What do you pay for in a knife?

I find that, if I'm going to buy a knife, it has to have the following

- A handle material and shape that looks appealing
- A reputable manufacturer or at least a reputation as a good product (I generally don't buy knives as soon as they are released...I wait until some good folks on Bladeforums buy them, use them, and tell everyone what they thought about them before pulling the trigger myself)
- A blade shape that I can live with, in a steel that I like or want to try
- A price I'm willing to pay

If a knife has a handle, blade, or materials of either that really rub me the wrong way (ex: plastic handles, 8c13MoV steel, recurve blade, or costs more than my cheap self feels like paying), I won't buy it.

Additionally, I look to see whether the knife has:

- A Lock, Opening mechanism / Sheath that looks appealing
- An aesthetically pleasing appearance
- A blade/handle finish or colour that appeals to me
- A grind that appeals to me
- A warranty/company that will stand by the product

These are things that aren't vital for me - more often than not, I'll end up buying a knife that I think is butt-ugly (for example, I still think the Kershaw RAM, Hogue EX-01, and Gerber Yari II are really ugly knives, but I bought them anyway and friggin' love them). Similarly, I'll buy a knife with a partially serrated edge or with black finish if I really like the other features and there is no alternative available. In other words, if I knife doesn't have features I like in any of these categories, I can deal with it if it appeals to me otherwise.

I tend to pay more for knives that appeal to me on more of these 'fronts', I spoze. I was perfectly willing to shell out for three sprint run manix 2's because they had practically all the features I wanted, for example. I was only willing to buy a Gerber Yari 2 when they went on closeout prices (60-70$ instead of Gerber's 250$ or whatever MSRP) because while they had a lot of features I like, they had a lot of features that I tend to avoid (partial serrations, tanto point, black finish).
 
knarfeng said:
For me it depends on why I want the knife.
  • Sometimes I buy a knife in order to try a new steel. If so, then it's all about the steel.
  • Sometimes I want a new user. If so, then I'm looking for ergos, size, blade shape, maybe fit and finish, and steel is reasonably unimportant. For a user, there are so many alloys which are adequate.
  • Sometimes I'm curious about a manufacturer whose products I've never tried. If so, then the priorities are about like those of a user.
  • Sometimes I'm curious about a design feature, so I buy a knife with that feature, and the rest of the features are not very important.
  • And sometimes I buy a knife just because the total design speaks to me.
Click to expand...

+1 Very well said
 
I go in order of looks, price (I'm on a limited budget) materials, ergos. If I don't like the look of a knife, I won't really even consider buying it. Same deal with the price. If the materials aren't up to par, then that can be a deal-breaker. Ergos aren't that big of an issue, as long as they don't make the knife uncomfortable to hold. Ergos can even be changed with some tools and know-how.
 
I pay for the removal of material from natural deposits, the purification of said materials, the costs to ship those materials, and then the labor costs involved in making a knife.
 
knarfeng said:
For me it depends on why I want the knife.
  • Sometimes I buy a knife in order to try a new steel. If so, then it's all about the steel.
  • Sometimes I want a new user. If so, then I'm looking for ergos, size, blade shape, maybe fit and finish, and steel is reasonably unimportant. For a user, there are so many alloys which are adequate.
  • Sometimes I'm curious about a manufacturer whose products I've never tried. If so, then the priorities are about like those of a user.
  • Sometimes I'm curious about a design feature, so I buy a knife with that feature, and the rest of the features are not very important.
  • And sometimes I buy a knife just because the total design speaks to me.
Click to expand...

+1 on this. I also generally look for quality. If a knife is crappy quality (for the money), I don't care what ergos, steel, or looks it has.
 
1. Size and shape.
2. Steel.
3. blade grind.
4. Lock.

I will sometimes use a less than optimal design to get the best steel though.
 
Frankly, if it is limited production or a sprint it immediately gets my attention. However, it has to be a tried and true design. The only knives I currently plan on purchasing in the near future are the M390 Para2 and carbon fiber M390 Military. However the Para2's ergos aren't my favorite, they are still better than most, but I'd prefer something along the lines of Manix2 ergonomics. To each their own.
 
I’ll preface this by saying that I don’t buy knives to rotate or display or as investments. I don’t have many knives, and they are all primary users with few backups or rotations.

