Why do people buy expensive knives?

diceman said:
Eel - I agree that the CS Voyager does require some sharpening maintenance, but it is a solid knife and is very easy to sharpen.
Mandeep - for ease of sharpening, you can't go wrong w/ the tanto - very, very easy to sharpen - just two flat edges that glide right down a stone. The pocket clip is not ambidextrious though, so you'll probably carry it on the right side. Weak side carry is often the most tactically adventageous as it leaves your strong arm free, if thats an issue for you.
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I'm not really concerned about the right side carrying, I'm just wondering if the clip will have any detrimental effects on my grip.
 
Mandeep said:
After looking at the pic of the Voyager, wouldn't the clip get in my way since it's on the left side? After all the knives I've looked at, I really like how this Voyager looks and I do like the price.
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Holding one in my left hand - the clip is under your finger tips - but not real uncomfortable. The clip is removable as well - too bad it isn't reversible. The clip does have a "dip" in it (the point of retention against your pocket) and either my middle or ring finger fits nicely depending on where I have my grip. I'll mention again that I'd go w/ a plain edge for sure, and that the tanto is easier to sharpen - thats all up to you though.
 
You could buy a nice SAK (Swiss Army Knife) for that kind of money. There are a bunch of SAK Trekker knives on Ebay right now for $25.

Go fixed blade and you could get a couple mora's for that price. Or a mora and a machete. I can hear the toucans calling...... :cool:

And the question is why don't people buy expensive knives for me :D
 
Haha, ya I've looked at the Swiss Army knives but I don't think the whole multi-tool thing is my cup of tea. So do people buy the knives that cost $500 for collection or to actually use them?
 
Well, you’re going to spend what you can afford initially. Then that little bug in the box bites you, and you get addicted. Then metals become interesting, scales begin to take on new importance, and lock mechanisms become your life blood. You become a junky that has to have the latest and greatest to quench that addiction. So, now where you use to spend $40 on a knife, you’re now spending $400+ on a Randell, Busse or some other custom. And you say just one more and my collection is complete. NOT!!!!
 
DG2244 - I agree w/ that completely brother! I've been a knife user for a long time, and have always had a lot of knives - but since I got on the forum here a month ago, I've added... what 6 knives to my collection? 2 of them costing over $100! And now I'm starting to eyeball the next higher "price bracket". Be ware of the addiction Mandown!
 
I think a lot of people buy what they like and actually research things but many people have learned that you get what you pay for and as a result feel that more money will mean they get a better product. We of course know its a bit more complex and still iffy to think that with knives but I think thats the inclination or thought process for a lot of folks.

I know that for myself as an example, I carried a Buck 501 for many many years and was quite happy with that $25 knife never really thinking it was all that bad. Once I got the bug for a new one I bought a more expensive knife and remember going back to the little Buck shortly thereafter in disgust with having wasted all that money thinking a jump from a $25 knife to a $125 one would automatically amplify the knife quality, fit, function, edgeholding and everything else including my feelings for it. Silly me.

The truth is if you shop around you can easily find out and rather quickly why guys that buy a Kershaw Vapor, or Storm model and then move up later get a bad taste in their mouth when the new much more expensive one they just bought doesn't seem to be as good all around as the one they got for less $.

STR
 
I'd trade a 440a Kershaw Whirlwind for a cpm440v Boa or any other s30v or s60v Kershaw folder any day - with price not even a concern. I don't know, but I have better things to do than constantly have to sharpen n' re-sharpen every time I cut something harder than jello! Steel, positive grip material, and long-term lock performance being all my main reasons for the upgrade from entry level 440a with a slippery crapass polymide handle.
 
Mandeep said:
So do people buy the knives that cost $500 for collection or to actually use them?
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Both. I paid over $30,000 for our minivan and I use the hell out of it. :) Why not use a $500 knife if it does what you want and looks good doing it?
 
Most of the working class of guys I deal with are going to dull the blade in record time to what I've learned to term the 'working edge' which is basically an edge that while not sharp by any of our standards will still do a lot of jobs if you force it hard enough which they do constantly. I've given some of these guys that carried 420HC and 440A blades a better S30V blade without telling them details of the steel or why it was better or anything else and frankly they didn't notice any difference in it for the most part regarding edge keeping. Some said it seemed to stay sharp a while but you have to remember these guys I'm referring to don't really sharpen much of anything.

What they did notice was that the first time they pryed up a staple with thier new blade in S30V the tip broke easier than the old knife they bought and they didn't like that much at all. You might hate some of these cheaper steels or bottom of the barrel steels or even ones that rust like many folks do but they do have their place and they do the brunt of the jobs in the hands of most guys out there that really use their knives hard everyday. Some of these harder more wear resistant steels are great if you are just cutting and nothing else but when it comes to a good window caulk remover, or a good scraper in a pinch, wood scoring tool or marker to replace you pencil on the other side of the room and sometimes yes, even a light duty pry bar there is nothing better than a cheap blade to many of the blue collar class of workers out there.

I've done a lot of work for folks in the knife world and get a lot of knives given to me as payment, partial payment, or to just keep after I evalutate it for them or their company and many times I pass these on to select people I think can use it and always with the stipulation that I get feedback from them as to the performance and how they feel it works. As an example, I've tried to give single blade knives to some, like one of the guys from Sears that installed our windows for us in our home and he said to me that he really preferred three blade knives. That way he still had one good blade when he broke the other two doing things with them on the job. Nothing like real world feedback to let you see what is going on out there in the real world huh? He had an old Schrade 8OT in his pocket at the time and the main blade had no tip of course. He said it worked now as his screwdriver though. :D He seemed pretty disappointed when I informed him that Schrade went out of business. That is until I presented him with a brand new in the box Schrade 8OT to replace the old one.


