Nobody needs more than a $100.00 knife.

I may not NEED a knife that costs more than $100. But I WANT one and thats all there is to it... Because I am a knife nut I dont feel an overpowering need to justify in cost/benefits terms every knife I buy.

Rich (RJ) hit the X-ring when he said: why should they care about how a stanger spends his money anyway?

Andrew Limsk
 
I do not wish to seem like Econ 101 here, but the custom knife market is alive is because there exists a demand from us. Therefore, a $1000 knife is worth $1000 to some buyers.

Knowing the maker is a lot of fun. Beyond that - many customs do have "soul". You can feel the hand of the maker.

Don't let the nay sayers bother you. They have the same spirit as Sebenza bashers. Their argument can be used on food, clothing, wine, and practically anything one can consume. You are all right, life is short. Have some fun.
 
Here we go again!!
Why is eveyone so bent on this topic??? There is room for EVERY type of knife in the great Knifeworld. There is room for everyone. Thank God there are factory knives for $100 or less. If they did NOT exist, maybe lots of folks would not even be able to own a knife.
As for the high end, one of a kind of ANYTHING will cost more. That is the price for one of a kind!!! REALITY check......
Live and let live----there is room for us all.
Thank you,
angie fowler
PS Keith: Please don't get upset!!!:)
 
There is a lot of hype about expensive knives, and thus there is truth to the argument about performance. A decent puukko for example will easily out cut many high end customs and is easily durable enough for any work, including the felling and splitting of harder knottier woods like Spruce. For heavier work a decent 1/8" machete makes a solid tool and thus you are set to cover anything for just a few dollars. Change the puukko to an Opinel if you want a folder instead of a fixed blade, or a Wetterling hatchet for the machete depending on enviroment.

The poor part of the argument is when it gets personal, you don't know much about knives because of the money you spend on them. However the reason that this gets said, is mainly because there is also the other argument made on a regular basis which is that production knives are inferior, and significantly so, and thus anyone chosing them is making a mistake and doesn't know what they are doing. Which side started it - it doesn't really matter. However the only way to stop it is to stick to the facts and leave the personal attacks out of it.

-Cliff
 
Angie, how could I ever get upset when the statement that you are making is absolutely correct. I would have a very hard time getting upset with you over anything actually. What you say is right on the money. So is what Cliff pointed out. There are far too many people that look down on people that own inexpensive factory knives. I think that this is why many of the owners of these knives get defensive and shoot back insults at the guys that own the expensive customs, or for that matter, even the expensive production knives.

There is room in the knife community for people with all kinds of interests. Those that like factory or custom, users or collectors, those that think of knives as tools only and those that think of them as something much more. We are afterall, people that love knives and that is what should matter.

I do not think that the attitude that just because a knife only cost $10.00 that it can't possible be any good is any more acceptable than thinking that when you consider the materials and time that went into making that knife it can't possibly be worth $1000.00.
 
I happen to agree with all of you. It just so happens that my 3 most expensive knives happen to be SMALL SHOP knives and not customs at all, but I do also have a few customs, and while I buy knives to <i>use</i> rather than display, I well understand the alure of a custom piece, and also appreciate the beauty - art - in a high end custom that is purchased for display only, albeit not by me...

But to play devil's advocate for a moment, I do believe that the nay sayers have a point when they come up against the "how much money is your life worth?" argument from those who lean toward relatively expensive knives. What are the chances that, in a life threatening situation, the threat itself, and its resolution, will turn on the difference between a $100 knife and a $300+ knife? For most of us, there is a greater chance that we will be hit by lightening than find ourselves in a situation where such a difference in knives will matter, but I don't see any of us walking around in lightening dissapation gear!

Bottom line is that there is more to what makes an expensive knife worth its price than raw performance as a cutting and/or chopping instrument. We appreciate those more subtle things, while others don't, but so long as you restrict the argument to raw performance as a cutting tool, they are often right.
 
For those who feel that they can't (or won't) afford a higher priced knife, my advise is to start making knives. After they've burnt, scraped, cut, and worn their fingers to the bone, they will more than likely see why makers get what they do for their knives. It worked for me!

Steve
 
Matthew:
In all honesty, I got hit by lightening last Fall and it was then that I realized that you only live once (I may be wrong) and my custom knife search began. I was walking down my driveway on the way to UPS when I heard a huge crackle and got thrown to my back at a extraordinarily high rate of speed. I really wasn't sure whether or not I was still alive - very wierd. Still can't see through clothing. I've been picking up the '63 World Series, though.
 
I love them all.The $25.00 Vapor from Kershaw has been my carry for the last week.$25.00
I have a safe full of customs of ALL kinds and I carry the Vapor.
BUT I AM STILL A KNIFE SNOB
Life is too short to carry a ugly knife
I would rather have the Vapor than a Sebenza.:p
 
I can't agree with you there, but what the heck, everybody has their own likes and dislikes. I happen to think the Sebenza is an OK looking knife. Not great, but not bad either.

After reading all these replies I am certainly looking at things in a totally different way right now. As has been posted, life is too short to worry about what other people think of the knives that I own. If people have a problem with the fact that most of the knives that I love are expensive, then screw um.
 
...I think we both see a lot of common thinking in these posts...

Sure, a top end production knife will do, sure it will...I collect them, and I use them...I love them dearly, they work for me, and they work well.

But, life is too short, so a body should enjoy it, and enjoy it fully!

