When Did I Become a "Low End Knife" Guy?

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Sulaco

Sulaco

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I've been around a little while and have been interested in cutting things with knives since I was old enough to remember. I have an obscene number of knives for all sorts of things.

The last couple of years I've really been moving away from knives due to pricing. I can certainly afford it, but I just can't bring myself to pay asking prices for a lot of the knives which seem popular on the market these days.

Sure, there's a place for all sorts of buyers, users, collectors, enthusiasts, whatever we are, but I would venture to say the lion's share of marketable product these days is well north of a number I am comfortable with.

So lately I've found myself really looking hard at some of the more affordable brands, even some of the offshore stuff (which can be tough for me to swallow).

Anyone else find the industry pricing them out of their hobby?
 
Pricing outside one's comfort zone.... This is one of the reasons I like Bob Dozier's fixed blades (for handmade) and Condor, Beckers and Blackjacks for factory fixed blades. Admittedly, the cost of my average knife has increased in the last couple of years, but I am not really comfortable paying a $200 street price for a folder in XYZ steel. I seem to be more willing to pay more for a fixed blade than a folder even though fixed blades get little use.

The most expensive folder I own is a ZT. Nice knife, but I won't allow myself to buy many of them. When I get into a lull, my interest generally shifts to traditional knives. I have always liked them. I tend to buy middle of the road knives that I hope are a good value and will be useful.
 
Sulaco, I am much like you. I have never been one to spend large amounts on a single knife but I have spent a lot of money on knives in the $100 to $200 price range which adds up quickly. I sold off most of those including the most expensive folder I owned, the Sebenza, that cost me $350. Just couldn't get comfortable carrying a knife that I could lose out of my pocket that cost that much.

I also have not gotten over the knife bug but I have been doing the same as you, exploring the less expensive brands and overseas brands.

How nice would it be to be able to just be satisfied with one knife that you carried all the time and was satisfied with its performance and looks no matter what new came out of the industry.
 
I wouldn't say that the industry is pricing me out, but I have come to look upon less expensive knives as a viable option.

I used to be a "knife snob". I would judge a knife by it's price and country of origin. If I saw a knife for under $100, or if it was made in China, I wouldn't even consider buying it. But then I realized how silly and irrational I was being, and how some of my older knives that cost far less than $100 had served me well (and continue to serve me well), and I came to my senses and stopped judging the value of a knife by it's price and where it comes from. My change in attitude was also the result of several instances I had seen where cheap knives that would typically be regarded as "junk" had served their owners well, including under heavy and even abusive use.

For a few years now part of my enjoyment of knives has been buying cheap knives purely out of curiosity just to see how good they are. My greatest find is the first picture below. It's a Master Cutlery MU-1132, and I bought it for $8.50 new off Amazon (that's no typo, eight dollars and fifty cents). I've put this knife through it's paces on a construction site cutting, prying, etc, and I have literally beaten on it, and it has impressed me every step of the way. Once I get around to it and make a sheath for it, it's going to replace my current daily carry fixed-blade (the sheath that came with it was crap).

The next pic is of the two knives that have been my daily carry and work knives for around the past decade. A Bradley Alias and a Wilson Tactical model 25. Each of them cost me $300.

I'm proud to be a recovering "knife snob". I now get satisfaction from using a "cheap" knife. Sometimes cheap knives can be a great deal and serve their owners well.

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I'll share my story with you

A few years ago I was a normal guy working two jobs, not married with no real direction in life but I was willing to spend money on my hobbies, probably because it was all I had going for me.

After a near death experience with a being shot I got my act together and went back to school.
At that point I sold everything I had to pay for school; my truck, my knives, my fishing gear etc
I had close to $3k in knives

Anyway, I stayed knife less but it was for a purpose.

Now I have graduated, I have a wife and two kids and haven't been able to recover the collection lol
I have exactly 4 knives, three of which were gifts but I just can't see myself making big purchases anymore.

Last big expense on a knife was a 940-1 which I saved up for through the course of time
I ended up giving that knife away lol *before even using it* (it was so worth it!!!)

Point is I feel similar to you
I can't spend it because I always end up buying something for either of my two girls or wife instead
However, I do want to get a few Spyderco PM2; a 940-1, and a Bradley alias since the sebenza is pretty high up there lol

I have law school coming up so I better do it asap!
 
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Knivesandreels said:
I'll share my story with you

A few years ago I was a normal guy working two jobs, not married with no real direction in life but I was willing to spend money on my hobbies, probably because it was all I had going for me.

After a near death experience with a being shot I got my act together and went back to school.
At that point I sold everything I had to pay for school; my truck, my knives, my fishing gear etc
I had close to $3k in knives

Anyway, I stayed knife less but it was for a purpose.

