2t2 crash
Member
I have a 250-300$ auto bench made. but of course i traded for it, and i made a killer deal.. i would not pay that much for it personally.
Why $200 for a folding knife?
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Gordy Wesen
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- Joined
- Feb 26, 2003
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- 422
Life's too short to use 28 pieces of 
when 1 
will do.
when 1 will do.
Dirty Bob
Member
Because you want to...
If a person sees enough difference in quality, appearance, fit/finish, etc., why not spend whatever they need to in order to get the knife they want? None of my knives are that expensive, but the only brand of lockblade folder I'd consider in the under $10 range is the Opinel. Now, that's an inexpensive knife but not a cheap knife!
Regards,
Dirty Bob
If a person sees enough difference in quality, appearance, fit/finish, etc., why not spend whatever they need to in order to get the knife they want? None of my knives are that expensive, but the only brand of lockblade folder I'd consider in the under $10 range is the Opinel. Now, that's an inexpensive knife but not a cheap knife!
Regards,
Dirty Bob
Valkman
Member
Look at Strider knives - the big folders run $350 and they will do things that will turn your $25 knife into pieces. Drive it through steel, cut a car apart with it - if you need it to save your life it'll be there. That's the difference. Then again I wear a $8k Rolex.
mtnbkr
Member
Which is nice if you need to do that, but how well do they function as standard knives? Based on the one I've seen, not particularly well. At least not well enough to justify the price. Overweight, sharpened, prybars...which is nice if you need that, I don't.
My Sebenza does everything I need a knife to do. So will a just about any quality knife for that matter.
Chris
Valkman
Member
I wouldn't call a Sebenza a cheap knife though. Striders make fine everday knives and you don't have to buy the biggest ones, which are the AR/GB monsters. There's the SNG, SMF and the little PT. What I'm saying is that you can't compare a folder bought at Wal-Mart to a folder made with the best materials, such as titanium bolsters. They make these primarily for military folk who may need them in extreme conditions but they've become very popular with the public also.
mtnbkr
Member
I wasn't suggesting that the Sebenza was inexpensive or even ideal. The point I was trying to make is that Striders being recommended as general purpose (EDC) knives for the average person is silly. They are purpose built knives made to a specific requirement.
I'll admit, I've never owned a "real" Strider, but I have owned one of Buck's early copies and handled the real deal at shows. The Buck copy was a poor cutter even with the edge reprofiled and sharpened enough to pop hairs on my arm.
Most people would be better served by getting a quality Buck, CRKT, or SAK and using the saved money to buy good sharpening stones or a sharpening system (and learning how to use them).
Chris
I'll admit, I've never owned a "real" Strider, but I have owned one of Buck's early copies and handled the real deal at shows. The Buck copy was a poor cutter even with the edge reprofiled and sharpened enough to pop hairs on my arm.
Most people would be better served by getting a quality Buck, CRKT, or SAK and using the saved money to buy good sharpening stones or a sharpening system (and learning how to use them).
Chris
Valkman
Member
Well, there's alot of people carrying Striders who'd disagree with you. And judging the Buck collaboration and then saying Striders are the same isn't right - they're not the same knife. Hey, if you don't like Striders that's fine but you sure haven't given them much of a chance.
mtnbkr
Member
They are not the same knife, but they were designed by the same people. I know I can't expect the same performance, but there should be similarities, or the "Strider" tag was less than marketing, it was fraud. I had one of the early BG42 SB2 models.
You're right. I'm not dropping $300+ on a knife unless it impresses me when I handle it. The Strider didn't. I'll be glad to take another shot at it if you'll supply me one to use for a week. I'll carry and use it every day and make a decision based on experience. Until then, I'll base my judgement on my experience with a licensed copy and the 2 minutes I spent handling a real Strider knife at a knife show.
I don't dislike Striders. I simply don't think they're appropriate as EDC knives for most people (from a purely functional perspective). Like I said earlier, most people would be better served by a quality knife and the ability to keep it sharp. Quality need not cost more than $50.
