What Production Knives Do You Consider To Be Over Priced?

My sister,who never had any interest in knives, needed a small pocket knife. she got a delica for 60.00 or so. she thought that was a lot of money.We don't realize for the average person who has almost no interest in knives and might need one,even 60.00 is expensive, and 100 is out of their realm.because we are on this hobby like white on rice,many don't even blink at 60-100; that's a joke or a bargain for us..
 
goldie said:
My sister,who never had any interest in knives, needed a small pocket knife. she got a delica for 60.00 or so. she thought that was a lot of money.We don't realize for the average person who has almost no interest in knives and might need one,even 60.00 is expensive, and 100 is out of their realm.because we are on this hobby like white on rice,many don't even blink at 60-100; that's a joke or a bargain for us..
Click to expand...

The average person (sister above) needs a kitchen knife and goes to a big box store to find one. They look at the knives and they look attractive. Spend $20, maybe $30 for a knife and sometimes two or even three. Consider the perspective (above) for a person looking for a small pocket knife and spending $60. Kind of puts the hobby in perspective. That's a lot of money and that is the a budget class Spyderco (vs Byrd).

For years I felt Benchmade knives were over priced. I looked at them in stores many times and I couldn't see the great appeal for the price point. Because I am interested in knives, I picked up a small Barrage and kind of liked the knife. I still think it is a bit on the pricey side, but I can experiment with $100 knives occasionally. Most of us here live inside a hobby bubble where we can justify just about any price point.
 
1) Anything Benchmade, the price fits the materials used if the fit and finish were on par.
2) Anything Emerson, and any priced Emerson, wouldn't even pay $15 for that junk.
3) Spyderco's made in Japan that use US made steel, all being over priced by about $50.
4) CRKT Homefront, CRKT Crossbones, CRKT Argus, whichever ripple sells for $80+
5) Al Mar, I don't care how great the F&F is, no knife with AUS8 should be ~$150, that's like buying a higher end sports car with a lawnmower engine.
6) Chris Reeve's inlayed knifes. I love my sebenza's, inlayed ones included, but I don't think a couple strips of wood inlay's costs them anywhere near $100-$150 extra, let alone $75-$100 for a couple strips of micarta.
7) Any cold steel using 4116 steel, junk steel that should be on gas station knifes, not $30-$40 knives that should have AUS8, even if for a few $$ extra.
 
Aside from midtechs in general, I will say both CRKT and SOG are way too proud of a lot of their designs. Stuff made with VG-10 and AUS-8 priced like it's made with M390 and possibly studded with rubies.
 
Armadew said:
I think a lot of knives should be cheaper, but Marcinek is right.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Nothing is "overpriced," or it wouldn't sell.

I think these "What knives are overpriced?" threads that pop up every month or so are really asking (though the people who open them are too nice or too timid to put it this way), is "What knives do you think people are suckers for spending that kind of money on?"
 
evilgreg said:
What's the problem with TC4 titanium? I've seen it frequently referred to as being grade 5 titanium, equivalent to our 6Al-4V, is that not the case? Assuming it's not actually that equivalent, are there failures happening in knives made from TC4? I have some knives made from TC4 and I've never seen them behave any differently than 6Al-4V knives, at least as far as the material itself. They're just as strong, lock bars are just as springy, they scratch the same way, etc.
Click to expand...

Your probably right. It looks like it's Chinese version of 6al4v. Thought it was softer before.
 
Sergeua said:
MAXACE knives. Fit and finish looks good but then you get TC4 titanium. High end Chinese knife...
Click to expand...

Sorry but I could not disagree more, I consider my Maxace
Knives some of the BEST value knives I own.

Thinking about getting another one, it will be my third...
 
Last edited:
marcinek said:
Thanks. Nothing is "overpriced," or it wouldn't sell.

I think these "What knives are overpriced?" threads that pop up every month or so are really asking (though the people who open them are too nice or too timid to put it this way), is "What knives do you think people are suckers for spending that kind of money on?"
Click to expand...
Semantics. Just another way of asking the same question. Maybe a better way.
 
