Over priced knives

[kwselke]

Well, I have several older Buck 110s, and also a circa 1975 Puma Deer Hunter (which looks like a Buck 110, but slightly smaller). What do you think of early Buck, and of Puma, stainless steel?



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The original Buck 110 had 440C stainless, great knife and great steel. Buck changed their steels over the years to remain price competitive. I never have had a problem with them.

As a youth I bought a Puma White Hunter and abused it for years. I guess it was probably a 440C equivalent. It was stolen out of my truck years ago, I'd love to have it now to sharpen on my 2019 gear. I have a Puma Sergeant dating to the mid 1990s. Its blade is 440A. I like 440C better, but would feel confident using the old knife.

I have a huge range of comparatively inexpensive knives. Folks that use their knives do not need validation, they will love them or loose them.

Stainless is better.

 

[OLDSTER]

I carry one of these daily, and have for years. The Boker Kalish. ( 3rd from left) is without a doubt the best auto knife on the market for the money ( usually around $50). They are very popular, and numerous forum members own them.

 

[Flattop5]

Folks that use their knives do not need validation, they will love them or loose them.

Stainless is better.

I was not seeking validation or approval. You seemed to know a lot about stainless steel, so I asked you about it, re: Buck and Puma. One of my Buck 110s is 440C, the other has "the next steel" which I do not recall the name of, made circa 1986.

I normally do not carry stainless blades, however, I may try a few.


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[kwselke]

I was not seeking validation or approval. You seemed to know a lot about stainless steel, so I asked you about it, re: Buck and Puma. One of my Buck 110s is 440C, the other has "the next steel" which I do not recall the name of, made circa 1986.

I normally do not carry stainless blades, however, I may try a few.

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When Buck quit using 440C stainless they switched to 425M stainless. Their current standard is 420HC stainless. Buck's proprietary heat treatment does wonders with what ever steel they work.

The one Puma knife I still have is 440A stainless and dates to roughly 1996. It cost me about $35 then, it would cost about $100 now. I would not pay $100 for one today.

I'd love to see pictures of your old knives, and hear your opinions on current knife options. Face it, $15 today is going to buy a piece of... There is nothing magical about carbon steel either. If you like a knife and are confident in it, my opinion about knives amounts to... zero!

I apologize if I insulted your favorite blades.

 

[nachogrande]

HARD TO SHARPEN STEELS???

ALL knives are hard to sharpen UNTIL you learn how. NOT surprisingly different steels sharpen differently.

 

[llowry61]

Speaking as a Rolex and Randle owner,
Not sure that I 'understand ' them.
I wanted them.
I had the money.
I bought them.
Simple as that!

I have multiple Randalls, many guns, and have been wanting a Rolex for awhile. Gonna get one very soon.....

 

[Flattop5]

I'd love to see pictures of your old knives, and hear your opinions on current knife options. I apologize if I insulted your favorite blades.

Absolutely no problem at all. Glad to exchange opinions with you.

Glad to post knife photos as well, but, my digital camera battery died. As soon as I buy another battery, I will post some of my knife pictures. Maybe 1 week from now.


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[jeffrefrig]

I have a couple my dad bought; one after the war, a neat-looking dagger called a Korium PIC, made in Japan. Not worth much that I know of, just a cool-looking knife he never used. But when I was a kid he bought one from Herters that that ad showed it being hammered through a nail then slicing a piece of tomato razor thin; still has a sharp-a** blade. He used it on game. Don't know what he paid, but it was a lot for him. He was tight! It's worth nothing to me but memories. Selling that would be way over-priced for someone to get it off me! He must've used that Korium thing as a letter opener. No knife, or car, or watch is over-priced if that's what you want. Personally, $50 is my tops because I WILL lose one that costs more.

