Are expensive knives worth it?

[Averageman]

I've lost so many knives (especially in uniform) that I'm down to just buying the $10 Gerber Paraframe. I do have a Spartan Blades Enyo that I carry IWB when I'm out in public though. I would like one or two more plus an Emerson or two, but I've never had a problem losing anything like I do knives.

I'm with you on that one. I have since gotten to the point of now carrying a $50.00 Kershaw EDC, I just can't see losing another nice knife.
I'm not a Soldier any more, but I works with them and I'm climbing in and out of vehicles, carrying heavy stuff and opening packages everyday. There is no way I can spend more than $50 any more for an EDC, they only seem to last a year until they are either lost or slip in to the great unknown somewhere inside a vehicle.
My nice stuff stays in the safe and comes out only to be used when my OP/Tempo allows me a little more time to be careful.

[BuzzinSATX]

I have a few $200+ knives, but I almost always carry a Kershaw Leek (found them on clearance at $20 apiece and bought the last 4). I also have a Buck 110 folder in every vehicle and tool kit I own, and a handful of Gerber, Cold Steel, Ka-Bar, and Kershaws stashed away.

I too lose, loan, or give away knives too often to afford the really expensive knives. But I buy decent knives on sale and it works for me. I also have several ceramic or diamond sharpeners I can take with me, and they work fine on my cheap knives.

[jstalford]

Expense doesn't always equate to edge retention. Vg10 and 154cm are pretty similar in that regard.

You can buy a $6000 1911 but it's not gonna hold more rounds than an RIA.

You can get knives that have steel with better edge retention without paying much more, like the lightweight S110v Manix, but the trade off is they're harder to sharpen. That will probably last longer than anything else under $200-300 though.

Best bet is to get proficient with a decent sharpening system.


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[black22rifle]

I just thought the steel on a $2-300 knife was that much better.

What kind of wet stones are good? I plan on sharpening my two knives and a few kitchen knives that are very dull. My guess is an extra course, medium, and fine will do?

By sharpening you mean using a stone, correct? Not using a steel?

[jstalford]

Nah, you can get an $80 knife with 154cm or a $3000 knife in it. It's more about the Indian than the arrow in that case.

As far as stones, probably just grab some of the larger size spyderco. Or a sharpmaker with some diamond rods.


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[sevenhelmet]

I have some expensive knives, but I bought them because I thought they were unique. They're more like collector's items than everyday use knives, and part of their charm is they still have that insanely sharp factory edge on them. If I could learn how to sharpen a knife like that, I would probably use them more (it's on my to-do list). That said, my EDC knife is a $200+ Benchmade auto, and gets so much use I ended up with two of them. My most-abused knife is a $40 Ka-bar which I bought for a little "military camping trip" 8 years ago, because I knew it would be used for cutting, prying, digging, sawing, and other heinous offenses. It survived that trip and others, and I keep it in my truck now. I've broken knives that cost 3 times more.

Price isn't everything. Quality can be found in the strangest of places.

[WillBrink]

I just thought the steel on a $2-300 knife was that much better.

What kind of wet stones are good? I plan on sharpening my two knives and a few kitchen knives that are very dull. My guess is an extra course, medium, and fine will do?

By sharpening you mean using a stone, correct? Not using a steel?

As with everything there's a diminishing return after a point, where the added $$ spent delivers less and less objective value. It becomes more of a subject value after a point, with that value being subjective. Is the build quality, steel, etc better between a $40 knife and a $200 knife? As a rule, yes. Is there going to be a difference between $200 knife and a $1,000 knife?

Guns, watches, etc all experience that diminishing return where at some point added $$ spent leads no real objective differences and the value is subjective.

My jaeger lecoultre Master dive watch does not tell time and better than a Timex. I still love the jaeger lecoultre....

[WillBrink]

I just thought the steel on a $2-300 knife was that much better.

What kind of wet stones are good? I plan on sharpening my two knives and a few kitchen knives that are very dull. My guess is an extra course, medium, and fine will do?

By sharpening you mean using a stone, correct? Not using a steel?

Double Tap. I watched closely this time when posting and this double tap is from something happening with the forums to let mods know.

[jstalford]

Something you could try is a flat ground delica or a chaparral. Even a Swiss Army knife. The thinner blade stock and grind will cut better even dull.


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[BatteryOperated]

"Worth it" is only up to the consumer. Yes they are made with better materials and look and feel better. How much and whether its worth it to you is only up to you.
They all do the same thing whether they cost $50 or $2000. I own both. I say buy something in the $100-200 range and get a good sharpening system and call it a day.

Sound advice, and just what I was thinking.