The low Canadian$ and Question for Canadian knife enthusiasts and collectors

Y

yexactly

Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Messages
131
Am Canadian and was reviewing my PayPal account last week and noticed that a year ago $100US cost me $112 and it costs $131 today. Fellow Canadians: Will you adjust your spending on knives because of the lower CDN$ and if so how?

(A) buy the same # of knives but downgrade to more value orientated knives at lower price points
(B) buy knives I really want but buy fewer of them
(C) buy the same knives as planned but 'thin the heard' and sell knives in the collection to pay for it
(D) suck it up and buy the knives I want at higher prices even if it means I'm spending more
(E) other: specify
(F) some combination

For me, even though I know I will be increasing my total spending$ on knives.. can't afford that much more.. So it will probably be 'B'. Before the $ dropped was planning on buying some missing staples/essentials folders and starting a collection of tiny/mini folders.. Think the latter may have to wait..

Note for MODS: am a newbie and posted a related topic earlier in the week and it got closed (quickly) cuz it was more of a general frustrating rant and not specific to the knife community.
 
Last edited:
B for me there are only a few i am interested in now anyways.
To make this more interesting lets see some Canadian collections;

IMG_2969_zps781ac5fc.jpg


Only change is that I traded the rock lobster for a zulu.
 
Hi . I don't know whether this is the same in Canada . but what I have found in the UK is that the exchange rate doesn't really make any difference I.E if the knife is 70 dollars in the US then its 70 GBP in the UK . and by the time I have ordered it form the US and payed for posting the price is about the same .
 
I'm also in the "B" boat. I get the ones that I want regardless of the prices but buy fewer. I also still order from the USA because their prices + shipping + exchange is still cheaper then buying here (on certain brands). There is only one local store I buy knives from here at full price because they carry everything and the owners cut me the deals they can.

Here is a few from my collection
WP_002044_zps47047991.jpg

WP_001809_zps1a4814b0.jpg


More coming soon :rolleyes:
 
A week Canadian dollar versus the US dollar is definitely a drag for Canadian knife buyers because ,as we know, virtually everything knife related comes from the states. If I wasn't into knives I probably wouldn't care about the exchange rate at all because I rarely travel to the US. Anyway I think I fit into category B.
 
When I started buying knives a few years ago the Canadian dollar was even lower than it is now. It had been lower for a long time and I thought that was normal. I bought many knives then and kind of scratched the itch before the dollars became almost equal. I have picked up quite a few in the last couple years and was able to buy a few that we're a little higher end. I think I am going to try and keep my purchases to the Canadian exchange for a while and see how that works out.
 
Zidfeldts said:
When I started buying knives a few years ago the Canadian dollar was even lower than it is now. It had been lower for a long time and I thought that was normal. I bought many knives then and kind of scratched the itch before the dollars became almost equal. I have picked up quite a few in the last couple years and was able to buy a few that we're a little higher end. I think I am going to try and keep my purchases to the Canadian exchange for a while and see how that works out.
Click to expand...

It was/is normal. The CDN only hit parity with the USD during the recession. Now that the US dollar has rebounded, the Canadian dollar is back in its historical position.

On the flip side, this should be a boon for Canadian knife makers who deal in the US.
 
The high exchange rate does really hurt. ordinarily I would shift to buying Canadian but many sales here in Canada are based on the $ US too.
The situation sucks for buyers.
 
HJK said:
The high exchange rate does really hurt. ordinarily I would shift to buying Canadian but many sales here in Canada are based on the $ US too.
The situation sucks for buyers.
Click to expand...

Agreed. And, if you only collect production folders.. think you basically have no choice but to buy US/international since we don't have local manufacturers (as far as I know).

It will be interesting to see if Canadian dealers take a reduced profit margin or maintain their margins and pass on 100% of the increase.

Doubt this will happen but US /international manufacturers could also help out by offering lower prices to CDN dealers.. to maintain volume sold into Canada.
 
On the used market if we,Americans , had an idea what it takes to ship to Canada, paperwork and mailing rates maybe more sellers would ship,to Canada.
 
I don't really see inflated knife prices as a uniquely Canadian issue. But, I'm at the phase of my knife-collecting where I have found my preferred EDC set-up. Anything I buy now is to satisfy my curiosity or for novelty/cool factor, so I reckon I'm buying the knives I want but fewer of them anyway. The price is the price, and if there's a knife I really want, I'll find a way to save up to get it.

-Brett
 
Colorodo said:
On the used market if we,Americans , had an idea what it takes to ship to Canada, paperwork and mailing rates maybe more sellers would ship,to Canada.
Click to expand...

$22.50 for flat box rate and a general description / estimated value.
 
Won't affect me.
My knife buying habits are based on how much money I have, not the exchange rates.
My income fluctuates far more than the exchange rates do anyway. ;)
 
I fall into the "C" group no matter what the exchange rate is . I use my knives , so if I have a change in taste , or just don't like a knife I bought or find a new knife company that make knives that are more to my liking I tend to sell off the old as I buy the new .

Of course as the exchange gets higher and higher I do tent to buy fewer knives . Not like I'm actually short of cutting tools :cool:
 
yexactly said:
Am Canadian and was reviewing my PayPal account last week and noticed that a year ago $100US cost me $112 and it costs $131 today. Fellow Canadians: Will you adjust your spending on knives because of the lower CDN$ and if so how?

(A) buy the same # of knives but downgrade to more value orientated knives at lower price points
(B) buy knives I really want but buy fewer of them
(C) buy the same knives as planned but 'thin the heard' and sell knives in the collection to pay for it
(D) suck it up and buy the knives I want at higher prices even if it means I'm spending more
(E) other: specify
(F) some combination

For me, even though I know I will be increasing my total spending$ on knives.. can't afford that much more.. So it will probably be 'B'. Before the $ dropped was planning on buying some missing staples/essentials folders and starting a collection of tiny/mini folders.. Think the latter may have to wait..

Note for MODS: am a newbie and posted a related topic earlier in the week and it got closed (quickly) cuz it was more of a general frustrating rant and not specific to the knife community.
Click to expand...

If 20$ is going to make or break your decision on a knife in the 100$+ category, you might just want to buy cheaper knives altogether.
 
stonproject said:
If 20$ is going to make or break your decision on a knife in the 100$+ category, you might just want to buy cheaper knives altogether.
Click to expand...

It's not a matter of one knife.. It's a matter of 12 knives over a year for me (as I try to build a collection) which is 3 fewer than could have afforded a year ago.. Take the point that some have more $ than others.. which is a big factor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top