Sticker shock an annoying trend.

[Akapennypincher]

There are a lot of good knives that are cheap, they are expensive knive that are crap. I am not a collector, I use what I buy. I try and find quality for a fair price. I am not sucked in by U-tubes, or articles in the Knife Rags, as most of the writers would never say these knive are crap because some lawyer would sue the writter, publisher, printer, and I am sure the kid at the news stand that sold the magazine with an honest opinion.

 

[Brummie]

Prices have increased sharply if you factor in enforcement of MSRP and the number of high-end models being produced, but if you look at it in terms of the cost of e.g. an endura now and a few years ago, I'm not sure the increase has been that dramatic. There are also some real bargains out there, such as the Manix XL for around $100.

Also, some really hi quality production knives are starting to come out of China. If they can start to produce their own decent designs rather than copies, then it may become increasingly hard for many of us to pay 300-400 for production knives, or significantly more than that for mid-techs.

 

[evosbu1]

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.

Haven't played videogames in years, last one was COD4.

Your comment about testosterone, bashing and generalization is rather ineffectual, and intellectually its purely relative. I would say that I'm glad morons like yourself overpay a couple of hundred dollars for tacticool but then again its precisely this that hurts the industry.

 

[stabman]

I would say that I'm glad morons like yourself

Perhaps phrasing your posts without insults would work better.

 

[drrickso]

Haven't played videogames in years, last one was COD4.

Your comment about testosterone, bashing and generalization is rather ineffectual, and intellectually its purely relative. I would say that I'm glad morons like yourself overpay a couple of hundred dollars for tacticool but then again its precisely this that hurts the industry.

I just call it like I see it, no need for insults. You came in here ranting about brands and trying to group fans of said brands into a neat little stereotype that does not at all apply to any that I know... that's called generalizing. google it... I'll wait.

Calling someone a moron for calling you out on immature behavior reiterates what I'm implying... adults know how to hold a conversation without resorting to insults and name calling... you seem to be very angry about something... "it's not your fault... it's not your fault"

edit: back on topic... knives are worth what you're willing to pay for it. don't pay for it, and they'll drop in price or discontinue them due to lack of demand.

if you like flea market knives and that serves your purpose, cool...
if you like bargain shopping for an above average blade and below average prices, cool...
if you want to spend thousands on a custom, cool.

there's enough variety out there to meet everyone's needs, how one person spends their money vs how you do shouldn't concern you at all... the entire industry isn't driven by one segment.

 

[Dean Crail]

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.

Strider, Medford and others control their brand and create what is called a Lifestyle Brand much like Emerson, Harley Davidson and others. Their supporters are very loyal and the prices their products command are high even on the secondary market. This is all marketing, not saying that the companies in question do not use some of the best materials available.

If people are willing to pay the price for the products let them. Choose what companies you like and support them. If someone likes Strider, Medford and CRK it is their choice just like someone is able to like Kershaw, Cold Steel and others there is nothing wrong with any of those brands at all and passions run high on both sides as to witch is "better". Just check hate of one or more brands at the door especially if it is unfounded, now personal reports of a knife failing or something like that I would be very interested in myself I like evidence supporting the claim.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Please, discuss the knives, not each other.
You don't want me to have to deal with this again.

 

[Alnamvet68]

Well, I suffered from an acute onset of sticker surprise early Cyber Monday morning, when an email from Blade HQ alerted me to a sale on the Spyderco Dragonfly H1 Salt for $24.95...needless to say, I picked up three at that price, which was still less than the MSRP for one; that said, I had to look up the Brad Thor jacket mentioned earlier, and a quick call to my Navy Exchange resulted in another pleasant surprise devoid of sticker shock, the 35 pocket CCW jacket for $110.00. Can I say I'm really cool now?

 

[PURPLEDC]

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."

LOL, me too. But I think if I was charging $300 for a machete it would be handmade like the Mike snody machete. Mike may be a character but he puts a bit of himself in every item he sells. That to me is worth something.

I really don't get why people get so bent out of shape about what other people do with their money...jealousy perhaps.

I cant speak for everyone but I can for myself. I dont get jealous that others buy expensive knives. I think some knives exist that are totally worth the price they command. Its not about the amount of money people are willing to spend on a knife but rather what knife they are willing to spend that money on. To me when people overpay for a subpar product based on hype alone it creates an inflated market value for a knife that should cost less. So I dont get jealous. I just despise price gouging. Its the reason I didnt buy a kershaw ruby to flip. I dont have a lot of rules anymore on what I will buy or sell but I wont rip off another forum member just to make a quick buck. To make a small profit to cover losses in shipping yeah but double or in some cases trying to triple my money? I cant do that.

 

[PURPLEDC]

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 if anything now that china (I know you hate them) has entered into the titanium market prices on the stuff should be falling. And I would be willing to bet that at least one US based maker is getting Ti from china at this very moment. Before companies were blaming our military efforts for a rise in materials cost. But I dont know if that should still be having an effect right now.

