[marshall3]

I don't understand why anyone would pay several hundred dollars for a folding knife. I have a Winchester with a 3 1/4 inch stainless steel blade that I got at WalMart for $7.00. It has a nice non-slip grip, and locks open securely. The steel takes a nice edge. What do you get for $200 more? I'm not putting down "collectors" here. People can have fun collecting knives, I'm sure. But for practical use, why spend big bucks?

[mete]

If you have to ask , you'll never understand. I appeciate finely made tools,I appreciate the best materials .I appreciate a tool that I can depend on to give me the best performance and durability. NOT 'it's ok' or 'it only cost me $7. SEBENZA !

[Felonious Monk]

I have to admit, I don't get it, either. I've paid about $80 for a very nice Kelly Worden Tactical, and honestly don't see other than for collector appeal how you're going to get a better knife for actual use.

Really, if you're using it, the Kershaws are the best daily carry value I've come across. Spyderco's are nice, too, but my personal preference runs more toward the Kershaws.

[TexasRifleman]

Off brand digital watch : $5.95
Rolex GMT Master : $2500


Both tell time, why would you buy a Rolex?


Yugo :$5995
Corvette: $46500

Both get you there, why bother with an expensive car?

How long you want this to go? :evil:

The only real answer is, "because you can"

[MaterDei]

$200 doesn't seem like a lot for a knife. After all, that's less than my flashlight cost. :uhoh:

[Mute]

You ever break a $25 knife. I have. Several times.

[Jeff]

I personally wouldn't want to pay over $120 for a folding knife but I can understand why some people would, especially something like a Sebenza.

Now a fixed blade is another story. A good $300 knife like a Chris Reeve Project 1 is something that is made to be used and will last a lifetime, no matter what abuse you put to it.

The problem is, once you start getting into the $300 range, you ought to start looking at another gun. :)

[Dionysusigma]

I've been carrying the same Leatherman base model (whatever it official name is) for eleven years now. I think they're about what, $40, $45 new?

It's never failed me once. :)

[R.H. Lee]

I dunno. Where's it made?

[BryanP]

If you're going to buy and carry an expensive folder, do yourself a favor and carry a second one - a cheap $25 or less model. At some point you will find yourself needing to do something that you'd rather not do with your expensive knife. That's when a cheap knife is handy. If you break it / lose it / have to "loan it" to someone, who cares?

[Dionysusigma]

It says "Portland, OR" on the handle... so Portland, I guess. :) Main hinge (for the needle-nose pliers) says "LEATHERMAN USA," and no other markings on the thing anywhere besides the ruler.

EDIT: Looks to be a PST... link below

http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/retired-tools/pst/default.asp

[Don Gwinn]

My most expensive folding knife didn't cost $200, so I guess I agree with you on this one. . . . but your Winchester folder is the other extreme. The Winchester folders were good stuff many years ago, but the new ones aren't great. Now, if it works for you, that's fine.


I will say that my uncle got a Winchester fixed blade for Christmas from his wife (which was a huge improvement over the cheapo "1980's survival knife" he's been using for years) and it felt good in the hand and was well-sized.


The size, lightness, edge-holding and smooth, light action of my daily carry cannot be replicated for $20. If a $20 knife does what you want, though, you'd be a fool to spend more on a working piece.

[SamlautRanger]

Some people think I am crazy for spending $500 on a Chris Reeve Sebenza (with wood inlays). But some also thought I was crazy for spending $2000 on an Omega watch.

The way I look at it, I spend more than that on my Glock .45 acp model 30. Which one do I carry all the time and use several times a day? The KNIFE!!

So might as well have a really nice one.

[logical]

I don't see anything unusual about someone buying a $200 knife as long as they are willing to use it. What I don't get is buying it and locking it in a safe? I am not a knife guy but I have a few different sizes of Benchmades that I spent as much as $120 on.

It might be different if spending $200 was going to alter my lifestyle or take food away from the table, but frankly it won't.

You might try the guys over on the Kel-Tec board....they are very passionate about cheap stuff.

[hso]

Marshal3,

Come up to Knoxville and I'll be happy to show you a range of folders from $20 to $200 and why some of the more expensive ones are better than the some of the less expensive ones.