Chris
Valkman
Member
Someone did send me a Strider GB to try for a few weeks - that's how I know how good they are. It was going to be my next purchase until I decided to put the money into knifemaking stuff instead. But this isn't going anywhere, so forget it. Anyone who thinks a $50 knife is as good as a Strider folder is greatly mistaken.
mtnbkr
Member
Show me where I said a $50 is as good as a Strider?
I said most people are better served by a $50 knife and the ability to keep it sharp, not that a $50 knife is better overall.
Chris
Most I'll spend is whatever Benchmade is charging for the AFCK Axis these days. I have two and they both look well used, but lock up and cut like new.
If I spend more it will be for a knife that is unique and hand built, probably a gentleman's folder.
This one is a Ken Onion, these are simply art that one could use as a tool or a weapon if need be:
If I spend more it will be for a knife that is unique and hand built, probably a gentleman's folder.
This one is a Ken Onion, these are simply art that one could use as a tool or a weapon if need be:
because no one here owns one
That´s right..I love bragging about nice things...down here in Peru my Emerson bullnose karambit is something no one else haves... , well, expensive things are nice to own! (I own a 6400 US brietling navigator I also bought in the same Las Vegas vacation)
I really don´t think I´m going to need the superior materials or cutting power, but it really is a nice knife!
That´s right..I love bragging about nice things...down here in Peru my Emerson bullnose karambit is something no one else haves...
, well, expensive things are nice to own! (I own a 6400 US brietling navigator I also bought in the same Las Vegas vacation)I really don´t think I´m going to need the superior materials or cutting power, but it really is a nice knife!
GARY SMITH
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- Joined
- Dec 6, 2004
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- 10
Show me a knife that will even cut a nail in half without dulling or nicking the blade and I will buy a thousand of them.
Cosmoline
Member
Count me in the "don't get it" camp. A $50 Case XX is as good as I will ever need. The expensive knives frankly seem to fall into one of these categories:
--Big name designer (steel is steel)
--Weird, fruity designs
--Crude, rough-hewn designs that are supposed to look cool but really look like they were picked from the reject pile of a 12th century blacksmith
--Ultra-tactical-cool-ninja knives (meanwhile the delta boys are using their old Buck knives in the field)
I'll spend some money on a good axe, but a knife is a knife. I keep a Case in my coat pocket and do any fish/moose/muskrat/squirrel/whatever slicing with inexpensive high-carbon blades like Opinels or HBC-style butcher knives. I don't want any knife that I'll end up worrying too much about if it falls into the guts of a moose or gets lost in a snow bank for a few months.
--Big name designer (steel is steel)
--Weird, fruity designs
--Crude, rough-hewn designs that are supposed to look cool but really look like they were picked from the reject pile of a 12th century blacksmith
--Ultra-tactical-cool-ninja knives (meanwhile the delta boys are using their old Buck knives in the field)
I'll spend some money on a good axe, but a knife is a knife. I keep a Case in my coat pocket and do any fish/moose/muskrat/squirrel/whatever slicing with inexpensive high-carbon blades like Opinels or HBC-style butcher knives. I don't want any knife that I'll end up worrying too much about if it falls into the guts of a moose or gets lost in a snow bank for a few months.
Tom Johanning's Tac-11 or Outrage might be the ticket. They are probably the toughest and strongest knives being made right now. Here are a few reviews:
http://www.survivalknives.com/articles.htm
Can you afford a thousand of them?
I have a Mission MPF-1 all titanium folder I bought a long time ago for $300 something. This was before I got my CCW, so my folder was the only weapon I carried. I felt my life is worth at least that much and I didn't mind paying the money for it.
Well I carry a CRK Large Sebenza every day (thanks Arin) and use it for just about every task that a knife can be used for. I can honestly say that most of those chores could be just as easily carried out with a $20 knife. However, I wouldnt be as happy carrying a $20 knife, nor would I have as much faith in it. I know that my Sebbie isnt going to suddenly break or stop working on me.
High dollar knives also tend to be made of better steal than most cheapies and as such will hold an edge much longer. On the other hand I could have gotten a knife made of an equal quality steal for much less than the Sebenza. But, then it wouldnt be a Sebbie.
High dollar knives also tend to be made of better steal than most cheapies and as such will hold an edge much longer. On the other hand I could have gotten a knife made of an equal quality steal for much less than the Sebenza. But, then it wouldnt be a Sebbie.