 

[whp]

I see plenty of variety available. You can find good inexpensive knives from the big guys. As for their higher end offerings. If the knives aren't worth the price It's a self correcting problem

That s it in a nutshell.:thumbup:

 

[evosbu1]

I just call it like I see it, no need for insults. You came in here ranting about brands and trying to group fans of said brands into a neat little stereotype that does not at all apply to any that I know... that's called generalizing. google it... I'll wait.

Calling someone a moron for calling you out on immature behavior reiterates what I'm implying... adults know how to hold a conversation without resorting to insults and name calling... you seem to be very angry about something... "it's not your fault... it's not your fault"

edit: back on topic... knives are worth what you're willing to pay for it. don't pay for it, and they'll drop in price or discontinue them due to lack of demand.

if you like flea market knives and that serves your purpose, cool...
if you like bargain shopping for an above average blade and below average prices, cool...
if you want to spend thousands on a custom, cool.

there's enough variety out there to meet everyone's needs, how one person spends their money vs how you do shouldn't concern you at all... the entire industry isn't driven by one segment.

The 'to each his own' argument is stupid because it deliberately ignores the fact that an individual's decision has consequences that extends beyond that individual. The "segments" are not separate from each other and are instead interrelated. We would be much better off if we stay together and collectively forced prices down by refusing to buy whatever product happens to be most extravagantly priced at the time, there are quite a few right now. Then we wouldn't have $200 D2 and $575 S30V knives with factory HT or grossly overpriced collaboration models using materials found in a $60 Endura. The 'Rubicon' is one of the very worst examples.

 

[marcinek]

<ah, nevermind>

 

[chickenfried]

so how has the $300 rubicon affected the $60 endura?

The 'to each his own' argument is stupid because it deliberately ignores the fact that an individual's decision has consequences that extends beyond that individual. The "segments" are not separate from each other and are instead interrelated. We would be much better off if we stay together and collectively forced prices down by refusing to buy whatever product happens to be most extravagantly priced at the time, there are quite a few right now. Then we wouldn't have $200 D2 and $575 S30V knives with factory HT or grossly overpriced collaboration models using materials found in a $60 Endura. The 'Rubicon' is one of the very worst examples.

 

[evosbu1]

so how has the $300 rubicon affected the $60 endura?

Thanks for your pernicious comment.

$60 on Amazon, the new Walmart. Elsewhere it can run over $80. Spyderco prices it at over 110.

The Endura is supposedly in a different class and so is more contingent on those at its level rather than one at the other extreme. But that doesn't mean their supply and demand have absolutely no relation to one another. Maybe you disbelieve in the OP's idea about generally rising prices, or maybe you're just pissed off at me?

 

[goldie]

I like and agree with purpledc's posts.Also,Reate,for example, is 3 for 3 in the knives they came out with;4 years ago you couldn't get me to buy a knife from china for anything.i now have 2 reate's and 2 kizers,as good as if not better than many similar knives out there for way less.I have plenty of made in .u.s. knives so 4 made in china isn't going to ruin or economy.if anyone wants to spend 1200.00 for a shirogorov that should only be 450.00, I have no problem with it,i just think there is equal or better for less, and the way these prices are going, that is the future for me...

 

[bodog]

The 'to each his own' argument is stupid because it deliberately ignores the fact that an individual's decision has consequences that extends beyond that individual. The "segments" are not separate from each other and are instead interrelated. We would be much better off if we stay together and collectively forced prices down by refusing to buy whatever product happens to be most extravagantly priced at the time, there are quite a few right now. Then we wouldn't have $200 D2 and $575 S30V knives with factory HT or grossly overpriced collaboration models using materials found in a $60 Endura. The 'Rubicon' is one of the very worst examples.

And you think the ZT 0454 was any better than the rubicon?

 

[evosbu1]

I don't exactly understand what you mean by "better".

ZT's sprint runs in general look like they are based purely on steel hype. 'CPM' at this point is magical. CPM D2 is no better than D2 in terms of wear resistance. Is ZT doing a heat-treat that warrants a $300 price hike over their premium production models? Strider gets away with similarly high pricing doing production HT on S30V that is comparable to, say, a Spyderco Manix.

 

[mtangent]

I think fora such as this one can help to push up prices.
It is about:
1. marketing, which these fora have made easier & more cost effective.
2. consumers deciding to buy the knives. People who spend a year or more on these fora often upgrade their taste in knives. I have. There is much talk of differences between brands, likes & dislikes, that helps people to see value where they might otherwise say "that is too much."
3. Fanboys. These guys feed off each other. A forum is their natural environment, & they can do ballistic things if a manufacturer plays them right.

There are many other points, which will change over time.
Just thought of another:
4. manufacturing capacity. I have read Spyderco's US manufacturing capacity is totally maxed out, & is one reason for searching out the Taichung facility. Restricted production leads to higher prices. Without the taichung production, prices would be higher still.

 

[Dean Crail]

And you think the ZT 0454 was any better than the rubicon?

For what people got the 0454 was a heck of a deal IMHO. A sculpted carbon fiber handle with titanium backspacer and titanium sub framelock with a steel lockbar insert. Not even mentioning the 3 piece composite blade and the bearing system! And lets not forget the return on investment I dont think anyone has lost money on a 454 they originally purchased from KAI. The 454 was never hyped on the steel is was hyped on the designer and how very well it was put together.