Is there any performance reason to spend $200 on a knife? I think the better question is "Do I get anything more in performance out of a $200 folder that I can't get out of a less expensive knife?". The answer is most likely not that much more than a $120 to $150 folder and only a little more than a $75 to $100 folder, but a heck of a lot more than a $20 folder. If you only need to use 10% of the $200 knife's capabilities then you don't need to pay 100% of the price and the knife is sufficient unto your needs. If you need 80% then the higher priced knives are sufficient. It's all in getting what you need for what you pay for.

[Gunz]

Like guns, knives are also Male Jewelry. If it makes you feel sexy wearing it, then it is worth it. Having a finely-crafted piece of steel is always a joy to own. Good materials, balance, and looks make the item a lovely thing to claim as yours.

I must say I have been carrying and using some "base" steels and blades for a long time without caring. A lot of Gerbers, Buck, and Cold Steel over the years. Even the new Taiwan stuff is not bad. I still have all of them.

I like the Taiwan stuff for reasonable quality and blend of price. If I damage, or lose them, I do not cry. I may buy knives just because I like the shape of the blade or grip. It may be a copy, but if it works for my non-SealTeam-Kung-Fu-Ninja box-cutting or fruit slicing applications, I am happy.

I know I can use all kinds of pointy and sharp things for self defense. Hell, people in poor 3rd world countries and Special Force-Green Beret types use sharpened sticks with fire-hardened tips to improvise deadly defensive weapons.

Having said that, I must say the $400-500 Microtech knives are lovely items. I think a lot of it is based upon the cashing in of the blade design, time to hand make the blades, and choice of specific metals. Those Chris Reeves are the cat's meow.

[griz]

Male jewlery. :) I like that analogy. Holsters=shoes? Just a thought.

[Kingcreek]

No. Holster must COORDINATE with shoes. fashion is important.
I have a Dozier folding knife in my pocket. a little over $300 and I use it. if I want a chisel or a screwdriver I go to the toolbox but If I want to cut something, I have no reservations about using a good sharp knife. used it 2 or 3 times so far today. cut twine from a haybale, opened a bag of feed, and cut a couple cable ties.

[JohnBT]

"At some point you will find yourself needing to do something that you'd rather not do with your expensive knife."

I bought a nice folder on the spur of the moment because it fit my hand and appeared to be finely made of quality materials.(Okay, and I was at a gun show and couldn't find any guns I liked and wanted to buy something.) After using it everyday for over a year I bought another one so I'd have a clean one to use when I wasn't patching the roof or digging in the yard and such.

You're not going to believe this, but the day at the gun show when I spotted the first knife...I'd never heard of Chris Reeve or his Sebenza. :)

John

[Greymoor]

It really comes down to preference. Some will buy a Jennings and be happy with their purchase. For others only Wilson Combat or another high end pistol will do.

I like nicely made tools. Be it Chris Reeve, Busse, and Strider knives or HK, Sig, and Colt pistols. I could buy a cheap knife but as I used it and the steel failed to hold an edge or the blade lock up started to get sloppy or more likely the simple fact that the workmanship is lacking. I would hate the knife and soon toss it in the drawer.

I could buy a whole bunch of cheap china knock-offs for the price I paid for my unique Sebenza. But I would have no pride of ownership or trust in the use of that knife. Syderco's are about as inexpensive as I get on my right pocket knife. I carry a Shrade or SAK in the left pocket. If I need to possible destroy a knife I use the Shrade or SAK.



If I had a job that was murder on a knife I would use a nice folding utility knife with changeable blades. Break a blade, no sweat.

As with all fine things in life it comes down to what you want and what you will spend to get it.

Timex ----------------> Rolex How high do you want to go? The choice is yours. ;)


P.S. Hmmm 100th post. Just earned my Senior wings :D

[agony]

Why $200 for a folding knife?

Because there aren't anymore guns I want.
Knives are sexy.

[mbs357]

I have a $30 Gerber.
It rocks.

