Your First High End Knife

natecham

natecham

Joined
Jul 29, 2013
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38
I am curious as to what you guys got as your first high end knife and why you decided to spring for it? What sold you on the knife warranty, fit and finish, reputation, etc? Mine was a sebenza 21 small insingo with micarta inlay and I bought it because I wanted something that I could use and carry everyday but still last long enough to maybe pass down someday so I went with a CRK.
 
Mine was a sabenza 25, sold it. Tried alot of other brands, Now back to CRK. Definatley my favorite.
 
Mine was a sebenza also. All the hype on this site led me to step up after being pretty content buying PM2 sprints and stuff like that for a while. When I got my sebenza I was not blown away but the more I used it the more I began to appreciate it.
 
Depends how you define high end I guess. The knife that started my addiction was the Kershaw Blur tanto that you can get at Walmart. Definitely not high-end, but it was a huge step up from the junk I had previously.

The next step was a ZT0350. Basically, I wanted something like a Blur, but without the tanto blade and serrations and with LH carry options. That opened the door to the ZT0550 and 0561 and a host of Golden and Taichung Spydercos. I consider those to be solidly mid-range knives, nice, but not so nice I won't carry and use them. I'm now on a Benchmade and Brous kick. The Mini-Division CF and Caliber are the highest end knives I currently carry regularly. I'm basically on a quest for knife perfection, but it's become more of an addiction than anything.

The only knife I own that I'm nervous about carrying is my gold class Benchmade 710-142. I bought it because I thought it was gorgeous and I like 710's in general. I carry it occasionally, maybe a couple times a year, but I don't use it too much because it's largely irreplaceable and I don't want to scuff it up. I'm seriously contemplating getting a set of similar scales made and putting them on a user.

I'm mostly an accumulator of folders, but along the way I decided that I wanted a high-end hunting knife. My initial purchase of a handmade drop point led to buying a trailing point and skinner all from the same maker; a gentleman in the U.P. whose name I've, rather surprisingly, never heard mentioned here. All three are incredibly nice. They came with equally nice sheaths as well.
 
RJ80 said:
Depends how you define high end I guess.
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Exactly. The vast majority of people would find spending over $50 on a pocket knife extraordinary and over $100 insanity.

Some people might say they didn't go high end until they spent $3000+ on an art knife.

And everyone else will likely have their own definition of high end in between that range.


When I bought my S30V Blur, I thought that was my first high end knife. Then when I bought my ZT0560, I thought THAT was my first high end knife. Then when I purchased Michael Raymond Estrella, I thought THAT was my first high end knife.
 
High end knife??

That is about as open-ended as "the solar system"...

are you talking a $300 ZT? or a $3000 bennica?? or a $15,000 michael walker??? or a $22,000 wolfgang loerchner, completely hand made from scratch???? or a 28,000 ray appleton - a gorgeous piece of art with a knife blade in it????

they would ALL qualify as "high end knives", depending on the point of view of the buyer and the size of his/her wallet...

jzs
 
jzs said:
High end knife??

That is about as open-ended as "the solar system"...

are you talking a $300 ZT? or a $3000 bennica?? or a $15,000 michael walker??? or a $22,000 wolfgang loerchner, completely hand made from scratch???? or a 28,000 ray appleton - a gorgeous piece of art with a knife blade in it????

they would ALL qualify as "high end knives", depending on the point of view of the buyer and the size of his/her wallet...

jzs
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Closer to $75,000.00 at this point for a Bladelock Zipper.

When I was old enough, I got a Gerber Guardian II, it was almost $100.00 in the mid '80's....got it because it was completely badass....couple years later, Larry Page was at the NYCCKS with an amazing Loveless style fighter handled in sunburst cocobolo...it was about $125.00.

Now the Page might be worth $300.00....the Guardian II is about $200.00 in mint shape....at the time I thought these were high end......but I have a Loveless original Dixon Fighter Nude logo, stag handles that IS high end, and I picked it up from The Shop about 3 weeks before Bob died. The reason for getting it should be apparent.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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Define 'high end.'

IMO, spending > $50 was 'high end' initially. In that instance it was the Delica, and I still think it's great value.
 
Well I thought it was my PM2... Then my girlfriend got me a Griptillian and that's got a ton of sentimental value... Then I thought it was the karambit I got from a local maker... Then I thought it was the Bowie from the same maker. Now I have an Emerson on the way.. This time next year I might have a sebenza on the way. My definition of high end changes with my pay rate
 
I will rephrase it what knife did you buy that got you out of your comfort zone of what you were willing to pay for a knife. Maybe it was a buck 110, a Kershaw, a benchmade, anything really it doesn't have to be expensive I just went with a senbenza because it showed me what a knife can be when you are willing to pay for it.
 
My first folder that I considered "nice" at the time was a sog Trident folder. I loved it until I bought a cold steel Recon 1.
The old style with the benchmade type axis lock. That was sharper, the handles were actually rigid and it was just badass.
After that I got a Strider DGG SMF and have been carrying that for many years. I have tried and sold many other brands
during that time, but I'm comfortable sticking with Strider folders for now.
 
Out of my comfort zone? Strider SnG and Brian Tighe Mini Tighe Rod
 
High end?

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Sebenza is a midtech production at best.

I get past my comfort limit by divorce. Price doesn't matter now that I'm buying stuff for me.
 
It seems pretty obvious what the O.P. was intending with his question. i was gifted a rainbow leek when I was 16, before that I think the only knives I had were keychain SAKs. After that leek I bought myself a kershaw blackout for cheap because I liked the spring. I officially got into nicer knives when I bought a benchmade opportunist... 117 bucks for a cute little Osborne liner lock with wood inlays. After that I would say I lost regard for cost. I try not to spend more than what I make in a week on a knife 😄 right now I have about 500 dollars of knives in my pockets...not that much for a lot of people in this group.
 
Well high end for me in the folding knife realm was my Strider SnG BLK CC. Extremely smooth action and finish is great on this example. I was also surprised how light it is.
 
jzs said:
High end knife??



That is about as open-ended as "the solar system"...



are you talking a $300 ZT? or a $3000 bennica?? or a $15,000 michael walker??? or a $22,000 wolfgang loerchner, completely hand made from scratch???? or a 28,000 ray appleton - a gorgeous piece of art with a knife blade in it????



they would ALL qualify as "high end knives", depending on the point of view of the buyer and the size of his/her wallet...



jzs
Click to expand...


Well put.
That's comparative definition in different individual's opinions judging of their affording and knife values.
But there is infinite definition for sure for high end on anything including knife. Those were made with scarce and rare material, made with unique designs, from masters and or with great engraved patterns from master are high end knives for sure.
 
I remember dropping $35 on a CS Counter Point II and thinking I had gone off the deep end.
Then it was $50 for a Voyager.
Then it was $90 for a Manix XL
Then it was $175 for a Southard.
Then it was $210 for a 0561
Then it was $350 for a SMF
Then it was $450 for a CF Sebenza
Then it was $500 for a 0777M390
Then it was $700 for an XM-24
Then it was $1400 for a Will Moon Mk6

I'm currently carrying a $10 Cold Steel Eland. All of my expensive knives keep getting traded and sold.
 
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