Knives vs. Income

B

BigRott

Joined
Jan 6, 2000
Messages
71
Here's a general question: at what price do you decide that you just can't afford a knife? This has nothing to do with what the knife is *worth*, just what price you are being asked to pay. I work with a lot of guys who make good money and think an expensive knife is in the $50 range. Some customs cost as much as a new car!

I like my hard use knives to be as inexpensive as possible while maintaining a decent level of quality so I won't have to mortgage the house to replace it if it breaks of gets lost. Usually a Ka-Bar fits the bill. But I always seem to find a way to loosen the ol' purse strings for a really nice blade that is a "must have".

Later,

MBS

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Nevermind the dog...beware of owner!
 
...as a new member of BladeForums, you'll find that your max. spending limit will grow and grow.
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Eventually you might end up having a Sebenza or two. Two years ago, my limit was $150, now I wouldn't blink at spending $500. IF it is worth it, to me of course.

-AR

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- AKTI Member ID# A000322
 
Jackyl's right. Your personal spending limit will increase at a rate directly proportional to the time you spend here at BladeForums. So far I've managed to stay under $100 (not counting tax and shipping), but I know I won't be able to say that by the end of this year.

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Dave

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of More Knives
 
Like I always tell my wife, " I dont chase women, I am not out at the bar, and I do not use crack" If I want it I want it, and because I work, If we can afford it I should be able to get it. The problem is I have been telling her this for 14 years, and she still isnt convinced (lol).
All joking aside since I started collecting, I have been able to usually sell off some of the knives that no longer catch my eye, to help bankroll new knives. In a world were tennis shoes cost more than $100.00 I seem to have less trouble justifying the purchase of a quality object that is custom made the way I want it. Having said that I have not been able to justify the price of some custom knives (on the aftermarket) like Emersons, but I think thats more because there are so many other knives out there that are a similar or better quality for less money.
Just my two cents worth.
Thanks
Boomer
 
When I bought a Benchmade Sentinel for $90 a few years ago I thought that was expensive. When I bought my Sebenza a year and a half ago, I thought that was expensive. I just bought a $800 folder, and that seems expensive now (but worth it!). Who knows what next year will bring?

Had to buy a couple of Ka Bar slipjoints to cool down a bit. You can still get quite a bit of knife for $20, too!
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Ryan



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For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23


 
If someone told me just 2 years ago i would spend $300.00 on a knife(DA Socom) I would have said they were nuts! Now, I dont know when exactly, I would like a custom folder or custom auto Da . Like others have said, one goes progressivly up the price scale. But one sees how superior some knives are over others . But, of coarse, that $100.00 knife will do the job for sure. Yes, knife collecting beats chasing strange women, drugs, or heavy drinking! We should tell ours wives this everyday.
 
I haven't spent more than $50 on a knife yet here. I trade, beg, buy used, wait for sales, etc until I get what I want at the price I want, and I have plenty of knives that retail for well over $100. I also try to get kit knives from custom makers when I can, not only because I like to finish them myself, but also because I can get a well-made knife at a fraction of the cost. Even if I was making a lot of $$$ I would probably do the same. For example, I had my eye on the Jot Sing Khalsa Spyderco for a LONG time. I was patient, and now they are on sale all over the place. I'm paying $45 for mine brand new. Beats the hell out of over $100, don't you think?
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My Custom Kydex Sheath page:
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/frames.html
Palmer College of Chiropractic
On Two Wheels
agocs_s@dd.palmer.edu
Madpoet (Mel Sorg, Jr.) Tribute page:
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Lab/1298/madpoet/main.html

 
It is not over guys. You get a little older and have enough users to carry a different one every day for 6 months. Then you eye starts turning towards one of a kind pieces. That takes a maker several months to make and you start saving for a few years.


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"Life is too short to carry an ugly knife." Steve F.
 
OH THANKS A LOT GUS! Just what I need to hear.....LMAO!
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One of a kind piece?! Hmmmmmm........
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BTDD -
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I am trying to steer away from the production knives and started to buy customs thinking: 'oh, that way I can have LESS knives, and just nicer pieces!' NOT.... the obsession grows worse.
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Is there NO END?!
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Ray 'md2020'
 
My Father alwasy taught me too buy the most I could afford, so that I would be less likely to want again soon after. Unfortunately, that doesn't work here. I've spend well over the $100 I hear people talking about.
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Brandon
 
Lemme put it this way. I've got two magazine cover candidates coming in the next 60 days. They both are in the "You could have bought a car for that!" category. The project I'm looking to start in August almost doubles their budget.

Big numbers don't make me say "no", they make me say "not yet".
 
Having been an obsessive, compulsive collector of many-a-things, when I first started collecting the year before I left for college, I spent an average of $75-125.oo/ knife.
Now, two years later, a little smarter, and with a reason to buy large fixed blades (I am a Marine Poolee-leave in 10 days for MCRD!) I don't mind spending a lot more on a blade I know I can use...
Knives like Mad Dog, Busse, and Randall all make me smile and think "This knife just begs to dig, cut, chop, and LOOK GOOD!!"
Jess
 
Personally, the most i have ever spent is a little over $200. I wouldn't mind getting more expensive knives but I keep seeing so many less expensive one I want. This year I am trying to seriously limit my purchases. To just two more models: the 440V Native and the Military Jr. If I am successful maybe I will buy a Sebenza next year to celebrate my discipline!
 
i still haven't spent over $100 on a knife. i wait until someone has a good deal and then i go from there. i just spent $175 on two knives and that is the most i've paid. i might break that real soon though, a production SIFU has been calling my name. people here on the forums are great and that's where i have gotten every knife i've bought in the last 3 months.
 
I guess it's all relative. We each seem to decide, either consciously or implicitly, what we will spend on any knife. Many of us find that dollar figure creeping its way upward over time. Many of us even run across that one special knife that somehow causes us to challenge our beliefs on how much money is too much to spend on a knife of any kind. All part of what makes it cool, don't you think? Thank our lucky stars for disposable income.
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AJ
 
MD the only bad thing about getting into customs is that everyonce in a while a factory comes out with something that catches you too
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"Life is too short to carry an ugly knife." Steve F.
 
For the longest time $100 was my limit also. Then I bought a Madpoet, a Dozier, and finally a small Sebenza a few weeks ago. Now I'm contemplating an Ares or a Model 4 sometime in the future. What am I stupid or something? I don't think it ever ends. Shouldn't have gotten the Sebenza. Now I'm spoiled. I think in the future I'll probably buy less knives, but go for the higher quality and customs.
 
Like most of you, I have gone the route form the $20 and $30 knives and continued to the Sebenza I pruchased this summer. Haven't purchased another knife as yet but did get in on the Mercata Wave scramble. I am more cautious now in my spending and no longer buy whatever is hot. I like to handle the item first and see if I really want it in my collection. I guess the next natural step is a custom but haven't made the leap as yet. I do have my eye on a few.

Good shopping!

John
 
The ONLY thing putting the brakes on me at all is that I'm not a "collector" per se. I buy what I plan to carry, use or use as a martial arts training piece and that's IT.

'Course, my two carry pieces are worth $200 (serial #1 Sifu) and $440 (custom-to-my-own-blueprints fixed blade).

But in both cases, we're talking about something that could save my hide one day. Doesn't seem too bad that way...

Jim
 
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