I carried lots of 'decent' middle-priced knives for years (Spydercos, Benchmade, etc) but I always wanted that Sebbie. An evil, evil man on here (Arin) made me an offer I couldn't refuse and now it's like a slice of heaven in my pocket.
There's something about a finely-crafted 'thing' that some people 'see' and some don't (based on their experience with whatever it is and their willingness to be open to that experience), and it's on a thing-by-thing basis. You can learn to appreciate fine things, but you have to admit there is a difference first and open yourself up to the experience.
Take wine, for instance. If you don't drink wine, you're not going to be impressed by a great bottle. But if you learn to appreciate it and then try that bottle again, you'll 'get it'. And some people can get religion in a big way after 'seeing the light', and it can become a life-lonbg passion. Same with anything. Food. Or the blues. If you don't listen to the blues, it all sounds the same. Doesn't mean people who appreciate the finer subtleties are full of it, it just means they are experiencing this particular event in a way you are not attuned to for whatever reason. Maybe you don't care, maybe you haven't spent the time to 'come to appreciate' it.
Cutting something with a finely crafted blade is just a different experience. It makes some people tingly all over, others just don't get it. The harder I cut with my Sebenza, the more it rewards me by meeting the task. The more I ask of it, the more it performs. Whatever we're cutting, me and my Sebbie, we own it. Slicing and dicing like there's no stopping us. When I go back to cutting with 'lesser' blades, that tingly feeling just isn't there...and I miss it. That's the point. If it's not for work (where the investment gets calculated differently) you put a dollar value on that feeling and there you have it.
- Gabe
There's something about a finely-crafted 'thing' that some people 'see' and some don't (based on their experience with whatever it is and their willingness to be open to that experience), and it's on a thing-by-thing basis. You can learn to appreciate fine things, but you have to admit there is a difference first and open yourself up to the experience.
Take wine, for instance. If you don't drink wine, you're not going to be impressed by a great bottle. But if you learn to appreciate it and then try that bottle again, you'll 'get it'. And some people can get religion in a big way after 'seeing the light', and it can become a life-lonbg passion. Same with anything. Food. Or the blues. If you don't listen to the blues, it all sounds the same. Doesn't mean people who appreciate the finer subtleties are full of it, it just means they are experiencing this particular event in a way you are not attuned to for whatever reason. Maybe you don't care, maybe you haven't spent the time to 'come to appreciate' it.
Cutting something with a finely crafted blade is just a different experience. It makes some people tingly all over, others just don't get it. The harder I cut with my Sebenza, the more it rewards me by meeting the task. The more I ask of it, the more it performs. Whatever we're cutting, me and my Sebbie, we own it. Slicing and dicing like there's no stopping us. When I go back to cutting with 'lesser' blades, that tingly feeling just isn't there...and I miss it. That's the point. If it's not for work (where the investment gets calculated differently) you put a dollar value on that feeling and there you have it.
- Gabe
Dirty Bob
Member
I have no problem with people buying $500 knives, if that's what they want, and they have the cash. I had a neighbor, when I was growing up, who had a bright yellow Lamborghini Contach (spelling?). It had to be the most impractical car in town, but I'm sure he loved the stares he got whenever he took it out on the road!
My latest knife purchase is an $8.10 "Kodiak" blade from Jantz Supply, to use as a fixed blade pocketknife after some mods. It's Japanese, has beautiful grind lines for the price, and it feels good in the hand. It will resemble a Perrin LaGriffe, after I file off the serrations on the back of the blade (it's illegal in Texas to carry anything double edged). Is it comparable to a Perrin LaGriffe? Probably not, but if it gets scratched and scarred in daily use, I won't feel bad, and when I replace it with a Perrin later, I'll relegate it to the trunk of my car, where I won't worry about it being exposed to heat, humidity, cold, etc. Almost any other knife in its price range, though, would be something from China, and I refuse to knowingly buy PRC knives, though Japanese knives (and some Taiwanese knives) are fine with me.
