2 and 3 thousand dollar knives...

[kismasher]

so, i was doing a little xmas shopping for my dad, who has a nice little knife collection, and was buying him a new ceramic rod sharpening set and some polishing equipment here http://www.agrussell.com/index.html.

in there store, they have a multitude of folders and other knives that are in the $2000-$3000 range.

why in the hell would anyone buy one of these? i can't figure it out...

any of you blade nuts ever buy something like this?

[kismasher]

or if any of you just want to buy me a present, i'll take this > http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_t..._damascus.html

[datdamnmachine]

I can't speak for myself but from what I've read, the high end, high quality knives that cost that much are usually custom made and usually by well known knife smiths. The really good ones are of a higher quality not found in the majority of mass manufactured knives. Also, just like almost anything custom made, the value of the item tends to go up over time. Another point, anything with Damascus steal is going to to be super extra expensive whether it be manufactured product or custom made.

[SFGOON]

in there store, they have a multitude of folders and other knives that are in the $2000-$3000 range.

why in the hell would anyone buy one of these? i can't figure it out...

Because:

1. They work for Microsoft and...

2. They need to feel tough.

There is an entire enterprise, Wades Gun Shop, which is predicated on the notion of selling high-end military weaponry to geeks, nerds, dweebs and dorks, most of whom are recently divorced. Wade is a millionaire many times over and I get nauseated every time I go near that place, which is sad because it's just around the corner....

[money]

Unique hand-made stuff from a talented smith can take a long time to create. I think my Sensei spent a year making this one :

http://home.comcast.net/~jeshern/bambootanto.htm

[SFGOON]

I would be honored to commit seppuku with that thing.

[Permalost]

Unique hand-made stuff from a talented smith can take a long time to create. I think my Sensei spent a year making this one :

http://home.comcast.net/~jeshern/bambootanto.htm

Your sensei is awesome.

[Sam Browning]

Because:

1. They work for Microsoft and...

2. They need to feel tough.

There is an entire enterprise, Wades Gun Shop, which is predicated on the notion of selling high-end military weaponry to geeks, nerds, dweebs and dorks, most of whom are recently divorced. Wade is a millionaire many times over and I get nauseated every time I go near that place, which is sad because it's just around the corner....

Do you think if you were divorced you might enjoy the shop more?

[Don Gwinn]

Think of the high-end knife market more like art collection. It's not on that level money-wise, obviously, but the serious collectors treat it the same way. The way an art collector feels about getting a Picasso is just like the way a knife collector feels about getting, for instance, an original by Bob Loveless or Buster Warinski.

Also similarly, some people collect "genres" while others collect certain artists and some just buy whatever they think is neat. There are people buying and trading these things as serious investments, and there are collectors who admire certain makers and wouldn't sell their knives for any money.

Goon, if you looked at the A.G. Russell catalog and picked out the knives in the multi-thousand range, I doubt many of them would be tactical tough-guy numbers. You sound like you've kinda got a problem with civilians with weapons.

[money]

Your sensei is awesome.

He really is, I try to plug his stuff whenever I get a chance.

[Gezere]

I have paid that much for swords but I just can't bring myself to spend that kind of dough on a knife. I have collected antique weaponry and spent about $500 on a katar but for a modern knife that I plan to use I can't spend that much money on.

I have two of the Camilus CQB knives but the only reason I have those is because I got them for under a hunderd off of ebay and not the $300 they originally were marketed for. Good knives though.

[AlienGunfighter]

Unique hand-made stuff from a talented smith can take a long time to create. I think my Sensei spent a year making this one :

http://home.comcast.net/~jeshern/bambootanto.htm

I'd feel better about a failed knife defense if I were getting stabbed with that.

[SFGOON]

Do you think if you were divorced you might enjoy the shop more?

Going out and buying guns without the pleasure of bringing the home and boring the living shit out of my wife with them would be an empty, sad experience.

Antique weaponry is a different story, as is any antique. I would pay that much for a vintage kukri if it could be proved it was an historical artifact.

[Poop Loops]

I can see why people buy these.

I am a bass player, and well, look:

http://www.bassnw.com/usedbass.htm

And this is just the used stuff.

This is a high-end store, so the stuff is kind of pricey regardless. But my point is, a $5000 bass plays and sounds the same as a $1000 or less bass, it's just that it was made by someone known in the industry and custom made ones can go up to $7000+

The people who buy them likely won't go out gigging on them unless it's a quiet jazz gig or something, either.

These knives cut like a knife for half the cost, but they look nice and have that "it was made for me feel to it.

[Carpe Noctem]

A lot of the time, you're paying for the name, if it's a "big" maker. Ernie Emerson's shit is almost impossible to get, but then again, he was the one who popularized the whole tanto-point/chisel ground folder thing. Yes, you're paying for workmanship and yes, you're paying for the sometimes expensive materials used, but it's also influenced by what that maker's done in their field. You want expensive? Try getting something made by Bob Loveless or Bill Moran. They were pioneers in their field, and their prices reflect that. I think some Moran knives go for over $10,000 depending on size/model/steel/etc.

Of course, I love Ernie's knives, he makes great stuff. He's definitely not a maker resting on his laurels...it's just that once you get into that area, you're past the need for a simple cutting tool and are getting into the area of works of art.