Why Do People Use Cheap Blades?

[smitty0331]

At least your friend recognizes the usefulness of a sharp piece of steel. He may have a no deeper appreciation of knives than that.

 

[Bob W]

1) People have other things they'd rather spend their money on.
2) people have other things they need to spend their money on
3) replaceability
4) product availability
5) convenience
6) lack of product marketing and consumer education

he cares way to much about looks.

I'm not going to argue the aesthetics of Spyderco vs Benchmade, but "Life is too short for an ugly knife." If that's his reason for choosing a particular knife, it's a very good one.

 

[cziv]

I thought a Spyderco was an ugly Camel-humped looking knife until I bought my first one - a Police 3, G-10 plain edge model.

Once I wrapped my large hand around it and felt the G-10 bite and dug my thumb into the jimping on the back of the blade, that sucker felt like it was immovable and a heavy duty slicer/stabber.

It instantly changed from a frog into a prince.

Love those Spydercos now! :thumbup:

 

[tnt-user]

I thought a Spyderco was an ugly Camel-humped looking knife until I bought my first one - a Police 3, G-10 plain edge model.

Once I wrapped my large hand around it and felt the G-10 bite and dug my thumb into the jimping on the back of the blade, that sucker felt like it was immovable and a heavy duty slicer/stabber.

It instantly changed from a frog into a prince.

Love those Spydercos now! :thumbup:

I'll see how he reacts when I get my centofante 3.

 

[SteelSnob]

New guy at my work is like this. He told me he collects knives, so I thought cool someone with similar tastes. However, every pocket knife he's brought in to work he couldn't even tell me the maker of the knife, let alone blade steel, etc....

I mean, I only have "lower end" Spydies on me at work, but come on...

Then again, I'd bring my Opinel to work if I wasn't almost always in gloves. Not a glove friendly knife, that one. And I guess that's a "cheap" knife. However that's the old school kind of cheap, made to just work. New, taiwanese cheap is made to look a certain way, no matter how poorly it might work.

I once went into a sports chalet to look at knives because I had time and was there already and the guy at the counter tells me he's a knifenut so I say check this out and pull out my sebenza and he looks unimpressed. So I ask him what he's carrying to understand him being a knifenut and not liking a sebenza.He pulls out this assisted opening s&w and I then knew he didn't even know what a sebenza was and it if doesn't have a huge black blade and serrations he doesn't like it. I kept thinking he calls himself a knifenut hahah.

 

[shecky]

If anything, I wonder why people use expensive blades.

A good knife need not be expensive. They can easily be had for less than $10. If you want prestige and bragging rights, the sky's the limit.

 

[mqqn]

Hi tnt-user -

Simply - most people are not knife affection-ados as is someone that would subscribe to an online community dedicated to such edge-related minutia as what kind of steel is the blade made of etc. etc.

The reason that so many cheap cutting instruments are made is that most people want to buy that instead of a precision made, high-quality tool.

In addition, perception is everything. If you perceive something as junk (or treasure for that matter), that is what that "something" will be in your world; for instance:

I have always known Case and Buck and Kershaw and Benchmade were all makers of high-quality cutlery, but I had never heard of Emerson.

I have had an Emerson CQC7 in my "junk drawer" for 10 years after I found this tactical-looking folding knife in my young son's room and confiscated it for his own safety. It was only after I joined this forum last November that I did a quick inventory of my knives and found that this knife is one of the more valuable "high-quality" knives I have. So, for years I perceived that this was an el-cheapo folder and never gave it a second thought.

I guess the point is that we place the quality of our blades upon high because we are "bladophiles", where the remaining 95% of society can get by with a $5 piece of shiny metal for all of their needs. For them, ignorance is bliss.

As powernoodle so eloquently expressed, "Who am I to say that they are wrong?".

Indeed.

best regards -

mqqn

 

[cziv]

I'll see how he reacts when I get my centofante 3

They ain't pretty but w/o the clip on it, mine feels like Spyderco took a cast of my grip and made the Centofante 3 to fit it. Love that ugly duckling.

And my Military and my Endura 4 G-10 and My Tenacious and my Persistance too!

he calls himself a knifenut

You mean knife nut don't you?

 

[Cyblade]

For some it's a money thing for some it's a "good enough" thing for some it's about not having to use thier car keys to open packages. A friend of mine will drop 60bux on a game thats going to be traded in two weeks after he's beaten it for 15bux in credit but he flipped out when I told him how much I spent on my BK7 and Spyderco Endura that will last a hell of alot longer than that game will even be around. Some people spend hundreds if not thousands on cameras and the equipment for them and some like me are perfectly happy with a 69.00 digital Kodak. Value is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[cziv]

If anything, I wonder why people use expensive blades.

A good knife need not be expensive. They can easily be had for less than $10.

That's what I used to think. I was/am more into gun collecting and had a couple of Cold Steel Voyagers and a few imported auto's for playing around with and snapping while I was bored.

It wasn't until I owned a $100+ folding knife that I realized why people use them. It would take too many paragraphs to explain, but only about $150 + or - to find out for yourself.

