Price for user knives vs. collectors knives?

R

raythebigfoot

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Sep 12, 2007
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Thought this would be an interesting discussion and didn't really find anything exactly like it on the forums so here goes; At what price does a knife just sit on the shelf vs. being taken out to be used. Of course, this is all just a matter of personal opinion, but I would say that I wouldn't spend more than $300 on a knife I was planning to use. Even then if it's over $200 it would have to be an outstanding performer in what I was going to use it for me to actually do so. What's your top limit?
 
If a knife is more expensive than I feel like using I sell it. For me this cutoff is about $40.
 
Sometimes a collectible can be as simple as something with sentimental value, such as it was your grandfather's knife but it is otherwise ordinary.
 
Suicycoprowler said:
Sometimes a collectible can be as simple as something with sentimental value, such as it was your grandfather's knife but it is otherwise ordinary.
Click to expand...

Oh totally agree with you, but I'm primarily talking about knives you buy to either use or collect rather than something with sentimental value. Though some knives that I have bought do get some sentimental attachment after a while :)
 
I only buy knives for use at the moment. So if I justify to myself buying a $600 knife, I'm using it. I currently buy in the $50-$150 range.
 
I'll use just about anything. As a knife. But then again I try to buy stuff that I can get refurbed, if needed, to recoup (most of) my money if I do sell them. And some knives you can beat up and they will still go up in value regardless. ie Busses:thumbup:
 
I figure that my more expensive knives should work better, so I use them even more.
 
I got a Busse Battle Mistress that cleared a spot for a hunting blind yesterday. It stays in the truck to be there when I need it.
 
Great thread! I buy very few knives to just "collect." Every now and then one will come along that I buy to use and just cannot bring myself to do it. Probably the most expensive for me was a Scott Cook Lochsa. I think I sold it for about $650 and it was mint. I would sure like to have a chance to buy one back at that price!
 
I carry and use either a-
$455- a computer graphic sebbie
$275- STR custom ouparator, usually this one!
 
I don't buy knives to collect. I don't buy any expensive user either. $200 for a slab of metal plus two slabs of wood/plastic makes no sense to me.
 
I like the looks of knives. And I like seeing them all shiny and new. So I use very few of the over 80 knives I have collected. I'll carry any of them and I mostly carry even the ones with pocket clips in a belt sheath while hiking. Then I'll clip a cheaper user knife in my jeans pocket. Hack briars and limbs out of my path with that while retaining the mint blade in the sheath in case I need to do battle with something or someone for my life.:eek: (have to have a mint high dollar knife at the ready for that)
 
Low end users for me. I can't afford to buy high end blades just to try out. I go for highest performance and the least expense. SAKs, FRN Spydercos, smaller HI khuks & straight blades, RoA bolos, Opinels, Okapis, Boker slip joints, Martindales, Tramontinas. I guess I look for value.

Frank
 
So to add to this thread anybody got any stories of knives that you had planned not to use but you just saw it sitting there and couldn't fight the urge to keep it mint :-) I have done that quite often.
 
I tend to go along with the idea of no limit (got a $400 Randall Fireman a while ago and I'm waiting for a chance to 'test' it while hiking). On my Dream list, there's a Scott Cook Lochsa, which I plan (if I ever get that one) to use. Still, if I ever spent about $600 or more on a blade, that one would stay in the safe.

For the other question, I've a Randall Trailblazer, a Nordic Knives special, that just keeps calling my name. I don't want to use it, but ..........
 
I use and abuse my Benchmades and Emersons, they have held up great so far. Why pay for high quality materials if you're not going to test them?
 
A lot of guys say they are not collectors and only buy knives to use. Ask them how many knives they have, and they will often say 10, 15, 20. Guess what? They are collectors - of using knives.

If I only bought knives I needed to use (excluding kitchen knives), I'd stop at 3. For life. How dull.

To answer the question, I don't think I have actually put to use a knife that cost more than $500. Not saying I wouldn't, just that I haven't.

Roger
 
My Three EDCs:

1) MSC XL BFF $1500
2) XM-18 $550
3) MCSOCOM SMF $1000

I use all my knives, I normally buy in the range of 500-2000.
 
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