Simple Question. Easy Answer?

[JCP1969]

For me, like others, have found the knife collecting community to be a stand-up bunch of people. Yes, we enable each other to buy the next great thing. Spyderco marketing, in this case, is superb and we buy into the philosophy because we want to be part of it...
For others of us, we are collectors, and we just "collect" and knives appeal to us.
For the rest of us, as my father has stated to me off and on his whole life: "To Each, His Own".
Or Shakespeare: "All the world is queer say thee and me, and even thou is a little strange at times"
Nuff' said :spyder:

Yea , what he said , his father and most definitely Shakespeare.

I consider everyone a bit nuts but I am just a kettle calling the pot black.

[mark greenman]

It's because the knife I wanted to carry cost over $100, obviously.

A good pair of dress shoes costs over $100, modern phones are in the several hundreds of dollars, nice wrist watch is usually $500-->way beyond, so pretty much most of the Spyderco folders are a **** of a value by comparison.

[Popsickle]

without reading others responses.....

I love spyderco, as a matter of fact my most carried EDC is my spyderco PPT. Recently i have become a strider addict as well, i count 5 right now sitting in my office and i have equally as many spydercos. I buy them yes because i can but because they also appeal to me as an individual where they may be ugly to others. i say its just different opinions for different people. I am on pre orders for several spydercos... tuff, m390 millie, etc... as well as striders. I like them both!

[racer88]

My question is...why? Why do you spend so much money on a knife with expensive steels and exotic slabs/sides for an edc? Because you can?

Yes. :)

[chuck_roxas45]

Because doing this is what I enjoy. Life is too short to not do what you enjoy.

[Brock O Lee]

A great knife to me is both a tool and a work of art.

Price is not that important when I consider buying an exotic, rare, functional piece of pocket jewellery (like a sprint run). As long as I can afford it, that is...

I'm willing to pay good money for quality, and more for quality and exclusivity. But there is something mystical about super-steels that just want me to "add to cart" compulsively. :D

That said, my most carried (office) EDC is a G10 Dragonfly @ $80

[Mr_Moe]

We live in a society where people tend to think they can get everything for cheap or even for free. Often it works, but generally you get what you pay for. I'd rather have one good knife, than four to ten cheap ones. I know I can depend on a good knife and appreciate and value it far more than cheap ones, there's a connection to that knife. If you buy a good knife you buy a prized possession, not just some product with a steel blade. Many people nowadays don't have sufficient appreciation for things. Also due to my limited budget I'd not spend hundreds on a knife but $100 really isn't much. Were it not for todays mass production capabilities overseas we wouldn't even be debating this question. We've gotten too used to having things available for very low cost (sometimes too low).

[Half Sack]

If you own a Spyderco then your already buying a more expensive knife than whatever they sell at the hardware store. But then again if you do own a Spyderco you know how much better it is, and would pay for the knife again.
Having a "nicer" knife is just another 1+

I only have an endura and a ladybug both are worth more than the average box cutter/hardware store purchased knives.

[BAL]

This has been one of the most interesting threads and line of comments from everyone that I have read in a long time. It is obvious that the people on this forum come from different parts of he world, have different jobs and lifestyles, yet most are huge fans of knifes, quality knives to be more specific. We have different reasons for purchasing and using knives, some have a couple knives and some a couple hundred. We spend various amounts at various times and have different opinions of each Spyderco design and are willing to share our ideas and thoughts.

I love the passion in each person's comments when I read them and couldn't be more proud to be a part of it. Thanks all. Take Care.

[Gunslinger]

I wonder if anyone would ask that question on a watch forum, a writing instruments forum, or a car forum.

There are folks out there who'll spend over $100 on a bottle of wine, a restaurant meal, tickets to a play or sports event, a box of cigars, or a hooker.

Bottom line is, what I do with my money is my business, and nobody else's. I don't have to justify it and it does not have to make sense to you. Suffice it to say that we all get pleasure out of different things.

Thats crazy, who would spend that kind of money on wine, a meal, sports tickets, or cigars? Lol

[suedeface]

I have a fixer-upper house, 3 kids, 2 cars, 2 cellphones and student loan repayments. A $100 dollar knife is pretty expensive in my opinion. Even if I made a lot of money, I would still consider spending that much on a knife to be exorbitant. I guess not having a lot of money makes me realize the value of a dollar better. At this point in my life, having my bills paid, kids fed, and keeping my house in good repair brings me more joy and piece of mind than any expensive "toy" that I could buy. Having said that, I usually spend about $40-50 on a knife (tops) and luckily for all of us, Spyderco gives us a very good selection of blades in that price range.It is really difficult for me to buy another more expensive knife when my salt 1, delica, or even byrd meadowlark work nearly perfect for me.

[Ankerson]

We live in a society where people tend to think they can get everything for cheap or even for free. Often it works, but generally you get what you pay for. I'd rather have one good knife, than four to ten cheap ones. I know I can depend on a good knife and appreciate and value it far more than cheap ones, there's a connection to that knife. If you buy a good knife you buy a prized possession, not just some product with a steel blade. Many people nowadays don't have sufficient appreciation for things. Also due to my limited budget I'd not spend hundreds on a knife but $100 really isn't much. Were it not for todays mass production capabilities overseas we wouldn't even be debating this question. We've gotten too used to having things available for very low cost (sometimes too low).