 

[shecky]

It wasn't until I owned a $100+ folding knife that I realized why people use them. It would take too many paragraphs to explain, but only about $150 + or - to find out for yourself.

See, I've been there. That's exactly why I don't get into expensive knives. A $300 knife is certainly nice. But it doesn't get you ten times the nice over a good $30 knife. The basics of knives are very mature technology. Among the oldest known to humanity. And about as simple and primal as can be. The extra money doesn't get you more knife. Usually, it gets you shinier things and a more sought after name. But not much more. Sometimes disappointingly little, once the facts are laid bare.

 

[cziv]

shecky,

With all due respect that is baloney. You brought to mind a little guy from the factory I retired from, who always carried cheap .22 revolvers made 20 years prior (saturday night specials) and selling for about $25 and Jennings .22 semi-autos.

The revolvers were so loose they spit lead out of the chamber because they weren't in time. The cheap pistols jammed.

He'd always say of my S&W's "what do you think the guy's going to get up off the ground and ask what brand of gun you just shot him with?" Well with his guns that just might happen.

You get what you pay for and that's true 99% of the time.

 

[Bob W]

It wasn't until I owned a $100+ folding knife that I realized why people use them. It would take too many paragraphs to explain, but only about $150 + or - to find out for yourself.

That's a bit condescending, as if everyone who doesn't carry a knife that's to ~your~ standards is ignorant, cheap, or unwise.

You might be surprised to learn just how many of the most experienced and knowledgeable knifeknuts carry simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-replace pocketknives. Old Timers, Opinels, Douk-Douk, Old Hickory, Mora...

shecky,

With all due respect that is baloney...

:jerkit:

 

[jiggyfly16]

That's a bit condescending, as if everyone who doesn't carry a knife that's to ~your~ standards is ignorant, cheap, or unwise.

You might be surprised to learn just how many of the most experienced and knowledgeable knifeknuts carry simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-replace pocketknives. Old Timers, Opinels, Douk-Douk, Old Hickory, Mora...


:jerkit:

+1 to that.:thumbup::thumbup: douk douk is the BOMB!

and with that knife I learned that price NEVER reflects quality. $20 and you will get a knife that will out cut folders that cost 3x more. plus it has history behind it and it's a great conversational piece.

douk douk or a CCC? it speaks for itself.

although a sebenza is nice

 

[Bob W]

+1 to that. douk douk is the BOMB!

Opinel for me, please. :thumbup:

-----------

The OP seemed to get it, with regards to "cheap," that price and quality are two separate questions.

I'm talking quality not price.

 

[jiggyfly16]

Opinel for me, please. :thumbup:

-----------

The OP seemed to get it, with regards to "cheap," that price and quality are two separate questions.

I have one, it's pretty sweet also.

 

[A.P.F.]

...You might be surprised to learn just how many of the most experienced and knowledgeable knifeknuts carry simple, inexpensive, and easy-to-replace pocketknives. Old Timers, Opinels, Douk-Douk, Old Hickory, Mora...

You just described 5 of my favorites, Bob. :thumbup:

 

[Gadgetaholic]

The revolvers were so loose they spit lead out of the chamber because they weren't in time. The cheap pistols jammed.

You are describing low quality products that work poorly.

On post 35 I listed some cheap knives that are decent quality and work well, I don't think that is comparable. The dearest I listed was the RAT-1 which I paid $26 for - the Mora and Opinel knives cost about half that or less.

If I had my BK9 & my Mora Carbon Craftsman with me and I needed to cut something then I would grab whichever of the 2 knives seemed most appropriate to the task - the cost difference is irrelevant. Sometime I would use the heavy duty 9" blade BK9 and other times the smaller 4" blade utility knife would be the better choice. The fact that 5 Mora knives cost less than my BK9 doesn't factor into the choice of which knife to use - they are still good knives that work well, sharpen well and retain a sharp edge during normal use well.

For someone that likes knives but doesn't want to spend hundreds I would quite happily recommend Mora and Opinel as the best under $15 knives they are likely to find and more than capable of handling normal knife tasks. For chopping and batoning they may not be a good choice - but Cold Steel sell a Kukri shaped knife for under $20 that would handle that sort of work. I have also heard good things about Tramontina Machetes which cost under $10.

If someone had little money but enough sense to check here on what they could get that is cheap but good - they could do quite well without spending much money at all!

 

[Doug S]

I haven't read through all of the responses so this may have already been said, but I say that if a blade accomplishes all of the tasks that an individual needs it to do, is safe, and that person is satisfied with it, then it really doesn't matter if it's a low quality cheapie or not. Maybe even small-minded of us to think otherwise.

 

[cziv]

For anyone who can read and disliked my remark, I respectfully disagree with shecky's opinion on $30 knives.

Freedom of speech and free exchange of opinions?

I prefaced my post with........

With all due respect

My Tenacious is a cutting tool but it's nothing in comparison to my Military or Police 3.

That's all I'm saying. I used the figures of $100 & $150 not $300 which was mentioned by the aggrieved poster. My 30 tenacious is worth in qualitym about 1/4 of the Military. Just saying.