No More Expensive Knives for Me

anthony cheeseboro

anthony cheeseboro

Joined
Aug 8, 1999
Messages
5,094
I seem to have lost a certain zest for knives that I used to have. I still really love knives but I just can't pull the trigger and spend big money ($300+) for knives any more. I don't blame anyone for spending whatever, but I feel that I can get anything I really need for $200 or less (usually much less). Spyderco is a good example, I could get a Paramilitary, a Chinook II, and a Persian for the price of a more exclusive knife. Just my 2 cents.
 
I am with you on this.....as much as I love my expensive knives especially the Sebenza's......my one knife that does it all for me is my Spyderco 93mm Blue Rescue. You can pick up one of them off of E-Bay for around $42 & who cares what happens to it.
Mine has held up now for 1 year+ & it is still one of my favorites.
It sure is an ugly knife, but for what I use it for, it works perfectly & it has held up flawlessly & the blade is still razor sharp! All that for a really inexpensive amount to have spent. Who can ask for anything more?! :)

I think that it's the fact that having the more expensive knives are a "cool" thing to have, but then you might be not as inclined to use them as much as the lesser knives for fear of damaging them.

All in all, I will still carry my Sebenza's with me, but if the task calls for something ugly, then out comes the ugly knife :D
 
anthony cheeseboro said:
I seem to have lost a certain zest for knives that I used to have. I still really love knives but I just can't pull the trigger and spend big money ($300+) for knives any more. I don't blame anyone for spending whatever, but I feel that I can get anything I really need for $200 or less (usually much less). Spyderco is a good example, I could get a Paramilitary, a Chinook II, and a Persian for the price of a more exclusive knife. Just my 2 cents.
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WHIMP!!! :D :p

I'm still on the fence. I try to balance between truly precious knives, which have no peer in the high-volume knife world, and the nearly one-of-a-kind pieces. I mean that Pease tanto grind folder on Knifeart that goes for $1500 is killing me. I am seriously thinking about getting rid of two of my better customs just to get that one!
 
Anthony,
I'm with you. I've always operated under the idea that I would rather have 3 awesome knives than one awesome knife (that I probably won't use because I'm afraid to use). I still carry and use my Sebenza but I don't go any higher end than that.
Matt
 
I think I'm in this boat as well, for now. I bought myself an Obenauf because I was so tempted to do it...until then, I hadn't spent more than $100 on any knife. But I'm too timid to actually use it. Instead of trading it for a Sebenza as I had planned to, I am just going to sell it and buy 2 or 3 or 5 other cheaper, but perfectly functional knives.

My cheapo Spydies do everything I need them to, and if not....there's always a Fallkniven F1.

This is all of course, until the value of my socks jumps to that of platinum.

Nitin
 
I prefer to straddle Architect's proverbial fence, myself.

I'm waiting on a Timascus TNT that Tom Mayo should have ready soon. I'm also expecting to take delivery of folder from Bill Burke at the Blade Show, which will be, by far, the most expensive knife I've ever purchased. On the other hand, I've also got a Spyderco Paramilitary that should be arriving on my doorstep next Monday.
 
Thom, in my neck of the woods, ATRs are under $200. :) At the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, I'll probably go to my first blade show this year and I'll see just how much I have gotten over high-end knives when it's over. :cool:
 
I'm in the exact opposite situation. I'd much rather never buy another production knife and have just 4 or 5 nice customs. I have a Kershaw Leek and a Spydie Calypso Jr. They are my dirty work knives. For all other tasks, I'd much rather carry and use the Lochsa and/or my Obenauf. Note, that I don't use the customs for heavy/dirty work but I don't do much dirty work anyway. I work in an office and carry a small WH carbon fiber during the workweek. I have no desire to have lots and lots of knives, I'm happy with a limited number of customs.
 
If you are satisfied with production knives, you just don't get the fun of custom knives. If you buy a custom but "are too afraid to use it" you shouldn't be spending that much money on a knife in the first place. For many people, custom knives are great fun to buy and use. Custom knives are better in every way than a production piece for a knive nut, just not a better price value.