Yeah I think that is one of the biggest problems today, in general people really don't appreciate good quality, all they see is price and the cheaper the better.

A lot of those same people wouldn't even blink spending $250 on a cell phone or a lot more for some other electronic gadget that will go out of date or stop working in a few years or less.

But they won't spend around $100 on a quality item that will last them their lifetimes and more.

The something for nothing attitude of today's society really isn't a good thing if we want to have quality items in the future.

I call it the Wall-Mart Mentality.........

[DiKa]

Everything that I have is expensive. That's why I don't have a lot of things. Quality costs money - period. I will rather have one good thing then 2 crappy ones. I guess for most of the guys here it's the same thing when it comes to knive. NOBODY will carry 100 knives even on a rotation cycle. Having quality knives makes me feel good, keeps me busy on my spare time, and relaxes me when I play with them. This is why I buy them. BTW, I edc only 4-5 knives. I got almost 100 :spyder: I love to play with them, collect them and every single one of them, FOR ME, worth the dollars I paid. :D

[JCP1969]

The way I see it, you either save your money in a bank or you spend it. You may call it an investment but nothing is guaranteed. Considering there are people in the world who can get by on hardly nothing everything besides shelter ,food .clothing is a luxury to some degree. I turn the lights off and keep the heat down low cause I would rather spend my money on a spyderco. I have 15 and only my blue stretch was less than 100. It cost 97 .Personally its not my business what anyone does with their money and its not my place to judge. I am a poor self reliant person who owns everything I have outright. I would collect cans to buy a nice knife and have. If sh$t ever hit the fan I know I will have no regrets spending the money I did on knives. Tomorrow they could be worthless but I bought what I liked. With that logic its 100% rational. One last thing, I don't compare myself to other people. If I did I would always have to feel fortunate. :)

[phillipsted]

Because I like knives. Always have. Always will.

TedP

[Spook410]

If you go through life viewing everything as a simple appliance, you are going to miss out on many of the cool things life has to offer. Why have a Delica with smooth operation, quality construction, and competent steel when all you really need is a $8.95 box cutter? Life is short. It doesn't take extreme self indulgence to enjoy some insight into what makes a tool exceptional and take pleasure in owning and using it even if you never bump up against its performance envelope.

Of course.. if you want to see crazy, that would be me joining this forum. First it was a Delica in ZDP. Then a mule in M390. Now there's a CF Millie on order. What was I thinking?

[sgt Merrey]

Dont be ofended,if you dont like knives why are you here,if you do then you already have the answer to your silly question!!

[dbcad]

I've thought of a few reasons why I carry some $100 plus knives. Just folders at home and work, but the same ideas apply to Fixed blades when I'm out at the lake or camping.

First, slightly off topic, the green Chinese Lum was purchased on looks alone initially (my first:spyder :) , while carrying I found it to be quite useful for a bunch of stuff from food to hose and tube cutting, makes short work of boxes also. I initially expected it to be an extravagance but the Lum proved to have much more capacity than I expected. I still liked to treat it well because it's so darned good looking :)

More expensive knives first provide quality. Quality of materials, build, ergonomics, thought and function. When used as an everyday item the increased quality in those areas gives you additional capability even though you might not need or use that capability regularly. It's nice to have though :D

[sal]

Hi Brock O Lee, Spook, Sgt Merrey,

Welcome to the Spyderco forum.

hey Spyderbro,

Interesting question, sorry for the odd answers, we've had our share of trolls lately.

I think for knife afi's (aficianados), much of it is to experience the result of the collection of; design philospohy, exotic materials, mechanics like locking mechanisms and new concepts. A sports car afi might want to expeience his Ferrari on Monday, his Lotus on Tuesday, Jag on wednesday, etc. experience the handling, speed, brakes, etc.

Knives offer experience comparisons as well, just much less expensive than cars. Deployment, opening, cutting with a really sharp edge, how the edge and grind geometry responds, ergonomics, material feel, etc. When one gets into the more exotic materials or designs, the cost goes up.

sal

[Kev-Man]

Hey Spyderbro,

After reading your first post I had the initial impression some of the other members had, being critisized about carrying a $100+ knive. Your followup posts clears it up that you are an addict like the rest of us.

I personally carry 3 knives. Right now a GB M4, a Salt 1, and a Ladybug with my truck key. Would 1 cheapo knife work, yes, but I've been fortunate enough not to lose any of my knives so far. Besides sometimes it's good to be over prepared.

Carrying $200 of knives around to me is reasonable. Like some of the other members mentioned if you go out to dinner/bar once a week, or smoke a pack a day, or drink a 6 pack a day it will add up to a $200 dollar pretty quick. I don't drink coffee but try add up a cup every morning, $1 every work day will add up to $250 at the end of the year. I live a pretty simple life and admit my knive is my biggest guilty pleasure. No expensive watches or jewlery at all. JMHO.

Hey suedeface, hats off to you for knowing your priorities, too many people live on credit trying to get more social status with thier toys.

Kev.