Sticker shock an annoying trend.

PURPLEDC said:
LOL, yeah thats my issue. At one point I had no problem paying top dollar if I got top quality. Now that Im not the pricing is bit hard to swallow.
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Same here. But not just quality I expect then not to skimp on materials. There is no benifit to me of a TI liner lock compared to a frame lock. The amount of ti is much less and the price point is wrong. That being said the TI framelocks are getting ridiculous too. Like medford. Why are the TI praetorians firmly in the realm of customs? Medford is not custom. it's my firm belief that it's shit like that that's caused all the other companies to get greedy. If you can't see it you've gotta be brainwashed or blind
 
Price gougers exist across all product categories.
$1000 (or more) for a suit made in Bangladesh? No thanks.

Nor do I want $100 jeans made by magickal elves in Vietnam.

So I just buy the clothes at prices that suit me, and don't give a flip about the high priced stuff I didn't really want anyway. :)
 
stabman said:
Price gougers exist across all product categories.
$1000 (or more) for a suit made in Bangladesh? No thanks.

Nor do I want $100 jeans made by magickal elves in Vietnam.

So I just buy the clothes at prices that suit me, and don't give a flip about the high priced stuff I didn't really want anyway. :)
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This probably makes the most sense. There are some great knives at massively high prices, but since the price is too high for me, I don't want the knife, and although it's great, its price means that despite all its other amazing features, I am no longer interested in any part of it.

Even if I could actually afford knives beyond $300 and up, which I can't, I likely still wouldn't want them.
 
Wolf1524 said:
I cant help myself but I love Microtech knives. I heard everything about their issues with customer service, fit and finish and stealing designs from another companies. Their prices are high but I still love them.
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That's how most of us feel about knives. We buy what we like regardless of price. i'm 100% like this. That doesn't mean they aren't greedy and we aren't getting taken.
 
Will Batayte said:
I've made a $60 Chinese ti framelock smoother then most of my high end stuff just by mirror polishing the washers and inside scales near the pivot
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Hey Will, not trying to stir the pot here so take this with a grain of salt brother.... Can you post a pic or two of your Chinese Ti frame lock and the high end knives it is smoother than? I just want to see what you are comparing them to.
Thanks!
 
Stay pure, stay poor.

No better time to buy an edged tool in the history of man, treat yourself once in a while.
 
Wolf1524 said:
I cant help myself but I love Microtech knives. I heard everything about their issues with customer service, fit and finish and stealing designs from another companies. Their prices are high but I still love them.
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You know what? so do I. But I feel that love is more based on a lack of options. I wholeheartedly believe that if another company decided to really go after the same market microtech has and do similar but unique designs that love of mine would fade. For some weird reason though only one company has really decided to even attempt to walk along side them and that is benchmade. Unfortunately their designs just dont compete. Well maybe now they do. There is a really weird design trend going on over at microtech and everything is starting to look really weird over there. I guess thats what happens when Tony is forced to design something himself.

Will Batayte said:
Same here. But not just quality I expect then not to skimp on materials. There is no benifit to me of a TI liner lock compared to a frame lock. The amount of ti is much less and the price point is wrong. That being said the TI framelocks are getting ridiculous too. Like medford. Why are the TI praetorians firmly in the realm of customs? Medford is not custom. it's my firm belief that it's shit like that that's caused all the other companies to get greedy. If you can't see it you've gotta be brainwashed or blind
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Medford is the one that really gets my goat. There is very little about them that should command the prices. They are the exactly who I am referring to when I say that companies are offering lazy build methods and unique art. Vulcan blades? Oh, you mean NOT Polishing a blade after it gets out of tempering? Ill never forget the video of the owner titled something along the lines of medford destroys $1400 custom. He literally takes a standard slab scale and cuts random depth cuts into the handle with an end mill on a milling machine and calls it a custom knife. The ONLY handwork was him pulling the lever to lower the bit and to change move the table on the mill. He further gos on to explain that his reason for doing so is he appreciates and admires randomness in the world and wanted to express that through one of his knives. What he really is appreciating is taking something of no value or skill level to achieve and pass it off as art because he doesnt want to really create something. That is what bothers me about medford is they celebrate complete mediocrity. On one hand it is brilliant. Honestly? I blame the movement that started a long time ago in art that beauty was in the eye of the beholder and there was no way to really judge art. All it did was allow anyone the ability to push incomplete and unrealized ideas as something special. Dont get me wrong though, I love acid washed blades. I love hand hammered finishes. But I cant sit there and pretend that it takes talent to do these things. What really really bothers me about medford is that I know there are REAL knife makers out there who are struggling to sell a genuinely handmade piece of functional art that is more than worthy of their paltry asking price while he is charging $400+ for his weakest efforts. Sorry rant off.
 
