What do you do with $400 knives? Seriously?

What about materials? You wouldn't use a knife with gold accents, jeweled thumbstud, hot blued damascus blade, mokume bolsters, abalone scales, and tons of filework, would you? A sebenza is comparitively expensive to other 'plain' knives, but it's still 'plain' (even with the engraving, it's still just Ti slabs) I couldn't imagine using a knife that took a hundred hours to build in my line of work, or during my recreational activities. Too much grease, oil, saltwater, sawdust, mud, sand, concrete floors, 4000 ft. water depth on the back of a boat in 10 ft. seas, bad memory, sticky fingers, wire to strip, staples to pull, rope to cut, etc., etc.
 
This thread is getting better by the minute. What a catharsis! But I would still like to hear some suggestions about my original concern:

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

Is it:

1. A different "kind" of respect for an item where I have met or dealt with the maker on a one-on-one level?
2. Because I don't have that much stuff to cut during the course of the day?
3. I'm lousy at sharpening?

Let's go - I need answers! :D There's at least half a dozen custom knives that I can hear calling from the other room begging to go "walkies"! :D
 
Wolf,
I totally agree with your philosophy most people
don't equate my life may depend on the blade I carry.
 
1. A different "kind" of respect for an item where I have met or dealt with the maker on a one-on-one level?
Click to expand...

CF. That is another reason I use and carry many of my customs. As a matter of fact that is the number one reason :D
 
Originally posted by Gus Kalanzis


CF. That is another reason I use and carry many of my customs. As a matter of fact that is the number one reason :D
Click to expand...

Good point. There are at least half a dozen makers to whom I would like to accord that kind of respect.
 
Simply stated, because I want to. No explanation is really necessary to one who understands the knife addiction. If it has to be explained, chances are the person won't "get it" anyway. The pure pleasure that comes with owning a custom knife is, in and of itself, enough. These knives are daily users, and are built to be used, not to collect dust. To own a piece of "functional art" gives such a feeling of awe and satisfaction.

Just last night, I ordered an SRJ Hunter from Bob Doggett. It's going to be a long wait till July...but well worth it!
 
What do you do with $400 knives? Seriously?



Read about them on this forum :D
 
Originally posted by cockroachfarm
Is it:

1. A different "kind" of respect for an item where I have met or dealt with the maker on a one-on-one level?
2. Because I don't have that much stuff to cut during the course of the day?
3. I'm lousy at sharpening?
Click to expand...

Number 1...though I have never met any of my knife makers in person, I have spoken to several on the phone...

Numbers 2 and 3...(for me)...definitely NOT. Rather, I choose quality knives because I DO have lots of stuff to cut...I use my blades and use them often. Further, I enjoy maintaining a fresh edge on a working work-of-art...
 
My personal knife philosophy is that I won't buy a piece that I would be afraid to carry. I admire the many works of art that are out there, with exotic materials and even precious metals, but I'd never carry one.

To me, the beauty of a fine knife is the functionality of fine craftmanship and great materials, giving me the pleasure of being able to carry in an everyday situation.

Even the "crown jewel" of my collection at present, my custom Darrel Ralph EDC, although striking in design and execution, just "begs" to be carried. That's probably why it's called the EDC.:cool:
 
I don't have any $400 knives. I have a lot of knives below $300 and two well above that.

One of the two is a DDR Millennium Small Apogee BFC Special Edition #2 of 5. Illusion opening, Darrel's "unfolded" Damascus blade. I don't carry it every day but it does see duty several times a month. The other is a Custom Ken Onion Whisper, carried several times a month. The few scratches add character.

I don't just carry high dollar knives but I have several <$50 knives that may never come out from behind glass. My former EDC knife is a BFC Spyderco Native. Now it's an Ocelot, Tim Wagner/Spyderco Prototype. Along with the SAK and a "people" friendly $10 Loaner.

I guess the reason I have, carry, use expensive knives is I get enjoyment out of them. I have something that few others have one just like it. $40000 cars are a dime a dozen, anyone can have one just like yours.

A couple of years ago in Atlanta someone reported their car stolen from a mall at Christmas. Turns out there were two identical cars parked a few spaces apart. A man visiting friends had borrowed their car, walked up to "his" car. Put the key into the lock, opened the door, started the car and drove off. The car didn't seem right but... First time in the car and the key worked so...
Turns out that the two cars were identical down to both keys.
 
After i got my first 400.00 knife a lg sebenza i babied it i would take it out and play with it never even thinking about using it, well after getting a few more high price knives the seb started to get used i started out cutting everyday stuff around the house then i started carring it to work i am a tractor mechanic, next thing i knew i was cutting hose and wire ties rubber etc .. i now carry a extra lg tnt and a seb i won't use them to turn screws or pry stuff but i won't hasitate to cut anything with them, i like my toys and since the knives are built so well i know i can just send em back to get refurbished when needed, and it feels good to pull out a tnt and show of once in a while :)
 
If you ask me, it would be a personal insult to the maker if the knife didn't get used. If the makers intended to make something to just stare at, they sure wouldn't be making tools!!!
 
I don't have any $400 knives YET but, the closest thing I have is a small Sebenza and I carry and use it regularly. I get a lot more enjoyment out of using it than I get from my Benchmads and Spydercos for some reason. It just makes me feel good to carry and use it. :)

This is a very interesting post. I hope that there are many more replies. This is really good reading. :D

When I get my first custom (which I hope won't be to long now) I plan on carring and using it also.
 
Okay, let's get alittle more specific.
How many of you, who carry the high-dollar knives everyday, also carry another knife that does all the "crap jobs" that you don't subject your $400.00+ knife to?

I can't count how many "what do you carry" and "what's in your pockets" threads where people say something like "I carry my Sebenza everyday BUT I also carry a Spyderco Delica for certain tasks".

So when you say you use it everyday, what are you cutting with that expensive knife? Technically, if you just used it to open letters then you are "using" it...I guess.

I've seen quite a few used and second-hand and even third-hand customs that were high-dollar (mostly at gun/knife shows), and none of them looked like they had ever cut anything tougher than an orange peel.

I'm not bashing those who carry high-dollar knives (after all, I'm a capitalistic pig! It's your money, do what you like.) but I don't think most who do are being honest with themselves about why they carry one.

If you like to spend money on expensive things then just say so.
There's nothing wrong with that and sometimes it's fun.

Allen.
 
I only carry one knife at a time so the days that I carry my Sebenza anything that I have to cut, it cuts it. I just like to carry it because of how well it works and how simple it really is. I also get a certian satisfaction of knowing that I'm carring a very well made tool.
 
Carry my Larry Chew Covert every day.Use it too.When it gets scratched up and banged up,I will send it back and have him spiff it up.No big.Also I am a knife snob and would not be caught dead with a Ugly knife.
BTW the knife costs a lot more than $400.00.:D :)
 
Seems to me that people who "use"their high dollar knives fall into the light knife use catagory.You know opening letters and peeling fruit.Kind of "well I got this knife now I have to find something to cut"type of use.

We haven't heard about auto mechanics with greese covered hands scraping gaskets and cutting hoses all day,or land scapers cutting burlap off rootballs,cutting plastic edging.No fireman cutting tarpaper on top of a 35 foot ladder to staple over broken windows.

Fact is the working man who uses knives a lot in their job everyday gets his knife at places like walmart.They have names like Buck,Old timer,Gerber.Sure some are coming around to Spyderco,Benchmade ect.and once in awhile you'll find a "knife guy" in that group who may even use a high dollar one,but thats rare indeed.
 
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