Should I feel guilty about gifting inexpensive knifes?

J

JWRobinson

Joined
Mar 31, 2012
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327
I'm sure most of you are not fans of inexpensive folders but here's the deal. For years I've had the habit of carrying an extra inexpensive knife or two with me to hand out to my troops for an "ata a boy". I'm not talking for something that justifies an official commendation/award, just a young troop busting their hind end and doing a great job without an NCO telling them to do it. I've lost track of the number of Winchesters and S&Ws I've given out and no one has required sutures from a knife failure that I'm aware of. So the question is, am I actually doing them a disservice but "issuing" them a low dollar knife? PS: They don't pay me enough to be able to hand out many Kershaws.
 
That's sort of like asking, "Should I feel guilty for buying stuff that's within my budget?" :-) IMHO, of course not. A gift should reflect the giver, and if you find a good-value knife in your price range and give it to somebody who will appreciate and use it, you're getting them a nice gift. Knives don't have to be expensive to be good quality and useful. This past Christmas, a relative bought me a Kershaw Chill (about $20) and I thought, ho-hum. Then I tried it, and that thing was amazingly sharp! It's a great little user knife, and the more you talk to people here in the forums, you find that the Chill is one of those amazing value knives for $20. I also own one of the S&W 440c "made in China" knives, and my impression of it is quite good, considering it only cost $10.95. I think you should keep gifting the inexpensive knives, since they're in your budget.
 
JWRobinson said:
I'm sure most of you are not fans of inexpensive folders but here's the deal. For years I've had the habit of carrying an extra inexpensive knife or two with me to hand out to my troops for an "ata a boy". I'm not talking for something that justifies an official commendation/award, just a young troop busting their hind end and doing a great job without an NCO telling them to do it. I've lost track of the number of Winchesters and S&Ws I've given out and no one has required sutures from a knife failure that I'm aware of. So the question is, am I actually doing them a disservice but "issuing" them a low dollar knife? PS: They don't pay me enough to be able to hand out many Kershaws.
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I did the same thing as a Scout Plt Sgt. The PX has some good deals on Gerbers and Big 5 on off brand knives. Believe me the act to a EM will go a long way. Then once a year at the BN Ball I passed out a Gerber Mk 2 and that went a long way also. Personally I have a couple of low costs in my bug that i can use if the situation dictates it anyway.
 
my last 3 knives ive given away as gifts have been a sanrenmu 710, kershaw crown, and sanrenmu 6162. all under $15. All three of the recievers have loved the knives, and there still going strong. IMHO i wouldnt feel guilty.
 
nothing wrong with a good cheap knife. as long as its not mall junk
for folders, i give out sanremus, and crkt drifters.
fixed blades, i give out moras, and cold steel
 
Generosity should never be regretted by the giver, nor sneered at by the receiver. However, if you want to feel guilty about something, it can be about using the non-word "knifes" when "knives" is actually correct, doesn't induce wincing, and takes no additional effort to type. ;)
 
Oops. I can spell.... really. Thanks for are your input. I was wondering if I was being a bit of a hypocrite as I was bitching the other day about no Kershaw or ZT blades in the PX. Cheapest Gerber in the PX is about $23 so unless a get something on sale It will more then likely be a S&W sale knife from Big 5. I try to stick to under $15 for normal stuff. A Mk 2 is shows true class a at BN Ball by the way.

Scouts Out
 
Just raggin' on you. :). Truth be told, while far from "top shelf" knives, I've actually owned a couple of S&W knives years back, and would put them ahead of much of their competition at that price point. May likely be better than what they have in their pockets now, especially the younger ones. Whatever you can get, I'm sure it's appreciated.
 
You are the greatest NCO ever.....Over 10 years active duty, I recieved medals , ribbons , plaques , maybe 2 dozen written (ata a boys) from fighter pilots (Three from LtCols) and an honorable discharge..But never a knife from one of my supervisors.. Don't get me wrong all of my achievements and awards mean alot to me, but what your doing is more special than you think..Those young troops will remember you FOREVER...Also..........

