Can someone explain fancy knives to me...

[SHIVAN]

Honestly? I can afford to buy a $90+ knife, so I do.

Beyond that, I also understand that better steel holds a better edge, longer. It also takes an edge easier.

I've also found that the scales, the lock mechanisms, etc seem to hold up longer on better knives.

I bought a cheapy Benchmade ATS-34 blade back in 1995. At $60, it's held up for 14 years and was my EDC for about 8 years. It also opened boxes, cut shrink-wrap, and processed all sorts of freight at my part-time job. I sent it to Benchmade last year for a "tune-up".

I've had, and tossed, several $5-$10 knives over that same timeframe. They usually dulled in a few hours, and were generally as crappy as the price tag suggests.

Do whatever works for you though. As that's what I do for myself.

[Gutshot John]

I prefer a fixed blade as well, John. However, many states' CCW laws often prohibit the conceal carrying of fixed blades. Strange as it is, society considers a handgun to be more acceptable means of defense than a fixed blade.

Check I get spoiled in PA, can carry any knife you want (assuming you can conceal it) that isn't an automatic.

Open carry is situationally dependent.

[NoBody]

Deleted.

[Gentoo]

I have a Daniel Defense rifle because I wanted a top shelf rifle to be my life on if I need to defend it.

My knife OTOH, is only a convience tool. Yes I use it more often but the consenquences of it failing are that I will have to wait until I get home to open that clamshell package.

I totally understand military using top shelf knives, given the totalitay of their circumstances. But for a plain ol civillian like me, I'm coming up empty which is why I asked.

Obviously, the quality / materials / workmanship is better on the fancy blades. Of coruse it would be. But I also don't think I would be so quick to throw a $150 knife off my roof, or slide it under my truck, or use it to dig up a rock or many other things I've done. I fully expect my cheapy knife to break sooner or later.

I don't understand the whole thousand plus dollar watch thing either, but thats another topic.

[SHIVAN]

I don't understand the whole thousand plus dollar watch thing either, but thats another topic.

Again, I would buy a Rolex because I can, and that's what I wanted. Or a Breitling...
Or an Omega... Or a TAG...

If you don't understand paying more then $10 for a knife, then continue to buy $10 knives and be happy about it.

[mmike87]

IMO once you get over the $100 or so price point you're pretty much paying for craftsmanship in most cases. A $100 knife is most likely well built and using top quality materials, but is lacking in some of the insane attention to detail you'd get with a $400 knive, for example.

With a $15 knife from WalMart, you're probably getting less than stellar materials and no craftsmanship whatsoever. At a certain point you're definitely not getting more "performance" so to speak, but again you're paying for attention to detail that is nice but probably not required to make the knife an effective tool.

Remember the "law of diminishing returns".

That's just my opinion. I appreciate and don't mind paying for craftsmanship and attention to detail, when I can afford it - which is not always.

I only buy Made in the USA knives - which pretty much locks me out of the $15 knife market. That's just a decision I made when I started buying knives.

[theJanitor]

My knife OTOH, is only a convience tool. Yes I use it more often but the consenquences of it failing are that I will have to wait until I get home to open that clamshell package.

the "convenience" tool might be your last-line-of-defense tool. don't skrimp on it. you don't need a $1000 one, but get one where the lockup is solid. get one that you can abuse and neglect and still KNOW will work when you need it. get one that won't close on your fingers when you really have to pry/poke/wedge/twist/slice it. get one that works it the mud and rain, and won't lit your fingers slip onto the blade.

I carry a $200 emerson. i know it's relatively expensive and probably falls under your "fancy" classification, but it's strong and durable, and i would have spend more that $200 on replacing cheap knives in the five years that i've had it.

some other points of interest: knives are also more dangerous than most think. they don't go "bang" and they don't get alot of forethought. Cheap knives are MORE dangerous. when you break a knife, you will most likely hurt yourself. and a dull knife is always more dangerous than a sharp one. and cheap knives never hold an edge like a well built one. so keep that in mind

[HiggsBoson]

Alright I know I'm going to get a ton of shit for this, but can someone please explain all these expensive folding pocket knives I see?

I usually have either a Leatherman, Swiss army knife, or a Lowes brand folding knife on me if I carry a knife. So far I've only had to cut plastic, wrapping tape, twine, and things of that sort. I've never come across a situation where I wished I had a better knife, though there have been times I wished I had my Leatherman (for the pliers).

So when I see these fancy $150+ folding knives, I wonder what they do that my $10 Lowes folder or $40 Leatherman can't do.

If the answer is 'they look cool', thats fine too.

What does a more expensive knife buy me? 4 words:
"Stay sharp, don't break."

[LittleRedToyota]

Check I get spoiled in PA, can carry any knife you want (assuming you can conceal it) that isn't an automatic.

you also cannot carry a "dagger". of course, the legislators did not bother to define "daggger", so who knows what exactly that means...

i think a good guess, though, would be a fixed blade knife that comes to a point and is sharp on both edges...thus being designed for stabbing more than just cutting.

but, who knows...

[LittleRedToyota]

Alright I know I'm going to get a ton of shit for this, but can someone please explain all these expensive folding pocket knives I see?

I usually have either a Leatherman, Swiss army knife, or a Lowes brand folding knife on me if I carry a knife. So far I've only had to cut plastic, wrapping tape, twine, and things of that sort. I've never come across a situation where I wished I had a better knife, though there have been times I wished I had my Leatherman (for the pliers).

So when I see these fancy $150+ folding knives, I wonder what they do that my $10 Lowes folder or $40 Leatherman can't do.

If the answer is 'they look cool', thats fine too.

one thing i don't think has been mentioned is the ability to easily open the knife one-handed.

if the knife is to be used for defensive purposes, that is, imho, essential.

a fixed blade is better, of course. but, if you are going to carry a folder for defense, imho, you absolutely must be able to open it easily with one hand.