One Higher Priced Knife or a Few Lesser Ones?

Remenber, " The one who dies with the most toys, wins." Some good cases have been made for both points of view; and I've adapted those to my own needs. I have one very nice knife that I carry in my rotation, while the others could be considered inexpensive. There are some amazing blades out there for a good price and the bottom line for me is they all do a great job of cutting things.
Greg
 
I would definitely go for quality over quantity but do a lot of research to find the qualities you are looking for in your knife.....although higher priced doesnt always equal better for your needs.
 
If you have the bug, you're going to end up with the expensive ones anyway. Might as well start there. If you start out with cheap knives, you're going to end up spending a ton of money working your way up to the nice ones. Getting a good knife right off the bat is likely to save you money in the long run.
 
SilverFoxKnows said:
I'd go for multiple low-mid price knives and here's why. You get to try out different steels/ grinds/ blade lengths/ handle materials/ locking mechanisms. Once you put each to good use you'll have a really good idea what works for you. There is no one-right-answer. Some guys like scandi grind, some like flat grind. Some like G-10, others stag. Some like ZDP-189 others like 1095. Play around, have fun, figure out if you're an axe, khukuri or machete man, then spend bigger bucks. YMMV.

Frank
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I kind of look at it the opposite way. First, you should have a general idea of what you want, so why not cut to the chase? There's no point in 'evaluating' a bunch of peripheral stuff, just to say you evaluated it. Second, a half-assed knife is not a valid analog for a good one. Blade steel in and of itself isn't going to tell you that much, for example. You need to evaluate blade steel + heat treat + geometry... and that combination is pretty specific.

Also, there's such a thing as empirical information. It's not like you are just buying things at random. There's plenty of reputable data to go by... and you can likely handle things before committing.

If you are talking about things like Sebenzas as the more expensive knives, these are not all that expensive, and they are generally easy to sell if found unsuitable. These are also practical, working knives, so not overly susceptible to devaluation from damage, as with a collector's piece.

Lots of false economy trotted out in this thread, IMO.
 
Learn what you are looking for in a good knife and get that. In the long run you'll be happier with a few top notch products than a bunch of economy priced models.
 
tsiloics said:
I kind of look at it the opposite way. First, you should have a general idea of what you want, so why not cut to the chase? There's no point in 'evaluating' a bunch of peripheral stuff, just to say you evaluated it. Second, a half-assed knife is not a valid analog for a good one. Blade steel in and of itself isn't going to tell you that much, for example. You need to evaluate blade steel + heat treat + geometry... and that combination is pretty specific.

Also, there's such a thing as empirical information. It's not like you are just buying things at random. There's plenty of reputable data to go by... and you can likely handle things before committing.

If you are talking about things like Sebenzas as the more expensive knives, these are not all that expensive, and they are generally easy to sell if found unsuitable. These are also practical, working knives, so not overly susceptible to devaluation from damage, as with a collector's piece.

Lots of false economy trotted out in this thread, IMO.
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I respectfully disagree. Listening to "empirical information" is not the same as testing things for yourself. Nor did I suggest the OP should buy a bucket of misc knives from Frost cutlery. If the OP listens to the steel junkies he'll come away with "empirical information" that 12C27 is a low end steel and not to bother with anything in 12C27. But he could get two Moras (or two Opinels) for $20, and see if stainless suits his needs better than carbon. If he lives in a humid climate he might like Sandvik but decide the Mora's scandi grind isn't the best for his needs. Plus he now has two hard working (albiet low priced) knives for camp, kitchen or BOB.

Also, much depends on his level of skill in sharpening, how much time he's willing to devote to reprofile an edge, or even if he has a diamond stone set-up. S30V is one of the darlings around here, but I've seen it chip and the nicks are a pain to get out. Nor would I want to attemp to put a convex edge on it without a belt sander. ZDP-189 is still a gotta-have-it steel but somebody here broke it on sheet rock. If the OP needs a tougher knife then this darling may not be for him, no matter how much "empirical
information" there is.