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But is there a benefit of a frame lock over the liner lock? I like titanium frame locks but admit it's more of an aesthetic preference. From the videos/pics looks like a pretty beefy piece of titanium on the rubicon. Thick enough that it has a thin cutout like the typical titanium frame lock. Emerson's liners seem noticeably thinner...

Like I said not my cup of tea. Doesn't make it a rip off. So while maybe not regarding the rubicon. I do agree with the sentiment in your second to last sentence. Hey if you see some makers getting away with those shenanigans you'd be crazy not to join em :p.
Will Batayte said:
Same here. But not just quality I expect then not to skimp on materials. There is no benifit to me of a TI liner lock compared to a frame lock. The amount of ti is much less and the price point is wrong. That being said the TI framelocks are getting ridiculous too. Like medford. Why are the TI praetorians firmly in the realm of customs? Medford is not custom. it's my firm belief that it's shit like that that's caused all the other companies to get greedy. If you can't see it you've gotta be brainwashed or blind
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PURPLEDC said:
Medford is the one that really gets my goat. There is very little about them that should command the prices.
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I just looked at Medford...$300 for a machete seems a tad much.
But you know what? It didn't make me mad.

It made me think "Damn, I wish I could sell people a machete for $300."
 
PURPLEDC said:
Ill never forget the video of the owner titled something along the lines of medford destroys $1400 custom. He literally takes a standard slab scale and cuts random depth cuts into the handle with an end mill on a milling machine and calls it a custom knife. The ONLY handwork was him pulling the lever to lower the bit and to change move the table on the mill. He further gos on to explain that his reason for doing so is he appreciates and admires randomness in the world and wanted to express that through one of his knives. What he really is appreciating is taking something of no value or skill level to achieve and pass it off as art because he doesnt want to really create something. That is what bothers me about medford is they celebrate complete mediocrity.
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Based on this story I have to give Medford credit for making me believe that I, too, can be a custom knifemaker. :P
 
stabman said:
I just looked at Medford...$300 for a machete seems a tad much.
But you know what? It didn't make me mad.

It made me think "Damn, I wish I could sell people a machete for $300."
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Same here, although it does make me wonder. I'm not a regular machete user, but guys on here that are swear by Tramontina, for example, which I think can be had for about $20, and is apparently amazing.

So it does make me think, what is so much more amazing for the $300?
 
Will Batayte said:
More often then not lately I see big name companies giving us less and less for more and more. Just recently I saw the spydie rubicon and got excited. Great looking knife and a flipper! I was all set to buy it then I saw the price and did a double take. I assumed that at the very least it would be a TI framelock. Nope liner lock. So what's the deal how can a liner lock justify $319 on one of the big knife sites. Is there something special I'm missing or what? Even the TI framelocks are becoming ridiculous. Quite honestly I believe knife companies are seeing mid tech makers like brous and medford getting away with big prices and they're just jacking up their own because they feel they can. Meanwhile I see companies like boker and Kizer putting out ti framelocks that are 90% of the knife and 1/3 the cost. With more Chinese manufacturers being able to produce quality I think this ubble is bound to pop. Keep in mind I'm talking about original Chinese designs. Not the damn clones. But what do you guys think? personally I feel like companies are getting pretty greedy and will continue to unless we decide to vote with our Wallets and say enough is enough. Production knives and even midterms are not customs and shouldn't command these kind of prices. I'm very willing to spend the cash if I can see where it's going. But I just don't see it on these ultra expensive production knives. Thoughts?
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Business in general is a 'race to the bottom', and not even companies like Spyderco are immune to the physics of economic liberalism, i.e. the 'free' market.

