What is your point of diminishing return?

Cool thread CM. Most $ fixed: Fallkniven volcano,, most $ folder/folders: Al Mar sere 2k modded to auto by VALLOTIN and Spyderco sub hilt modded to auto by VALLOTIN, Microtech SF, HALO V, LCC . In the end its a personal thing I guess, where you set limits. I'll say this as a friend of Bill (1/12/94), the knives that are out now definitely test where I set them. Totally agree with the custom idea made to my exact specs but can't justify at the moment and struggle with that some days. Oh well one day
 
harkamus said:
I guess I'm in the wrong profession as a graduate student wanting to go into academia as a professor. I can't even fathom spending that much. I would if I could. Certain pieces like Ron Lakes are just fantastic.
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you are making a good choice. I switched to teaching from my own medical office, and what you lose in income you make up for in satisfaction. It's a very rewarding career choice, and I leave work happy every day. Plus I get to enjoy my $100-$200 knife collection on my 2 months off every year, which helps :D I personally don't see the value of a beautiful object that sits in the safe (at this point in my life) if I don't use it. but shooting is my main hobby, and I'll happily pay $1500 for a custom pistol that I will beat to a pulp on the clock.

I see so many nice threads with so many beautiful objects, this forum, EDC forums, FJ cruiser forums, competitive shooting sights, and I'm not going to lie I want to upgrade a lot. but every time I get close to it, I use the money to max my retirement funding. it's not sexy, fun, and I can't post pics on the internet, but there's a good chance I'll get to enjoy myself and retire in my 50s. spend the day in my shop making my own knives for S&G and maybe sell them at flea markets or something.
 
The most expensive knife I own is a BM 940 - which I paid $170. The one that's in my pocket most, a $65 Delica. I also bought a $25 Zancudo, however, the sweet spot for me is $60-100. Everything I have that was cheaper than that, is crap (IMO). Everything more expensive is just wasted money.
 
steviesterno said:
you are making a good choice. I switched to teaching from my own medical office, and what you lose in income you make up for in satisfaction. It's a very rewarding career choice, and I leave work happy every day. Plus I get to enjoy my $100-$200 knife collection on my 2 months off every year, which helps :D I personally don't see the value of a beautiful object that sits in the safe (at this point in my life) if I don't use it. but shooting is my main hobby, and I'll happily pay $1500 for a custom pistol that I will beat to a pulp on the clock.

I see so many nice threads with so many beautiful objects, this forum, EDC forums, FJ cruiser forums, competitive shooting sights, and I'm not going to lie I want to upgrade a lot. but every time I get close to it, I use the money to max my retirement funding. it's not sexy, fun, and I can't post pics on the internet, but there's a good chance I'll get to enjoy myself and retire in my 50s. spend the day in my shop making my own knives for S&G and maybe sell them at flea markets or something.
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Hi Steviesterno,

That is very sound advice. I see a lot of guys reaching way beyond their means for custom knives. They tell me that they see some of my knives and feel they need a custom at that level too. I tell them that I've been in the corporate world for going on 16 years now, put myself through college and grad school and worked extremely hard. I won't and never will spend money that effects my retirement plan. I budget money every year for my hobbies, prior to collecting knives it was high end 1911s like wilson combat, nighthawk, ed brown etc. Every year I start off with a play fund, I never exceed it and absolutely never dip into any of my saving funds.

But, I'm for anyone that wants to spend money on enjoying their hobby. Life is short, we make our own choices and have to be happy at the end of the day. Right now, owning high-end custom knives is my passion. I'm moving towards making knives (2 year plan) for myself, not to sell. Once I'm able to make my own high level custom flippers, I'm not sure if I'll have the same value level to customs.

Speaking of guns, 2 years ago I wouldn't blink an eye on $3k 1911 but seriously would not by a $200 ZT knife. I thought it was outrageous price, fast forward to now....
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Anything much over $500-600, you're almost always paying for expensive materials or rarity...high demand and low supply, not function.
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This. I have paid more then this, but it's rare. Usually try and stay under $600.
 
