There is a difference between low end and high end knives.

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kutch133

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Nov 1, 2000
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The local Wal-Mart starting getting in some Kershaw Vapors so I took a look at one last night. Let me preface this with the fact that I am fortunate enough to own a large Sebenza classic. Now I know there are those Sebenza critics who are going to be :rolleyes: but there are definitely two different leages in quality and fit and finish. Like t-ball compared to major league. But, there are those that say a cheapie will cut just as good as an expensive knife. Well, in my opinion and after looking at that Kershaw last night, there is no way that thing cuts nearly as well as a Sebenza. Benchmades, yeah, Spyderco's, yeah, even hight end Kershaws, but not that cheap POS I looked at last night.
 
Yup, there is that leap in quality that you would expect when comparing a $30 knife with a $300 knife. Sort of exactly like comparing a Hyundai to a Ferrari. :p

There are always going to be folks that point out that a Hyundai can get you to the Quik-E-Mart just as well as anything else. That's true and fine with me. I'm just not one of those folks.
 
That $30.00 Vapor will do anything the Sebenza will do.At 1/10 the cost.I own a vapor and have owned a bunch of Sebenzas(A very overrated knife)
BTW the Vapor is not a POS.There are a lot of knives out there that are.Not the Vapor.And for about $30.00.
And we're not talking about automobiles or guns or motorcycles.We are talking about knives.Tools and nothing else.:)
 
Originally posted by nifrand
That $30.00 Vapor will do anything the Sebenza will do.At 1/10 the cost.I own a vapor and have owned a bunch of Sebenzas(A very overrated knife)
BTW the Vapor is not a POS.There are a lot of knives out there that are.Not the Vapor.And for about $30.00.
And we're not talking about automobiles or guns or motorcycles.We are talking about knives.Tools and nothing else.:)
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Well now, I wasn't slamming the Vapor and I'm not going to here either. I think it's a fine knife at a really appealing price. I don't believe that AUS 6A holds an edge like BG42 or S30V, nor do I find the action or lock-up on the Vapor to be comparable. Yes, they will both open a cardboard box. I was pointing out that it's a misguided comparison, IMO.

Automobiles, guns, and motorcycles are tools too. Consumers add value and meaning to those things beyond their uses. Lots of people on this forum add value to knives beyond their intended (or actual) use too.
 
well i had to respond to this. i think that there are some pos like the imitation spydies u can pick up at guns shows for $5 are useless. after mine broke while trying to open a hard plastic packaging i would be afraid to use another one. so i bought a benchmade 550 and i trust that. now i think the difference between a knife costing 50 and 500 is purely preference i don't think it can do anything that 10 times better to vaule the 10 times the price factor.

james
 
There is 1 thing a $30 knife can do that a $500 knife can't!




Got your interest?






Wanna know what that is?





Be replaced easier and hurt my pocket less if it's lost.




Do I have an EDC thats in that price range, no, but that's only because I like the quality and fit in the higher end production folders. :)
 
Just like to add that in any comparison such as this it is important to keep the proper perspective.

I hesitate to think of any knife as a 'pos' if it is reasonably made and fits a particular segment of the community.

As stated above the flea market specials are obviously junk pos's that should be avoided at all cost.

On the other hand, for someone looking for a decent knife to handle the everyday chores of opening packages and sharpening pencils etc. there is, I believe, alot of 'bang for the buck' in the so-called lower end of the spectrum. These would be the $30 and under knives made by such companies as Case, Gerber, Kershaw, Buck, Schrade, Victorinox\SAK, heck even Syperco or Benchmade Ascents series. No one should feel embarrassed to carry or own one of these. They do serve the lower income segment (like me!) and fit the practical daily carry needs of our community quite well. And they offer enough diversity to keep younger or less econmomically endowed individuals interested.

When one does get to the point of being able to afford the higher end production models, or even the lower end customs it seems that a bit of snobbery starts to set in. I believe this is unfortunate and does not add to the spirit we all should share in our admiration of mans oldest tool. I think we should be objective in our assessment of peoples needs and station in life before we deem a particular knife a POS. We can all appreciate a fine Benchmade or a Busse. Not all of us however can afford one. Let us not however succomb to making someone feel ill-equipped or embarressed if their current EDC is a lowly SAK Soldier or a good old Schrade Trapper pattern slipjoint.