With brick and mortar shop going the way of the dinosaur I rarely get to handle knives before buying. Unless the OP is lucky, and lives next to SMKW, he's probably going to have to buy online, sight unseen, like most of us. I don't know about the OP but I do consider Sebenzas to be expensive. They're not in my budget, no matter how nice they are. And not everything less than a Sebenza is half assed. He could get a Canal Street and a GEC for less than half the cost of a custom. Niether are what I would call half-assed knives.

Sure, you can narrow your search by listening to other people's experiences but there is no substitute for your own experience. And that was my advice to the OP.

Frank
 
SilverFoxKnows said:
I respectfully disagree. Listening to "empirical information" is not the same as testing things for yourself. Nor did I suggest the OP should buy a bucket of misc knives from Frost cutlery. If the OP listens to the steel junkies he'll come away with "empirical information" that 12C27 is a low end steel and not to bother with anything in 12C27. But he could get two Moras (or two Opinels) for $20, and see if stainless suits his needs better than carbon. If he lives in a humid climate he might like Sandvik but decide the Mora's scandi grind isn't the best for his needs. Plus he now has two hard working (albiet low priced) knives for camp, kitchen or BOB.

Also, much depends on his level of skill in sharpening, how much time he's willing to devote to reprofile an edge, or even if he has a diamond stone set-up. S30V is one of the darlings around here, but I've seen it chip and the nicks are a pain to get out. Nor would I want to attemp to put a convex edge on it without a belt sander. ZDP-189 is still a gotta-have-it steel but somebody here broke it on sheet rock. If the OP needs a tougher knife then this darling may not be for him, no matter how much "empirical
information" there is.

With brick and mortar shop going the way of the dinosaur I rarely get to handle knives before buying. Unless the OP is lucky, and lives next to SMKW, he's probably going to have to buy online, sight unseen, like most of us. I don't know about the OP but I do consider Sebenzas to be expensive. They're not in my budget, no matter how nice they are. And not everything less than a Sebenza is half assed. He could get a Canal Street and a GEC for less than half the cost of a custom. Niether are what I would call half-assed knives.

Sure, you can narrow your search by listening to other people's experiences but there is no substitute for your own experience. And that was my advice to the OP.

Frank
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Just giving my own perspective. No offense. :-)

I do agree that the Opinel idea is worthwhile - in terms of information gathering, and also just for fun.

S30V works pretty well for me. Don't find it to be overly difficult to sharpen. Seems to fall in with ATS and BG, at least generally speaking. Seems to be fine for a basic folding knife.

I live in a relatively small town, basically in the middle of nowhere (Bend). Even we have on B/M shop. There are 4 or 5 others within a 2.5 hour drive, and at least two substantial annual shows within the same radius. Taking a little trip to check things out could be seen as a fun thing, not necessarily a burden.

I'm not saying a $400 knife is cheap, just that $400 is not all that much in the overall context of leisure expenses, especially when one considers the tangible, practical benefits. Perhaps the larger point there is that of the viability of resale. With the current economic situation, I haven't bought a knife... haven't bought *anything* in over a year, and probably won't for at least another year. Still enjoy the Sebenzas I've had for 10 years, though. Guess the point there is that over the long haul, quality goods deliver solid experiential dividends.

Probably should have qualified "half-assed" a little bit. Sorry about that. In my mind, an inexpensive tool steel fixed-blade would be worthwhile. I don't need to buy (any more) 440A fixed-blades to know that they hold an edge for about one cut, and I definitely don't need (any more) folders with sloppy mechanisms. Maybe I am making your point for you. :-)

I own very few cheap knives, maybe 50 of the CRK/Busse/Strider sort and a few others. Nothing fancy, no real collectibles. 90% users, or at least bought with that in mind. Experimenting with sharpening and use... both for work and play, is all part of the game. Okay, starting to ramble.