1911nyymike23 said:
Ok. I'll play..yes they have plenty of good options for a great price. But lately...ta da....Spydercos newer stuff..I'm sorry but some of their offerings are ridiculous in price and I hate MAP pricing.. OK let the hate flow
Click to expand...

As a Spyderco fan for years, I worry about these current company tendencies. MAP pricing is anti free market and the newer models of Spyderco seem to be getting away from the earlier company business model which provided very high value for relative bargain prices. Don t follow certain competitors down that rabbit hole.
 
4116 is basically like 420HC but with like .75% moly added to go along with the .25 vanadium.
`br4dz- said:
1) Anything Benchmade, the price fits the materials used if the fit and finish were on par.
2) Anything Emerson, and any priced Emerson, wouldn't even pay $15 for that junk.
3) Spyderco's made in Japan that use US made steel, all being over priced by about $50.
4) CRKT Homefront, CRKT Crossbones, CRKT Argus, whichever ripple sells for $80+
5) Al Mar, I don't care how great the F&F is, no knife with AUS8 should be ~$150, that's like buying a higher end sports car with a lawnmower engine.
6) Chris Reeve's inlayed knifes. I love my sebenza's, inlayed ones included, but I don't think a couple strips of wood inlay's costs them anywhere near $100-$150 extra, let alone $75-$100 for a couple strips of micarta.
7) Any cold steel using 4116 steel, junk steel that should be on gas station knifes, not $30-$40 knives that should have AUS8, even if for a few $$ extra.
Click to expand...
 
while spyderco has map I really really really don't think they are ripping anyone off or are over priced at all. they would certainly be better at $30-50 cheaper, but that's really not that OVER priced.

also crkt and bokers while over priced for what you are getting for the low quality, I don't think its that excessive. but its debatable. I've said this just to add to all the other con's of the examples from these manufacturers. just saying while they are over priced its not by a gigantic margin.

I think some of you people just complain over $10 being over priced, lmao. I consider 100+ $ over priced (in comparison to the rest of the market, not including China due to differences in labor and lesser materials).

while some would consider crk over priced, they are providing high tolerance and paying employees decent wage's etc.
 
Last edited:
Mo2 said:
....I think some of you people just complain over $10 being over priced, lmao. I consider 100+ $ over priced (in comparison to the rest of the market, not including China due to differences in labor and lesser materials).

while some would consider crk over priced, they are providing high tolerance and paying employees decent wage's etc.
Click to expand...

$100+ is a lot of money, but it depends on what % that is relative to the sales price more than anything. I like to see Americans paid "decent" wages, but I generally don't factor that into whether or not I choose to buy a knife. Bottom line is we buy what we want to regardless and if we choose not to buy from a certain company, they will likely falter and go out of business.

I hear people choosing to buy out of state simply to avoid the sales tax when they could buy in state. Well, that money also pays salaries. Do we complain that a sales person at a knife store is only making minimum wage and choose to buy where the knives cost more because the employees are making more money?
 
I'm with powernoodle on this one.

I actually find anything over $50-60 or so to be too rich for my blood, as the diminishing returns per dollar make me feel the extra money isn't worth it past this point.

Admittedly I am a cheapskate. I buy knives for functional roles (edc, chopper, hiking, kitchen), and the $0-50 range you get better function rapidly for each extra dollar (usually). I've never paid over $75 for a knife.

As such, I find most brands are out of my preferred price range. I find I'm pretty solidly in the opinel, victorinox, condor, tramontina, mora.

Other than that, I feel like SOG, Benchmade, and Emerson offer less value for the money.
 
Last edited:
I find most of the production knives overpriced these days. When I go to the custom knives sales area, I see plenty of beautiful hand crafted knives for equal or even less money in similiar type of knives. That's when factory made is overpriced for me.
 
it really depends on specific knives, not brands but for me if I had to name one brand that was overpriced, i would probably say Emerson. Their quality is great but for the price tag you only get a liner lock and it could be better
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top