overpriced blades

I think that the so called semi custom Microtechs are overpriced. I love the knifes that they produce but spending twice or even six times the amount that you'd pay for a production model just because it has a machine ground Damascus blade is absurd when that piece of Damascus didn't raise the cost of production by anywhere near the difference in price( in most cases ).

Secondary XM's by far are not worth the price that they command in my opinion, other blade junkies may feel the same way about CRK's whereas I have no problem spending too much money on one.

It's such a subjective response, I could just as easily ask everybody what tugs at your soul when you're shopping for the next new knife and we'd see all of the makers that we've all listed as over priced at the top of the list of things to have- that's why we're addicts people, we know that our habit is expensive, but we also know that the next knife is never going to be the last knife.

I'll sum up my all too long response with this, if I have the money, no knife is too expensive if I feel a connection to it.
Of course that's the same answer my Wife gave me when she said that it's time that we started to budget our funds a little better ;D it's a sickness people, a sickness I tell you.
 
BINGO! It took me a few years to grow as a knife enthusiast but that is where I am now. Instead of a hundred low to mid priced productions, I have a really nice, small bevy of mid tech/high end knives. My rotation stays between 12 and 20 really nice knives now. And yes, the difference is profound IMHO. At this point, I can't go backwards . . . I still move knives sometimes but the primary rotation is still staying in the 10 - 20 really nice knives and they all get carried, albeit not used too hard but carried none the less. I keep and carry some beater fixed blades for tough jobs in my BOB.

RevDevil said:
Most of us work hard for our money, save and invest when possible. There are people that literally earn $1000s a month and the thought of a $200 knife is a no go. For me, I'd rather have a few really nice knives than a tub full of junky ones. Quality over quantity for me.
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I dont spend a paycheck on a blade so in terms of middle of the road and a bit overprice is: Benchmade reasonable price however they cheap out with some materials such as sheaths and handles sometimes even blade steel.
 
what are the most overpriced blades on the market in your opinion?
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This was the origional question.

Not sure how any knife that is quickly scarfed up can be call overpriced.

If they sell quickly by definition they are not overpriced.
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So I assume he's asking what you think. Yes, there are always people who will buy things. But what do you think is overpriced? What will you not pay x dollars for even though that is the going market price?

Hinderers on the secondary market are up there. I got an XM-24 direct, great knife, well worth the price. Wouldn't pay secondary market though. Emerson customs are also way overpriced in my opinion. I'd love to get one but can't justify that price for those knives.
 
Busse.

I don't get why people jump at paying the (sometimes) crazy secondary market prices.... Prices for ones I've seen listed Evilbay have been nuttier than squirrel shit. Huge mark-ups compared to what folks on BF are selling for...

Maybe I'm just missing something... :confused:
 
I didn't know Recon 1s and Enduras were junky knives. These threads tend to force opinions in such directions. To further justify the $300 and up knives, the quality of $50 and up knives is diminished. All of a sudden Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw, etc just really aren't all that good and the people who EDC them are scraping the bottom of the barrel. Except gold class BMs and Spyderco sprints are also mentioned in the price range. I doubt anyone actually considers these knives a poor value, but diminishing returns should never be, well, diminished. I enjoy my $50 knives about as much as my $500 ones, everything in perspective. What a knife does as a tool doesn't require several hundred dollars worth of materials and workmanship, we are squarely in enthusiast/collector territory.

Overpriced to me is anything heavily traded on the secondary market. That includes custom Emersons, Hinderers, ans Spydie sprints. The people who designed and made the knives put a market value on their expertise and workmanship, yet that gets inflated by people who know squat about making the knife. That price is driven by speculation and not set by the actual producer, so I personally can't justify collector prices for a knife that is still poduced, can still be ordered, or could have a near twin. made on request. With a little time and rarity, I'll play the game, but a 100-200% markup a week after initial delivery is too much for me.
 
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I think some of the Emersons are overpriced.

I can get a Spyderco Para2 with colorful G-10 and super-steel for what I could pay for an Emerson.

I can get a Sebenza for what I would pay for certain Emersons.... So yeah, I think some Emersons are overpriced.
 
clich said:
Benchmade. The blades and designs are great. But that crappy plastic handle makes it feel cheap and like a toy. I would have more benchmades (or kept the ones I tried) if the handle was better. Maybe same material but better constructed so it didn't FEEL so cheap. Not worth it to me which is a shame really because otherwise f&f are good.
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I agree with what you said. In some models I am ok but some feel cheap in the grips.
 
