Sticker shock an annoying trend.

[daizee]

The difference in quality continues to increase in smaller intervals at the $100 and $250 price points.

Yes, marginal cost out paces marginal utility as you reach the high end. This is true in almost all product categories as the volume of production and volume of buyers goes down. For instance, I never purchase the highest-end computer in a line-up - always one or two steps down. That's where the best value is. then in two years I max the RAM and storage on the cheap when capacities have doubled.

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.

I'd put the best-value range at $70-$150, personally, but agree with your point completely.

However, the $500+ custom knives from established makers are the ones that will increase in value indefinitely as long as they are cared for. A collection of custom bowies is a joy for the owner, and can be sold at or above cost. Warranty isn't as much an issue, since most will be safe queens, and the value will go UP when the maker goes to the Great Forge in the Sky. By contrast, a $100 Spyderco is a tool, not an investment.

 

[dejard]

Yes, marginal cost out paces marginal utility as you reach the high end. This is true in almost all product categories as the volume of production and volume of buyers goes down. For instance, I never purchase the highest-end computer in a line-up - always one or two steps down. That's where the best value is. then in two years I max the RAM and storage on the cheap when capacities have doubled.

It's too bad more people don't grasp this...but then again perhaps that's a good thing.

 

[knifehoarder]

The first post in the thread kind of explains what the thread is about.

Oh, I know...my comment was more of a reaction to some of the comments after the first post, after it devolved into "people are stupid if they spend more than $xxx on a knife".

There are certainly some seemingly overpriced knives out there. I've found the best solution is not to buy them...vote with your dollar, not your keyboard. One thing I don't do is judge someone else for buying whatever they want to buy because I don't know their financial situation...$500 to them might be like $20 to me.

 

[knifehoarder]

However, the $500+ custom knives from established makers are the ones that will increase in value indefinitely as long as they are cared for. A collection of custom bowies is a joy for the owner, and can be sold at or above cost. Warranty isn't as much an issue, since most will be safe queens, and the value will go UP when the maker goes to the Great Forge in the Sky. By contrast, a $100 Spyderco is a tool, not an investment.

Great point, and one I don't think everyone here is picking up on. There's a point at which a knife is more a piece of man-jewelry than it is a tool...just like watches. If you need a knife as a tool, there's probably no real need to spend more than $200 or so. If you need to know what time it is, you can get a $39 watch or look at your phone...never the less, Rolex is still in business.

 

[evosbu1]

Totally not being sarcastic when I ask, what is bro-weeaboo? I've not heard this term.

In this case a 'bro' is the douchebag that goes out in public wearing a Brad Thor Alpha jacket. A weeaboo is basically a mindless fanboy.

Combine them and you get Mick Strider, or that moron from Coldsteel.

 

[RedLynx]

In this case a 'bro' is the douchebag that goes out in public wearing a Brad Thor Alpha jacket. A weeaboo is basically a mindless fanboy.

Combine them and you get Mick Strider, or that moron from Coldsteel.

Interesting. I'm rather neutral on both Strider and Thompson, and I have even less knowledge of Strider/Burger, aside from the usual comments that pop up surrounding him. I would say that, for all the gimmicky, outlandish advertising and stunts CS and Thompson do, he does seem like a guy just enjoying making his product. At times silly, sure, but i gotta give him a pat on the back for posting vids that back up all the outlandish things his knives can do.

I like the company but I'm not a fanboy by any stretch, as I can admit the marketing can get fairly ridiculous at times. All that said, I think he's just a guy that enjoys making a decent quality affordable product, rather than a moron. But, to each their own and I'm sure you have your reasons for these conclusions, just like we all do about the companies we do and don't like... Recently Dalton is on my not a chance list, for a host of reasons.

 

[evosbu1]

Interesting. I'm rather neutral on both Strider and Thompson, and I have even less knowledge of Strider/Burger, aside from the usual comments that pop up surrounding him. I would say that, for all the gimmicky, outlandish advertising and stunts CS and Thompson do, he does seem like a guy just enjoying making his product. At times silly, sure, but i gotta give him a pat on the back for posting vids that back up all the outlandish things his knives can do.