Pittknife said:
I just bought a $4800 knife and a $8000 knife, full customs from two makers that are regarded as the best of the best, books indefinitely closed ultra-exclusive blah blah. I'll be very blunt about this, it's still very hard for me to accept that I spent that much. I spent a lot of time wondering if they were really worth it. My conclusion involves 2 perspectives: 1. My value, in this case both are were worth it and I get giddy playing with them and taking videos of them, lol, 2. Market value, currently they are both worth it in value wise in the market. I've had multiple offers higher than what I paid by legitimate collectors. If they market value drops, then that perspective changes. I'm a collector so my valuation is based on the rarity and if I enjoy the knife in my collection.

My collection is all over the place recently, I've bought a $1500 knife, then the next day I bought a $150 knife I already have with the intention of modding it myself. I tend to stay in the higher-end range and I'm hitting the point where the value is not justified. For instance, I'm in the books for a Rexford custom but with no solid date. So I want to get a custom before then. Rexford customs start at around $6k for a basic now, the one I want is around $20k. That is a serious amount of money and pretty much my limit. I don't use any of these, they are strictly for my collection. I actually carry a kershaw cryo 2......that is about my limit for a user $30 lol

As far as the price versus value, its based on my collectors perspective. So the rarer, harder to get & gaudiness of it is what I'm after. Prices get exponential in that perspective.
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I like your viewpoint on knives; I'd love to see what the $4,800 & $8,000 knives are... :thumbup::cool:

I had a $40,000 art knife in my hands at the last knife show I attended; pretty crazy to think of dropping that coin on a tiny folder but it was beyond embellished and the materials used were very exotic. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

The most expensive single folder I've owned was a Hinderer XM18; I traded for it when they were commanding higher prices so... :eek::foot: I guess the price was inflated a bit at the time but it was a heck of a nice knife.

I had a Busse NMFBM that went from safe queen to user; so about a grand for a fixed blade is my "limit" so to speak.

The reality is that most guys here would never even use up or wear out an Opinel/Mora combo based on the usage I've seen posted so why buy anything more expensive than those two blades?... :D;)
 
Jasonsdman said:
...I believe that the point of diminishing return is around $150. I can pick up an S30V or S35vn blade with either carbon fiber or titanium handle easily. Anything above that is just unnecessary.
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This sort of matches my thinking today for a folder. Two years ago, I would have said $100-$125, so either my tastes are improving or prices are going up.

On fixed blades, I think Bark River pretty much defines the point of dimishing returns on their knives in terms of pricing versus value. They seem to have a pretty good handle on the market for the mid-range fixed blades. They seem expensive to me at times, but beyond their pricing, I pretty much say 'No' to a factory fixed blade. With customs if I want it, I have no limit but I certainly like to keep the price below $500.

Slowly but surely, I am moving past the Kabar Becker or ESEE kind of knives, but both lines are extremely functional for the price.
 
Czechmate said:
I like your viewpoint on knives; I'd love to see what the $4,800 & $8,000 knives are... :thumbup::cool:

I had a $40,000 art knife in my hands at the last knife show I attended; pretty crazy to think of dropping that coin on a tiny folder but it was beyond embellished and the materials used were very exotic. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

The most expensive single folder I've owned was a Hinderer XM18; I traded for it when they were commanding higher prices so... :eek::foot: I guess the price was inflated a bit at the time but it was a heck of a nice knife.

I had a Busse NMFBM that went from safe queen to user; so about a grand for a fixed blade is my "limit" so to speak.

The reality is that most guys here would never even use up or wear out an Opinel/Mora combo based on the usage I've seen posted so why buy anything more expensive than those two blades?... :D;)
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Hey bro, I posted a pic on the first page of the knives. I really think there is 2 distinct views on the matter, that's also the reason I posted what I carry. The max value of the knife I carry is $30 a Kershaw cryo 2, lol.
 
Most I've spent on a folder is $450, for a Brian Tighe mini Tighe Rod. The mini didn't fit my hand, due to both length and the curvature of the handle. I sold it for a loss. I do plan to own another Tighe someday, but my next custom will be with my input as well, as I want something very specific, and am will to spend up to $1500 or so.

My most expensive fixed blade, Spyderco Schempp Rock. Still have it.
 