Now I have graduated, I have a wife and two kids and haven't been able to recover the collection lol
I have exactly 4 knives, three of which were gifts but I just can't see myself making big purchases anymore.

Last big expense on a knife was a 940-1 which I saved up for through the course of time
I ended up giving that knife away lol

Point is I feel similar to you
I can't spend it because I always end up buying something for either of my two girls or wife instead
However, I do want to get a few Spyderco PM2; a 940-1, and a Bradley alias since the sebenza is pretty high up there lol

I have law school coming up so I better do it asap!
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Great story, good luck
 
I have owned all of the knives that you've mentioned, and only have the Sebbie left. I go thru knives pretty quickly in buy/sell/trade. I just carry one EDC constantly for my casual purposes and it suffices nicely. I like your priorities...knives go; family stays.
Enjoy law school. After that, you should be able to recover whatever you wish.
 
I've only been collecting a few years, but have really noticed the upswing in prices. I started off collecting traditionals with a max price range of $50 or so, mostly on forums or eBay so never full retail. Then I got more into moderns, but cheaper ones in the same price range like CRKT, Kershaw and Boker. But I always saw these elusive knives in this price range of $100 and over and wondered about the fit and finish and how they compared. A friend of mine got a Cryo Mtech knockoff and I got a regular Cyro to compare and there wasn't much difference.
So FINALLY I had an opportunity to trade for a Benchmade, which resulted in my trading some unloved traditionals (which as I mentioned before had gone up in value) for more higher-end moderns. After 4 Benchmades, a ZT, a Brous, a kwaiken and a few others, I'm tapped out as far as trades. I see others I'd like to get, but the ZTs run $200-$300 and I have nothing that even remotely compares to that price range and I can't spend that much on a knife. I have WAY too many bills and other uses for that kind of money. BUT I have more EDCs than I have pockets, so I'm good. I looked at some of the Chinese ZT knockoffs to see if I wanted just that "style" of knife, but they sacrifice build quality to make it cheap (thin linerlocks on the 452 and G10 handles with NO steel liners on the 0095) and the whole point was to see the build quality, so I'll pass.
 
I can relate to this very well. I have had Ganzo knifes for years. They got me into knives if you will. Then I went from $20 knives,$200 to $800 to $1000 knives. Which at one time I considered a $150 a lot of money for a knife!. But I still like the Ganzo. They actually have a few really nice knifes, the fit & finish, bank vault lock up, dead center blades. They are on par, if not better than many US manufactures who charge 4 times as much. So far my favorite Ganzo is G720. It is based off the Lionsteel, but with a Axis lock. It is built surprisingly well. My other fav is G703. If you want a beater, user or gifter check them out.
 
The old USA made Schrade, Ulster, Camillus, etc. interest me as do SAKs, and they are inexpensive to boot. No need to spend a bundle on a knife to have an interesting collection.

My daily carry knives are an old Ulster/Craftsman peanut and a Victorinox Farmer. Together those two knives cost me less than $40 and serve me quite well.
 
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I realized that many >$200 knives cut exactly the same or worse than <$50 knives but they're just made by famous brand with famous designer in USA/Japan instead Taiwan.
 
I've always enjoyed simple steels done right. To me a properly heat treated and well designed knife made using 1095 or O1, A2, etc. do very well for me. I don't mind keeping them clean and rust free.

Most of the time I can be found with a Case Peanut from the mid-70's (CV) and/or a more modern fixed blade such as an ESEE Izula in my back pocket.

But I still lament the days of more affordable folders like that from Benchmade and Spyderco. I can remember not too long ago most of the lines from both could be had for less than $100. Now those designs and brands are way, way out of my range.
 
Hello, I'm Hawgsnawt, and I'm a Knifeaholic........

5 years ago, I had more money than I could spend... wife has a fantastic job and I made well above " good money "...... we were probably top 3% income in our town....life was good.

Then I blew out 3 disks in my back which has effectively retired me at 45.... I drive a school bus now about 2 hours a day in order to stay busy and have a sense of purpose....

Back in the good days, it was not uncommon for me to spend 500-1000 a paycheck on my knives/guns/prep gear....now days, I'm closer to 500-1000 a year.

I've found the knives I buy these days tend to be in the 35-75.00 range with the occasional splurge perhaps as high as 150.00..... I seem to be an under 100.00 delivered kind of guy, anything 100+ takes some SERIOUS talking myself into.....

