So, why high-end knives?

Shotgun said:
I guess my experience has been different. I've owned several higher end fixed blades including a few from makers here on the forum and noticed that the performance and ergos weren't as good as my cheaper knives. Same with folders. Now I use 2 fixed blades in 1095 and edc a sak. People tend to equate performance with what silly abuse the knife can take. I measure performance by how well it cuts and the overall geometry of the blade/handle and the cheaper knives have won out on both accounts. I also think having a "super steel" isn't very important at all. I think people would be surprised at how well the loley 1095(or any basic steel for that matter) works when the geometry is done correctly.
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Yea this!! + 1 I agree!
 
Shotgun said:
I measure performance by how well it cuts and the overall geometry of the blade/handle and the cheaper knives have won out on both accounts. I also think having a "super steel" isn't very important at all. I think people would be surprised at how well the loley 1095(or any basic steel for that matter) works when the geometry is done correctly.
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Compared to one with like geometry in a Super Steel like CPM 10V that would outperform that basic steel blade by 10X........ ;)

I don't think so......

Now compared to production blades...... That apples to oranges comparison.....

This is how bad information get passed off as fact, comparing a custom knife in some basic steel to production knives making those steels seem better than they really are when it's really the knife itself that is better due to design.

Now compare those knives in an apple to apple comparison, custom to custom things being equal, basic steel to super steel and we are right back to reality.... Something some don't really like for various reasons. ;)
 
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The real thing I believe here is we really need to separate Custom, Semi Custom (Mid-tech) and Production knives to really talk about things realistically.

Then in Customs there are different levels, from one of a kind speced out knives to basic models that can or can't be speced out.

There are a lot of variables here then take into count the craftsmen themselves and the variation of skill level, what steels and materials they work with etc.

We can't just put it all into a little box.
 
I just recently started spending +-$100 on knives, and I'm considering selling all of my knives below that. The more expensive knives always get more pocket time.
 
"Higher end" or "expensive" has no real meaning as it is subjective to every individual's income, age, capabilities and requirements.

One will also discover that it is also a moving target, since price points tend to keep moving upwards but never down.
 
Ankerson, CWL, you have good points. Why dont we break it up into three categories:
-mid-tech: CRK, Strider,DDR (non customs), Hinderer, etc.
-customs- not one-offs...Direware, Carillo, custom Hinderers, custom DDR etc.
-One off custom pieces
Of course, high end may be knives less expensive than these for some people, so if thats the case, just say what you consider high end.
 
Tim616 said:
Just get a sebenza and you shall understand
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Yup, basically what happened to me. I had a bunch of low to mid-range knives that I never used all of regularly and had no particular affection for. Then one day I realized that I could buy a gold membership, and selling all my knives I did not use at reasonable prices, come out about enough ahead to buy a CRK or something comparable. I got an Umnumzaan and never looked back! The craftsmanship that goes into high-end knife makes it something that one will be proud to carry every day of ones life as well as a useful tool.
 
Reeek said:
Pocket jewelry! Seriously though, I appreciate the function of a better knife and and the better materials and I'm more than willing to pay the money for those elements alone. I also like the beefier blade stock some higher end knives use. It makes the blade deployment work better and looks super cool.
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Agreed
 
High end to one person won't be the same figure for all . My first Randall in 1981 cost $195 which I considered a lot back then . My stag handled Loveless I bought a couple of years back was 5k . That to me is very high end & the only knife I have ever bought even close to that price . That said I also have knives under $150 . I guess it depends on what you want & can afford -
 
J.Manuel said:
High end to one person won't be the same figure for all . My first Randall in 1981 cost $195 which I considered a lot back then . My stag handled Loveless I bought a couple of years back was 5k . That to me is very high end & the only knife I have ever bought even close to that price . That said I also have knives under $150 . I guess it depends on what you want & can afford -
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I agree. High end varies by person. This past weekend I saw a Loveless/Johnson Baby Bear with a $45,000.00 price tag. I couldn't even fathom spending that much on a single knife.
 
But do they do the basic tasks you need them to do better than the others, or do you just like them more. I have yet to see a $500 knife do something that a good quality $80 knife of similar size and shape can't. Someone prove me wrong. It's a style thing. An expensive car, ie BMW, Mercedes, etc, may be more expensive, but when you're sitting in rush hour traffic, your Honda Accord works just as well.
 
I wonder how the fancy knives in the current thread of Coop's photos of knives from some show up east would fare in use comparison to the knives mentioned here? Those are not users, f'sure.

Me, I keep going back to my 'Zaan, Bradley Alias, and Three Sisters Tactical.
 
I have a couple nicer hand made damascus folders , I like using them , just for the sake of using something that someone has put their heart and soul into making instead of a mass produced clone .

These days tho , especially after having not long come back from another cross nation car trip , a good sub $30 knife is what Im using , it works , does what I need it to and comes back for more , and if I do lose it , break it ( ha ) or it gets stolen like its predecessor .. I wont hurt any in the wallet nerve for the loss .
 