I don't buy into this a cheap knife will fail and is dangerous attitude that is floating around on this forum...I'm old school ,use the right tool for the job mentality..My 10+ years were seved with a small Gerber folder that was lost/stolen and I finished up with a BuckLite...I could have gotten by with a cheaper knife but I wanted to splurge on a good one...When your a poor " two striper " with a family that IS splurging..

Kudos to you, what your doing is creating a life long, positive memory in someones life and thank you for serving..
CD
 
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JWRobinson said:
Oops. I can spell.... really. Thanks for are your input. I was wondering if I was being a bit of a hypocrite as I was bitching the other day about no Kershaw or ZT blades in the PX. Cheapest Gerber in the PX is about $23 so unless a get something on sale It will more then likely be a S&W sale knife from Big 5. I try to stick to under $15 for normal stuff. A Mk 2 is shows true class a at BN Ball by the way.

Scouts Out
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Thank you, but it is something every NCO E-6 or above can do, once in a while.
The PX is selling Gerber MK2's again at a pretty nice price. A once a year gift, put it on DPP (Star) I have a local shop inscribe Fidem Meam Noto on it.:cool: (They do this for nothing)
 
Just wanted to add..Most of the S&W line of knives are made by Taylor LLC...They are backed by a lifetime warranty and actually hold up well...I've been carrying a S&W Black Ops assisted opener for three- four years with no issues...I bought my step father a S&W tactical opener six- seven years ago and figured he would have lost it by now,,NOPE...He works for the township and uses his knife daily..Its totally beat looking but I sharpened it Xmas time and its still his daily carry at work..

I bought him a Gerber last year for XMAS thinking he needed it..I was totally surprised when he pulled out that beat up S&W and said 'remember this one' !

That S&W tactical knife was 2 for $30.00 at a gun show, (can't remember who I gave the other one too ? ) , Its held up to plenty of abuse...
 
The Sanrenmus and Enlans are great and most cost less than 10$. The shop I bought from even has monthly promotional discount for some models (buy 1 at bulk price), and if you buy beyond 4, there's bulk purchase discount as well.

These are inexpensive but good knives. The QC is comparable to major brands.

This way, you can continue giving out and maintain quality without costing a bomb.

Checkout the Sanrenmu fan thread (started by mantzao) under Review subforum to get more info.

Not sure about S&W as opinions vary from BF members. Seems that some are well made, while some are junk. You as a knife person can tell that for sure, and will only give the good ones ;)

Just to offer you options ...:) that is if made in China doesn't bother you, but quality does ...
Shipping takes a while though, from mainland China.
 
The fact is, the vast majority of people don't know the difference between an cheap knife and a quality one, and furthermore, don't really care. I regularly buy inexpensive knives such as Smith and Wesson during the year that I keep for those extra, unexpected, or last minute gifts at Christmas ("You mean cousin Myra's boyfriend is coming to the gift exchange tonight? Don't worry, I have something we can give him.") All have been happily received, and I know of several still in use after four or five years.

The 440C Smith and Wesson pocket knives perform very well for the price; I've also given away a couple of Rough Riders that the new owners were happy with. I keep a couple of the Smiths in my vehicles as "extra" knives. My first choice? No. But would I be happy to get one as a gesture of appreciation? Sure would. The thought would mean a lot to me.
 
When It Comes To Gifts It's Nice To Know Someone Thought Of You.
It's Nice To Get A Thoughtful And Great Gift, No Matter The Cost.
I've Done A Lot Of Things Where People Have Felt That It Required A Gift, But Never Ever Received A Knife As A Gift Or A "Way To Go".
I Appreciate Anything And Everything I've Ever Gotten, But To Get Something That I Can Use On A Daily Basis Knowing It Came From Someone Thinking Of Me, Well That's Certainly Something Special. And From Then On Out You'll Always Remember When You Got, Why You Got It, And Who It Came From.
Gifts Are A Great Thing, And People Appreciate These Things. Cost Doesn't Matter. It's The Thought That Someone Put Into It.
 
Sounds nice to me. Low dollar doesn't always equal cheap, many blades I rely on are in the 20-30 dollar range.
 
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