I've also found that once I changed my mindset and started buying less expensive knives, it really didn't diminish the hobby at all for me....there are some VERY good blades out there to be had for reasonable money and some companies who are just more value driven than others.... and that really has become the new fun in it for me....

rather than adding yet another 350.00 knife that'll never get used to an already full drawer of the same....then turning right around and start hunting for the next one for next weeks purchase...I'll spend a lot more time pouring over things, looking for the hidden gems and my favorites...project knives.... you know, those 40.00 knives that are only half finished from the maker and with a couple days worth of tinkering with the profile, and slapping it on a stone end up becoming VERY good knives worth far more than their initial cost....

The way I approach the hobby changed with my injury.... but not the level of enjoyment I get from it....
 
Hawgsnawt said:
Hello, I'm Hawgsnawt, and I'm a Knifeaholic........

5 years ago, I had more money than I could spend... wife has a fantastic job and I made well above " good money "...... we were probably top 3% income in our town....life was good.

Then I blew out 3 disks in my back which has effectively retired me at 45.... I drive a school bus now about 2 hours a day in order to stay busy and have a sense of purpose....

Back in the good days, it was not uncommon for me to spend 500-1000 a paycheck on my knives/guns/prep gear....now days, I'm closer to 500-1000 a year.

I've found the knives I buy these days tend to be in the 35-75.00 range with the occasional splurge perhaps as high as 150.00..... I seem to be an under 100.00 delivered kind of guy, anything 100+ takes some SERIOUS talking myself into.....

I've also found that once I changed my mindset and started buying less expensive knives, it really didn't diminish the hobby at all for me....there are some VERY good blades out there to be had for reasonable money and some companies who are just more value driven than others.... and that really has become the new fun in it for me....

rather than adding yet another 350.00 knife that'll never get used to an already full drawer of the same....then turning right around and start hunting for the next one for next weeks purchase...I'll spend a lot more time pouring over things, looking for the hidden gems and my favorites...project knives.... you know, those 40.00 knives that are only half finished from the maker and with a couple days worth of tinkering with the profile, and slapping it on a stone end up becoming VERY good knives worth far more than their initial cost....

The way I approach the hobby changed with my injury.... but not the level of enjoyment I get from it....
Click to expand...

Very well said!
 
Try Maserin Knives (specifically the Sport and Hunter models) for high quality low priced knives. They are made in Italy. Carbon Fiber, D2, G10, Cocobolo and Olive wood for under $60.
 
Hawgsnawt, that is a great story. One can do the same type of thing with flashlights. Hence Budget Light Forum. Look what some of those guys do with a "cheap" light!
 
I have sold most of my higher priced knives (over $250 is my gauge) over the years because other than a good folder EDC, I find I hardly ever used them compared to the ones I don't mind ruining or losing. I like to use my knives and test and evaluate different blade styles and whatnot to see what really works well and it's just sooo much easier to do that when you don't care if it gets ruined. Not to mention it's more fun to beat on 3 $100 knives than it is to do it with one that costs $300 IMHO.
 
It's just because I am a cheapskate. Most of my knives cost less than $20. A hundred or $125 is about as much as I care to spend on a knife. But my cheap knives are not junk; far from it. Opinel, Mora, Matttiini, Case, Douk-Douk, Mercator, Condor. Blue-collar knives. Rough Riders are a surprisingly good value, and cheap enough that I can check out a lot of traditional patterns.

There are a few Benchmades, some Kershaws. I can go to the store and fondle the spendier knives. I don't need to spend money on them that could be putting tires on my bikes.
 
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My personal experience has been while that my knife budget is determined by my income, my enjoyment is not determined by my budget. I might spend six months in the $10-50 range, sell all my pricier knives out of necessity, and still be happy with my budget knives. Later, I might have a swell of income and shoot into the $100-300 range and honestly enjoy them all the same. I've yet to find a knife above $250 that I've kept for particularly long aside from my RAT WORX MRX, but I imagine that's just an income boon away.

Once I'm going back to school, I'll bet my assortment becomes dramatically reduced (most schools aren't too keen on a guy carrying around a fixed blade anyway) and my budget range narrows, but I'll still probably like what I have all the same.
 
I stay away from the expensive knives.
All I need is a knife with a simple yet ergonomic handle, and a blade that holds an edge respectably so it's sharp when I need it or easy to sharpen when it's not ( 1095 and bucks 420HC are the way to go )
it needs to be lightweight if it's going in my pocket or come with a nice piece of leather if it's not.
They can be folding or fixed, one or two hand opening, and lockbacks or slippies, but they have to be simple in design.

I can't afford any expensive knives, but that's OK because I know that none of the features that they offer actually make them better.
My knives may be on the low end of cost, but they're absolutely not lesser knives.
 
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