Too expensive? You can always save your money and get one custom as opposed to three production knives, but if you won't use a custom knive or don't think its worth the money, you just haven't reached the higher levels of knife lover insanity. That's OK, you can change. :)
 
i see your point...but that limits my enthusiasm for the knife world

i still have to figure a way to use my damascus knives as i am scared to make them work

but any other knife gets used and if it gets beat up, oh well...now its got character. I just make sure i only use knives that i would never think about selling and that is y i dont buy knives on impulse
 
anthony cheeseboro said:
At the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, I'll probably go to my first blade show this year and I'll see just how much I have gotten over high-end knives when it's over. :cool:
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Ah, good plan. Who will be walking behind you with a cattle prod to give you a good zap every time you reach for an expensive knife?
 
I think I've gone in the opposite direction. I'm a real tightwad when it comes to dropping more than $50 on a machine-made, mass-produced knife. I do buy them and they give me a lot of enjoyment. I also find it very practical to have something to let people borrow or something to do nasty cutting chores.

I've found that the best way to get over the hesitation to use a good custom is to buy a better custom. Then go and use the other one ;)

Or, buy something used with a little wear. It continues to amaze me how greatly discounted lightly-used knives are on the secondary market!
 
Keith Montgomery said:
Ah, good plan. Who will be walking behind you with a cattle prod to give you a good zap every time you reach for an expensive knife?
Click to expand...
that'll be me...

cattle prod with a nice sharp convex edge on it...:D
 
92degrees said:
I've found that the best way to get over the hesitation to use a good custom is to buy a better custom. Then go and use the other one ;)
Click to expand...

That's a great piece of advice :~)
 
You know, I personally have always wondered about this. Strictly speaking, I tend to be a Spyderco person, but that's just because there isn't a knife fetish that they don't cover (especially now that they've added the kerambit and Spyderfly). All that, and I get something cool for not a lot of money despite what my wife says. That having been said, I recently traded a brand new Sebenza for a slightly used (that is had one scratch on the blade that you have to rotate the knife to see) Obenauf small model 2. Now, I would never have carried the Seb- probably for fear of damaging it, though the knife really wasn't my style anyway- but I DO carry the Obenauf. I figure that I may get another high end custom, but only a Marlowe will do, and I'd actually use the knife. However, I don't see why people have to be down on more economic knives. You can really get some cool stuff! Think of the CRKT Montana Gentleman. I would NEVER carry a real Gallagher folder. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't put $2,000+ in my pocket for walking around. However, I can get the feel of the big custom in the MG.
In the end, I guess I'm thankful for the custom market because it forces the production companies to come out with better product. Example: the BM 210. What a knife, and just think that probably as little as 5 years ago this never would have happened. Anyhoo, sorry for the rambling!

Sincerely,
Anthony
 
I think you'd find <$150 folders in the pockets of guys who do own $1000+ folders...
 
I am a car nut from way back. My family have two cars, my lovely Mercedes and a VW. I love my Mercedes and it gets lovingly cleaned and polished.
My wifes VW, does not get quite the same care.

Yet both are on the same roads, and are subject to the same dings, scratches that are unavoidable. My pleasure from the MB is its quality and its image. If I did not use it, then I would immediately lose 50 % of my pleasure.
 
I can understand the feelings in this thread. My knife habits have changed over the years. Right now you will find only two makers in my pockets...Victorinox and Chris Reeve. These are the two whose quality and design work the best for me. Bottom line is if you are happy with your purchases, does it really matter what everyone else thinks? Buy what you like and enjoy. :)

Paul
 
I've been carrying a Victorinox Centurian (over-size Tinker) over my Benchmades and Bucks. For $20.00 it has some usable tools, locking 3 1/2" blade, cheap enough to not worry about ........ it's actually quite handy. Plus it doesn't scare most people because of the little emblem on the side.

Just wish it had a pocket clip, maybe I'll J.B Weld one on it.

Mike
 
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