know that price doesn't necessarily equal quality....but assuming all more expensive knives are costly merely because of hype shows that one could learn more about knives.
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If I am putting down a lot of coin on a knife one had better believe that I am going to know everything about that knife, maker, steel etc BEFORE I buy it or I won't spend the money.

I have to know what exactly what I am getting for that amount then I will make the choice to get it or not.
 
Bladeboss.. I Completely Understand Where You Are Coming From.
I Started Out With Cheaper Knives.(I'm Talking Your $5 - $15 Assisted Knives From The Flea Market)
I Was Going To Say "But Now I'm Older And Wiser"...
Well, I'm Not Really Much Older. I'm Probably Younger Than You.
I'm 20 Years Old. But I've Learned A Lot.

Once I Started Getting Into Name Brand .. Better Knives, I Was REALLY Into Kershaws. Because Well, Kershaws Are Good Knives.
I Then Got A Spyderco.. And Loved It.. And Kept Trading And Such And Was Starting To See The Sometimes Subtle Difference In Quality.

I Used To Be Strictly A Collector, And Carried My One Knife .. A Japanese Made Kershaw Black Gulch.
I Am Still Amazed At The Quality That Knife Had For The Low Price Point.

But The Truth Is...
It Wouldn't Out Beat My Spyderco UKPK... And That's Just A Little More Pricey Than The Black Gulch.

I Am Now Strictly A User. And I Would Much Rather Use A Higher End Knife Rather Than... That Kershaw Black Gulch.

The Quality And Such Is So Different. My Black Gulch Was A Great Knife, But Not Even Close To Running Up To... Say A Spyderco Delica.

I Would Rather Trust My Knife Usage To A Knife That Costs A Little More Rather Than A Lower End Knife.

The Reason Being That The $50 Knife From Spyderco Is Going To Cut Better For Longer, Take Better To The Use, And Maybe Even Some Abuse. I'm Not Talking As A Knife Snob. I'm Talking As Someone Who Uses A Knife Multiple Times A Day.
 
Dorito Monk said:
It's not so much that people dislike middle-priced knives, more that people dislike junk knives.

If you do some reading around the forum, I'm pretty sure you'll find that Case, Victorinox, Buck, Kershaw, Opinel, Svord, and a lot of other brands along those lines have outstanding reputations. I can't recall anyone really bashing those brands off the top of my head. Any time someone asks for an inexpensive folder recommendation you can always count on Vic, Buck, and Opinel to come up.

Odds are good you won't see as much support for Shrade, Winchester, Gerber, SOG, or S&W. This is probably because folks feel that they churn out poorly made or overpriced knives and just aren't as dependable.

So, it's not so much that 'middle priced knives' are 'hated', it's just that in the five minutes you've been a member here you didn't happen to notice that there's tons of love for less expensive knives among the forum users.
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This! :thumbup:

I also think that as you get more and more into the hobby (like any hobby) you just tend to be less interested in the lower end stuff. You start to wonder what more money will get you. Granted, there are collectors/users who are totally happy with inexpensive knives and like to have many less expensive knives than a handful of very high-end pieces. It's personal preference. For me, I have just grown to appreciate the finder details that make a high-end knife worth it to me. They are not miles and miles ahead of mid-range knives but they offer premium materials, a superior fit and finish (most of the time), and also have a higher "pride of ownership". They're not as common as Gerbers, Schrade and the other brands you mentioned.
 
bladeboss said:
alot of them. yes. 400 bucks for a fixed blade? thats just laughable.
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Everyone has their price-point. It's good that you've found yours. Personally I find it laughable to consider taking a cheap Chinese made knife into a combat zone or anywhere else where it may have even the slightest chance of being relied on in a serious situation.
 
I often speak very highly of "value" priced knives on here. I love several condor fixed blades. have often Used buck, gerber and others in the folder catagory. That said I like quality so if I find quality and workmanship in any price I appreciate it. I work for my money and I provide for my family if I want to spend more on a knife (or a whatever) than another guy then hey thats my right. Call me a snob but I would rather use a broken bottle than a cold steel.
 
you get what you pay for... now that is not to say "cheaper" knives don't have a place... IMHO Quality over Quantity !!!
 
I really don't know if I see that much real snobbery on this site. I've never gotten the impression that most regular posters here will think less of a person if they pull out a bargain bin knife to open a package. And knives that have good quality construction and materials at a great price make a huge splash here. The Kershaw Skyline alone has spawned hundreds of threads. I don't think most people here look down on the companies you've mentioned, it's just that most of us have seen the models offered and aren't going to spend pages discussing things we're already familiar with.
 
For the record, I'll be perfectly happy if I get CPM 110V(or insert any of high end steels associated with snobery) with top notch HT, thin blades for 50$ or so. Sadly, can't find, not yet.
 
Snobs buy things that are expensive just because they like to lord it over less wealthy people. The people here buy expensive knives because they like the workmanship, performance, etc. It's not about feeding your ego, it's about the enjoyment you can find in a knife.
 
Gator97 said:
For the record, I'll be perfectly happy if I get CPM 110V(or insert any of high end steels associated with snobery) with top notch HT, thin blades for 50$ or so. Sadly, can't find, not yet.
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I doubt anyone would stay in business very long taking a large loss on every knife they sold. :D
 
I think it center's around disposable income. If you can afford what you perceive to be the best knife, then you buy it.

A snob is defined as;
person with an exaggerated respect for high social position or wealth who seeks to associate with social superiors and dislikes people or activities regarded as lower-class.
• [with adj. ] a person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people : a musical snob.

While I have run across a few people with this mindset, I don't see it at BF. Of course I don't read every post every day, so............

What I do see at BF is a lot of knowledge people who want to take a knife to the higher/highest level they can, and that cost money. I also think pride in a knife can sometimes be "seen" as snobbery when it is only that person's happiness with that knife that you are really seeing.

But, in the end, it comes down to YOUR level of disposable income.
 
cutter17 said:
I think it center's around disposable income. If you can afford what you perceive to be the best knife, then you buy it.

A snob is defined as;
person with an exaggerated respect for high social position or wealth who seeks to associate with social superiors and dislikes people or activities regarded as lower-class.
• [with adj. ] a person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people : a musical snob.

While I have run across a few people with this mindset, I don't see it at BF. Of course I don't read every post every day, so............

What I do see at BF is a lot of knowledge people who want to take a knife to the higher/highest level they can, and that cost money. I also think pride in a knife can sometimes be "seen" as snobbery when it is only that person's happiness with that knife that you are really seeing.

But, in the end, it comes down to YOUR level of disposable income.
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I think we tend to see the reverse of snobbery more so than knife snobbery.

People thumbing their noses at the higher end knives more so than the cheaper ones. ;)
 
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Coolest and best folder. It looks like a grenade! And yes, the blade is stainless!

acf8801.jpg

This is a great bowie. Has rainbow wood handles and a stainless blade!

...

...

Is your eye twitching? You cringing?

We're all knife snobs here, it is just to what extent.
 
The Best I've Seen With High End Steel Like s30v Is The Spyderco Native At $50. Or You Can Go Like $10 More And Get A Buck Vantage Pro In s30v.
 
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