I grew up poor, very poor. So, after I first established 'credit' at age 20, I went hog wild...by age 27 I was facing bankruptcy, and then it took me 10 years to pay it all off...again, I was poor, very poor.

Now, at age 40, debt free, living within my means, I realize that I want 'something' other than fast living, big parties, and wrecked race cars...I want something 'nice', something I can enjoy, a piece of well made art that I can use if need be...I want custom knives.

I've worked hard for 25 years, the blue collar son of blue collar parents, and if I want to spend my money on handmade/custom knives, then so be it...it's my money, I worked for it, I earned it.

Life? Life is too short, enjoy the moment, enjoy that what makes you happiest...naysayer's be damned! :D

Mel
 
This is only one of many variations of:

You must not know much about knives if

a. you spend more than $XXX
b. the knife is thicker than 0.XX
c. the grind is XXX instead of YYY

and so on.

It gets old trying to explain to people that ther is NO WAY any one person, whether maker or user can possibly anticipate all uses, both legitimate and not, of a knife. There are many needs and wants, and many knives to fill those needs and wants. To be close minded about this is pure ignorance.

For example, I see a lot of fantasy knives advertised in magazines. I seriously doubt that some of these are ever meant to be used, I don't want them, but if someone likes the way that they look, and wants to mount them on a wall and enjoy them, go for it! I bought a Western W49 bowie 20 years ago for that very reason, and still love it. My wife thinks I'm nuts, but so be it.
 
From my personal experience the statement that those of us who buy custom knives have more money than brains could not be more wrong.

I obviously have more Brains then Money. Otherwise I'd be able to buy more knives. :D
 
Originally posted by Blues
Let's just forget about "invesments" and the almighty dollar for a second.



Why is a painting by one of the masters better than some Home Shopping Channel wall hanging?
Click to expand...

Blues, if this is another one of your attempts to get my velvet Elvis portrait or the velvet dogs playing pool wall hangings, you can forget it:p

When I buy a custom or handmade knife I'm buying a piece of the maker. I only own knives by people I like and respect. I always carry two knives, either a Carson model 4 or Terzoula ATCF in my front pocket, and an Emerson CQC6 that I got from a great friend in a nylon belt sheath. They make me feel good. Each time I take one out to use I think of a friend and good memories. Sure a Benchmade or Spyderco would probably do whatever it is I'm doing with them but it's my money, my preference, and my good feelings.
As some have stated, maybe we need to be sensitive to the other side too, especially those than cant afford a handmade. I know how that goes, I was there for alot of years.
Now let me tell you how good I'm gonna feel someday when I get a Fowler:D When I think of those years Ed came to the NY show with $450 knives and I didnt buy one:(
 
My motto has always been, "If you like it ~ can afford it ~ buy it !"

My knife gathering runs the gambit. . .custom to production ~ high-end to low-end. My EDC line-up includes a knife that I paid $700+ for. . .but it also includes a knife that cost me a whoppin' $40. There is no comparison ~ custom to production ~ high-end to low-end. Simply. . .there is a huge difference quality, craftsmanship, and materials between a knife costing $50 and one that costs $500 !

I also think that most of us were in that same boat sometime ago. Hell, I remember the $150 knife buying cap that imposed on myself. But the day that a custom-maker handed me one of his pieces of art and asked me what I thought. . . It's been all down hill since. :p

Do I really care what others think about my spending habits ?

Nah !

My #1 care ~ is ya a knife knut ?

My #2 care ~ is my pocket happy !

Currently makin' my pocket happy. . .a DDR EDC; fighter blade. . .cf scales :D :D

And thanks for askin' ! :D
 
Dave, you have to look at the fact that Ed's knives have improved a great deal since they were $450.00. I really feel that my Pronghorn is every penny that I paid for it. If I was able to afford and could get Bill Moran to make me a knife, I would also feel that this knife was worth whatever Bill asked for it.

Personally, I believe that the price of the knife doesn't matter at all, as long as the knife that you chose is a good one. Buy knives for whatever reason you want and spend whatever you feel comfortable with. At times, if you want a knife badly enough, you may even have to spend more than you are comfortable with. Do not look down on people because they prefer inexpensive knives nor because you don't understand why anyone would pay huge sums for any knife. Just respect the fact that we all have our own reasons for buying the knives we do and that we have no business thinking that our reasons are any more important than the next persons.
 
Keith,
I hope you didnt take what I said to mean I didnt think that Ed's knives werent worth more than $450. I know they're worth every penny they cost. I just was thinking about 10-15 years ago when Ed would have a table full of knives at the NY Custom show and most were in the $450-650 range. Both Ed and Angie know how highly I think of both them and the knives. I've said it before-Ed ruins more blades and spends more time testing than some makers do making knives. I'm pretty sure that if you figured out his knives on an hourly wage, he doesnt make that much at all. My time is coming, I'll have one someday.
 
...just to get it back on track here folks...

The original (flawed) premise was, "Nobody(sic) needs more than a $100.00 knife." Ha, a false premise; an assumption, and an ill-formed one at that...

I, for one, 'need' a "more than $100.00 knife", just cuz I do...

Example: Saturday, I came across a new condition SS 'Brown stitch' RMK model #14 'Attack' knife in a local pawn shop, with an additional Brown stitch 'C' model sheath, for $275...1 knife, 2 sheaths, all new, $275...I 'needed' that knife...(yeah right, like I needed another hole in my head...lol), so, I bought it...

And there ya go folks, that's all ya need to know... ;)

Mel
 
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