I like the company but I'm not a fanboy by any stretch, as I can admit the marketing can get fairly ridiculous at times. All that said, I think he's just a guy that enjoys making a decent quality affordable product, rather than a moron. But, to each their own and I'm sure you have your reasons for these conclusions, just like we all do about the companies we do and don't like... Recently Dalton is on my not a chance list, for a host of reasons.

We're just consumers, so I completely agree. Nevertheless, after seeing Thompson's apocalypse commercials with a bunch of obese guys stabbing pork slabs and throwing ninja stars at beer cans, I will never be able to own a CS product, much less use one.

Benchmade is also getting douchy with their 'Gold class' and commercials. One of their 'Hunt' commercials shows a guy ramming S30V through a ceramic pull-through sharpener and seriously thinking he did something right.

 

[RevDevil]

Oh, I know...my comment was more of a reaction to some of the comments after the first post, after it devolved into "people are stupid if they spend more than $xxx on a knife".

There are certainly some seemingly overpriced knives out there. I've found the best solution is not to buy them...vote with your dollar, not your keyboard. One thing I don't do is judge someone else for buying whatever they want to buy because I don't know their financial situation...$500 to them might be like $20 to me.

Financial situations can and do vary, I'm sure that would make a fine topic in and of itself with respect to knives in general. I do see your point, but it doesn't disregard the question at hand. There might be people out there that have an annual income of over $300K and others that scrape by with about $22K. The former doesn't care about the extra 5 bills and won't even blink, the latter absolutely cares and cannot help but wonder why. No judgement on what anyone does with their money, sometimes you can't help but wonder though. Just because someone can spend that kind of dough doesn't always mean it is necessary.

The point is that prices have increased from out of seemingly nowhere. It's a trend that is recent and has only just started to grab attention across the board the last year or so as more manufacturers are jacking their prices up. The prices of Ti and steel are pretty stable from what I can see, however in a world where some things can be explained this increase seems unexplainable to many. It might just be a case of "Prices are higher because we can and will until we can't and stop."

 

[Gadfly22]

I thought the price creep might have been my imagination, but increases -- some steep -- seem to be a trend, at least since Benchmade re-introduced MAP pricing. The good thing is that the price jumps have made me focus more on SAKs and the value they offer.

 

[singularity35]

In this case a 'bro' is the douchebag that goes out in public wearing a Brad Thor Alpha jacket. A weeaboo is basically a mindless fanboy.

Combine them and you get Mick Strider, or that moron from Coldsteel.

I'm thinking that a guy who can run a successful company is no moron...

 

[evosbu1]

I'm thinking that a guy who can run a successful company is no moron...

It doesn't take a genius to con people out of their money

whether or not he is actually a moron is beside the point; his image is that of a moron, cue apocalypse commercial.

 

[drrickso]

It doesn't take a genius to con people out of their money

whether or not he is actually a moron is beside the point; his image is that of a moron, cue apocalypse commercial.

I have to ask:
Are you an RPG gamer that hates everyone that plays CoD and Madden? The only time I see anti-testosterone fan bashing and generalization is on gamefaqs (that and the term weeaboo).

Anyways, you're entitled to your opinions... I happen to like Striders and Microtechs, because of how solid mine are- I have no opinion on their owners or faces of the company as I've never met them.

 

[jackknife]

I thought the price creep might have been my imagination, but increases -- some steep -- seem to be a trend, at least since Benchmade re-introduced MAP pricing. The good thing is that the price jumps have made me focus more on SAKs and the value they offer.

Gadfly, you bring up a very good point about value and real pricing.

If Victorinox, a company in Switzerland which is a modern nation and not some third world cheap labor country, can produce a knife like the tinker with a half dozen different blades that can be used a dozen different ways, ship them to the U.S. and sell them for 30 dollars, why is a single blade screwed together knife with injection molded handles cost 100 dollars?

Not to mention that the Victorinox quality control is second to none, with highly polished parts made to extreme precision.

Yes, better grade of steel will make a difference. About 50 cents to a dollar per knife with mass production.