TomTerrific said:
I wonder how the fancy knives in the current thread of Coop's photos of knives from some show up east would fare in use comparison to the knives mentioned here? Those are not users, f'sure.

Me, I keep going back to my 'Zaan, Bradley Alias, and Three Sisters Tactical.
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Good point - most of those knives will never be used -
 
Really depends where you want to spend your money. I have six Chris Reeves plus a few other customs. I carry and use most of them. Do they cut and function better than a less expensive knife? Maybe, maybe not. The key is that I love knives, the way they look, cut and work. The quality level of a high end knife is a hell of a lot of fun to just even use. The funny thing is I am conservative in other areas. Won't spent more than $25 on jeans, only buy shoes when I absolutely need them, and take my lunch to work. I drive a 2007 Toyota Tacoma that has over 110K miles and will probably not buy a new car/truck for quite a few years to come.

On the other hand my wife loves to spend money on the house. She just bought a lamp for the living room that was $1400. She also drives a new-ish Mercedes Benz E350 AMG Sport. I like driving it too but it is more her toy than mine. I would rather play around with knives.
 
tomsch said:
Really depends where you want to spend your money. I have six Chris Reeves plus a few other customs. I carry and use most of them. Do they cut and function better than a less expensive knife? Maybe, maybe not. The key is that I love knives, the way they look, cut and work. The quality level of a high end knife is a hell of a lot of fun to just even use. The funny thing is I am conservative in other areas. Won't spent more than $25 on jeans, only buy shoes when I absolutely need them, and take my lunch to work. I drive a 2007 Toyota Tacoma that has over 110K miles and will probably not buy a new car/truck for quite a few years to come.

On the other hand my wife loves to spend money on the house. She just bought a lamp for the living room that was $1400. She also drives a new-ish Mercedes Benz E350 AMG Sport. I like driving it too but it is more her toy than mine. I would rather play around with knives.
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I feel the same way. I splurge on knives and not much else.
 
The back and forth of what a $500 knife can do compared to a $50 knife will go on forever. The basic answer is nothing. There is nothing that the $500 knife can do that the $50 knife can't. It's a knife, they were made to cut. They don't turn into something else and they don't do anything else. A $60 multi tool can do 20x the chores that my $600 knife can do. It's the quality of the build and the quality of materials that go into hand made knives that don't go into a mass produced production knife where the $$ difference comes into play. Some people agree, most people don't. When a company can produce, box up, and ship out 300-500 folding knives in a day and the custom maker can maybe produce 2-3 folders a day because of having to hand fit so much of everything, of course there is going to be a difference in price.

If one doesn't feel comfortable buying a $500 knife then no one says they have to. If someone wants to buy a $500 knife then no one says they can't. For those guys on the fence that think if they buy that $500 knife it is going to do something that their $50 knife can't, they are wrong. A more expensive knife may use better materials and the quality of the build is most likely better. Depending on those materials you will probably have a knife that will cut longer and easier than that $50 knife and the knife may not fall apart ever or as quickly as that $50 knife. With proper care both knives should last a lifetime.

What can the $500 knife do that the $50 knife can't? It can be more expensive. :D
 
Tony8179 said:
The back and forth of what a $500 knife can do compared to a $50 knife will go on forever. The basic answer is nothing. There is nothing that the $500 knife can do that the $50 knife can't. It's a knife, they were made to cut. They don't turn into something else and they don't do anything else. A $60 multi tool can do 20x the chores that my $600 knife can do. It's the quality of the build and the quality of materials that go into hand made knives that don't go into a mass produced production knife where the $$ difference comes into play. Some people agree, most people don't. When a company can produce, box up, and ship out 300-500 folding knives in a day and the custom maker can maybe produce 2-3 folders a day because of having to hand fit so much of everything, of course there is going to be a difference in price.

If one doesn't feel comfortable buying a $500 knife then no one says they have to. If someone wants to buy a $500 knife then no one says they can't. For those guys on the fence that think if they buy that $500 knife it is going to do something that their $50 knife can't, they are wrong. A more expensive knife may use better materials and the quality of the build is most likely better. Depending on those materials you will probably have a knife that will cut longer and easier than that $50 knife and the knife may not fall apart ever or as quickly as that $50 knife. With proper care both knives should last a lifetime.

What can the $500 knife do that the $50 knife can't? It can be more expensive. :D
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It comes down to performance and or quality.....

There is a huge difference in a $5 or $10 gas station or flea market knife and a Sebenza.

Some don't care.

People can get a Buck 110 for under $40 still, sometimes under $30 depending and that's a good user knife, heavy, but still good.

SAK's are not expensive and we all know what they are.

In the end people will buy what they are going to buy for various reasons, it could be a $5 knife or a $5,000 knife, it's up to them.
 
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