Using Expensive Knives?

TAH

TAH

Joined
Jul 3, 2001
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6,135
This weekend while I was out camping and using my George Herron stag hunter for various camp chore tasks, I stopped and thought, "damn, I'm using a $750 knife." Now actually, I bought this knife about 10 years ago for $300, but I use it all the time for a field knife. Today a knife like this consistently brings $750, so I started questioning myself if I should be using it.

What is the most you have paid or would pay for a using knife?
 
I would imagine that most answers will be based upon some combination of income, disposable income or what the user could afford to lose and/or replace if it came to that.

That said, using a finely crafted tool for its intended purpose is a rewarding experience.

How much would I pay for a using knife? That remains to be seen.

I have used knives that cost several hundreds of dollars and some that have appreciated even moreso as yours has.
 
Not a single knife in the collection cost more than my car, and I use my car... :)

-Michael
 
I use my CQC6 as a utility blade most days of the week. At first I worried about the cost - now I no longer think about it and get a great deal of enjoyment out of my knife. I also know that for $25 & postage I can get it returned to a "new" state by the maker.

As to expensive, I remember buying a Sog folder about 8 years ago and my wife and friends were horrified about how much I spent on a pocket knife (about $60 equivalent). I have similar feelings when I look at the cars some of my friends drive.

I think that Blues hit it on the head when he said that disposable income is a factor along with your personal priority. I am sure that if you took most of the factory knives regularly discussed on this and similar forums, most people would consider them to be expensive knives. They would be really shocked by the cost of the customs regularly discussed in this part. :eek:

Regards,

Ed
 
I carry a Terzoula ATCF that I paid $550 for quite a lot and use it often. I carry customs almost exclusively.

I don't know if it's so much about disposable income as it is personal taste. When I was just out of college and making about $25k a year I bought myself a Montblanc Pen and Pencil set for about $300, I still carry and use them every day, 8 or 9 years later.

I don't get into the arguments of whether or not customs are worth it, I don't need to justify why I carry something I do. I just like nice things in my life.

Buy it, use it or get rid of it, that's what I say :D
 
My personal thing is that once I've decided that I'm not going to pass it on (politally correct for "selling it") it gets used as often as possible. My last production knife (not a thing wrong with production knives) is outta here today as I had them on hand as my "users". I found that I just enjoy using my custom knives much, much more.
My initial goal was to have one custom knife. I now have 8 either on order or on hand which'll probably do it. I'm trying hard to stop, but it's not easy.
 
Originally posted by Chefget
Not a single knife in the collection cost more than my car, and I use my car... :)

-Michael
Click to expand...

yeah...I had a car like that once too!
:)
G2
 
I think there are many custom knives that truly arent meant to be used. Im speaking not of the robust tactical customs, but the extremely fancy upscale folders which run well into the thousands. They often have relatively delicate workings, with fragile mother of pearl, mammoth ivory, inlays of all sorts, gold, diamonds etc. I feel these knives are meant and should be used as pieces of art, by which i mean appreciated for their visual, aesthetic appeal and not used for the tasks a heavy duty tactical/utility is for. Do i use high dollar customs, well i did open a letter with my $1700 Dake. :)
 
A $2500 custom katana for tameshigiri.
That's the most expensive 'worker' from my collection.
 
Any knife I own is used periodically, some more than others. As none of these knives cost more than the watches I wear every day, this just has not been an issue for me. I do try to fit my knife choice to the day's activities---one does not take a damascus Onion on a fishing trip...
 
Many of my "best" customs are mounted in glass front cases over my desk so that I can enjoy them visually whenever I want. Occassionally, I'll wear one in the field, but my concern becomes more for accidental damage to a sheath than damaging a blade. I don't intend to abuse my knives so the only worry becomes loss. I've solved both problems by having a local maker provide an extra, and very secure, sheath. I think the makers would appreciate the fact that the tools they so painstakingly crafted are being used for their intended purpose.
TAH - I've posted looking for a stag handled hunter by Herron. Any interest in a sale or trade for other high end custom?
 