All my best,
Dirty Bob
My latest knife purchase is an $8.10 "Kodiak" blade from Jantz Supply, to use as a fixed blade pocketknife after some mods. It's Japanese, has beautiful grind lines for the price, and it feels good in the hand. It will resemble a Perrin LaGriffe, after I file off the serrations on the back of the blade (it's illegal in Texas to carry anything double edged). Is it comparable to a Perrin LaGriffe? Probably not, but if it gets scratched and scarred in daily use, I won't feel bad, and when I replace it with a Perrin later, I'll relegate it to the trunk of my car, where I won't worry about it being exposed to heat, humidity, cold, etc. Almost any other knife in its price range, though, would be something from China, and I refuse to knowingly buy PRC knives, though Japanese knives (and some Taiwanese knives) are fine with me.
All my best,
Dirty Bob
GARY SMITH
Member
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2004
- Messages
- 10
Jeff
Quote:
Show me a knife that will even cut a nail in half without dulling or nicking the blade and I will buy a thousand of them.
Tom Johanning's Tac-11 or Outrage might be the ticket. They are probably the toughest and strongest knives being made right now. Here are a few reviews:
http://www.survivalknives.com/articles.htm
Can you afford a thousand of them?
Its only A8 tool steel. Pound it through a nail and take a look at the edge. It will have a nick in it. Any big blade knife will slice a car fender. But it will dull any blade. Don't get me wrong, I love nice knives, but some people over hype the steel used in them. I heat treat tool steels every week of different types. And none are as tough as you would like.
Thats like some people say 440c stainless will not rust. They are crazy, it will rust and is magnetic, which means its not "real" stainless.
Heres a camp/skinner I made a couple weeks ago out of 440c stainless with walnut slabs. Heat treated to around 58 rockwell, but won't cut no nail in two. The two humps in the backbone are really usefull. While doing general cutting you put your thumb in the dip by the handle. But when you are skinning a carcus or gutting, you can put your index finger in the center dip and have more control in tight spots while skinning.
Quote:
Show me a knife that will even cut a nail in half without dulling or nicking the blade and I will buy a thousand of them.
Tom Johanning's Tac-11 or Outrage might be the ticket. They are probably the toughest and strongest knives being made right now. Here are a few reviews:
http://www.survivalknives.com/articles.htm
Can you afford a thousand of them?
Its only A8 tool steel. Pound it through a nail and take a look at the edge. It will have a nick in it. Any big blade knife will slice a car fender. But it will dull any blade. Don't get me wrong, I love nice knives, but some people over hype the steel used in them. I heat treat tool steels every week of different types. And none are as tough as you would like.
Thats like some people say 440c stainless will not rust. They are crazy, it will rust and is magnetic, which means its not "real" stainless.
Heres a camp/skinner I made a couple weeks ago out of 440c stainless with walnut slabs. Heat treated to around 58 rockwell, but won't cut no nail in two. The two humps in the backbone are really usefull. While doing general cutting you put your thumb in the dip by the handle. But when you are skinning a carcus or gutting, you can put your index finger in the center dip and have more control in tight spots while skinning.
Gary,
I'm not convinced there is a knife-- even the one I linked-- that will cut a nail in half and not be dulled.
However, what do you mean by dulled? You can take a superior edge-holding steel, say A2 hardened to RC 61 (what a waste), and by merely cutting a single piece of twine it will dull microscopically. So it's an arbitrary exercise.
Will the nail test dull the knife significantly? Maybe, maybe not.
It also depends on the nail composition and its thickness.
I guess the bottom line is if there is one knife on the market that can pass the nail test, it is the Johanning knife.
Man, are those awesome or what?
I'm not sure what you mean by "only A8." I would say A8 is a pretty tough steel to begin with. Granted it ain't forged. But I don't see any ABS masters making knives that can perform better.
BTW, that is a very fine, useful looking knife. It looks like it could skin anything. Good job.
I'm not convinced there is a knife-- even the one I linked-- that will cut a nail in half and not be dulled.
However, what do you mean by dulled? You can take a superior edge-holding steel, say A2 hardened to RC 61 (what a waste), and by merely cutting a single piece of twine it will dull microscopically. So it's an arbitrary exercise.
Will the nail test dull the knife significantly? Maybe, maybe not.
It also depends on the nail composition and its thickness.