I've bought a lot of knives under the guise of collecting, but more and more, even those purchases now carry a requirement of, at minimum, the potential for usefulness. Realistically, I can perform every cutting task necessary with one or more of the knives I already own, and I've never spent more than around $120 on one bought as a user; my max so far has been around $220 for a ZT that I absolutely had to have.

To be fair, I could probably appreciate some of the improvements available over my existing users for marginally more money, but even so, I don't see myself spending over $250-300 for anything other than a must-have collection piece. I might go as high as $500-600, but I have yet to see a knife carrying that price tag that appeals much to me.
 
Around $500 is my limit because I'm just going to f*ck it up anyway.
I can't have anything nice. :mad:
 
Inazone said:
I've bought a lot of knives under the guise of collecting, but more and more, even those purchases now carry a requirement of, at minimum, the potential for usefulness. Realistically, I can perform every cutting task necessary with one or more of the knives I already own, and I've never spent more than around $120 on one bought as a user; my max so far has been around $220 for a ZT that I absolutely had to have.

To be fair, I could probably appreciate some of the improvements available over my existing users for marginally more money, but even so, I don't see myself spending over $250-300 for anything other than a must-have collection piece. I might go as high as $500-600, but I have yet to see a knife carrying that price tag that appeals much to me.
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So this wouldn't qualify I take it?

 
No idea the cost, its been around on the interwebs but now cost or place to buy associated.
 
You can still buy a pretty good folder in the $50-$65 range that does meet 100% of my normal EDC needs. A $150 knife is not twice as good in most cases. But as I mentioned above, I think you really don't get a lot more for the money once you pass about $150ish kind of street price. But it is all about personal preference, your ability to allocate the money for a knife, and I guess these days, steel choice which pushes knife prices up or down.

I might add again that it is hard to beat a Vic SAK for functionality.
 
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knifehoarder said:
Anything much over $500-600, you're almost always paying for expensive materials or rarity...high demand and low supply, not function. It's not really that often you're actually getting some uber expensive material, and those materials won't improve function (I'm talking mokuti, timascus, zirconium, damascus, etc.)

Do I sometimes like fancy stuff, or stuff that I have to pay too much for? Sure. But those are the ones I really tend to think about in terms of $500-600 knives.

Is a $1,500 custom worth the same as a Sebenza with inlays AND a Wayfarer in B75P with LSCF? Not to me, not usually anyway.

Is a Sebenza or a Wayfarer worth more than 3 $200 Zero Tolerance knives? Yep, easily.
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^--- Agree completely.
Starting around $1500 I see expensive, exquisite knives that are literally pieces of art. Now don't get me wrong. I appreciate the engineering and beauty these knives are, and have nothing against anyone who collects them. I do enjoy looking at them, but they just aren't for me.
 
Pittknife said:
, that's also the reason I posted what I carry. The max value of the knife I carry is $30 a Kershaw cryo 2, lol.
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Thanks for making that distinction, I must not have seen that when I read your post. That's one of the main reasons I sold my $2k+ DDR at a loss... I carried and used all of them.
 
steviesterno said:
you are making a good choice. I switched to teaching from my own medical office, and what you lose in income you make up for in satisfaction. It's a very rewarding career choice, and I leave work happy every day. Plus I get to enjoy my $100-$200 knife collection on my 2 months off every year, which helps :D I personally don't see the value of a beautiful object that sits in the safe (at this point in my life) if I don't use it. but shooting is my main hobby, and I'll happily pay $1500 for a custom pistol that I will beat to a pulp on the clock.

I see so many nice threads with so many beautiful objects, this forum, EDC forums, FJ cruiser forums, competitive shooting sights, and I'm not going to lie I want to upgrade a lot. but every time I get close to it, I use the money to max my retirement funding. it's not sexy, fun, and I can't post pics on the internet, but there's a good chance I'll get to enjoy myself and retire in my 50s. spend the day in my shop making my own knives for S&G and maybe sell them at flea markets or something.
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I enjoy the teaching aspect tremendously. I guess right now, I just feel like a struggling graduate student. There are many things I hate right now, chief among them having to deal with students that plagiarize. I also hate grading. I guess that changes once you've become a professor; you get TAs. I'm a TA and an instructor right now.

Shooting is also my main hobby. I carry a custom CZ that is just shy of $2300.

Sorry for thread derailment.
 
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