Hi gk2410,
I'm going to probably hold on to the stag Herron since it is one of the primary knives that I use for hunting and fishing, however, I can appreciate your interest in his knives. He is one of my all time favorites. Over the years, I have been able to acquire two other Herron knives. Another hunter and a fighter both in elephant ivory, but those are just for collecting. Good luck in your search. I know they are next to impossible to find, but well worth the effort.

cpirtle & beluga - thanks for answering my original question and not dancing around it.
 
Hey Anklepocket, stop fighting it! Go with the feeling. ;)

You can never have too many knives, contrary to what your wife may say. :)
 
She'd hurt me bad if she knew what I've spent. And there's a Munroe Chimera on the BladeArt site. ****! Stay strong.
 
My most expensive user is the CQC-6 I bought from Tattoo. Prior to that, it was a sweet little knife by Ed Fowler which ended up with well, lots of "character marks." ;)

AL
 
I can't afford to be as high-door as some, but I have my moments. My most expensive users happen to be a pair of CRK Sebenza's, one large and one small, but both plain. All of my other "high end" knives are custom or small shop (like Dozier and Livesay). Most of these fall into the $100-$200 range, and I use them all. Since I don't buy what I won't use and I can't afford to use something worth much more than what I have (the Sebs are pretty exceptional actually), I don't buy knives costing over about $250...

I don't know if I'd still use an older knife that had appreciated considerably. I find I don't have any of those. When you cite that $750 appreciated value, are you taking into consideration that it is indeed a "used knife" and therefore not worth what a NIB example from the same period would be?
 
I have a few customs, and I use/carry them in rotation daily.
But I just got back my Larry Chew Covert D/A today after 9 months that I shipped to him to repair for a broken spring. He has had some personal problems, and I don't blame him, but if I had kept it in the safe it would still be working. On the other hand it probably would have broken anyway down the road sometime he said because it was a faulty spring. He refurbished it, repaired it, and now it looks just like new, and I don't know if I want to use/carry it, and mark it up again being it was a $725 knife.
I do have several other custom folders, and some of those are D/A also I do carry, it is just the Larry Chew is my favorite, and hard to store it in the safe when I want to carry it, and enjoy it for it's quality of workmanship, the 440V steel in the blade, and the awesome toy factor in such a quality knife.
I just got it back today so I think I will just look at it for a few days, and decide whether it is worth taking the chance of it breaking again.
I do buy them to use, and enjoy though, and usually it does not take that long to get a repaired knife back from a knifemaker, usually 2-3 weeks.
I hate decisions :D :D

Larry
 
Hi Matthew,

That's a good point about the fact of it being a used knife. However, keeping close tabs on the Herron aftermarket, I have found that they still increase in value regardless of their condition. I guess it because of demand. Even though it's a user, I am very particular with it. I have sharpened it many times, yet it has no sharpening marks up on the side of the blade. Actually, the only wear is on the guard from taking it in and out of the sheath, which could be easily buffed out.
 
As a ''Maker '' I Say Please Use them Alway's That is What they were Built / Made For !! I Make Mostly Carbon Damascus Blade's and Hope All of My Customer's Use the Hell out of Them !! I Offer All of My Customer's a Lifetime Sharpen / Repair Policy So Why not Use Them ?? The only thing I Dont Do Free is Re Etch a Badly Neglected Blade !! A Few Buck's to Cover The Re Sanding Buy Hand Then Re Etch Buff and Ship Back !! My Point is If You Buy it Please Use It!! Just use Common Sense in Up Keep !!
 
I get asked that question by local hunters when they are purchasing custom knives from me. The answer that I usually give them is as follows: How much did you pay for the gun you will be hunting with? They usually reply That they paid between $500.00 and $1200.00 I ask them if they use the expensive guns and of course they reply that they do. Then I ask them how long they are actually using that expensive gun for when harvesting an animal. Most reply less than a second of actual use to take the animal(I know you have to sight the gun in and that they are just plain fun to shoot also). I then ask them how long they use the knife for butchering the animal? Most will reply that they will use it for at least a few hours and some all day depending on the animal and the number of animals harvested. At this point I ask them if they are willing to use that expensive knife that is designed to make their job easier and more pleasent? Most all of them shake their head and reply that when you look at it from that point of view it gives them a whole new perspective of using that expensive tool for the job it was designed for.

Just another way to look at it.:)
 
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