 

[Texas Star]

I have a couple my dad bought; one after the war, a neat-looking dagger called a Korium PIC, made in Japan. Not worth much that I know of, just a cool-looking knife he never used. But when I was a kid he bought one from Herters that that ad showed it being hammered through a nail then slicing a piece of tomato razor thin; still has a sharp-a** blade. He used it on game. Don't know what he paid, but it was a lot for him. He was tight! It's worth nothing to me but memories. Selling that would be way over-priced for someone to get it off me! He must've used that Korium thing as a letter opener. No knife, or car, or watch is over-priced if that's what you want. Personally, $50 is my tops because I WILL lose one that costs more.

FWIW, I paid $2.55 for a Herter's copy of the Russell Canadian Belt Knife by Grohmann Cutlery. I think the real thing cost about $9.95 in the USA then.

I later got three different Grohmann knives, which now sell for about $100 or so in the US. Not sure there's a US dealer, but they used to sell from the factory in Pictou, N.S. I didn't have to
pay any customs duty.

The Canadian originals were far better made than the Herter's copy. I feel they're worth the difference in price. Someone just wanting a functional knife might be happy with the Herter's, which I think they had made in Germany.

My No. 3 Russell's Boat Knife has a stainless blade and Micarta handle. I wanted those features in a knife to be used around water. It also has a a wrist thong, which I think was a custom feature. I got both the regular pouch sheath and the Canadian Forces sheath, which has a flap.

My Herter's knife is long gone...somewhere. I know exactly where all my Russell-Grohmann knives are. The No. 3 is in a bookcase right by the computer.

Of course, I understand that your dad's Herter knife has great sentimental value. My stepmother seems to have sold my father's two knives that I wanted. She won't discuss the matter. One was a G.W. Stone Model A and the other was a Ka-Bar hunting knife with a brown plastic handle from the 1930's. The Stone had a cocobolo wood handle. Guard and pommel were brass.

 

[nachogrande]

LOST AND FOUND.

I've found many more than I have lost. My first old timer was found in the street & I was hooked. Whenever in the field during a hunting season I ALWAYS follow blood trails, not only is it good trailing practice, I've helped some older gents drag their game but the real pay off is when/if you get to the gut pile, there is almost always something left behind. Usually it's a knife, camo clothing, hats/gloves, etc. NO GUNS YET. I found a nice expensive custom knife once & was able to return it to a grateful owner.

 

[Flattop5]

I've found many more than I have lost. My first old timer was found in the street & I was hooked.

A funny but true story: When I was about 12 years old, I found a nice pocket knife in someone's front yard. It was very pretty, with tiger-striped celluloid handles. It was a Remington, I think. A few days later, a man walked up to us kids and asked, "have any of you kids found a pocket knife lately"? We all said "no." But later, I began to feel guilty about lying to him. So I went over to his house and I told him that, yes, I did find a pocket knife. I asked him to describe it as per my dad telling me to do that. He did. It was the same knife that I found. So I gave it back to him. Being honest sucks.


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[Chukar60]

No just getting a feel for what board members are willing to pay for a blade. I may should have. Put over rated term than over priced. But that term may not best way to go

Maybe you should have asked "what is the maximum you would pay for a knife to be used for XYZ"?

I have been watching the new line of threads with "over rated, under rated, over priced" etc, as themes.
Really wish people would refrain from them. Always seems to bring out the nasty in people because invariably a bunch of people get their feelers hurt over their favorites or how they determine value.
Reality is the posts serve no definitive purpose other than stirring up the the muffin dust in the corral.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Muffin dust.

 

[shouldazagged]

Some of the knives I bought not that many years ago, especially some early production or very-limited-special-edition Bark Rivers, I couldn't afford today. But having been employed in notoriously underpaid service professions all my working life, I could never afford the pricey knives. Spyderco is as high as I can go in retirement, and many of their models are well beyond my reach.

But I've had very good service from much less expensive cutting tools that I could afford: the good old Schrade Old Timers, Case, Buck, Kershaw, Boker, SOG, Opinel, Mora stuff, et al.