Most of the higher end pieces I currently own will never be pushed anywhere near the point they were designed for. I am not an LEO or a soldier, but I happen to like the tactical style of knife so that's what I have. But I don't look down on the man (or woman) next to me who carries a $15 Old Timer if that happens to meet their needs. In fact there is something inherently enjoyable in seeing these 'old faithfulls' being carried.

In the end as pointed out above, we can all get to the grocery store in a Yugo, and that's OK. Some of us are fortunate enough to get there in a Ferrari, and that's OK too. :)


Mongrel
 
Originally posted by Mongrel
When one does get to the point of being able to afford the higher end production models, or even the lower end customs it seems that a bit of snobbery starts to set in...I think we should be objective in our assessment of peoples needs and station in life before we deem a particular knife a POS.
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What works me up is snobbery. I'm not talking about the typical cases of people owning fine equipment and looking down on people who own or chose to use less expensive equipment. That shows poor character.

Equally prevalent on this and other hobby forums I visit is what I think of as "reverse snobbery." That's when people who own or choose to use less expensive equipment spend all of their time haranguing the people who prefer higher-end equipment. That shows an equal lack of character, IMO.
 
I agree 92degrees, I do not appreciate ANY form of snobbery. I hope my post was not taken wrongly, if so I apologize.

My comment about "snobbery" setting in was in fact partly based on self-observation. I have found myself feeling quite impressed with my Benchmades and Spyderco's almost to the point of looking down on those knives of lesser 'quality'. My comments were not directed personally to anyone here, but to a general mindset that I have observed in myself and others.

What my rather long-winded diatribe above was meant to point out simply was this:

There is nothing wrong with a decent $30 knife. I don't think is is fair to deem a knife a POS because it costs $30 either. We need to be careful judging a knife based on price alone, as long as it is of reasonable quality.

I guess to sum this up it is best said that we should all be able to admire ANY quality knife without the need to resort to put-downs and trash talk.

Sincerely,

Mongrel
 
I am a Sebenza fanatic! I carry one daily as an edc, and don't plan to be without one. I may carry another folder along with it but always have the Sebbie. I enjoy the quality and engineering that goes into this knife even if I do have to pay a large dollar figure for that. I went through many different custom folders before I realized that what I was looking for in a knife was the absolute best fit and function. I found it in the Sebenza.

That was my opening just so you know how I fel about the Sebenza!:D

I work part time at the local Super Center Wal Mart in the Sporting Goods Dept. I do so in order to have extra cash for Sebenza's:eek:
We also just got the new Kershaw Vapor II's and Vapors, and a bunch of other new knives. Around 30 different NEW models! While the Kershaw isn't a Sebenza, I think it is a very nice knife for the money spent and have sold several since they come in. I sold most of them by showing my Sebenza and waxing on about the fantastic locking powers of the framelock and then show the customer the Vapor with its framelock and explain how much less it cost, but that it is still a very decent knife. Most customers don't have the foggiest what I am talking about:confused: but usually end up buying one:D So I gues alls well that ends well!;)
 
Originally posted by Mongrel
I agree 92degrees, I do not appreciate ANY form of snobbery. I hope my post was not taken wrongly, if so I apologize.
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Nope, I was agreeing with you Mongrel:D
 
Snobbery. Maybe. I'm not wealthy, so in that respect, definitely not. Knives, probably, if you count appreciating a excellent quality product and you boast about it. But that Kershaw I saw last night was junk. The lock bar barely engaged, the blade was almost touching the liner, the edge was dull. I'd rather carry nothing than that Vapor I saw last night. This is not an indictment of Kershaw. I've owned a Blackout and a Boa and they were very nice knives, but for 30.00 I'd rather buy a Buck, Shrade, or Case lockback. Better yet, I'd continue to save that 30.00 and put it toward a BM, Spyderco, etc. which aren't a lot more $ but are much better qualilty.
 
Isn't everyone frequenting this forum a snob?:)
Honestly, some co-workers and tenants I work for, they see I am carrying 1 Opinel and 1 SAK and they believe my tools are too fancy for scraping/cleaning out pipes, floorboards, etc.
So I don't even bother to show my Spyderco Military, much less to show my Sebenza :)
Martin
 
Originally posted by kutch133
Snobbery. Maybe. I'm not wealthy,
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kutch133, I don't think what you said made you seem anything other than an educated consumer. I was expressing a lack of surprise that you notice a difference between the two knives. Now, what some other folks have said strikes me as something else entirely.
 
