Most Expensive Production Folder

ChiefTJS

ChiefTJS

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I've recently upped my game so to speak and in the process I've found some makers I'd never even heard of. These makers are waaay out of my price range so I assume that’s why I'd never heard of them. Let's go further, what's the top, top end? If Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos were knife guys (Who knows) what would they be buying for production stuff?
 
Production only??

It all depends on how much passion they have in it themselves. Most of the lesser known, but highly sought after knives require many many many hours of research to find out about and then feel comfortable paying their price. It's something you seek out, it doesn't just come to you. It often times requires quite a few connections that come along the way.

Therefore, the reality is they would end up with whatever a solid few hours (at most) of search would come up with online and they would move on with their busy chaotic lives. What does SEO at this point normally dictate the "best knife" is? I'd argue CRK, Strider or Hinderer (maybe couple others). They would end up with one or alll three and call it good.

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Now to answer your question the way I think you want it answered.

They would end up with:

Kody Eutsler DUK
SPK Lamia
OZ Roosevlet
Hawk Knife Designs
Holt
Skiff
HMC
Rockstead
Brown Knives
Blaurock

Many others
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^if they ever knew about this stuff, a byproduct would be the knowledge of many custom makers. Impossible not to at that point imo....Therefore, the real answer is they would muscle their way onto the books of:

Scott Cook
Michael Raymond
Black Snow Knives
Shiro Custom
GTC Knives
Merriken
Rotten
McGinnis
Marcins
Lee Lerman
Rexford

Many others

You would also send a proxy (assistant) to every knife show in the World on your PJ and have them win every single open bid, no matter what price.

My .02
 
Honestly, I think if the richest people were knife guys, they wouldn't have the time to search out the most expensive niche production folders. So they'd be more likely to end up with the better known ones.

In answer to your question, the Poikilo Al-Khem would certainly be up there, or some of the damasteel and special handle material stuff from Custom Knife Factory. Higher end Rocksteads also get up there.

Hard to say limiting it just to production. You could very easily argue that a lot of stuff being sold as custom is actually production, though (cough, cough, Marfione Custom).
 
Go to Blade Show and you'll see custom engraved folders that can run well over $10,000.

They are pieces of contemporary art and sculpture but in terms of being a working knife they are by no means better than a $240 factory folder with an M390 blade.
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Those guys have fully functional light sabers already, lol. If they aimed to impress, can't imagine any production models fitting the bill. Surely they have access to extremely knowledgeable experts that could recommend the pinnacle of knifeness.

If it had to be , I'll echo others with Rockstead, Low run Shiro, OZ and add high end Koenigs and dressed Hermans. Among so many others.
 
And here I was thinking I was a knife guy. I have to say I haven't heard of most of those production brands as well as most of the customer makers. Truth, I like Buck and Spyderco and I just ordered my very first Sebenza. Looks like I have some surfing to do. Thanks all.
 
Custom Koenigs are going for $15,000 plus, that was surprising to me. I know custom Shiros can bring that or more.

There were a couple tables at Bladeshow where the cheapest folder on the table was $6,000 and the most expensive was $36,000. They were more works of art than anything.
 
Most of the very rich people who I have met are not ones to flaunt it. They aren’t Lamborghini, but Lexus or Audi. Many are rich because they buy and use what is adequate, above average, not necessarily top shelf. A Timex tells time as well as an Omega.
 
John Phillips said:
Custom Koenigs are going for $15,000 plus, that was surprising to me. I know custom Shiros can bring that or more.

There were a couple tables at Bladeshow where the cheapest folder on the table was $6,000 and the most expensive was $36,000. They were more works of art than anything.
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Beyond programming the CNC machines for the inlay on that Koenig and using different material for the blade and hardware, what is different than their typical production knife to the one that went for 15.6k? I could be wrong, but I think that would be pretty much just another Koenig, with maybe some more attention to the fining touches - going for the amount it did because of hype at the show and collectors wanting it. OR is this being done with no CNC (or minimal) by Bill Koenig himself in the corner of the shop using mostly traditional means of making a knife much in the way Lee Lerman or Michael Estrella etc do it? I really do not know. If it's the former, then I'd still just categorize the $15.6K Koenig a production or MAC - but a factory one off.
 
ChiefTJS said:
I've recently upped my game so to speak and in the process I've found some makers I'd never even heard of. These makers are waaay out of my price range so I assume that’s why I'd never heard of them. Let's go further, what's the top, top end? If Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos were knife guys (Who knows) what would they be buying for production stuff?
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He would definitely be the one buying a 500$ D2 Medford that couldn't cut through a stick of hot butter. Bozos would just order a knife off his own site then replace it with a fake just like everyone else seems to do.
 
Don_Logan said:
Beyond programming the CNC machines for the inlay on that Koenig and using different material for the blade and hardware, what is different than their typical production knife to the one that went for 15.6k? I could be wrong, but I think that would be pretty much just another Koenig, with maybe some more attention to the fining touches - going for the amount it did because of hype at the show and collectors wanting it. OR is this being done with no CNC (or minimal) by Bill Koenig himself in the corner of the shop using mostly traditional means of making a knife much in the way Lee Lerman or Michael Estrella etc do it? I really do not know. If it's the former, then I'd still just categorize the $15.6K Koenig a production or MAC - but a factory one off.
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I’m honestly not sure why these are $15,000 plus…. It could be the fact that they are 1 of 1 “customs” that already cater to a market of collectors that have quite a bit of disposable income and $15,000 to own a 1 of 1 Koenig isn’t that big of a deal to them. I’m with you on your questioning of what is so special about these to drive this price. I’ll ask a guy that paid $15,000 for one himself and see what he says. Apparently one custom went for $15,000 plus last year and this years went for $16,000 plus.

I recall just 3-4 years ago the 1 of 1 customs were $4-$6,000 at the show for the open auction (if I recall correctly) which I thought at the time was high but not outrageous given the demand. $15,000 plus blew my doors off.
 
John Phillips said:
I’m honestly not sure why these are $15,000 plus…. It could be the fact that they are 1 of 1 “customs” that already cater to a market of collectors that have quite a bit of disposable income and $15,000 to own a 1 of 1 Koenig isn’t that big of a deal to them. I’m with you on your questioning of what is so special about these to drive this price. I’ll ask a guy that paid $15,000 for one himself and see what he says. Apparently one custom went for $15,000 plus last year and this years went for $16,000 plus.

I recall just 3-4 years ago the 1 of 1 customs were $4-$6,000 at the show for the open auction (if I recall correctly) which I thought at the time was high but not outrageous given the demand. $15,000 plus blew my doors off.
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For sure. I actually do not think there is anything special beyond the design and materials used. The price is from collectors with money to blow. The bidding was from IG, FB and the show all at once. The market decided the price, not Koenig. Iirc, the bidding started at something like $1.5K(??).....and rapidly went up to $5k....then someone went $10k....and just slowly went up from there for the next day or so. It's all hype and exclusivity of owning it. I bet if Koenig was to put a price on it for materials used and did a Lotto you would see a price around$2.5 to $3.5K if I had to guess. In the end, a one-off production (MAC) knife.
 
I'd buy many of the same $400 to $500 knives that I have now. But I wouldn't be concerned so much about using, abusing, or losing them. Shoot, I'd be buying Inkosis, XM-18s, MAC 2s, etc. by the dozen. When one looked bad or got dull, I'd give it away and grab another out of the box. Wouldn't need my K03 any longer. . . .
 
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