Just trying to give my perspective; not trying to be argumentative. :-)
 
Tsiloics, no worries. Maybe we're on the same page, after all. I do think there is value in listening to the experience of others. Maybe you can avoid a costly mistake. But say you want a custom. Before you put your name on a waiting list or put down a deposit of a few hundred dollars, wouldn't you want to try out a few patterns. A lot of guys like stockmen, I like trappers. That's all I'm getting at. ;)

Frank

P.S. Here in SoCal there's only one knife shop within easy driving distance (there were three up till a few years ago). You ever see traffic in the LA/ OC area? It's an adventure all right but not always a fun thing.
 
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I started with lower priced knives, got familiar with what I liked and sold and traded up to higher end knives eventually. I personally wouldn't have started with higher priced knives first because I didn't like then what I like now. I think of it like liquor; I wouldn't give my younger self a bottle of Hennesy XO for the first drink. I wouldn't appreciate it nearly as much. Other people are different from me however.
 
Note to self:

Don't ask knife nuts subjective questions about knives - it'll just make me want to cry :P

Like I said, I just got into this but a few months ago and I find it hard to part with more than low $100's for a knife at this point, therefore knives around this price range are what I consider to be 'higher priced' ones. Sebbies and the like are just ludicrous fleeting wisps at this point for me. They are mythical beasts, they are talked about by everyone, but they aren't really of this (my) world :P Kinda sorta currently looking at the BM 940 as my expensive option... Not sure though O.o

As far as sharpening abilities... Practically zero... I have some $25 Smith's kit which has 2 ceramic rods and... the scratchy sharpy thinger (whatchamacallit?) for the primary sharpening. I was able to put a decent edge on my Spydercos (Tenacious and Ladybug 3) that I have that didn't have that great of an edge, but nothing near a factory edge or shaving sharp. Speaking of which, shaving sharp. Should that literally be 1 or 2 passes that clear ALL the hair from the spot?

I live in the Boston, and don't do any sort of camping/hiking (currently, thinking about starting in the future once I'm done with the money sink they call college), so my knives won't really see much work beyond the sporadic cutting task or the obligatory paper / manila folder cut testing. And from what I know, that also means I don't have too many knife stores around me O.o
 
I started out buying a lot of folders, now I prefer fixed blades. I started out buying partially serrated blades, now I REALLY prefer plain edged blades. I started out buying all black/tacti-cool style knives, now I really prefer the traditional/discreet look.

You might find you're like me, and with every knife you buy your opinion on your old knives change. Some you find you like even MORE, others you find you don't like as much, others you like just the same. I think of it as a growing experience, the more knives you have the more of a comparison you can make on all of them. Some of my cheapest knives are my favorites, and some of them I now know are crap even though when I first bought them I thought they were great. Part of it is knowledge, I didn't know the difference between steel grades or handle material. Another part is preference, the more I used fixed blades the mroe I liked them...now I buy them almost exclusively.
 
buy something relatively expensive and add a couple of moras or (the cheap and good) cs things


thats how i do it

that way i get lots of decent toys and one thing that is really good and i wanted specifically
 
As in many things one purchases an item because of it's aesthetics. But you can appreciate something without owning it. I would love to have a nice SOG Large fixed bladed knife but would never carry it. I purchased a Field Pup instead which I use and enjoy. This allowed me to purchase a Kabar dozier, a SAK cadet, a Case large stockman and lusting after a Blue Farmer. I would gladly give up my NIB Kershaw Blackout combo blade and M-16 for many other knives at this point. My taste has changed and now I look for useable blade designs without serrated edges and ease of sharpening.

But the BM 550HG tugs at me as well as (just one Spydie) yea just one ;)

+1 on the fixed blades---one nice small one and the CS Finn Bear, Roach Belly and Canadian Belt knife would look good enough for me in a shadow box!
 
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