I guess the bottom line is if there is one knife on the market that can pass the nail test, it is the Johanning knife.
Man, are those awesome or what?
I'm not sure what you mean by "only A8." I would say A8 is a pretty tough steel to begin with. Granted it ain't forged. But I don't see any ABS masters making knives that can perform better.
BTW, that is a very fine, useful looking knife. It looks like it could skin anything. Good job.
Ash
Member
The whole "lasting forever" line is crap. Finding 60 or 70 year old Schrades is easy. The blades might be worn half-way down from use, but they still hold an edge, they still cut (which, perhaps I am naive on the subject, but that is the purpose of a knife, is it not?). Schrades, I say, something that is very much a low-priced knife. I own an Old Timer my great grandfather carried. It is worn smooth, and yet is still a capable knife. He was a farmer, by the way, a REAL farmer who walked behind a mule, who rode a horse where he went. He used that Old Timer every day for as many if not more uses than any body here can claim. He used a knife to live, to provide food and income. Go to any antique store and you will find more pocket knifes of many makes and manufactures that would be poo-poo'd here and they will be just as old and just as capable as that Old Timer I have. I have a Schrade-Walden that sat in the dirt for 30 years that, while badly stained and pitted, will still hold an edge.
Truly, let's be honest. A Schrade, SAK, or the like are not Jennings. No, really, they aren't. Sure, there are cheap chinese knock-offs that are. But any of the decent-name knives will last a life time.
Now, my dad and grandfather always taught me to use the proper tool for the job. Don't pry with a knife blade, that's not what they are used for. You have pry-bars for that, you have chisels, you have hammers, and the like. Using a ratchet for a hammer is dumb, same for using a screwdriver for a chisel.
Of course, if you want to spend $250 or more for a knife that can be used as a prybar, fine by me. Just seems to make more sense to buy a $10 pry bar for the job.
More so, it seems odd to me that one would carry two knives, one to use and one to abuse. No knife should be abused (again, use the right tool for the job). And if your Sebenza shouldn't be used for cutting boxes, then what should it be used for? If you can't take it out and get it dirty, then it is a waste of money and does become just one more bobble.
No flames here. But I have yet to disappointed in my Wenger Tradesman SAK and my Queen fixed blade. I am a Forester and use my knives for a living (like many here, I am sure). My knives cut. The SAK does other things as well. I have yet to see an advantage provided by much more expensive knives, and I do cut things for a living.
Ash
Truly, let's be honest. A Schrade, SAK, or the like are not Jennings. No, really, they aren't. Sure, there are cheap chinese knock-offs that are. But any of the decent-name knives will last a life time.
Now, my dad and grandfather always taught me to use the proper tool for the job. Don't pry with a knife blade, that's not what they are used for. You have pry-bars for that, you have chisels, you have hammers, and the like. Using a ratchet for a hammer is dumb, same for using a screwdriver for a chisel.
Of course, if you want to spend $250 or more for a knife that can be used as a prybar, fine by me. Just seems to make more sense to buy a $10 pry bar for the job.
More so, it seems odd to me that one would carry two knives, one to use and one to abuse. No knife should be abused (again, use the right tool for the job). And if your Sebenza shouldn't be used for cutting boxes, then what should it be used for? If you can't take it out and get it dirty, then it is a waste of money and does become just one more bobble.
No flames here. But I have yet to disappointed in my Wenger Tradesman SAK and my Queen fixed blade. I am a Forester and use my knives for a living (like many here, I am sure). My knives cut. The SAK does other things as well. I have yet to see an advantage provided by much more expensive knives, and I do cut things for a living.
Ash
Ash
Member
Oh, and if you want to cut a nail, get a hacksaw.
Ash
Ash
Plinkerton
Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2004
- Messages
- 477
I spent around 150 or so for my Benchmade Axis. Before that I had a Ken Onion Kershaw Blackout. The Benchmade is worth every penny over the Kershaw. The Kershaw was decent, but feels like a toy compared to the Benchmade. And the Benchmade is still sharp as hell.
For something I carry daily, and use almost as much, it's definitely worth the cash.
For something I carry daily, and use almost as much, it's definitely worth the cash.
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