STR
 
STR said:
Most of the working class of guys I deal with are going to dull the blade in record time to what I've learned to term the 'working edge' which is basically an edge that while not sharp by any of our standards will still do a lot of jobs if you force it hard enough which they do constantly. I've given some of these guys that carried 420HC and 440A blades a better S30V blade without telling them details of the steel or why it was better or anything else and frankly they didn't notice any difference in it for the most part regarding edge keeping. Some said it seemed to stay sharp a while but you have to remember these guys I'm referring to don't really sharpen much of anything.

What they did notice was that the first time they pryed up a staple with thier new blade in S30V the tip broke easier than the old knife they bought and they didn't like that much at all. You might hate some of these cheaper steels or bottom of the barrel steels or even ones that rust like many folks do but they do have their place and they do the brunt of the jobs in the hands of most guys out there that really use their knives hard everyday. Some of these harder more wear resistant steels are great if you are just cutting and nothing else but when it comes to a good window caulk remover, or a good scraper in a pinch, wood scoring tool or marker to replace you pencil on the other side of the room and sometimes yes, even a light duty pry bar there is nothing better than a cheap blade to many of the blue collar class of workers out there.

I've done a lot of work for folks in the knife world and get a lot of knives given to me as payment, partial payment, or to just keep after I evalutate it for them or their company and many times I pass these on to select people I think can use it and always with the stipulation that I get feedback from them as to the performance and how they feel it works. As an example, I've tried to give single blade knives to some, like one of the guys from Sears that installed our windows for us in our home and he said to me that he really preferred three blade knives. That way he still had one good blade when he broke the other two doing things with them on the job. Nothing like real world feedback to let you see what is going on out there in the real world huh? He had an old Schrade 8OT in his pocket at the time and the main blade had no tip of course. He said it worked now as his screwdriver though. :D He seemed pretty disappointed when I informed him that Schrade went out of business. That is until I presented him with a brand new in the box Schrade 8OT to replace the old one.


STR
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I agree, you just have to know the limitations and uses for each steel. Something your average knife user has no knowledge of. That's why if I were to pick an 'affordable' knife as a gift for someone that wasn't a knife knut..it would be something like a 440a frame lock Leek. It's quick, has an aluminum handle, it's nice n' pointy, and the tip will hold up better than the more brittle & harder steels. BUT I would yell loudly into that person's ear with a megaphone: "It's not a ****ing crowbar!!!! So don't treat it like one!!!! If you use it as a crowbar, it will turn into an AO screwdriver!!!!" :D Every steel has it's place, scraping and prying being some of the most common forms of abuse that knives receive from people that don't have the right tool for the job.
 
Mandeep said:
Hey guys, I'm looking into buying my first folding knife for EDC and the occasional hiking/camping/etc trip. I only have 30 bucks to spend so I guess I'm gonna buy a Spyderco or something since they offer a lot of left handed knives. But, I was just wondering why do I see people buying a knife for hundreds of dollars if they're just gonna go out and abuse them?
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Only knuckledraggers go out and abuse a knife. Most people use their knives to cut things...which isn't abuse. Although it seems to be fashionable of late to destroy knives for no useful purpose, it is certainly not the norm. ;)
 
Value is largely in the eye of the beholder. If you want to cut things, a $.99 boxcutter will often do the job fine. Knife enthusiasts tend to want finer things, however. Thus the market for $500 knives. However, $30 will likely get you a knife that'll cut every bit as good as a $500 one, and be more stylish than that boxcutter. I'd say look at Kershaw or Buck models at Walmart.
 
Well, I buy custom knives, because I like them and I can. I use my knives, I do not abuse them. Like has been said, some people buy car stereos, art etc. I like custom knives.
 
But, I was just wondering why do I see people buying a knife for hundreds of dollars if they're just gonna go out and abuse them?
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People like expensive things...it's just human nature.

But we must not fall in to the trap of believing that price equals capability...it often does not.

I have a white gold wedding band, but I'm sure that a stainless steel band would certainly last longer and get less dings and scratches, and cost alot less too.
And primitive people all around the globe survive in the wilderness just fine with cheap inexpensive knives.
If you know how to use it properly, then even a $10.00 machete will last you many many years.

Also remember, in practical everyday use, most folks could not tell the difference between blade-steels even if their life depended upon it.

Good luck,
Allen
 
Well I cant expand much on what has been said, I know I buy based on what I like. If that happens to be 700 dollars....well I guess I am going to spend it. I buy alot of knives under 200 and those make up the bulk of my collection. I am a knife nut, knives are what I like. I think many people find getting into this that they start off not spending much money but getting the itch to see what another 50 dollars will get them.

That is more along the lines of what happened to me. "ok a military is this nice...so what is a Lonewolf going to be like, then a sebenza, then a custom". I kept working my way up and buying for materials or makers and thats how I got used to spending more. That doesnt mean I wont buy a $75 spyderco...oh no, but it does mean I dont flinch on spending 500 or better on a knife as long as I have the funds(which is important).
 
1) they can perform better
2) they can look better
3) like anything else it is a hobby...why buy an expensive car versus a trusty ole car?
 
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