What would you choose?

I think the answer is to have both a $200 knife and a $20 one. That will provide you with a knife that will provide satisfaction and a second cheapo that will allow you to cut things you wouldn't want to subject your $200 to.

To answer, though, knife knuts are always happier with fewer better knives than with more inferior knives. I talk to knife knuts every day and every one seems to be "upgrading" rather than "downgrading."

------------------
Fred
Knife Outlet
http://www.knifeoutlet.com
 
For me, being a Benchmade Collector, I can get the knifes that I personally want for $100-$300, so ten $200 knives would be fine for me.

Dark Nemsis

------------------
<A HREF="http://home.att.net/~dark-nemesis/" TARGET=_blank>
http://home.att.net/~dark-nemesis</A>
All the knives in the world go round and round, round and round, round and round...DAMN, one of them took my wallet !!! :)
 
Usually when a person starts collectiong knives they soon have plenty of $20 knives.
Now there is nothing wrong with a good $20 knife. I can take a walk around a good knife show , like an NCCA show and always find a couple good $20 knives and plenty of good knives for under $50 and under $100 is never a problem. But looking in the long term once you have all the knives you could possibly use and many of us do,i feel it's better to add 1 $1000 knife to a collection per year than 10 more $100 knives. In 10 years it's more likely you'll have a collection worth far more that $10,000 than 1000 $10 knives or the $100 knives. It's also more likely to be an impressive collection. That's just my way of doing it,by no means is that writen in stone. At the same shows I mentioned you can also see very fine collections people have put together buying knives that didn't break the bank. They bought the right knives at the right which took time and patience and know how. Any way you go about it building a good knife collection takes time and work. Those that seem to do best are the ones that put the most into it and it isn't always those that put the most money into it but it often seems that it is. Also keep in that a lot of great knife colections weren't put together by buying knives. There is a lot of selling and trading that goes along with it.

[This message has been edited by TomW (edited 03-15-2000).]
 
I want to thank you all for responding, this has been very informative. With the level of my addiction to knives it's probably for the better that I don't have a lot of disposable income at this time. It forced me to be a lot more selective, and to do my homework first. I found knife collecting so late in life that I find myself trying to make up for lost time. As long as I have good people like you to advise me I know a costly mistake is less likely to happen. For that I thank you.
 
Well I guess my opinions are influenced by my experiences, which is something that probably applies to us all. But I thought I'd take a bit of time to clarify my position. I've seen or read reports of quality knives that fall around the $40-$50 range. I think the prices Phil gave were a little too extreme. There's a large scale of quality/flair. I've wound up paying from about $25 to $170 on a knife. With the exception of my first purchase, a Smith & Wesson SWAT knife (not as high quality as my others but it can get the job done. I just won't buy anything else from that line due to their dishonest business practices. And I'll only use the knife for something that could put some serious damage on the knife that I wouldn't want to subject my others ones to while making damn sure my fingers are safe.) the lower priced purchases have all been Spydercos. Positive experiences with them and knowing that they have good quality control and customer support mean that I'm more comfortable ordering stuff from them compared to other companies since I know that their lower priced models will be able to do the job well. While there will be some $20 knives that are good, there will be many that are bad. Just like I know there are some bad higher end knives out there. The campanies that I've learned to trust don't make most of their things in the $20 range so I'd rather have 1 $200 knife from a company I've grown to feel secure in.

Oh, and I think most of the world gets by with SAKs which vary in price. Hmm . . . that would be something interesting to find out some day, which SAK models have been the most successful. But that's another can of worms and a subject for another thread.

------------------
Simon Yu

"I look at it this way. If things get much worse I'll be too dead to care."
 
Phil & Co.
Hey Phil- great post- this is one of the "better" threads I've read in a while- real meat & potatoes discussion about real & perceived value in knives. This discussion has raged in various forms & guises since the first caveman swapped a piece of knapped obsidian for a fur or a wife. (I don't pretend to be an expert in Neolithic Economics, so the obsidian/wife exchange rate may be off...) This is why I come to the Forums! BTW- put me in the "sliding value scale" group...

------------------
Runs With Scissors
AKTI# A000107
 
Gentlemen...
dollars spent don't define the knife.. I have a $4.99 sak on my keys that has field dressed deer, dug splinters out of hands and feet, sliced about anything you'd like to slice and the edge keeps coming back for more. I have a Gerber L.S.T. that takes an edge to shave with..and holds it.. I have a Schrade 340T - that just works forever. I also have "Ted Miller" custom skinner - that has never been out of the house.. It's too pretty and too expensive to take a chance with ... I also carry on occasion a Delica and love it even if I do punish it. In the drawer where I think it will live forever is a K.I.S.S.- this is a wonderful money clip but not a knife... especially for left handers.. it even slices on a slant... My point is.. cost is not a determining factor - it is the use you intend to put the knife too and how much you like the knife and how well it stands up for you. It's appeal is very elusive to define.. what I really like others don't and conversly... I think that's why God made apples and oranges!
biggrin.gif

Go with what works and what you are comfortable with and you like that fits your job.

------------------
knife Knuts are sharp people

Jonesy!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top