...more power to you if you desire to lay out the coin for a XM in the secondary market; it's a tremendous premium over its OEM price...but i will always think that is poor use of disposable income...
 
hardheart said:
I didn't know Recon 1s and Enduras were junky knives. These threads tend to force opinions in such directions. To further justify the $300 and up knives, the quality of $50 and up knives is diminished. All of a sudden Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw, etc just really aren't all that good and the people who EDC them are scraping the bottom of the barrel. Except gold class BMs and Spyderco sprints are also mentioned in the price range. I doubt anyone actually considers these knives a poor value, but diminishing returns should never be, well, diminished. I enjoy my $50 knives about as much as my $500 ones, everything in perspective. What a knife does as a tool doesn't require several hundred dollars worth of materials and workmanship, we are squarely in enthusiast/collector territory.
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Who said that Enduras and Recon 1s are junky knives? I just reread what I wrote and it wasn't me. If you reread my post without combining the 2 separate statements, it will make sense. No one is forcing any opinions in one way or another. Opinions were called for and given, just because they differ from one person to the next doesn't indicate to me any force. But, to each their own.

hardheart said:
Overpriced to me is anything heavily traded on the secondary market. That includes custom Emersons, Hinderers, ans Spydie sprints. The people who designed and made the knives put a market value on their expertise and workmanship, yet that gets inflated by people who know squat about making the knife. That price is driven by speculation and not set by the actual producer, so I personally can't justify collector prices for a knife that is still poduced, can still be ordered, or could have a near twin. made on request. With a little time and rarity, I'll play the game, but a 100-200% markup a week after initial delivery is too much for me.
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See you also have an opinion of your own. Some might not agree, but no force involved. People get mad when they miss sprints, LEs or can't find special runs. I do happen to agree on your idea of sprints and prices on the secondary market, as well as the costs of manufacturing (time, materials, and equipment). Someone posted the other day that they have been on the forums for 10+ years and some how managed to miss every single announcement of Spyderco sprint runs. I find that amazing given that the retail prices are reasonable compared to some the aftermarket prices and there has never been a conspiracy to hide these announcements. In the end, all that is left for those people are $500 S90V CF Militarys and such.

When you perform simple math, the retail prices of these knives (Spyderco Endura & Recon 1) in the quantities mentioned are equal to a sought after midtech, or a high end Kershaw, ZT, Spyderco Sprint, etc. Given the chance to own 10 knives in VG-10 over 1 in S110V, I'd take the S110V and I suspect you would too.
 
Any "midtech" knife - what a wonderful name for a knife that´s made with modern machinery. I remember when some companies tried (and succeeded) in selling these as customs. If BF hadn´t "crashed" a few times you would be able to do a quick search and see some interesting discusstons regarding this subject.

But I digress, overpriced production knives in my opinion are (with positive stuff mentioned):
EKI (great ergos), Strider (serious user), A few Spydercos (some very cool and efficient designs), Bud Nealy (excellent sheath system), Cold Steel (nothing goood to say). No experience with Hinderer ("midtech"?). Fallkniven (Nice blades) is another overpriced maker. Busse (looks good in a picture) that secret steel must be a cousin to "rustafrei" steel. For me Busse feels like TOPS knives richer cousin. The later makes some fine rail road spikes and the former makes the rails (heavy cumbersome stuff).

Then again paying over 1000 bucks for my Voodoo hound might seem like overpriced for some...

/C.
 
Retail on Hinderer knives is not to bad. Aftermarket.... $1100-$1400 for a $450-$550 knife is just crazy.
 
Busse Combat offerings. If you are one of the lucky few that bought a particular knife when it was first offered, you are ok, but the after market prices that the collector fan boys pay is phenomenal.
Everyone I bought had to be re handled anyway, which further drives up the price.
 
I am more than surprised that Rockstead has not been mentioned anywhere in this thread, at least that I saw. Even though I own one and I really like it, Rockstead knives are overpriced for what they are, which is basically a higher end production knife using some very decent steel. I just happened to fall into one on a trade and enjoy it, but I would never pay the prices they ask. I would get another if I could get a good deal.
 
RevDevil said:
Who said that Enduras and Recon 1s are junky knives? I just reread what I wrote and it wasn't me. If you reread my post without combining the 2 separate statements, it will make sense. No one is forcing any opinions in one way or another.
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I didn't mean you in particular were forcing your opinion, but that the defense of higher price points leads to statements of relative quality. Saying no knives are overpriced when someone is willing to pay for them leads to questions/statements about what people are paying for. So then it needs to be stated that the more expensive knives are better than the lower priced knives. Then there are questions of in what way. The answers are either nebulous or unnecessarily harsh against lower priced items.

I don't think you believe Recons or Enduras are junky, but I also don't see where junky knives need to be in the discussion. As someone else mentioned, junky knives are also overpriced. There are hundreds of knives that are not junky that are cheaper than knives called overpriced in this thread, just wanted to highlight that. Heck, most of the overpriced knives are that way by no fault of the makers.
 
retzius said:
I think many of the smaller sized ESEE blades are VERY overpriced. $100 for a water jet cut piece of 1095 borders on the absurd.

That said I really like my ESEE 3 :D
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I think the price is good just based on the solid warranty. covered against damage from use AND misuse?? swag
 
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