Well this was unexpected..

Possibly the best 12 bucks I ever spent.
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marcinek said:
i just happen to think that is the exact opposite of the truth. Seems like the people around here who appear to know the most are the ones with less expensive knives. Show me somebody with a Case or a old beat up old Remington fixed blade...those are the guys who know their stuff.
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Hmmm...I could make a very convincing argument about your statement. Wouldn’t you agree to disagree with me that you’ve met plenty of people with a thrashed user/fixed blade that no absolutely nothing about knives and couldn’t even name where the ricasso is or what a plunge grind is on a knife? I know I have ...
ChazzyP said:
Interesting thread. I was wondering last fall if I'd reached that same saturation point. I've got one drawer of sub-$75 knives, several dozen "mid-priced" models ($100-250), and almost as many mid-techs. I was buying both in the mid-priced and mid-tech ranges, but had kinda slowed down on the upper end. I still use and carry knives across all those spectrums, but tend to have more users in the higher-priced tiers with 3 of my CRKs, 2 of the Shiros, and an RHK in my regular work-carry rotation. Those are users, not beaters, as there's always a beater in my left front for work.

My less expensive (and more brightly colored) knives get carried in the woods and fields when we're up at our Vermont place or working in the brush here at home. I don't want to lose any knife, but would feel much less angst missing my Endura/Delica than my MP1 or Olamic. That said. I have many mid-priced and even cheaper knives that I like no less than some that cost anywhere from 2 to 20 times as much.

Anyway, back to the saturation point I thought I'd reached, I figured I'd sell off a bunch to finance future purchases, but found myself only wanting to move out and consolidate the mid-priced pieces, selling two or three to pick up one and bought another Hinderer, CRK, Shiro, a GM3, and a Cheburkov in fairly rapid succession. So, I'm finding that while I still like and value my mid-priced knives--I've still got a lotta them and keep many as clean as some of my mid-techs--there's something about the feel in hand and use of a mid-tech that's just more satisfying. That said, there's still plenty of room in my rotation for a well-sharpened PM2 or 710.

Every time I think I've got this hobby/habit down, off I go on another tangent. Just a guy that likes knives. Sigh....



I'm with you on that maxed-out threshold, though. The most-expensive of my Shiros was a few of those back (and well-under 4 figures) and I don't see myself getting up there again, but, except for the odd $100-150 knife, I've kinda settled into the $300-500 range.
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Well spoken Chazzy and thanks for the discourse. I love my PM2, but I couldn’t agree more that when I carry say my Sebenza 21 and whip that knife out to do the same task my PM2 could do, I have to admit it brings a smirk to my face.

At the end of the day we are all “just guys that like knives” hahah
 
Officer's Match said:
More of a 335xi N54 guy myself... great thread! I've gotten' much more enjoyment out of my gray frn vg-10 Endura than I ever would have anticipated.

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Funny I actually started out with a Delica, but sadly I don’t think I can get around the FRN scales. Spyderco has now rubbed me the wrong way twice due to cheap scales. When I purchased my GB2 I didn’t do enough research and I thought they were full CF, WRONG. I couldn’t take it so had some ironwood burl made into scales.
 
Aquaholicc said:
Hmmm...I could make a very convincing argument about your statement. Wouldn’t you agree to disagree with me that you’ve met plenty of people with a thrashed user/fixed blade that no absolutely nothing about knives and couldn’t even name where the ricasso is or what a plunge grind is on a knife? I know I have ...
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We could, but I'm not following your point. I'm sure that's on me entirely.

My point is that one should not "....look at cheaper options just so you can cope with that little voice in our heads that says “Yes, you need to buy more knives”"

One should look at cheaper options as a way to buy great knives. There are many.

Expensive does not mean good, and inexpensive does not mean bad. Its easy to buy a $500 knife. It takes understanding to buy a great $20 knife.

I hope that your foray into non-"titanium framelock flippers" demonstrates that for you! :thumbsup: Enjoy your RAT and remember "geometry cuts," not materials, or small runs, or flippers, or CF scales.
 
Ahh yeah totally agree. I’m actually more exciting for this little Rat2 than say I was for my Anthem. I can’t wait to

1) Sharpen the damn thing and see how the steel holds up over time as this will make me respect my nicer knives in say M390 or Elmax and
2) Experience an all around budget friendly knife.

I guess to address the way you think I look it knives, for me when I first got into the hobby it was all about aestethics first then I would research what type of materials where put into the knife.
 
Lapedog said:
That’s why sometimes I love getting a used high end knife. It is cheaper and already used so no gripe about putting use on it.
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What you said, for sure, Lapedog. All my CRKs, 3 out 5 RHKs, and all but 2 of my Shiros were bought on the secondary market and my 2 new Shiros were bought on the Exchange from Russian re-sellers at considerable savings. Several of these knives and my son's StarTac were bought as users for pretty short money and went right to work without a second thought. Still great knives and no angst. :D
 
Aquaholicc said:
How many of you here have felt satisfied enough with your collection to finally look at cheaper options....
The messed up part about this story is I’m actually more excited about this $30 beater knife than I have been about my say, $500-$600 mid-tech knives. up!
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Yeah it got to me.
Wanted the CS tanto badly
Eventually discovered that the kobun would suffice.
Rather Preferred it compared to its expensive counterpart.
 
skyhorse said:
Possibly the best 12 bucks I ever spent.
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I'll have to somewhat agree. I've had some good nights off a 12 pack of beer that cost me $12 or less but that Mora is still there the next day. It cuts better out of the box than some of my knives that I own and could of bought 45 Companions with what I spent on a single knife.
 
Yeah, I have most of the higher end knives I like, so my last three purchases have been an Ontario Rat 2 (AUS 8), Rat 2 (D2), and Morakniv Eldris.
 
buying cheap knives made me buy the expensive ones. there are some gems in the budget market but overall whenever I buy a cheap knife I regret it.

the rat series in d2 is great, Kershaw USA knives are usually great, some ruike, real steel etc knives are decent too. but overall most budget knives to me are just not worth it.

the natrix from Kershaw was one I bought last year with huge disappointment.

another thing is blade steel. if its not a d2 budget knife I end up having to sharpen them much more often and find this annoying but I probably use my knives more than the average edc people carry and use infrequent which is the majority of knife buyers if I'd have to guess.

always open to legit budget gems though. svord is one that comes to mind. little unease carrying one in the pocket when it has nothing to keep it locked closed, but the mini works well in smaller pockets. the steel is also decent in edge retention and a decent slicer. I don't loose knives but if I lost a sub $30 it doesn't matter, you know. some folks are prone to loosing things so it makes sense to them.
 
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Mo2 said:
svord
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ahhh . . . that's who makes those.
I offered to some one here in the forum that one as a possible candidate for a light pry tool folder.
I wasn't joking. I was thinking since the lever crosses the pivot and is in the handle when in use it would be stronger than a regular folder.
Would that be true or is the blade too thin ?
 
For me it was the Blur in S30V, for years I’ve had various Benchmades and ZTs and a custom fixed blade. But two months ago I picked up a Blur in S30V for the hell of it and de-assisted it two days later and loved it. I’ve since gifted it away and need to get another one.
 
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I like the RATs...1 and 2. Never carried one, but I have had tons of knives that I've never carried. I have slimmed down in terms of quantity, and my knife boxes are pretty empty. During much of this past year, I've moved over to smaller, fixed belted cross-draw blades of about 3" blades...a whole new world for me, and enjoyable. These knives run from about $170 to $400, and a higher price doesn't necessarily mean a whole lot, as you know.
Haven't settled on just one...quite yet.
 
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