Price limit?

After many years of trial / error, I try to keep most of my current purchases in the $150-$350 range.

There are so many good knives in that price range.
 
The highest I've paid currently is around $110 I think. I envision $200 as being about my limit for blades until I cross the swords threshold. For anything less than a full on sword, it'd have to be something I really, really wanted to go over $200. I mean, I want an aluminum Cold Steel Espada XL and I've yet to pick up one of those, and it's something I'd really like...haven't been able to talk myself into that yet.
 
Anything above $150 is hard to justify... Lately I have been choosing some of those "best value" knives (Ontario RAT II Folder, Kershaw Leek, etc.) instead of my regular big Spyderco (think Military, Manix, etc.) knives. Seems like smaller knives get more pocket time than big ones. And usually (not always) smaller means... cheaper.

Mikel
 
I have spent 600 for a knife once. I probably would set a limit of 1000 though if It was the right knife for the right price. I stick around the 300$ to 400$ price range most of the time though
 
Upper limit of $150 for me. I feel best getting $80-$100 knives used for $50-$75 though. The upper limit is mostly reserved for chef's knives though and not folders.

What is funny is I don't think twice about upper limits or more for chef knives. I do the cooking for my family and know I will use it daily at least once for at minimum 5 years. In contrast I have spent hours researching the best folder under 3" with a 2.5" blade for (fill in the blank) price a dozen times. The price in the blank was usually $25-$30. Makes no sense except that it was fun doing so!
 
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I generally don't set a hard price limit, but I have general value guides that I am comfortable with in terms of knives. I believe the most I have paid for a knife so far has been about $500 (custom), but that has been the exception rather than the rule so far. My acceptable range keeps getting higher as I learn about knives. I like Bob Dozier's knives and tend to buy one every couple of years. I still have not been able to justify the purchase of a ZT or Sebenza, but I am approaching a ZT purchase. Hence, the price keeps getting a bit higher with time.
 
$750 is my current limit.It's went up gradually over time.I remember when I first started here on the forums,I couldn't dream of spending $100 on a knife.
I was so tempted to get a custom for $800,but I talked myself out of it.
 
The more expensive knives keep--or often increase--their value. A production folder you buy for $225 will sell, still BNIB, for maybe half that. A custom will almost always get you what you paid for it back, if not more.
 
mctrinket said:
The more expensive knives keep--or often increase--their value. A production folder you buy for $225 will sell, still BNIB, for maybe half that. A custom will almost always get you what you paid for it back, if not more.
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If your in it for future selling that's great but I buy and use knives and have no intention of selling knives for profit.
 
On resale, even the customs drop in price IF you want to sell them quickly in many cases. It depends on the maker and their current reputation. I refuse to sell a knife for half of what I paid for one, I'd rather landfill them before I did that.
 
mctrinket said:
The more expensive knives keep--or often increase--their value. A production folder you buy for $225 will sell, still BNIB, for maybe half that. A custom will almost always get you what you paid for it back, if not more.
Click to expand...
Much better to investment than rely on knives to grow money. Besides, knives should be used for the tools they are. What'll that do to their resale value.
 
Once I am over $150 or $160 I start to think of what sort of camera gear or tools I could get for the money. If I am going to spend more than this, I will think in terms of custom knife makers. I realize that there is a lot of handwork in factory knives, but believe it or not, my finances have limits. Once a knife gets too expensive, it is likely to sit in a drawer and not get used. I like to buy users. I would spend $250 or more on a custom knife, but I doubt that I would do it for a production model.
 
Most of my Knives are Safe Queens and never cut Paper let alone leave one of my Safes except for showing or selling.
I have no limits because that would take all the fun out of it knowing I could not buy because I had a limit ~~ why would anybody have a limit on a Knife or Gun.?? Might as well stay home and also stay off the Computer and watch TV or go to bed.!! Life is to short for limits and believe it or not ~~ you only live once and some things only come around once in your life.!** I do have $45 Knives and up to a $2,800 Custom Knife and all in-between prices and have never really regretted a buy on a Knife or Gun -- so there never really has been a problem buying or selling with limits.
 
wolf-man-12 said:
I have no limits because that would take all the fun out of it knowing I could not buy because I had a limit ~~ why would anybody have a limit on a Knife or Gun.?? Might as well stay home and also stay off the Computer and watch TV or go to bed.!! Life is to short for limits and believe it or not ~~ you only live once and some things only come around once in your life.!**
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Very true but life is also a marathon, and if I don't plan for the future I won't have a roof over my head or food on the table, let alone a knife. :p
 
wolf-man-12 said:
...why would anybody have a limit on a Knife or Gun.??
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Let's see, off the top of my head --- paying a mortgage; feeding and clothing a family; investing for retirement; helping to put multiples through university, often simultaneously; etc; etc.
 
$300 is the absolute max I could ever justify spending on a knife. Once you get to about $150 the cost/benefit ratio starts going downhill in a hurry, so you're probably just buying for collectibility at that point anyways. That being said, no matter how much I wanted a knife for my collection, I don't think I would ever be willing to drop more than $300 on it.
 
My price limit has gone up gradually since I was a little kid in Cub Scouts. I currently try to keep it under $150, but for the right knife, I'll consider making an exception (so far it's only happened once, and I'm still thinking about that one). I've discovered that a smaller collection of what I really want makes me happier than a bigger collection of lesser knives that won't get used. I've had to sell off part of my collection to make this happen, but I'm so happy and confident with what I have right now that I don't see any more knife purchases in the near future. Now I just need to stop thinking about custom sheaths...
 
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