Quantity VS Quality

Quaility without question ... now I am not one that sets a limit on the number of knives I own at any given time ... and I will be selling several in the new year to reduce numbers some but mostly because I've found what works best for me ... the others don't get used so no need to keep them ...

now all that being said ... cost of the knife doesn't = quaility ... yes generally you get better materials and function but in thinning my knives down ...

several that I will be keeping include a SAK alox farmer (in fact a few of these) .. and some other less expensive knives than many that I will be selling ...

so for me if it isn't quaility it is gone within a week of trying it ... and quanity was only achieved over years of buying and trying different brands and models and just not being big on selling things off ....

but my "quanity" has reached a point that it makes no sense to keep so many that are duplicates or that just have not been used at or ... or used enough to keep.
 
I don't own anything with a street price over $200.00. Most of what I carry is half that or less.

I am finding that ergonomics is becoming the main issue that I look for in a knife anymore. Quantity and quality are both beginning to take a back seat to how well the knife fits my hand.
 
Subjectively speaking: Quality. But to me, quality can be had at value prices. My accumulation of cutting implements is not large by most standards. And if price is the mark of quality, then the majority of my knives are not. But I don't see it that way. My Opinels are quite affordable - even cheap in terms of price - but they are quality tools in my opinion. True they are not made of the latest exotic steel, they are not flippers with killer action on they latest bearing tech, etc, etc. They are made from modest materials with a humble appearance and basic function, yet there is a whole lot of quality there for the price.
The question put forth seems to ask if you would rather have a bunch of cheap crappy knives or a couple of expensive high end knives. I'll take a few well made, inexpensive knives AND get a couple of higher-end ones too. In a way, the idea that price is an indicator of quality is a bit like suggesting that the amount of money in one's bank account is an indicator of character. Quality is where you find it.
 
Quality over quantity certainly, but I seem to have a decent quantity going too :D But I admit that I have a couple not-so-quality pieces that I just like the looks of.
 
Quality. I commission a custom knife yearly and it seems like I always end up giving the previous year's to an enlisted bro, so my "collection" remains small. I grab a few along the way that I plan to keep for life, though.
 
not2sharp said:
This thread makes us sound like a bunch of knife snobs. Strictly adhering to quality over quantity would soon have us all buying nothing but trendy "art knives”..... n2s
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We’re all “knife snobs” all of the time. It doesn’t matter if we most love BMs, Spydercos, ZTs, Hinderers, CRKTs, CRKs, Shiros, multi-thousand dollar customs , >$30 Kershaws or (GASP!) SanRenmus. We’re all still “knife snobs” every minute of every day. If we weren’t, we wouldn’t be posting here. We’re “knife snobs” at a wide--if not infinite--variety of price levels, but I suspect very few of us are buying nothing buy "trendy art knives”. I’d truly love to be one of those “knife snobs” buying nothing but “trendy art knives”, but I haven’t hit the Powerball jackpot yet so being one of those guys hasn’t yet come to be within my reach. Oh well (ha,ha!)...maybe someday (???).
 
Quality.

...and the Laconico Keen in my pocket only set me back $299.98. That’s $149.99, plus a second $149.99 because it was too damn good to buy just one. This feels like a $300 knife.
 
Quantity. I often cut things twice instead of once just so I can use two knives.

Seriously though, the “quality” answer isn’t one answer, as this thread brilliantly shows. It’s “the quality I require,” which ends up being different for everyone.
 
I like quality but that doesn't always translate to expensive.

I generally carry a 1992 vintage Buck 112 that I bought used for $30. I've got a drawer full of knives but only about 5 that I actually carry.

The market is full of sub $50 folders that are well constructed and if taken care of would last several lifetimes.
 
Mechanical Advantage said:
When it comes to your own collection, would you rather have a greater variety of good but budget-friendly knives, or just a couple high-end pieces?

On one hand I like to change it up and have a few different knives to carry on different days, but on the other hand I sometimes think it might be nice to have one or two really nice knives that I carry every day.

What's your opinion?
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I have around 85 knives and I am spending more than $200 per knife. I think I'd rather have higher quality knives, but sometimes there are deals and you find them in knives you otherwise would not buy.
 
I’ve been accumulating for a while now - guess the bug bit me ~2007 which is why I joined this forum. I started heavy with Benchmade and accumulated quite a few models. I’ve been through a Spyderco, ZT and Great Eatern Cutlery phase. (Not to say i’m No longer interested in those brands, it’s just that i’ve acquired most of their offerings that interest me). Just experienced my first WE, Reate, and Chris Reeves this year. I’ve never delved into the custom realm, but I hear it’s call...

Now that I’m 10+ years into this hobby one of the things I like most is the “rediscovery” of blades acquired years ago. I’ve given some knives away, but I’ve never sold one. Occasionally I’ll Reach to the back of a drawer in my Gerstner chest and pull out a knife I purchased years ago and rediscover why it originally called to me. I’ll frequently carry one of my older knives for a few days until another begs for attention. One thing I enjoy about this hobby is having a variety of quality knives.

However, if I had to choose between quality and quantity I’d Choose quality every time.
 
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