Benchmade's Griptilian is another example; basically a more robust Endura for double the cost, which is absurd. The Grip is a bulletproof knife, I love mine, but its not worth 120 dollars. I bought my 553 brand new off ebay for 77.

The only thing we can do is refuse to buy, and I frankly don't see why the Rubicon is so special.
 
stabman said:
I just looked at Medford...$300 for a machete seems a tad much.
But you know what? It didn't make me mad.

It made me think "Damn, I wish I could sell people a machete for $300."
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This is my thoughts exactly on this whole thread. Why am I not doing that? If people pay it they must think it's worth it.

I'm the jerk who's tried a couple Chris Reeves, a Direware, a couple Striders, and a Medford* and been underwhelmed by the quality to price ratio of all of them. Though they are certainly all well made knives, they are absolutely not worth the jump in price from a higher end Spyderco or Zero Tolerance in my opinion. The direware was super smooth (suuuuuuper sticky lock though, like I gave up unlocking it for fear I'd have to use so much force it'd over extend the lock bar), but aside from it I was not overly impressed by the functionality of any of these "premium" knives. This isn't exactly the focus of this thread, but I think we all have individual value sweet spots. Maybe mine will change, it has before.



* only the Chris Reeve knives were actually mine, I was just admiring the others.
 
Strider and Medford are bro-weeaboo companies. A Griptillian or Manix can do anything an SMF can, without making you look like a total douchebag.
 
I really don't get why people get so bent out of shape about what other people do with their money...jealousy perhaps.
 
RedLynx said:
That's part of the reason I've never tried to buy a custom... it's more than materials and labor and part of the price being so high is the labor of that single maker, which for me usually isn't good enough to justify the price. I get that it's harder if you don't have a staff and machinery but, c'mon. That said there are some great-looking ones I wish I could afford.
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Yup yup yup yup yup:thumbup:
 
I have not noticed an unreasonable jump in knife prices, especially from USA manufacturers that offer strong life-time warranty services.

There is an enormous difference in quality between $5 flea-market knives and $20 entry-level knives [i.e. - Victorinox/Spyderco/Kershaw/CRKT]. There is a large, although smaller, amount of difference between a $30 entry-level knife and a $50 budget knife [i.e. - Spyderco/Kershaw]. The difference in quality continues to increase in smaller intervals at the $100 and $250 price points. Once a knife exceeds $250, the difference in quality is much harder to understand and appreciate, but it is there and is noticeable, especially in the hands of an enthusiast. The only line in the sand where quality no longer increases is in knives that exceed $500. After that point, a person is generally paying solely for a brand name or extremely scarce materials.

Perhaps the most ironic part of the knife industry is that the $100-$250 range is the best value, hands-down, considering the quality of materials and scope of warranty service. I have never understood purchasing customs in the $500+ range, when makers often have huge backlogs in work, offer minimal warranty work, and may not be around for more than 20-30 years.

Ultimately, people will purchase depending on their means and values. We can only hope that the knife industry remains full of people who value great craftsmanship, domestic production, and outstanding warranty services.
 
evosbu1 said:
Strider and Medford are bro-weeaboo companies. A Griptillian or Manix can do anything an SMF can, without making you look like a total douchebag.
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Totally not being sarcastic when I ask, what is bro-weeaboo? I've not heard this term.
 
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