What's the difference.

You'll find many knives that use quality materials and are well-made in the $100-$225 price range (brand new). The best ones are in the $175-$225 range. Below $100 you'll normally see less expensive material and the quality can vary greatly.
 
My cheapest knife is a CRKT M16-12Z and my most expensive a Strider SnG. BIG difference. Titanium vs pot metal, S30V vs Aus 4, better fit and finish, the list goes on. What I will say is that the two Taichung Spyderco's I have (GB and NIlakka) have just as good of f&f etc as the Strider. If they were made in America I'm sure they would compete price wise with the Strider, CRK, and Hinderers.
 
"Better" is a subjective term. The question is, what do you need the knife to do?
For some it's just a tool for cutting. For others it's art and an expression of themselves.
"Better" brings in terms like "durability", "materials", "function", "edge geometry", "ergos", "weight", etc.
If you just need something to cut, you can use a $3 box cutter to break down boxes and open envelopes and cut string.
If you want something buttery smooth, classy and built to supreme tolerances with the highest grade materials, there is that too. Yes it will still cut stuff.
Does a $500 knife cut better than a box cutter? For some materials, no. Thinner profile is better for paper/boxes/food prep. For harder working tasks a box cutter can't hold up as well as a more stout blade/handle/pivot. But hey, there are some $50 knives that are tough as nails.
Now if you want an all titanium frame with a big pivot and thick blade made from CTS-XHP or S90V with ivory mammoth inlays, then you are going to pay for the materials and craftsmanship. Will it cut better than a quality $100 folder? No. Will it hold an edge longer, look nicer? Yes, to some.
So it comes down to again.. what do you need from your knife and do you want it to say anything about you?
 
Lycosa said:
For "basic" cutting, I do believe an inexpensive knife, if kept sharp, could cut as well as a more expensive knife.
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And a '75 Ford Pinto will drive you to the same grocery store as a 2014 McLaren P1. Which would you prefer to travel in?
 
addylo said:
And a '75 Ford Pinto will drive you to the same grocery store as a 2014 McLaren P1. Which would you prefer to travel in?
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The pinto because where the hell am I gonna fit my groceries in the mclaren?
 
The bald ugly truth of the matter, once beyond a certain price point, you gain very little except bragging right. To the rest of the 99% of the human race that does not share our affliction, it's ridiculous to spend more than 15 to 20 dollars for a knife. You see, we are the knife knits, that is to say we are those with Aichmomania. The phobia level obsession of pointy sharp things. We can try to justify it to both ourselves and family, just like the car obsessed tried to convince some that his 100 thousand dollar Porshe is a better car for his commute to work than say, a Toyota.

A knife is a cutting tool, and that's it. It can be embellished, dressed up with higher cost handles and bolsters and blade steel. But if it cuts a piece of rope in two just like an Opinel, what makes it "better" than a lower cost knife that does the same? It all comes down to subjective aesthetics.

Aside from ourselves, here on a knife forum, how does the rest of the non knife humanity get by? Certainly they must be using knives? Chef's, tradesmen, soldiers and sailors all need a knife now and then. Lookig at what the human race buys is a sort of clue. Victorinox is the worlds biggest knife company. Opinel is the second biggest knife company. Vic makes over 35 million SAK's each year. Opinel makes over 7 million knives a year. By contrast, Buck, announced a milestone for them a few years back, that they had made the 10 millionth Buck 110. It took them about 40 years to do what Opinel does in a year and a few months.

So, seeing that the rest of the world is doing very nicely with "lower" end knives, how much better does a high price tag and a boutique name on a blade make the knife? I've fallen into this trap in the past. I used think of my Randall's as my better knives. I was convinced that since I had paid more, I had a "better" tool. Once morning when I watched a friend and co-worker field dress his opening day buck with a Buck 303 pocket knife, and od a nice clean job without having to sharpen once, I was impressed. It made me rethink and question what I had thought. Next hunt out, I used a little Frost's Mora and it actually did a better job on the deer than a Randall hunter. I sold off the Randall collection and the better half and I took a round the country road trip to all the big national parks with the money. Had a great month on the road.

If you like the aesthetics and can afford it, fine, buy what you like and bakes your cookie. But it ain't written in stone that you're gonna get a "better" knife than some Swedish Forestry worker with a mora on his belt, or some Texas rancher with a Case trapper in his pocket. Yes, a 100 dollar knife will be a 'better' knife than a 20 dollar knife, maybe. But a 200 dollar knife will not be twice as good as a 100 dollar knife. Once you get to a certain level, you reach the point of diminishing returns very fast. At that level you start running into hype very fast and deep.
 
