What do you do with $400 knives? Seriously?

Yeah, what Anthony said. I choose to scrimp on my car. I drive a 12 year old Hyundai Excel. My property tax receipt just came in and it values the car at less than the knife I'm carrying at the moment. I saved up for the knife, so it's not about showing off my wealth, but the joy of a quality knife. I own relatively few knives, and two of them equal the total value of all the others put together. I use them almost every day, and I get a lot of satisfaction from the fact that I earned the money for them, and they just work well. I plan on carrying them for quite a long time, and then my kid will carry them.

It's not an investment in money, but an investment in memories.

DD
 
Originally posted by allenC
Yeah, sure, and I cut the lawn in an Armani suit and have a solid gold toilet seat.

It's like certain clubs and societies,
It's all about elitism and money.

Good luck,
Allen.
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No, but if I owned an Aramani suit, I would wear it when it's appropriate to wear a suit (actually, once upon a time, I did own an Armani suit and I wore it until it no longer fit :( and then I gave it to charity). On the other hand, a solid gold toilet seat sounds like it would be a bit chilly in the morning.:p

In my right front pocket, I'm carrying a beautiful A.T. Barr folder with black lip pearl scales. I'm wearing a suit and it's a nice, dress folder, small enough to be acceptable at work. I've worked hard to be in a position where I can afford nice things and it would make no sense not to enjoy life while I'm here on this earth.

FWIW, I also own a couple "workhorse" customs from Darrel Ralph and Tom Anderson. Doesn't mean I won't grab one of my various Spyderco knives for the pocket of my sweats when I get home tonight. I enjoy all my knives.:D
 
Originally posted by Melvin-Purvis
......"as usual I dont(sic) have a clue what I'm talking about"...
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Sorry, but I have to disagree!;) Not only DO you have a clue, I think you've solved the entire mystery!:cool:

So - today I am going to convince myself to carry my $1,400. Bud Weston folder. I know it's going to take some soul-searching, but with your words of wisdom I think I might be able to do it.:( :) :(
 
I carry a small Sebenza for EDC and an Umfaan fr dress. Love both of them! I use my knives.

Paul
 
Oooohhh, I LOVE this thread! (Because it cuts so close to home) I have owned wristwatches that were worth more than the downpayment for a nice house. Wore a different one every day, regardless of value. With sweats, jeans, a suit. Color would drain out of someone's face when they asked me what the watch was worth (and I knew them well enough to tell them). Owned cars that most people only dream about - and drove every one of them, every day. Rain, snow, sun, whatever.

But - can't bring myself to carry (or use) 95% of the fine knives I own on a regular basis.

So - I don't think I have a problem USING "stuff" based on value/cost alone. Why do I feel this way about my knives?

All you amateur psychiatrists.....fire away! I can take it. (And I want to know, because I agree with ALL of the reasons cited so far.)
 
I've carried my Darrel Ralph CF EDC for the majority of the last year. It's seen alot of rough use. I was thinking that one day I'd have Darrel refurbish it. But maybe not. I really like the way a well-used knife looks-and the EDC still looks good and has got a way to go. Those character marks are one of the things that make it my knife. If I'd left it sitting in its zipper case the whole time, it would have never given me any enjoyment, and I wouldn't know just how good a knife it is.
My small Sebenza has scratches all over the handles, and the blade. I like it better than when it was new. It's mine.

Don't be one of these guys who crows about how great their knife is, and then next week have it up for sale in mint condition:rolleyes: Use those new knives you ordered, and find out what all the fuss is about;)
 
Originally posted by Paracelsus
Holger, open a letter with it, and then work your way up from there. Enjoy!

Para
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ROFLMAO!

I'm trying, I'm trying! (Maybe someone should start a therapy group for people like us?:cool: )

At least I have taken the first step and admitted I have a problem. Maybe I can write up a little 12-step program for fellow sufferers to ease them into being "users"....?
 
Ok, I've been carrying my Terzuola ATCF with ironwood handles and titanium bolsters since I bought it at the Nov. 1999 NY Custom show for $450 from Rhett Stidham. That was approximately 842 days ago. At my calculations, this works out to it costing me approximately 53 cents a day to carry and use a fine knife! 53 cents a day! I always carry a second knife, either an Emerson Viper1 or a Carson M4 in a belt sheath but that one doesn't get used unless it would be to save my life, that one's just for show and cause I feel naked with only one knife on me.
And yes, Allen C. I know you were being sarcastic when you said to David1967, wow, and not even a scratch, but most guys have pics of their knives when they were new. This one is now scratched up good, especially the ti bolsters but so what. Also most custom knifemakers will refinish any of their own knives for free or for a minimal charge. You can ask anyone of at least 50 BF members I've met at shows about this cause I show it to just about everyone.