Originally posted by martin j
Isn't everyone frequenting this forum a snob?:)
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I don't think so. I think a lot of folks here are very open to the tastes of of others. I've also seen a number of threads where people extoll the virtues of Opinels and SAKs...
 
Although I don't have much experience with the Vapor, I know for a fact that there are lots of cheap, but well made knives that can be had if one is willing to look. As a knife lover, I enjoy getting a fine knife whether it costs $30 or $300. In fact, a great deal I recently found was a discontinued Queen spearpoint. It walked and talked and has taken a great edge. It cost me $16. At the same time, I have customs on order from Mike Obenauf and A.T. Barr, both owhich will cost many times my Queen slipjoint. The bottom line is that a good knife is a good knife. The tag on to the car analogy, every inexpensive car is not junk. What could be more solid than a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic? Every expensive car is not good. Ask anyone who ever got a bad BMW or Jaguar. As knife nuts, we should be concerned about quality, not price.
 
I think that most knives do serve a purpose. For instance, I was helping a girl in my company pick out a knife (after she asked me to). We got on knfeworks and looked around. I pointed out Spydercos and some of the cheaper Benchmades. Then she was like "Um, I'm not a knife person. I'll spend fiffty dollars on makeup, but not on a knife."

So I showed her the Mo'skeeter form CRKT and she ordered it. She is quite pelased with it, too. Would I wnat it as my EDC? No, but she wouldn't spend three times as much on a Native like mine, either.

Of course, I would never let her buy United or otherwise, but I don't think that the Vapor is in the same category.

Likewise, I find it hard to justify spending that much on a sebbie when the EDC folder form Camillus ahs most of the features (and is much prettier :))
 
I can't comment on the Vapor, I've never seen one. At $30, it might be a great blade at the price point. From pictures I've seen it looks like a good design.
The Sebenza is something I can comment about. It's the perfect knife...for me. I haven't found anything that compares. It's the most versatile design for my needs for EDC. The second to none quality of manufacture is what makes it truly stand out.
Whether you're talking knives, watches, automobiles,or anything else, get the best you can afford. Only you can judge what is a true value for your own purposes. Anyone who runs down someone else for their choice in equipment seriously needs to step back and take a closer look at themselves.

Paul
 
Well said Paul. I get tired of the people that presume to call me stupid because I think that a $500.00 knife is better than a $100.00 one. The fact is that we should buy whatever knives make us happy. If a $50.00 knife does everything that you need then buy the best $50.00 knife that you can get and be proud of it, but don't sit there and try to tell me that I there is something wrong with me for appreciating the quality of a $1000.00 or higher knife.

I have owned a few Opinels and not one of them cost more than $20.00 Canadian. They are incredible knives for anywhere near that kind of money. I know that you can get darn good knives for even $10.00. Just because I know that you can get good knives for that price I would never think to tell anyone that they were silly for spending more. The opposite is true as well. Just because I like expensive knives, I would never look down on someone that thinks his CRKT is a fine tool. It is.

There are some knives out there that are cheap and dirty and if someone asks about a knife like that I will give them my honest opinion. I will not sugar coat what I have to say. When someone asks what I think of Opinel, CRKT, Victorinox, Schatt & Morgan or any other quality inexpensive knife, they are also going to get my honest opinion. Anything else would be doing a disservice to the person asking for opinions.
 
I've got a small Sebenza and a Kershaw Scallion. The Scallion was a gift, but I really like it. It cuts great, has a fine tip that it very useful sometimes. I trust the Sebenza more for some of the stuff that I do with a knife. It's stronger, has a much more reliable lock, holds an edge longer. It's a more practical knife for me, but there's nothing wrong with that Scallion. Someone who had different uses might actually prefer the Scallion for its reduced size and weight, that pointy tip, and the fun factor of the assisted opening. Fit and finish aren't everything. Even the ability to take abuse isn't a big deal for everybody.
Price means squat if it doesn't suit you.
I agree (strongly) with Paul, Keith, and Anthony.
My two most carried folders are an SAK and a custom (that cost over 35 times as much as the SAK). As long as I can afford it, cost is not the determining factor. I'm happy with both of them. What else matters?-we have reasons for liking what we do, but why should they concern anyone else (our knives didn't cost them a dime)?
If a certain knife fits your hand perfect, looks better to you, is available in a steel you want...is that supposed to make you a snob?
LMAO. Like I said in another thread, those people that pick apart other people's choices seem pretty insecure and pathetic to me. I just put them on ignore. Too many people who are here to share, and that I can learn from, to waste time reading that garbage.
 
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