what are your priorities when costing a knife?

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peshkabz

Joined
May 6, 2003
Messages
198
Spyderco is an excellent company for many reasons; leadership, styles of product, quality of products, and the fact that they never seem to be to trendy or stuck in a rut.

That said, I have personally been very attracted to Spydies, because I have felt that they always placed the priority on the blades metal choice - the quality of the blade, then built around that. Ya, I know there have been AUS 6's blades showing up - but that is done deliberately, for good reasons in my mind; so I don't want to iniate a blade metal preferance debate, but to find out what your priorities are.

do you first look at:
1. length of the blade?
2. the shape of the blade?
3. the handle shape?
4. the handle material?
5. the lock type?
6. the blade material?

How would you prioritize your needs?
 
Mostly function. I try to use most every knife I purchase, so that means that the "next" knife I am looking for is aimed at filling a hole in my collection. After that;
1) blade steel/handle material
2) lock type
3) the others on no particular order
 
I use every knife that I buy, although it can be pricy(have a custom coming thats 250cdn for the knife alone, another in 2 months for 80usd).

Comfort is the main thing in my choices, as 10-15min of cutting is short. I'll spend another $10-15 for steel choice if the handle is either better or the same.
 
Most of the time it is the handle and blade shape together.
 
well, personally since I don't use my knives hard and they are mainly for urban EDC purposes my knife buying process goes like this.

I see the knife and is aesthetically attracted to it. I then check how long the blade is and how much it costs. After looking at the cost I then check what kind of lock, material, quality the knife is to see if all that justifies the price. If the knife does indeed justify the price I check if the knife is ambi or right handed only. If it is right handed only I weigh the pros and cons to see if the knife is good enough for the price to allow me to overlook the fact that it's right handed only.
 
I usually look at the whole thing, although now I do give some preference to blade steel.
 
I never buy metal handles. ever. I look at handle size before blade size. then handle comfort and construction. I look at locks- I've never met a liner lock that I like. So. it's more of a process of elimination, and price has a limit directly proportional to the need. $50 for me isn't bad. $150, i better really, really want it..200+ is just out of my price range now-I can't justify spending that much at the moment.--Joe
 
A repeating pattern exists with me...

I become aware of a new model, either through photos here or by browsing my local stores shelves. Then, the infatuation & attendant obsession begins where I read everything I can find on it and begin justifying whatever the price happens to be. Eventually, I have the money, but the knife, use it for awhile then watch as inevitably the process begins anew.

I'm not joking.

Jeff/1911.:p
 
once I find something new - I become obsessed; searching this website and every other source. I am drooling for the delivery of my future Scorpius right now...:p
 
1st - the blade. has to meet my expectations concerning 3 categories - shape/size/and steel.
2nd - the lock
3rd - fit/finish (any bladeplay = instant disqualification!)
4th - handle has 4 categories - material/fit in hand/grip/durability
5th - overall appearance of the knife(yea I know its dumb but honest)
6th - price
and yes ... I have the knife sickness too. Just when I think its over it comes back and a new model takes control of my mind! Endless hours on the internet ...I end up skipping work to wait by the mailbox! Then its over again... for a while ...
 
1.blade length,appropriate for the job.
2.overall length, I dont like a 3" blade in a 5" handle
3.Price is always a factor
4.steel, I can use any steel from Spyderco or Buck because they do good heattreat.
5.Handles, I'm generally buying a knife to cut with.If Chris Reeve used FRN with his heat treated S30V,I'd be in line for that also.
6.fit and finish,needs to have a smooth line to it.
7.no preferrence on lock type.

added #7
 
The first thing that always cataches my eye is the overall length and size of the knife. Will it be comfortable to use for what I want to do with it? I don't open a bag of potato chips with my Buck Nighthawk and I don't cut kindling with a Victorinox Classic. Then I see if I like how it "feels" and "wears", because if it's awkward to use I don't need to go any further. Then I look at the materials and the cost together. If it's the right size, feels right, but costs say $40 when its made out of 420A and Zytel I'm a little skeptical. Now if it was $20-25 or the blade was AUS6 or better I'd consider it.

I generally shop for value. I can live with a steel like 420 or 440 if the price and everything else is right.
 
No Brick and Mortar stores around me, so my first impression of a knife is either 1) Reviews, such as this site, or 2) photos. Given that, I evaluate knives on appearance first. Does the design look like it works? Aesthetics probably also play a role. This is strongly influenced by reviews I've read, i.e. if I read the Native has a great finger choil, and it looks like it has a good finger choil, I'll assume that the finger choil is functional.

After that, materials also play a role. Just bought a micarta Jester, because the handle is micarta. Like the Jester design, and would've bought one in FRN, but the micarta appealed, and matches the purpose of a small, elegant EDC for use around sheeple.

The deal-breaker is price. No matter how much I like a knife, I won't buy it if it's too expensive. The more expensive the blade, the more I'll wait and think before buying. However, I'm mostly looking at knives in my price range, so I guess it serves as a pre-filter as well.

My buying considerations are modified by prior experience and reputation of the manufacturer. I really trust Spyderco to put out a good knife, so I'm more willing to try something unusual, like a trailing point blade, crazy hooked tip, or pronounced finger choil. I also like to support companies with great customer service. Spyderco, Himalayan Imports, and Busse Combat are some of the best I've found to date. Having met the owners of each, they're all 100% class acts.
 
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