So for 53 cents a day, I've been able to carry this, and each day it gets cheaper. In all honesty, I've been collecting knives over 20 years and until about 4 years ago only carried production knives, and I enjoyed them as well.
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Dave
 
Would I carry and use a $400 folder? Well... I've carried and used a $200 folder... and I've carried and used a $1500 folder (Emerson CQC-7) so yes... I can say I would glady carry a $400 folder for my EDC... :)

Just treat them well... knives, especially folders, arent pry-bars... dont drop 'em... and dont try to cut things that arent ment to be cut with 'em, and you'll be fine. :)

Makers build their knives to be used (at least I do and asume the rest do) and thats what one should do with them, use them, love them, enjoy them, and express your respect for them by putting them to work as intended.
 
MY LORD!!! I can't believe that there really are so many people that
actually would pamper themselves with such luxury. The most I could
ever bring myself to spend on any knife is a measly $100 and them I sold
two lesser knives to pay for it.

What , other than self gratification, could a knife that cost so much do better
than an average knife?? Gee whiz, I can't play in this game..........

But then again.......that's why they call me Tightwad! :>))
 
Ok, I've been carrying my Terzuola ATCF with ironwood handles and titanium bolsters since I bought it at the Nov. 1999 NY Custom show for $450 from Rhett Stidham. That was approximately 842 days ago. At my calculations, this works out to it costing me approximately 53 cents a day to carry and use a fine knife!
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Lifter4Him: You got it all wrong. The first time you carried it cost you $450, everyday since then has been free. That's how I calculated my investment in reloading. The first shot cost $XXX, the rest are free. Brings your unit cost WAY down!
 
I make sure I get at least $100,000 worth of work out of it. Then it is a good investment...:)
 
...That is one nice looking knife! (I'm being serious here)

That is just about the coolest folder design I've seen yet!
 
Originally posted by wolfmann601
I look at it in the same light as a handgun.... The only way is to train with it, practice with it and USE it....If you life depends on it, you want to have the FINEST tools. Sometimes that means spending serious dollars.......wolf
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Agreed, 100%. What am I carrying right now??? A large CRK Sebenza and a Schatt & Morgan stag canoe... Yes, together they would add up to a bit over $400 when new...but I would rather have a few absolutely reliable and hand-picked pieces of equipment than a drawer-full of expendible ones. I have 'done my time' with sub-par gear....now I demand that my tools are capable of the same kind of performance that I am...
 
I choose to carry my Pronghorn because I think it is the best knife to handle everything I am going to need a knife to do. The only thing I use a different knife for is to open bowes with staples. For that I have a $5.00 POS Chinese knife.
 
Lets see.
They really do not do anything more than a decent cheap knife does. They might look a little (or a lot) better; they might hold an edge longer; they might be more ergonomic.

Now I will be the first to admit that I am a wierdo, but here it goes.
Until 1997 I never owned a car worth more than 5 or 6 hundred dollars and was less than 12 years old. There were/are individual knives in my collection easily worth 10 times that much. The car was disposable (as eventually most cars will be) the knife I will have the rest of my life and will be able to pass it on to some one else some day. Never borrowed money unless I could make money off the money I borrowed (car-payments and credit card interest have never been in my dictionary).

I agree with Melvin, and have yet to see a luggage rack on hearse.
Everyone has their priorities. Mine are my family, it's future and my faith and occasionally trying to do something that might make things better for someone else. After that, I spend my disposable income on things that I enjoy those things happen to be knives.

I'll turn the question around on you and then maybe my answer will make sense. Why do people who make 35k or 40k a year spend 15 to 30k or more on a car that they or someone else will dispose of eventually, why do we now have credit plans for electronics and other items. People enjoy them and use them and a knife can provide a lifetime or two of enjoyment.
 
Originally posted by Gus Kalanzis

I'll turn the question around on you and then maybe my answer will make sense. Why do people who make 35k or 40k a year spend 15 to 30k or more on a car that they or someone else will dispose of eventually, why do we now have credit plans for electronics and other items. People enjoy them and use them and a knife can provide a lifetime or two of enjoyment.
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I have been grinning ear-to-ear ever since reading this... How very true.:)
 
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