Originally posted by Lavan
I just GOTTA ask. Other than FANCY knives bought primarily for the artistry, what makes someone pay $200-300 for a regular plain knife that you can get from any sporting goods or hardware store?
I pay ridiculous prices for coins and antique toys, but my blades are pushing "high end" when they exceed $30.00
Nothing against any of the buyers. Just trying to understand the concept.
The thing to realize is that these are NOT regular plain $30.00 knives. Knives made by good makers will be tougher, sharper, hold an edge longer, better designed, and in general work better than cheap ones.
If you are talking about locking folders, at $30.00 there are few that I would trust for any hard use. The Buck Odessy is usually around that price and is a nice utility knife, but the lock is not that strong. Get a Cold Steel Voyager and compare it to a hardware store knife. Better yet, compare a Buck Strider to one of those $30.00 knives. High quality is important in a folder if you like you fingers.
For fixed blades, aside from neck knives, you will not find many full tang knives with good steel for that price, especially at a hardware store. Even a Buck Special, which is about the only fixed blade I've seen in these stores that I would actually use, is $40.00 at Wal-Mart. It is good for the money but it does not compare to the Cold Steel SRK, for example, as a hard use knife. If you are looking for a survival knife and need something to chop with, you will need a larger knife. You can get one of the Beckers for under $100.00, and the BK7 can be found for around $50.00, but that is still more than $30.00.
When it comes to customs, the quality is generally better and with a full custom you can get a knife made to your specifications. My Rinaldi Warhawk ($240) and LEO (I think it was just under $200) were made to my specifications. Sure they are pricy but the are worth it IMO. I also have several Newt Livesay knives and would put any of the ones designed for utility use (like the Air Assault) against any knife found in a hardware store.
For survival and outdoor use, which is my main reason for fixed blades, my criteria for a good blade is one that will survive whatever I put it through. In extreme situations you need a knife that will not break under hard use. A hardware store knife that may be good for opening boxes just won't cut it. The same thing goes for defensive use. A cheap knife MIGHT work, but a quality knife will work much better and will be less likely to fail.
My suggestion, if you want to start to experience using high quality knives but still stay in your price limit, is to get the Cold Steel Special Projects catalog. Usually they will send a sale flyer around Christmas time with very good deals on factory seconds. Last year I got an SRK which is very sharp and tough for $30.00.