[HighVelocity]

I haven't paid $200 yet but I've come close. I already have more knives than I could wear out in my lifetime yet I buy at least 1 a month. :banghead:
It's an illness or a hobby depending on who's answering the question. I have knives that I've never taken out of the box. I have some that are completely worn out but I don't discard them. I think it's called "obsessive compulsive disorder". :neener:

[RRTX]

I've got a MOD auto that cost over $200 that I bought when I was deployed and had the disposable income, I don't think I would ever spend that much on a knife again though....Ok I do want something by Chris Reeve, and Strider :cool:

[orangeninja]

I have a CRKT somewhere that cost $75....I don't know where I left it, in my truck I think. I used to carry it on duty but the trouble was the clip left all kinds of marks on those cheesey nylon slacks cops have to wear.

So now Gerber gets my pocket everwhere, every day.

The Buck knife used to be my carry, but the hinge would work itself loose. I have seen guys carry Spiderco and Benchmade, but the most common knives I see in a cops pocket are Gerber, Smith & Wesson and Kershaw.

Like a Glock, a functional tool, but nothing you run around bragging about. ;)

[2t2 crash]

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.

[Gordy Wesen]

Life's too short to use 28 pieces of :cuss: when 1 :) will do.

[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! :D

Regards,
Dirty Bob

[Valkman]

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]

Drive it through steel, cut a car apart with it
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]

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]

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

[Valkman]

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]

And judging the Buck collaboration and then saying Striders are the same isn't right - they're not the same knife.
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.

Hey, if you don't like Striders that's fine but you sure haven't given them much of a chance.
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]

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]

Anyone who thinks a $50 knife is as good as a Strider folder is greatly mistaken.
:rolleyes:

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

[Boats]

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:
http://www.kenonionknives.com/images/25110.jpg

[Rogelio]

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]

Valkman 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. 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]

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.

[Jeff]

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?

[50 Freak]

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.

[c_yeager]

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. :neener:

[OF]

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

[Dirty Bob]

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

[GARY SMITH]

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.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/hogcat/Img0258.jpg
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.

[Jeff]

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.

[Ash]

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

[Ash]

Oh, and if you want to cut a nail, get a hacksaw. :D

Ash

[Plinkerton]

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.

[Ash]

In hindsight, my longer post seemed a bit harsh, given the posts. The general message is the same, that one need not spend that kind of dough for a knife and have a decent knife. Yet, spending that kind of money on one, assuming good cash flow, is just fine. Just don't bash the lower-cost but otherwise good knives out there.

Ash

[White Horseradish]

I gotta wonder...

You guys talk of knives that cost a lot (and anything over $50 is a lot for a knife for me. I have a wife, 2 kids and a mortgage) doing "everything you need them to do". Then you talk of cutting nails and slicing car fenders.

What is it that you do every day that having a knife that can do that is a necessity?

BTW, the knife that does everything I need a folding knife to do is a Greber Bolt-Action I got as a present about 10 years ago. I think they were $30 at the time. It's with me every day wherever I go. The blade has been scratched up by the first and last "professional" I had sharpen it and the contour has changed a bit from resharpening.

[OF]

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.Who said they're not for using? My Sebenza gets used everyday for cutting anything and everything that needs cutting, short of metal. I use it, it gets sharpened as it needs it, then used some more. There's a place for 'bobbles', but that's not this knife's role. And I don't know that you can really call a handmade piece of art/tool a 'bobble' like it's something you'd pick up at the county fair and stick on a shelf... ;)

And don't think I'm disparaging less expensive knives, not by a long shot. The tone of the thread is what prompted the defense of the "higher end" knife in the first place. I don't understand why anyone would pay several hundred dollars for a folding knife.That was the question.

I still love my $40 Spydero Calypso Jr. And my SAK's. See above post for the difference, though.

- Gabe

[Sir Aardvark]

I used to go the way of the "Cheap" knife, but got tired of it when I started to run into issues, such as:

- Snapping the handles into pieces while trying to get the knife to "work" for me, making for a dangerous situation (this has happened twice).

- The blade being always dull, and not holding an edge, again making for a dangerous situation.

I prefer Benchmade knives, and I am a big fan of the AFCK in D2 steel. It is an INCREDIBLY tough knife and holds an edge remarkably well!.

Of course, since I get my knives at half the cost of retail, the sticker shock is not felt as deeply as it otherwise might be.

I use my knife daily and felt that it was worth it to buy a QUALITY product that could hold up to the rigors of use that I throw at it, and I have yet to be let down by my purchases. I felt it was better to buy an expensive knife once every couple of years, than to keep buying "El Cheapo" products all the time that aggravated the hell out of me.

