What's your point of diminishing returns?

H

heekma

Joined
Jul 2, 2010
Messages
226
Howdy folks,

I recently got a Strider SMF (love it), now I'm saving those pennies for a CRK.

Although they're both outstanding knives, I freely admit that--personally--$400 is a heck of a lot of money for me to spend on a knife.

My point of diminishing returns is right around $175-$250, and even that's a lot for me to spend on knives that usually sit in the box, keeping the rest of my small collection company.

There's a heck of a lot of quality knives in the $100 range, no doubt about it--and even that's a fair amount of money for a pocketknife when you get right down to it.

What's BFs point of diminishing returns?

Best,

Heekma
 
For me it's the knife, not the price. I always return to the Sage 1 regardless of what new knife I buy and try out. But since you did ask, around $100.
 
dsmegst said:
I always return to the Sage 1 regardless of what new knife I buy and try out.
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Same here and the Sage1 is a steal for around $100. I prefer to keep my knife purchases around $150 or less but did spend over twice that for a Busse BWM and don't regret it one bit, it's quite a knife. Even so, I think you could get a great knife in the same category for around $150, such as the ESEE Junglas.
 
I think $150 or less is a good benchmark. I think you should be able to buy a good, useful folding knife less than $100.
 
I used to be more strict about price limits when I started getting into knives. I didn't buy anything more expensive than an Endura or something like that, and I was amazed at the performance I got.

I slowly started buying pricier knives whe I saw something I really thought was worth the money. At first I thought I wouldn't dare use very expensive knives, but I was wrong. I ordered a $700 custom fixed blade and used the hell out of it and loved getting some wear marks on it.

I'm not rich, and the cost of getting stuff shipped to Argentina (plus our ridiculous 80% tax on all imports!) drives the price of everything up. So I do have to set a limit for my monthly knife purchases based on things like being able to afford groceries, pay for school and other similar stuff. However, if I have the money and I think the knife is worth it, I'll buy it.
 
Stuff happens to pocket knives. They get used. They get lost. There's only so much money that I am willing to put at risk in my pocket. $70-$80 is the most I will normally spend.
 
Seems to me about 200 tops for regular production folders and 400ish for Sebenza-like. Having a tough time getting in the frame of mind to shell out 400-500 for Strider or custom work...
 
There are so many great folding knives around the $50-$80 mark that I'd call that the point.

That's not to imply that's as high as the price of my knives go, nor that I'd never recommend buying a knife costing more than that, just that the returns are diminished per additional dollar spent IMO.
 
I carry a Sebenza, but would be the 1st to admit that once you hit $80 or so, spending more doesn't directly translate into a correspondingly better knife.

Meaning paying twice as much won't get you a knife that's twice as good, more like ~20% better for every 100% more you spend.
 
Tony_A said:
I carry a Sebenza, but would be the 1st to admit that once you hit $80 or so, spending more doesn't directly translate into a correspondingly better knife.

Meaning paying twice as much won't get you a knife that's twice as good, more like ~20% better for every 100% more you spend.
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I agree with the first part. But I most definitely do not agree with the 2nd part.

I think it's probably more like 5% "better" for every 100% more you spend.

I mean really, is your sebenza really 70% "better" than my Cold Steel American Lawman?
 
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around 100 or so

the bm635 and spyderco manix (1st gen) are the reasons i won't buy a sebenza or strider sng
 
For me the point of diminishing return is Spyderco Gayle Bradley. I don't think there's anything that performs 100% better at merely twice the price.
 
I've been purchasing knives seriously since 2004. Since I began, I've attempted to keep my fixed-blade purchases at or below $200.00 and my folder purchases at or below $100.00. There are scads of really well-made knives available in those price ranges. And at this point, I've amassed a sufficiently large cutlery collection that a knife really has to both appeal to me and be priced right before I'm willing to consider buying it.

Having said that, I'm always on the lookout for a bargain. And in the course of my meanderings over the years, I've run across quite a few. My latest purchase was a William Henry E6-4 I picked up on dealer closeout for 25% off MSRP. It's my new EDC. :)
 
Considering I live in Canada we do deal with higher price points than the U.S.A. Not on the levels of some European countries but still a tad higher.

Generally I won't cross $200 for a folder now and about $150 for a fixed blade.
 
Probably around $ 100,-. Over that, it’s really about a very specific design and/or fit & finish for me.

I’m realistic about it. I have more knives than I need and I spend more on knives than is necessary, because I’m a collector.
 
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