What's your price ceiling for a production folder?

gorlank

gorlank

Joined
Jan 26, 2003
Messages
237
I've got a serious hankering for a Lone Wolf Tighe folder. However I've always been leery about paying more than $100.00 for a quality factory folder. I know that semi custom/mid tech seems to be a big thing nowadays but personally I think mid tech is fancy advertising/propaganda.
Some faves are the Spydie folding Lum tanto and the full sized Dyad, all were well under 100 bucks. Anyone else feel the same way? In my mind that 100 buck pricepoint is a big deal and for us non-wealthy types, a knife has got to be pretty special to breech the C-note barrier. Do you guys have a ceiling for a production folder?
 
I only own 1 high end folder, a Microtech, but I think there is quite a significant different in overall build quality... it just depends what you value however, I use my Spyderco Endura more often because it was a lot cheaper I'm not so botherd if anything happens to it.
 
Given the current (wonderful) inter-mingeling of production/mid-tech/custom pricing and quality I do not draw such distinctions.

Show me the knife, put it in my hands, and a poor example of a $250 production knife will seem way over priced compared to a $300 custom. Put a good example of a $60 production knife in my hands and I am happy - especially if it is a Spyderco Native.

I still really want a small regular sebenza, though, and also a LE Benchmade 705 or 710, and a Spyderco ATR, and a ... and a ... and a ... :)

Chris
 
I'll go as high as the low $300.00 range for a Chris Reeve knife such as a small Sebenza.
 
Yeah, actually I'd probably go up to $500 for the right knife, and easily would drop $300-400 for a Sebenza, Strider, Mercworx, etc. There are some production knives that I consider in a seperate class, those I listed are the ones I can think of off hand. CRK especially. IMO the Sebenza is well worth the base $300 price, and I was happy to pay $400 for my classic wood inlay. Never been happier with a knife purchase then that one. Even after handling a number of customs around and above the price of my Sebbie I still think the Seb was better built then every one (havn't yet handled a Lochsa or an Obenauf, but would like to, I hear they are a match to the Sebenza)

I don't judge as much on how the knife is made, but on the quality of the product itself. With that in mind, I don't really have a celing to what I would pay for a production peice, but I judge each knife (production, custom or mid-tech) on the quality of the knife for the asking price. Some I find reasonable and would have no problem paying for it (my Sebenza), other times I find the quality of the knife not worth the price of admission and that is at all price levels, not just upper teir stuff.
 
My limit is $10 less than what I've got in my pocket (could include the credit cards in my wallet depending on the knife).
 
For me, over $200 is no mans land. Slowly but surely, this amount has been increasing though. Wierd thing is, price doesn't always get me what I hope for. I have quite a few knives which were less than $50 that I have enjoyed more, used more, and continue to use and enjoy, than a lot of my knives which were over $100 :( .
 
Slightly off topic but I just received a Loveless City knife by Lone Wolf. I was dissapointed. Make sure you can easily return your Tighe folder just in case you need to.
 
dennisb1975 I know what you mean. Alot of times my favorite things are the cheaper ones. If I wind up using it alot I grow fonder of it. My leatherman micra is probably my favorite knife because I use it all the time. Back to the question. There are alot of good knives for $100-150 so I usually limit my upper price range to that. If there is a custom design I like I just hope they come out with a production version that I can afford and aren't afraid to use.
 
For a production folder, my limit is about $200.00. I really don't see any difference between a $100.00 factory knife and a $200.00 factory knife. The $200.00 knife may look a little nicer, but they probably perform about the same. Whenever I look at a new folder, I always compare it to a Spyderco Military; a folder that I consider to be the standard for the performance/price ratio.
 
DaveH said:
Slightly off topic but I just received a Loveless City knife by Lone Wolf. I was dissapointed. Make sure you can easily return your Tighe folder just in case you need to.
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Hi Dave,

Would you mind elaborating on your experiences with the Loveless City knife. I have read some glowing reviews on Lone Wolf quality. But it'd be nice to hear a owner's take on one of their knives. Thanks.
 
There are so many great folders for around the $100.00 mark that I don't think you have to pay a lot more than that to get an excellent knife. For me, production knives are going to be workhorses and I don't want to be worried about beating the heck out of them. As much as I would like to think that this woyuld not be a problem with something like a Sebenza, I know myself well enough to know that I tend to baby knives that I spend that much on. On the other hand, I have no problem putting knives like my Buck 110 or Spyderco Police to work on whatever tasks I need a knife to do.

I would be willing to spend probably up to about $150.00 for a production folder that I was going to work hard and that's about it.
 
gorlank, you can find my initial impression in the passaround forum under loveless city knife, page 2.
 
I could go to $200 for something very special in a production folder. But I can't think of any one production folder in that price range that interests me at the moment. Before I spent more than that for a factory knife, I would save up and spend a twice that on a well made custom. I have reached the point where I am looking for quality over quanity in knives.
 
Price really isn't an object to me anymore. If I want it, I'll save until I have enough to buy it no matter how much it costs or how long it takes me.

Paul
 
For a production folder, my limit is about $200.00.
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the same is here. WH Lancet that I bought 2months ago is my most expensive folder and I guess it will be for at least another year.
 
For me, there is no comparison.
A $200+ folder will blow away any custom for the same price.
Take a look at the Camillus Fisk Bowie, for example.......
And the locks (ie compression/axis) are unattainable on a resonably priced custom.
 
My ceiling for a production knife is probably around $350-400, with a few exceptions. If I can get a William Henry "custom" for a little more I "might" shell that out, but that's a hard sell, since you really start getting into "decent" custom folder range at the $400 mark (I collect strictly folders, so my price points are a little higher). I just bought a black pearl scaled, mokume bolstered custom slippie, with a damascus blade on eBay for $50, with decent filework. Now it is clearly a used knife, but not terribly abused, so that was a great deal. It all depends what you want and what your interest is. Good blacklip pearl is going to set you back, custom or production, damascus is the same story...etc., etc....

It really depends on the knife, its intended use, materials and workmanship. I own a bunch of pearl inlaid "production" knives from Moki that are far superior in fit and finish than many custom knives, that I've spent less than $200 for, and some I've paid upto $400 for. It depends on the knife.
 
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