What do you look for in a $500 knife

A

aaron.steele.9026

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Apr 25, 2015
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I'm looking to start making my own knives soon so I decided that it might be a good idea to ask what you look for in both folders and fixed blades.
Good thing to avoid would be appreciated as well.
 
The biggest thing? At that price range, I'm looking at custom knives made by established makers, with a history of excellence and quality products which are proven designs, made of proven materials that they've proven they can get great performance out of.

I am not quite sure you'll sell many knives at that price point if you're just starting out. Best of luck to you, brother.
 
Quiet said:
The biggest thing? At that price range, I'm looking at custom knives made by established makers, with a history of excellence and quality products which are proven designs, made of proven materials.

I am not quite sure you'll sell many knives at that price point if you're just starting out. Best of luck to you, brother.
Click to expand...

......Yup. what he said
 
Not that I have any knives that expensive, but If i was to buy one this is what I would consider;

I think fit & finish is number 1 with a knife of that range.
IMO You cant tell what steel its made from by looking at it / holding it, but you can feel and touch quality. So firstly it needs to feel good & be beautifully finished.
Secondly it needs to be made from top-class materials, and the maker should have an established history of working with whatever material it is.

IMO history/experience with a lesser material/steel trumps no experience with a higher end material.
 
Blade steel and quality of treatment, grind and finish.

$500 knives usually come with a reputation. I don't know any knife makers that started at that price point. Start small and build a client base of satisfied buyers.

Mike
 
polished zdp 189 blade hardened to 66, titanium liner lock with steel insert, concaved tang, jeweled titanium liners, maple burl handle slabs. and to "cut" costs, no carry clip, no thumb holes, no thumb studs, no discs, no waves, not even nail nicks.
 
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Anything more expensive than $400 ish and I'll be constantly worrying about losing it, so much so that I'd prefer not to carry it. Most people seem to push their price limit higher and higher as time goes on, but I've done the opposite. I used to be willing to spend big bucks on a knife, but now I cringe at anything over $250. My good ol' Caly 3.5 with G10 and Superblue is, for all practical purposes, the perfect EDC. I use it for everything. Fancy steels, fancy inlays, carbon fiber.... blah blah blah, whats the point? A knife is a tool. As soon as you hesitate to use it or carry it, it's no longer as useful as it could be. You're on the wait list for months and pay big bucks for your new Joe Blow custom with carbon-timascus-glow-in-the-dark inlays and CPM's latest high speed steel.... ect. Finally it comes and you're stoked. Are you then going to EDC it and wip it out to open a bang of gravel without a second thought? I doubt it.

I get the appeal of quality goods made by master craftsmen. If you're a collector, then by all means go for it. But I don't see any practical point to expensive knives anymore.
 
It has to possess some sort of intrinsic value... $500 is ridiculous for a knife. It just is. A knife is a tool. But before you tear my head off, some knives(and really anything else for that matter) transcend themselves and become more. The market and your target demographic shrinks quite a bit at this point, but you get to command the higher price.

Right now, for me, I'm on the lookout for a Thorburn front flipper. It's unique, clever, exclusive, reliable and gorgeous. All of which are expensive adjectives.
 
I usually like a 15 rd capacity, striker fired, low bore axis with a 4"-3.5" barrel. :P
 
Fit and finish is number one as well as quality of materials.

And please, if you are making and selling knives at that price point... I want to hear angels singing when I open that pretty box.
 
I've seen more than a couple knife makers bust onto the scene at that price point; for a full custom Ti framelock that dollar amount is low IMHO... For a fixed blade I'd better be seeing top notch finish or something unique that nobody else is making LOL!

Fit and finish, function and materials have gotta be good though. :thumbup:

Check out the ToxicFab cleaver on Instagram if you don't believe me; $1K and it's the first knife he's made...
 
For $500, I'm looking for what I want.

I research the knife materials, fit & finish, and manufacturer/maker before I buy any knife.
 
For $500 it had better drive my car, cut my grass, take out the trash, and be all around useful.
 
Quiet said:
The biggest thing? At that price range, I'm looking at custom knives made by established makers, with a history of excellence and quality products which are proven designs, made of proven materials that they've proven they can get great performance out of.

I am not quite sure you'll sell many knives at that price point if you're just starting out. Best of luck to you, brother.
Click to expand...

EyeDog said:
Blade steel and quality of treatment, grind and finish.

$500 knives usually come with a reputation. I don't know any knife makers that started at that price point. Start small and build a client base of satisfied buyers.

Mike
Click to expand...

^---- These right here. Everybody has to start somewhere, but I don't know anyone that would buy a knife from an unknown maker for $500+
If you can start out in the $100 or so range, I think you'll have better luck establishing your name and reputation. Good luck!
 
You can't look at knives like "what SHOULD I get for $500"

There are all kinds of knives with all kinds of materials for around the $500 range.
Some sell because it suits a bunch of preferences, some sell because of hype, some sell because of both....

You can't just start making knives and put some fictitious value on them (unless you do it on Instagram!!)

The point is, you need to first prove that you can earn that kind of money with your product, and then have buyers who buy into you and the product.
It's a long difficult road that requires talent, hard work, ingenuity, and some luck.......
 
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