Why choose/carry budget knives?

[Bighaze51]

Because if it came down to it, I could shave my face with the Buck Vantage Select that's in my pocket. but seriously, there is just no way I can justify to myself (or my wife) spending $300 or more on a knife. My most expensive knife is a custom shop buck 110 I think was $90 shipped to my house. That knife is beautiful, solid and perfect in every way. Other than that, most of my knives are in the $20-$30 range. They get the job done and serve my purposes wonderfully. I'm not knocking anyone who does spend lots of money on knives. I really enjoy reading your reviews and seeing pictures of them

 

[Quillan]

I EDC a Spyderco Dragonfly 2. I have held and used a small sebenza. Irrespective of price, if I had to choose one of those knives for my personal use day in and day out, it would still be the Dragonfly 2 by a mile. Feels better in my hand and cuts better. Its easier to sharpen, and wayyyy lighter in the pocket. Price and "cachet" mean nothing to me. Usefulness, reliability, and wearer/user comfort and convenience do. In fact, there is no knife manufactured that I have personally handled that I would prefer riding in my pocket than my D2, and I have handled a LOT of knives, since I am fortunate enough to live 6 blocks from Warriors and Wonders in Vancouver. I guess the point here is that already stated by others...don't think of knives as "budget", "mid-line", "high end", or "custom"...just get and use what floats yer boat. It's all good!

 

[goodeyesniper]

find me a sebenza that can out cut an opinel, Swiss army knife, etc and then I might carry one...

 

[K.O.D.]

I have knives all the way up to $450, they get rotated in with the less expensive ones. Today I carried a Griptilian and a dragonfly zdp. Yesterday? Kershaw blur and Esee Izula. I've got four knives I'll be selling off because I never use them. No matter what the price, losing a knife pisses me off to no end. I'm freaking out that I lost my Gayle Bradley

 

[mlanghornes]

Excellent replies everyone. Let me be clear, I'm not saying that I need a high end knife to accomplish my tasks, since on the rare days I use a knife, I could get by with my sak classic or spartan, easily. I'm also not saying that high end knives are manifestly better than low cost knives; I've owned a sebenza, and I prefer my $35 kershaw Injection. It's just that, most days, my high dollar knives end up in my pocket. Please don't confuse my question for snobbery, I totally get that many people don't care about super steel, ti or CF handles, or bearing pivots, and that's cool, buy what you like, it's your collection, and you're the only one that gets to say if it's good or not. I just wanted to hear some collecting philosophies that may be different than mine. It's always been a belief of mine that if you find yourself disagreeing with something, whatever it may be, you should try to learn as much about it as you can and challenge yourself to appreciate and identify with it. So keep 'em coming, I'm learning a lot

 

[mlanghornes]

find me a sebenza that can out cut an opinel, Swiss army knife, etc and then I might carry one...

Not a Sebenza, but a Spyderco Chaparral... That'll give those knives a run for their money. 2mm thick ffg cts-xhp. Of course, it won't sharpen as easily, but not all high end folders cut like bricks.

 

[TBL]

The expensive knives only I get to use, I keep a spare cheapie for the inevitable moment where someone says "can I borrow your knife?"

I do the exact same thing. Only I get to use my ZT's (and maybe a close friend or family member that knows how to use a knife). If I'm at work and somebody wishes to borrow my knife they get the Smith & Wesson first response. Great inexpensive knife that I've polished hair popping sharp. It will do whatever job needs to get done and if it breaks or gets damaged in any way I'll turn it into a project and customize/ fix it.

The only beef that I have ever had with my cheaper knives was edge retention. It made me realize the difference between a $20 and a $120 knife. While making a cardboard playhouse for my kids out of a giant cardboard box (4 feet wide by 3 feet high by 8 feet long) I used my Gerber and S&W folders to make window's and doors. Granted the cardboard was layered a half inch thick... but after 4 windows and a door both could only be used as butter knives. A month later when the novelty of the playhouse was over I then cut up the entire box into foot wide/ long sections with my ZT 0700 which was razor sharp when I started and still shaved when I was done.

 

[HwangJino]

As long as it's built well I don't mind low prices, but I generally avoid cheap stuff.

 

[jimh0220]

No offense to those more knowledgeable than myself. But sometimes when I see talk about pocket knives that cost $300 minimum, it just strikes me as showing off, like a way of showing that you're economically secure enough to own such a valuable item when others can't.

My feelings exactly. Anything above a couple hundred bucks better do things unimaginably amazing. But my knives cut ropes, open packages, carve a few sticks, and what not. I can spend $120 on a good benchmade, ZT, or even less on a nicely made CRKT, SAK, Kershaw, Opinel etc, etc, etc. They all function for my needs perfectly.
To me, a $600 knife reeks of knife snobbery. I can do what you do with your $600 blade any day, and still have a LOT of cash in my pocket for going out to a nice dinner with my wife and more.

 

[Screwdriver]

If it a well designed, low price knife like the CS Tuff Lite, why not carry it. CRK's are well made knives, but imho I have zero urge to own one....the cost function ration is not worth it.

 

[stabman]

To me, a $600 knife reeks of knife snobbery.

That's judgemental.

I don't call people snobs for driving a car...but I could, seeing as I take the bus (which still gets me places...)
Or how about those "snobs" living in houses instead of fine, upstanding, good for the environment folks like me who live in modestly sized apartments, eh?

We all have a high horse we can jump on to judge those around us; some of us just have better things to do.

 

[stabman]

Oh yeah, and I still like a good "budget blade" like an Endura or Voyager, but generally I carry pricier blades.
Not always though; it's all about choice.
I have enough variety that I can carry what I feel like on any given day.

Umnumzaan, Yojimbo, Endura, Kris...they're all good.

And there's always a Swisschamp in the backpack because come on, it has pliers and a saw!

 

[Daddyo16]

To me, a $600 knife reeks of knife snobbery.

To me, that statement reeks of knife envy.

 

[Quillan]

I see nothing wrong with plunking down $$$$ for a knife IF that purchase made the buyer happy. What else matters? Ditto for the $20 Mora.

 

[eschwebach]

How can you be a true knife lover and not appreciate the value of a good budget blade even if you have your fair share of expensive mid-techs and customs? I have both and depending on my mood I can get just as much enjoyment carrying my Douk-Douk as I do carrying my Tobin Smith. A well made knife is a thing of beauty whether it's $12 or $1200.

 

[Quillan]

How can you be a true knife lover and not appreciate the value of a good budget blade even if you have your fair share of expensive mid-techs and customs? I have both and depending on my mood I can get just as much enjoyment carrying my Douk-Douk as I do carrying my Tobin Smith. A well made knife is a thing of beauty whether it's $12 or $1200.

Yup. About sums it up.

 

[Rare blade]

I mean in reality unless your a knife nut I don't think the average person could tell the difference between a $20 and $200 by looks.

 

[stabman]

I mean in reality unless your a knife nut I don't think the average person could tell the difference between a $20 and $200 by looks.

The guy at work could...and he only owns a $10 knife (and thinks no one should own a machete...)
He won't spend the cash on a more expensive knife, but he could see why a more expensive knife costs more.

 

[sunandsteel]

I see nothing wrong with plunking down $$$$ for a knife IF that purchase made the buyer happy. What else matters? Ditto for the $20 Mora.

I'm very happy with my Mora Companion, and I still have money left over to pay bills. I try to stay out of debt.

 

[Charlie_K]

The expensive knives only I get to use, I keep a spare cheapie for the inevitable moment where someone says "can I borrow your knife?"

That's probably the only time any of us will ever carry and keep a Gerber on hand.