I'm a Spyderco guy, and my favorites seem to run between 100-200 bucks. I love many of their models. However, I carry a large CRK Sebbie or Zaan every day. Do I need that costly a knife? No. Do I appreciate the care and technical expertise and meticulous machining, as well as hand-craftsmanship, that goes into every CRK knife? You bet I do.
I guess I'm a dual fan-boy... So be it.
 
Great post, Jackknife.
It really doesn't matter which knife I carry but I usually EDC my SnG because to me, this is the one of the finest folders ever designed.
rolf
 
I think once you pass that 100$ mark your paying for things you don't need. It's purely because you want better. A kershaw cryo would be more then enough for anyone if they were just edcing it honestly.
 
Lycosa said:
For "basic" cutting, I do believe an inexpensive knife, if kept sharp, could cut as well as a more expensive knife.
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This^^^

I say this with some degree of embarrassment, but despite having a significant number of knives in the $200 range, the knife that gets carried and used the most is a Case CV Sodbuster. :o
 
Hi Al!
Don't be embarrassed. The Sodbuster has passed the test of time.
I'd carry a Soddie but I have to have a tanto blade folder.
 
Once you get over 300 bucks it stops being about the materials and more about the fit/finish and actual handwork that goes into the knife.
 
I second all of this. A Sebenza, purely in my subjective view of value, isn't worth the money to me. If I got one cheap or as a gift, I'd have no hesitation selling it to make some money, honestly. (As a gift I might keep it for sentimental reasons though.)

addylo said:
Here we go again.

To the OP, find a knife retailer that carries Chris Reeves Sebenzas, Hinderer XM-18s, or William Henry E-10s and go handle them. Then handle a CRKT or Gerber.

Then report back to us.

"Value" and "worth" are purely subjective terms. What you consider "worth the cost" should be based solely on what pleases YOU, not anyone else. But until you at least try out what others feel have "value" don't be too quick to attempt to judge that value.
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Their 2 very different knives in my opinion. A Cryo II would be more appropriate to be compared to a ZT 0566 in my opinion. Blade shape, materials, ergonomics, etc are closer to these two knives and can be compared better for what it's worth money wise.

Cryo II and Paramilitary 2 are 2 different styles, ergonomics, materials, etc it's harder to look at it from a price point perspective. It comes down to a what are you using it for, and will that style of knife work better for you in that situation? Which fit's your hands better? And are the materials (particularly the blade) and construction adequate for what you want?

How much a knife cost doesn't mean anything in terms of build quality or how much you like it. A SAK is the gold standard by which all other knives are judged by in my opinion. Their cheap, affordable, reliable, and have great quality control. I have seen knives costing significantly more than my $7 Wenger Patriot and it doesn't even remotely come close to that little Wenger in terms of quality. My favorite knives right now a Wenger Patriot, Rough Rider Canoe, and I probably have to add in a Kershaw Skyline (Damascus) that I just got in today, 2 of them cost around $10 and the Skyline set me back $50. Each of these knives serve a particular EDC purpose to me, the Patriot is my EDC that just disapears in my pocket. Canoe is my average EDC that can handle everything I expect to encounter and than some in day to day life while remaining extremely comfortable. The Skyline will fill the role when I want a comfortable one handed folder for whatever tasks life will throw at me that day.

Whats interesting is that in terms of ergonomics the $10 Rough Rider Canoe is the best for me. In terms of the best knife I own for what I do on a day to day basis from a pure performance standpoint it be a tie between my Opinel #6 and a Victorinox paring knife, so it comes down to a $10 and $4 knife. And what I do on a day to day basis mostly is cutting up cardboard, packages, etc and these 2 knives beat out knives which include various SAK's, various traditional slipjoints, Cryo, ka-bar dozier, CRKT m16-10z, Spyderco Mule Team 18, etc.

My point of all this rambling is simple, you can afford both knives it seems. Ignore the price it means nothing, just expect better quality control and fit and finish when it comes to well respected companies as well as higher end materials. Bigger question is what knife will serve you better?
 
@jackknife: by all resprect if have to disagree with you in the point that a solution is preferable because of the high number of users.
Think of food for example. Stuff the military issues come to mind.
You are right that a SAK or and Opinel will take care of most cutting tasks.
In the hands of an experienced user this may be all we need.
On the other hand is like the quest for better tools.
pls keep in mind I'm a knife-nut.
red mag

PS: I like the topic, because it's about the fine line.
 
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