[Plinkerton]

For me, I need a knife that can be opened and closed fast and with ease one-handed. The Benchmade axis folders are perfect for this. Holding an edge is important, and being "grippy" in a variety of environmental conditions is important also.

I liked my Kershaw Blackout, with the assisted blade and all, but eventually, the assistance broke. The handle was plastic, and would be quite slippery when wet. The blade was definitely not as good as my Benchmade also. I don't think spending a decent amount for a knife is a bad thing, as long as you realize that knives are meant to be USED. I've done some things with mine I probably shouldn't, but I didn't have a choice at the time, and the knife has held up fine thru all this.

A good knife can definitely last you for a LONG time.

[Cosmoline]

Finding 60 or 70 year old Schrades is easy

You said it. I found an ancient Schrade skinning knife with a deep patina and lots of grease on it for $10 in a pawn shop bargain bin. But half a day of careful cleaning on my part and some work at the honing stone and it was razor sharp and ready to slice and dice. Indeed when I had to chop up some leather-like dog salmon for, well, the dogs, it was the only knife I had able to make repeated cuts through their stinky hides. Those are truly working blades.

[Jeff]

Any knife can last 60 or 70 yrs-- or even 100-- if it was never used.

The age of a knife has no bearing on its history of use.

And I would imagine Schrade knives were made better 70 yrs ago than they are now.

[Ash]

But you forgot the rest of the statement, the blades can be half-worn down from use.

Ash

[albanian]

I have an AL Mar Skrike that I bought on E-bay for about $120. Show me a knife that compares to it for less or the same price and I will buy 10 of them right now.

1. VG-10 steel, the best SS for knives.

2. Matte black linen Micarta grip scales, tough, good looking and care free.

3. Flat ground blade, nothing cuts like like a thin flat ground blade.

4. SS liner, adds strength.

5. SS pocket clip

6. Duel thumb studs.

7. SS pins, screws and other hardware.

8. Smooooooth operation!

9. SHARP!

10. FIts your hand like it was a custom knife.

This is the most I have paid for a folding knife but I know I got my money's worth out of it. I have had it for a few months and it still looks like new and is as sharp as when I got it. I have only had to strop it a few times and not put it to the stones.

It is not the cost of the knife that determines the quality but if you want quality, you are going to have to pay for it. A $7 knife is probably not going to do everything as well as a $100-200 knife but it may well do ONE thing as well or even better. If that ONE thing is the most important thing you need a knife for, it may be a good deal for you. For example, if all you need a knife for is to open boxes, a $7 box cutter with replaceable blade is probably going to out preform ANY other knife at at any other price.

Find out what you need a knife for and pick a good match based on your needs, it is like anything else that way. There are so many knives that if you don't what you want, you can get something that is not suited to your needs.

Do I NEED an AL Mar Shrike? Probably not. It is the only knife I have ever owned that brings a smile to my face when I hold it or operate it. That counts for something. It is a wonderful piece of steel and I have no doubt it is better than some knives costing several times more. Be a smart shopper and you will get your money's worth. Don't buy based on name alone.

[Jeff]

I have an AL Mar Skrike that I bought on E-bay for about $120. Show me a knife that compares to it for less or the same price and I will buy 10 of them right now.

I have an Al Mar SERE 2000 and it is a gem of a knife-- especially for the $120 price tag. I know what you mean.

However, from what I've seen and what I've heard, the new Spyderco Manix is supposedly a simply awesome knife, and you can probably find a new one for $110.

S30V steel
flat ground blade
G-10 scales
dual steel liners
lockback (!)
Spyderhole
4 position clip placement
excellent ergonomics
sturdy .14" thick blade
beefy 6.1 oz
made in USA!

Many knife knuts are saying it is the finest folding knife ever for the money. I believe it.

[Plinkerton]

I personally think Spyderco's can be very overpriced knives. So many of the expensive ones have plastic handles, and they just feel cheap. They don't open that smoothly, and they're almost all lockbacks, which makes them so unpractical for daily use

I understand that they can be quality knives, but even just the fact that most of them are lockbacks, besides all the other faults I think they have, is enough of a reason for me to never buy one.

The Manix looks nice though.