I don't begrudge the folks for whom Benchmade is the low end, and it doesn't bother me that I can't afford to join their ranks. With the ones I listed, and my remaining Bark Rivers, I have more than enough cutting power to satisfy me. More than I can use before I croak.

 

[JayFramer]

I don't care to pay much more than $50 for a knife, just because so many superb cutters are out there, often for much less. My current favorite knife is the French made Douk-Douk:

They cut extremely well and are hand built for less than $25. Amazing knives! I also like and carry Opinels, Case, and Bucks. Nothing wrong with these proven capabale and affordable knives! For those paying hundreds I get it if they're a custom built thing or hand forged etc. but really at the end of the day, does it really do anything a less expensive blade wouldn't? I think in most cases, the answer is no!

 

[gnystrom]

I never understood Randall knives nor Rolex watches. A lot of people love them, however. Let the flaming begin.

I can't speak to the Randalls but all my Rolex watches are worth far more than what I paid for them.
An interesting topic though because Benchmade just stepped in it up to their fetlocks and they seem to think gun owners are cheapskates and regardless of what Benchmade does to the gun industry will have no effect on their sales.
https://guntalk.libsyn.com/tom-talk...ons-and-ita-failures-gun-talk-radio-spotlight

 

[peterGun]

To me over priced is a fantasy knife.

This on the other hand was a good deal, an EDC for <$100. That holds an edge

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kwselke]

To me over priced is a fantasy knife.

This on the other hand was a good deal, an EDC for <$100. That holds an edge

Many folks think that a $100 Benchmade is a fantasy overpriced knife. It is becoming harder and harder to find any Benchmade knife priced under $100. I believe US made Spyderco knives now start at about $90 and quickly jump to $125+. The Japanese made Spyderco knives I'm tickled with are not much cheaper. I assure you many people think the knives I buy are overpriced, silly, and not needed. To me, they are a part of my being.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Opinel and Mora. All else is vanity.

 

[boykinlp]

I have been collecting knives recently. I was mainly buying Case knives. I also was only buying knives with Sambar Stag handles because it is my favorite. In the last year, I have learned about Great Eastern Cutlery knives. To me, I think they are the best American made folders made today. The quality is superb. Check them out.

I have mostly Case and GEC, but also have Buck, Boker, Schrade, and even one Randle. Here are two of my favorites in my collection. One is a Buck 110 and the other is a Great Eastern Cutlery Whaler #46. The GEC Whaler is quite a massive knife!

 

[Smoke]

These are the three knives that I carry.

The one on top is a CRKT Ignitor I've had it for two or three years and I'm absolutely positive that I paid less than $40 for it. That's the pocket knife that I carry when I'm not at work.

The one in the middle I think is a Schrade that was made on contract for Craftsman tools. I think I paid something like 39.99 for it at Sears probably 20 years ago. I'm not sure how the Craftsman lifetime guarantee applies because they don't make them anymore but that's the knife that I carry at work.

The one on the bottom is a gerber multi-tool that I never leave home without. I bought it in 1995 at the PX on Fort Carson and I'm absolutely positive I did not pay more than $30 for it.

I mean I've never run into something that I needed an knife for or a multi-tool that one of these three knives couldn't do. So I can't see paying more than what I paid for these for a knife

 

[Onomea]

On Randall's website, they have the following in their FAQs:



Now not to disagree, but I think there are a lot of good, even excellent, knives that cost less than Randalls. But I doubt there are many (any?) better knives that cost less. (Would love to hear of any!)

 

[marinevet]

There are now 110 responses to this thread...........I will not read them all, but I will reply........

Knives are like guns........there are inexpensive ones that will do the job that is ask............

There are medium priced ones that are better, will keep a better edge, ones that you can always depend on, and will last longer than the inexpensive ones.........

There are ones that are fancy, kept as safe queens, and only brought out as show pieces..............

Truck knives,

EDC knives,

Bar B Q knives...........