For me, of first and foremost importance is indeed name. “Who is making the knife?” is the most important question to ask before even considering a purchase or commission for me. I’d rather have an excellent knife made with common materials by a master knife maker (or highly reputable factory in a First World country) than a POS made with exotic materials by an inexperienced maker or a Chinese factory. Too much can go wrong in the creation of a knife, from the grain structure and heat treat of the steel to the attachment of the handles, etc. I’m not a fan of testing my luck by having tips snap off, blades chip or break at the handle, handle materials come undone, pins become loose, etc. I just don’t have time for that crap.

Also important is a proven reputation of the design. “Is this a knife design that has been proven over time to work for its intended purpose?” is the question to ask for me. But of course, the best situation is a proven knife design made by a proven knife maker who has made that design lots of times before!!

Actually, for the other stuff, A) I usually have a pretty good idea what I want in a knife before I even start looking, so I’ll already have a steel and other materials in mind, and B) the materials are totally dependent on the intended use of the knife.
 
Usually I just see one and think "That needs to be a part of my life" and I buy it.

Just kidding.....

But seriously.

I usually look for 1: Materials/ Blade steel, I like s30v, 420hc, some 440c versions depending on heat treat -_-, 154cm, ats-34, m390...
2: Style, has to usually be slim, and have a 3''+ blade most of the time...
3: Fit/Finish.... has to at least be a 7/10 for me to buy. Even if it's not really a pricey one, still needs to be 7/10... 10 Being ":O I will trade you all of my stuffs for it"
 
if I've got time and casually looking...for folders:

  • overall design
  • blade type
  • blade grind
  • blade size
  • type of lock
  • ergonomics
  • blade material
  • handle material
  • pocket clip type and location
  • method of opening


...but there is that rare instance of magic, a blade just jumps out and grabs a hold...forget about it, that previous list will take a back seat. Primal instincts take over...revert back to the id...
 
It is all about the design -the geometry that makes up the mass of the knife (including mechanisms, if it is a folder). How will the shape of the blade and handle interact with my body (ergonomics), and will I be able to consider it an extension of my body? Will the blade cut efficiently in its own right and as a function of my personal ergonomics?

Once I have found a knife that satisfies ^that criteria, then I know I will have found myself a good knife. All other criteria is secondary and plays a much lower role in my buying decisions. I have basic standards for material, fit and finish, and customer service... But nothing trumps the overall physical design.

For example, I will pay more for a "superior design," even if a slightly comparable knife has "better" materials, fit and finish, and/or customer service.

That is how I justify my Al Mar Eagle and Emerson knives. They may have been spendy, but there is no substitute for a design you think is perfect for you.
 
These things are important:
Name Brand. Size. Lock. With clip.
Right now the Benchmade 94X series are the perfect knives for me.
 
In no particular order:

-Fit and Finish
-Ergos
-RIL/Liner Lock preferred
-Try to keep em between 3"-4"
-Ti Handles preferred [g10 tears up my pockets]
-Decently deep carry pocket clip
 
steel, construction tolerances, grind style, lock (not for strength), how ergos look, materials, look, AND most importantly, The spydie hole :D.
 
As much as steel is a draw to most of us, it's not the main reason I buy and carry knives. My reasons can vary but all within a set group of reasons.

I buy a knife sometimes just because it has been too long since my last knife and I get into a mode of needing immediate gratification from a new knife. Most of the time, I don't spend a lot of money on this reason. I look for the cool but cheaper knives.

But a few times a year I get the urge to finally buy a knife that I have been putting off because of cost. This is when I spring for the Striders, CRK's, etc.

I always try to get in on special sprints or limiteds that are using an exotic steel but to be honest, I don't use my EDC hard enough to require special steels. As much as I like some special steels, anything from AUS8 on up is suitable for my actual needs. I use my Beckers and other carbon steel blades way harder than I do my pocket carry. I can often carry a folder for months with nothing more than pocket lint as the noticiable sign it was carried.

I hate to say it but my EDC is as much man jewelry as it is a cutting tool. I can honestly say I carry a knife because I do need a cutting tool nearby and I want a cutting tool nearby but the man jewelry element is a big reason I carry as well.

At the end of the day, I am proud to carry and show off my EDC.

I'm frivilous :D
 
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