High cost of labor? Case up in Pennsylvania can make a three blade stockman pattern, with jigged bone handles for 50 dollars retail using American workers. Of course, there's not a whole bunch of tactical fan boys ready to plop down a hundred bills or more for it because some TV show character used it, or it's in some video game. Hype makes all the difference in the world when asking unreal prices for something. Then greed takes over. How much is a knife worth with only one single blade and a single function, with synthetic handles and easy to assemble construction?

That was a rhetorical question.

 

[RedLynx]

We're just consumers, so I completely agree. Nevertheless, after seeing Thompson's apocalypse commercials with a bunch of obese guys stabbing pork slabs and throwing ninja stars at beer cans, I will never be able to own a CS product, much less use one.

Benchmade is also getting douchy with their 'Gold class' and commercials. One of their 'Hunt' commercials shows a guy ramming S30V through a ceramic pull-through sharpener and seriously thinking he did something right.

I don't really watch a lot of commercials these days so it never occurred to me Benchmade even had commercials, so I'll have to look those up. It makes sense, I just don't watch a lot of knife ads, oddly enough.

 

[RedLynx]

Financial situations can and do vary, I'm sure that would make a fine topic in and of itself with respect to knives in general. I do see your point, but it doesn't disregard the question at hand. There might be people out there that have an annual income of over $300K and others that scrape by with about $22K. The former doesn't care about the extra 5 bills and won't even blink, the latter absolutely cares and cannot help but wonder why. No judgement on what anyone does with their money, sometimes you can't help but wonder though. Just because someone can spend that kind of dough doesn't always mean it is necessary.

The point is that prices have increased from out of seemingly nowhere. It's a trend that is recent and has only just started to grab attention across the board the last year or so as more manufacturers are jacking their prices up. The prices of Ti and steel are pretty stable from what I can see, however in a world where some things can be explained this increase seems unexplainable to many. It might just be a case of "Prices are higher because we can and will until we can't and stop."

And I think part of it is the "knife mindset" of the individual user. For me, knives are neither art nor investments (although some look beautiful and I've sold some when I needed cash, but in general they were regular production knives that didn't jump in value.) but rather tools. Even if my life situation changed to where I was making a ridiculous amount of money, I don't think I would start spending it on more expensive knives. They're just tools to me and although I like good tools, I also don't think I need one that costs hundreds. People do change at times when their income does, but I've had to be so thrifty with my money for so many years now, I don't think that would change.

 

[Wolf1524]

I actually like those Microtech´s strange designs. DOC, Select Fire, their OTFs and so one. I guess it is a matter of tastes.

About Medford, you are absolutely right. I would kill to get my hands on knives from someone like Greg Lightfoot.
Also, I must say that Rubicon for me looks great and I think it is a great knife and is priced accordingly.

 

[GronK]

A couple of points to make here.

1. The cost to produce knives or any other product is dependent on a lot of other things along with materials. The cost of labor, utilities, shipping, etc., all have to be covered in the price of a knife. When those costs go up (and they do all the time) more has to be charged to insure enough profit to stay in business.

2. The market tends to self adjust. If you don't feel a given knife is worth the asking price. . . . . . . don't buy it. If few enough are sold either the price will come down or it will no longer be produced.

3. If you just can't live without it then pay the price and live on Ramen and popcorn for a year.

 

[daizee]

don't live on Ramen and popcorn for a year! A carb-only diet like that will kill you....

Victorinox has long paid off their initial investment in equipment and process, and they make money on volume. They're operating in a HUGE market segment, which helps too. Also, most of their models have interchangeable parts. HUGE manufacturing advantage. It also limits what they can produce inexpensively to combinations of those parts. They're a good example, and they've done a great job in their market segment.

 

[DallasSTB]

It seemed that only a couple of years ago, the biggest "competition" zone for production knives was $100 +/-. Then only last year it was around $200 +/-. Now with the Rubicon and others, it's $300+. I'm sure the knives at these prices are quality knives (yes, I am a CRK fanboy), but I'm also sure that knife companies will sell us as much as we will swallow before the demand finally dries up.

"Shut up and take my money" only lasts so long.

 

[singularity35]

It doesn't take a genius to con people out of their money

whether or not he is actually a moron is beside the point; his image is that of a moron, cue apocalypse commercial.

You do a lot of hating , I guess...no tummy ache to me..