Nice knives cost too much?

D

dan oliver

Joined
Jul 8, 2006
Messages
166
Friends, I've thought about something about which I've been wanting to both share and also get your thoughts. It seems to me that nice knives....not the junk ones....just cost too much. For instance, I have a Sebenza and many Shun kitchen knives. While I do like and enjoy using them, they certainly don't seem to offer the value....cost/benefit if you will.... of say: a Glock, a Smith & Wesson, or a even a G-Shock watch for instance. What do you think? Thank you.
 
You can do just fine with cheaper knives, but sometimes we just want something nice for ourselves. Life is too short for just functionality. That applies to many other things, like clothes.
 
That's a loaded question.

I prefer to use a value over time scale - that Sebbie should last at least 10 years, so that is about $35 or less per year.
 
I would agree that there are many "budget" oriented knives that perform well.

I own several high end knives and very much enjoy the enhanced fit and finish and exotic materials used in construction.

Is there a linear increase in quality relative to cost? Often, but not always.

Is there a linear increase in performance relative to cost? In many instances likely not.

But I like 'em!

IMO it is desire over function in many cases.

Kevin
 
They cost too much for what they do?

Well duh. You can go through life with a $0.50 boxcutter and a $1 Chef knife and be perfectly fine. Everything else can be seen as an extravagance if you're looking for it. Value is a hard variable to make objective. If the knives cost too much, sell them and buy knives that have a better ratio for you.

I think the knife market is generally a pretty efficient one with prices being set at appropriate levels, for the most part.

I also think that cost/benefit is for cost analysts, corporate managers and other people who are boring at parties. This is a hobby, if you start seeing ratios for your enjoyment of a hobby something is wrong with you.
 
dan oliver said:
Friends, I've thought about something about which I've been wanting to both share and also get your thoughts. It seems to me that nice knives....not the junk ones....just cost too much. For instance, I have a Sebenza and many Shun kitchen knives. While I do like and enjoy using them, they certainly don't seem to offer the value....cost/benefit if you will.... of say: a Glock, a Smith & Wesson, or a even a G-Shock watch for instance. What do you think? Thank you.
Click to expand...

Sure, expensive luxury items don't offer the value that good-quality less-expensive products do. That's simply the nature of luxury items. But yet you bought them anyway.

Seems like the question should be self-directed. :)
 
Bang for the buck is somewhat subjective, So im voting for the rc-6 for a fixed blade and spydercos cent III for a folder.
 
dan oliver said:
Friends, I've thought about something about which I've been wanting to both share and also get your thoughts. It seems to me that nice knives....not the junk ones....just cost too much. For instance, I have a Sebenza and many Shun kitchen knives. While I do like and enjoy using them, they certainly don't seem to offer the value....cost/benefit if you will.... of say: a Glock, a Smith & Wesson, or a even a G-Shock watch for instance. What do you think? Thank you.
Click to expand...

I can see where you are coming from. When I started here and my addiction was stronger than the force, I gradually traded/bought more and more expensive knives until I had my Sebenza, SnG, and SMF and then *wham* the "gotta get more expensive" bug went away :eek: Then I slowly started trading down and realized there IS a point where price vs. function seems to have a cut off. This cut off will vary from person to person, but for me it is the knives that fall under $200 that seem to have that custom quality, great steel, and just plain work great. Past that point (for me, this is not a blanket statement) and it seems more of buying the same materials but at a name brand price. When money is better you can bet your favorite knife that I'll go get another Sebenza :D but for now I'm happy with my mid-range knives that fall in the $100 - $200 area.

As an example, look at ZT, great knives for $200 or less and they have the same materials, blade steels, and locks as other more expensive knives.
 
I'll put it this way. I carry and use my $400 Sebenza (or other expensive knife) everyday and use them for multiple purposes. I also own a $300 shotgun and have never carried or used it. If I were the owner of a Glock or S&W I'd probably be saying the same thing about the shotgun considering I live in NY and can't carry concealed. Comparing a knife, to a watch, to a gun is a rather strange comparison. Obviously a watch is going to be used constantly to tell the time. A knife is going to be used for a multitude of tasks. A gun is used for one task.

Do I think that the nicest knives are the most expensive? Yes. I also think the nicest cars, watches, guns, clothes, and living quarters are the most expensive. They're also worth it.
 
Then there is "cachet" value. I caught one manufacturer in particular red handed in price gouging.

But sometimes I think certain makes add in warranty costs in the initial price of the knife, me I seldom if ever need warranty service on anything I buy, maybe I am lucky or maybe I choose carefully and use carefully ... in any case I come out on the losing end of the "warranty cost inflation" aspect. It flat out pisses me off that I have to compensate for dolts who mis-use their stuff so much that I mostly refrain from high-end knives like Strider etc. to me they are not worth it, superior functionality, cachet or no.
 
J's Knives-N-More said:
I can see where you are coming from. When I started here and my addiction was stronger than the force, I gradually traded/bought more and more expensive knives until I had my Sebenza, SnG, and SMF and then *wham* the "gotta get more expensive" bug went away :eek: Then I slowly started trading down and realized there IS a point where price vs. function seems to have a cut off. This cut off will vary from person to person, but for me it is the knives that fall under $200 that seem to have that custom quality, great steel, and just plain work great. Past that point (for me, this is not a blanket statement) and it seems more of buying the same materials but at a name brand price. When money is better you can bet your favorite knife that I'll go get another Sebenza :D but for now I'm happy with my mid-range knives that fall in the $100 - $200 area.