[albanian]

I like Spydercos as well. I just don't like lockbacks. One of my favorite Spyderco knives is the Centofante, it is a liner lock and has a thin flat ground blade that tapers to an extreme point. You can't get this one anymore but Spyderco should offer more linerlocks or some type of Axis lock like the Benchmades have. Liner is my first choice but the Axis is not bad either. Lockbacks are really strong but I am not looking for a brute of a knife, I want a cutter and a slicer, I don't pry with it or chop, I don't dig in the yard or trim shingles with my knife and I think people that do are nuts!

If I need to pry something, I look for a claw hammer, pry bar or something like that, I don't think of my knife as a pry bar. That is why my knives are all thin bladed, flat ground and VERY sharp!

I will check out the Manix in person at the next gunshow but the lockback thing really turns me off. I got rid of two of the nicest Spydercos (Calypso and Calypso Jr.) because the lock back is not as fast for me as the liner. I flick open my liners with my thumb and I close them almost as fast now that I am used to them. I don't have to move my hand around and I don't have to think about it. With the mid back locks like Spyderco uses, you MUST shift your grip to close the darn thing, I can't go back to that after the speed and ease of the liner. I get used to things and I get fast with it. I am faster with a pump shotgun than a double bbl or an auto. I pull the gun out of recoil and start pumping right after I shoot. I don't have to think about it and it seems so natural.

[Plinkerton]

Albanian, those are my thoughts on lockbacks also. I used to use liner locks exclusively, and I liked them a lot. Now that I use the Axis, I prefer that to liner locks also, but I still like liner locks.

I just don't get the point of using lockbacks, when there are other options out there that are faster and just as strong.

When I use my axis, I can pull it from my pocket, have it open by the time it's out, make my small cut in whatever I'm doing, and have it closed and back in my pocket in one fluid motion. Saves me a lot of time, and I don't have to use two hands, or shift my grip, or anything like that.

[Jeff]

A lot of knife knuts don't like liner locks. You simply can't trust them-- at least on production knives. Read the forums where people have been cut using their liner lock knives, or nearly cut.

That type of mechanism engagement does not inspire the greatest confidence, even on something like a SERE 2000.

I'll take a sturdy lockback anyday. The nanosecond of extra time it takes to close one is well worth the safety of the lock.

The Axis locks are nice, too.

[Sir Aardvark]

Just a follow-up on the AXIS lock -

When I use my my AXIS lock equipped AFCK, people think that I have a switchblade knife because it's so fast and easy to deploy the blade.
Those of you out there who have never tried one don't know what you're missing!.

[Greymoor]

I have several AXIS lock Benchmades. Once you get use to pulling the lock to open they can be deployed very fast. The trick is learning when to let go of the lock to the blade does not bounce back. This method does beat on the stop pin a bit.

550
555
710
735
770
940
942

I'm sure I am missing one or two . . . The AXIS is a nice one handed lock system.

[Litlman]

I just picked up my first Benchmade. The skirmish by " blackwood". Nice!

[olyAR73]

Register for the Badlands forum and the Usual Suspects Network forum and have a look around. You will find a plethora of reasons why folks spend what they do on knives.

Knife geeks are worse than gun geeks about their toys.
I'm both!!! :eek:

[GunGoBoom]

Because there aren't anymore guns I want.

Sure wish I could say that. ;)

Count me in the "don't get it" camp. A $50 Case XX is as good as I will ever need. +1
And I wear a Timex Ironman too. It has a compass which I use. Don't think I've ever seen a Rolex with a compass.

Sure seems like the AXIS mechanism could be easily accidentally unlocked while using, being right on the side there where your hand could rub against it, no? (I like my liner lock CRKT that has a locking slide mechanism on the back which prevents the liner lock from moving out of place - sort of a redundant safety).

[PBIR]

Just get what works for you, whether it cost $10 or $500. There is no wrong or right answer. 99.5% of the knives owned by people reading this thread will never face a more perilious task than opening a tough bag of snacks or cutting through some packaging tape.

[c_yeager]

99.5% of the knives owned by people reading this thread will never face a more perilious task than opening a tough bag of snacks or cutting through some packaging tape.

Just this very day I just through a stubborn shoe-lace that COULD have cost me my foot (after a few weeks).

This heroic act was commited with a Sebenza :neener: