Why buy a 600$$ knife ?

LoganLongley

LoganLongley

Joined
Jan 27, 2016
Messages
134
I love knives like I'm sure everyone on this forum does. Why would I wanna buy a sebenza etc..., or a strider? So in general what makes those knives be worth that when I can by several high quality knives for the price of one of those ? I like the designs and the steels they use for those knives and I like the fit and finish. When I can also get that in a cheaper knife that won't cost my marriage. Please give me your take on this matter maybe I can be won over .
 
Pride of ownership ,tighter tolerances, depending on the maker exclusive versions,to name a few.I bought an Andre Thorburn,paid 750 which is really over my limit,but this knife is a work of art,the action is the smoothest fastest flipper ive ever handled,the polishing of everything which is very time consuming, and the engraved bolsters as well,and a hand rubbed satin blade. I compared this to everything else in the price range and couldn't realy find too many knives with this level of polishing and detail
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I would rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies. Buying more cheaper knives will eventually add amount to the cost of higher end knives (may take a lot longer, but it'll happen) in addition, more knives will cause clutter. Higher end knives are worth t because they're just that. They're quality, long-lasting tools. In most cases they are easier to sell or trade because of that. I love my CRKs, my LE ZTs, and the few customs I have on the way. I'd rather fewer, nicer pieces than more, good pieces. Just my opinion.
 
They are not for everyone. I have had CRK's and Hinderers. They were nice and very well made but I do not have them anymore. I bought them to see for myself what they were about. Carried and used them both but kept missing having an Emerson on me all the time so I sold them and stick with what I like to use not just what I like to have if you know what I mean.

If you have the funds I recommend checking them out for yourself. Grab one used for less money, if you don't like it sell it.
 
What pushed me over the edge was after getting two lemons in a row from a, normally, high quality manufacturer. Overseas shipping, customs, return shipping, etc. is expensive, so just buying a Sebenza (in this case) was about the same cost and I felt confident that the risk of getting a lemon was very slim.
 
Why buy that fillet when you can survive on beans and rice just fine?

Also, the search function can be very helpful. This topic has come up a time or two.
 
The only down side is if you start buying a ton of 600+ customs, if you need to sell them one day,depending on what you bought, they might be harder to sell and you might take a bigger loss trying to move them. Ive seen a few guys selling a large collection of big big dollar customs, and they are not really moving,forcing them to use a dealer which will take around 25% or so;thats why I only have 3 customs that range from 550 to 750 ;just pick something that your real sure you want to keep for a long time...
 
Why buy a $600 knife?

If you have to ask yourself that question, you don't need to be buying a $600 knife.
 
They are works of functional art crafted by some of the best hands in the industry. Does anyone need a Bentley? No a Honda civic has the same number of wheels and will get you where you need to be.

Would anyone argue which is the better built and more finely crafted? Upper end knives are sort of like that.

I nearly purchased one when I came into a small windfall a few years back. Ultimately I decided that I was a user and not a collector. I felt that the artists deserved more respect for their product use.

I will say that my upper end practical return on investment for a folder is about $300. I still use my $50 knives for most jobs, but fit, finish, and performance is better with my ZT.

That said, I have been lucky enough to earn a friendship with a few makers here on BFC. Any premium blade of their's I purchase is cherished out of warm fondness of the maker and not the high-ended-ness of the materials.
 
Speaking strictly from a performance-oriented perspective, there isn't much reason to spend more than $150 on a knife. As you go further up the prices from there, you will see severely diminishing returns in quality.

It's really about "because I like it" and "I think it's cool" more than anything else, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. When we drop more than a couple hundred dollars on a knife (as most of us here have done before), it's because we want to appreciate the craftsmanship and, as others have mentioned, the associated pride of ownership. If you're strictly interested in performance, buy $60 Endura or Recon 1 and you'll never need another folder.
 
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I think it all depends on the knife. To start with, don't sort knives by what they cost, sort them by what they're worth. Once you've done that, you'll have cleared up the clutter of overpriced midtechs. The brands that rise to the top in the $400-600 range are the ones that will bear out their price.

I'd never take two ZT's for a CRK because there IS a difference. Same can be said for Reate and their various collaborations, Shirogorov and CKF. When you handle a $500 knife that's really worth it, you'll feel the difference!

I can't speak for more expensive customs because I don't own any.
 
For the same reasons you'd buy a $100 over a $50 knife, or a $30 over a $10. No amount of explaining can make you understand, and no one should have to defend their reasoning of how they spend their money.

For me though it was why have 5 $100 knives when I only carry one at a time when I can have 1 sebenza and 2 very nice traditional patterned GECs. Like everything in life, it depends on the individual and their circumstances.
 
I don't buy $300 knives for same reason I won't buy a Ferrari. The price difference between sebenza and delica or a Ferrari and a Camaro isn't worth the slightly better performance
 
The quality and manufacturing excellence of a Sebenza has to be experienced to understand its following. Since getting my Sebenza I just put it in my pocket and let the need for a good tool knife present itself.
 
FA1BladeGuy said:
The quality and manufacturing excellence of a Sebenza has to be experienced to understand its following. Since getting my Sebenza I just put it in my pocket and let the need for a good tool knife present itself.
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Couldn't have been said any better!
 
A lot of great answers...
Why by a Bentley when a Honda will get you where you need to go, (often with better mpg?) (Love that one).

Why buy a $100 knife instead of a $50, or a $30 over a $10 one, (another good one).

To add to that, why buy a $1000 Movado when a $20 Timex will tell you the same time of day?

In the wise words of my 3 year old son, why?
Simply, "becuz".

For some it's the status symbol, for others it's the trend just to be cool, for others it's the appreciation of the art, yet still for others it's a true appreciation of the craftsmanship. Different strokes for different folks...

Buy what you like, buy what you want, buy what you can afford, (and if you really like something you want but can't afford it, save up until you can). But it should not matter why anybody else buys what they like, want, and can afford... And so long as the bills are getting paid, and responsibilities arent being neglected, nobody should feel guilty about what they bought with their money, be it a $15 Schrade, or a $1000 shirogorov.
 
Kwon Kwang said:
Speaking strictly from a performance-oriented perspective, there isn't much reason to spend more than $150 on a knife. As you go further up the prices from there, you will see severely diminishing returns in quality.

It's really about "because I like it" and "I think it's cool" more than anything else, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. When you drop more than a couple hundred dollars on a knife (as most of us here have done before), it's because we want to appreciate the craftsmanship and, as others have mentioned, the associated pride of ownership. If you're strictly interested in performance, buy $60 Endura or Recon 1 and you'll never need another folder.
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Spot on....
 
strategy9 said:
A lot of great answers...
Why by a Bentley when a Honda will get you where you need to go, (often with better mpg?) (Love that one).

Why buy a $100 knife instead of a $50, or a $30 over a $10 one, (another good one).

To add to that, why buy a $1000 Movado when a $20 Timex will tell you the same time of day?

In the wise words of my 3 year old son, why?
Simply, "becuz".

For some it's the status symbol, for others it's the trend just to be cool, for others it's the appreciation of the art, yet still for others it's a true appreciation of the craftsmanship. Different strokes for different folks...

Buy what you like, buy what you want, buy what you can afford, (and if you really like something you want but can't afford it, save up until you can). But it should not matter why anybody else buys what they like, want, and can afford... And so long as the bills are getting paid, and responsibilities arent being neglected, nobody should feel guilty about what they bought with their money, be it a $15 Schrade, or a $1000 shirogorov.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agreed.
 
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