As an example, look at ZT, great knives for $200 or less and they have the same materials, blade steels, and locks as other more expensive knives.
Click to expand...

I agree, there are some great $100-200 knives available. For me, I'll stick with the "mid-range knives".
 
Here are my thoughts on the OP's thoughts. Nice or custom or semi custom knives are just that. They are knives that have either a lot or a little more put into them when they are being built. Generally not production knives. And yes they demand more money than the off the shelf production fodder. It's the decision of the buyer as to the value of said expensive knife. For me I have had several and I EDCed them and the problem I had was worrying about damage or loss not value. My Sebenza was an excellent well made knife I paid $300.00 for and I misplaced it twice. Once at home and once on the job. I set it down on a skid while cutting some banding and the skid was taken away to the dock while I took a cell call then loaded on a truck to go to Mexico. I figured it out before the truck left the dock but it was close. All I thought about was losing a great (Expensive) pocket knife and some fella in Mexico trading it for something silly because he doesn't know it's a $300.00 knife.:eek: But I have had many $30.00 to $50.00 to $100.00 knives that have lasted for many years. The thing is, those knives aren't as difficult to replace when lost or damaged. I just picked up a "Spyderco Persistence" and "Buck Vantage" both around $30.00 that would do everything my CRK did. I just don't get nervous about losing them... It's that simple for me....:D
 
Actually I think your comparison is quite accurate, especially with regard to the watch. What does a Rolex do that a Timex doesn't?

What does a William Henry or CRK do that a $15 Gerber won't?

The simple answer is nothing. They're tools, one for telling time, the other for cutting stuff. Do you use one more than another? Possibly, but does a $400 knife really cut better than a $40 knife? No more so than a $5000 watch will tell time better than a $50 watch.

The answer is you buy it because you like it, it serves your purpose, and you can afford it. Like all luxury items, they are there are equally functional items that cost orders of magnitude less, but people still flock to the high-end items, either out of vanity, want to flip for a quick buck, or because they can afford it and like it.

Personally, I can afford many knives that I simply don't want. Also, there are knives I can afford, yet am unwilling to pay the price (2nd party sales for a Hinderer XM-18, for example). Will I eventually give in and buy one? Not sure, but I can tell you there are a lot of $150-$400 knives out there I will cycle through before I give somebody $600 for a hinderer the paid $385 for.

In the end, the market will dictate the price. If there is no market, the price will drop or the item will go away. As long as there is a market, whether it's a collector market, user market, or flipper market, these types of knives will be produced and sold without problem.

In terms of value, it's what you put on it. Only you know if the price you paid is good or not.

Happy hunting!
 
The value of a knife is subjective.I started buying Spydies,moved up to

higher price knives and finally to CRK and Strider.

To some of us,me included,its hard to go "back down the f/f and quality ladder".

The quality of a high end knife is worth it to me. Id rather have 1 CRK than

4 or 5 Spydies. CRK and other high end knives Hold Their Value much better

than less expensives knives.They sell Much faster.The list goes on..........

Until you have used a CRK or other high end knife its hard to put the quality and feel

of the knife into words.
 
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I have some nice knives the nicest is my EDC 630BK I paid $180 for it. I use it everyday and it the piece of mind that it brings is priceless. On the other hand I'd like a Sebenza in my collection, But I could buy a new PS3 or a video camera for the same price, it's hard to justify the expense.

The weird thing is that a PS3 has thousands of component. Lasers, computer chips wires and even G10. The sebenza only has 5 or 6 parts and you can find a desent rip-off for 5 bucks. I just got a Dewalt drill with a matching saws-all for $200 that's value.
 
I've never forked over more then $100aud for a knife, I think because I'm too attacted to a certain knife in my collection that I carry more then any other and love to bits.. The thing cost me $20.

That said, if this particular knife was $150-200, I would still have bought it and when I'm in a more financially better off place, I've got no doubt I'll be looking at the more well known pieces.

So I guess, at this point in time, I'm not pulled in by name brand knives that cost a small fortune because of their exotic steels and hand made quality. If I see a nice knife that will do what I ask of it, it's going in the collection, regardless.
 
I was looking at a $80 weed eater the other day and it is pretty amazing that it can be bought with the manufacturer and the retail stores making money. There are many parts including a gas engine. Each piece has to be designed and a mold made for some pieces or a chunk of metal machined down to a usable piece. The plastic for the housing, gas tank, handle and gas trigger all have to have a mold made to make the piece and models and designs change fairly often which means new molds have to be made. There are probably 200 pieces that are designed for mainly that application. I don't know how many parts can be used in other products but I doubt many. Pretty amazing that each one has to be made for basically pennies to turn a profit and that doesn't even include labor, transportation, and marketing costs.

When compared to an $80 knife, the knife seems pretty expensive for just a few pieces layered together.
 
It's the case with virtually any manufactured item that you pay a premium for the higher-end items. This doesn't mean they're not worth the premium - as was already said, that's a subjective call for you to make. Economists refer to it as diminishing marginal utility. In other words, the utility (value to you) goes down as you consume one more unit of an item. As a result, you are less inclined to pay the extra price of that additional unit (e.g., better fit and finish, better quality steel, etc.). [for all you fellow econ geeks out there, I know the theory doesn't perfectly apply here, but I'm just trying to illustrate the situation].
 
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