Bikerdoc said...For me it is a journey not the destination.
That's the money quote right there. Me? I own so many knives it isn't funny. Folders, fixed-bades, throwing knives. Autos, assisted openers, switchblades, and slip joints. Bowies, stilettos, melon testers, spikes and OTFs. Kerambits, gravity blades, and exotic Asian blades.
Ultimately, I've found that my knives only have one useful function: Opening the boxes that my new knives come in.
You listen to some people here, you get the impression that they're out in the woods, using their custom $680 handmade blades to chop down trees and carve open automobile hoods to fabricate survival tools.
But if you're like me, the heaviest duty your knives will see is cutting through packing tape and cardboard to open another knife in a box. Maybe an electronic device in a plastic shell case.
No, I'm not hacking down trees and building tents in the wilderness. I'm not dressing deer carcasses or field-stripping elk. I'm cutting a zip-tie or slicing a nylon web strap. That's it.
Yesterday I bought an Italian switchblade (11") that was over $100, to fill in a gap in my collection. The chances of my using it to cut any kind of material except an assailant are pretty much zero.
In fact, almost all my knives are purchased for self defense reasons or, as in the case of the melon testers, for collectible purposes. What I try to keep in mind is that a blade is ultimately a sharp piece of metal. An $800 sharp piece of metal won't be that much sharper than a $50 CS or CRKT blade.
Might be a bit sharper, might hold an edge better, but for what? For opening the next knife that comes in the mail. Whoop.
The knives I own are almost uniformly for self defense, and I select the carry model based on environment and objective. In the car door pockets I keep long blades. In the back seat area I carry swords. For daily carry I'll bring whatever is convenient. Going to high-end functions, an auto or spike is a reasonable choice.
If there's any expectation of danger, I'm bringing a handgun. The edged weapon is a secondary tool. In the event I need it, I really doubt that the difference between the $150 switchblade, $90 karambit, $40 Ti-Lite, or
$25 spike will be significant.
There is absolutely zero, nada, zip, bupkiss chance that the knife I have for defense will fail to save me whereas the ding-dong doofus $1100 custom lapis lazuli inlaid pearl handled damascus hand-made designer special inlaid one-off name-brand maker blade would save the day.