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What's your most expensive knife?

Justin Schmidt

Justin Schmidt

Joined
Feb 18, 2016
Messages
2,209
Saw this on a fb group and thought it would be cool thread here. So what's your most expensive knife you own? Pics are definitely encouraged
 
This knife is probably the most expensive new (just got it used) but I've spent more with modifications and aftermarket parts on other knives.

20191121-122656-HDR.jpg
 
Justin Schmidt said:
So what's your most expensive knife you own?
Click to expand...

Pics are definitely encouraged
Click to expand...
Oh you shouldn't have said that OK here goes :

If I figure my time, and my time is my most prized possession, the most expensive knife I own would be . . .
This one
IMG_4909.JPG
Why's that you say it's just a sixty dollar knife one can buy everywhere.
Not so fast. Sure I ordered one for about that amount of money. When it came it was all wrong. Pale red, blotchy and some white bone here and there.
Since I fell in love with this thing the first time I set eyes on those rich, luscious red lips scales I simply had to have one.
I sent it back and ordered again. The next one I got was not only weak colored but the action was awful ! ! ! springs so weak it would hardly hold the blades shut and on and on.

I gave up.
Then it kept haunting me and I pitched in again. I started e-mailing vendors that sold them, having them open boxes and . . . nada.
I gave up again.
Finally, finally a year or so later I ordered another one.
I mean by this time I had spent A LOT of time searching and typing and packing up and sending back . . . but look at that red bone color ! ! !

I got this one and it was THE ONE (the one above) and the color was just as advertised.
But
it had blade rap and enough that I felt just wearing the blade away with sharpening wouldn't be satisfactory.
IMG_4951.JPG
I won't go into all the time I spent talking to people here and experimenting but finally after more time I got rid of the blade wrap.

Now the grip isn't right. I've always wished Stockmans were just two blade knives, so I cut away that third blade until I could actually hold the thing decently to use it.
IMG_4938.jpg
Yes, my most expensive knife is a user. Are you shocked ?

Other than that probably my next runner up would be my Chris Reeve 21 but only because the price went up about two hundred dollars after I bought mine just before they all but disappeared from the market. What timing; I didn't plan it that way. I've always planned to buy a 21 and then I got the idea that they might go away when the 31s came out and things just happened to come together and i got mine. When I looked again to see if the vendor I got mine from really was telling the truth when they said they only had one in stock someone else was selling them and they were much more expensive.

Still though . . . I worked the hardest to get that dambed Boker.
Still have it / still love it. Later I realized the color is the same as pomegranate juice.
IMG_5279.JPG
 
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Wowbagger said:
Oh you shouldn't have said that OK here goes :

If I figure my time, and my time is my most prized possession, the most expensive knife I own would be . . .
This one
View attachment 1237372
Why's that you say it's just a sixty dollar knife one can buy everywhere.
Not so fast. Sure I ordered one for about that amount of money. When it came it was all wrong. Pale red, blotchy and some white bone here and there.
Since I fell in love with this thing the first time I set eyes on those rich, luscious red lips scales I simply had to have one.
I sent it back and ordered again. The next one I got was not only weak colored but the action was awful ! ! ! springs so weak it would hardly hold the blades shut and on and on.

I gave up.
Then it kept haunting me and I pitched in again. I started e-mailing vendors that sold them, having them open boxes and . . . nada.
I gave up again.
Finally, finally a year or so later I ordered another one.
I mean by this time I had spent A LOT of time searching and typing and packing up and sending back . . . but look at that red bone color ! ! !

I got this one and it was THE ONE (the one above) and the color was just as advertised.
But
it had blade rap and enough that I felt just wearing the blade away with sharpening wouldn't be satisfactory.
View attachment 1237365
I won't go into all the time I spent talking to people here and experimenting but finally after more time I got rid of the blade wrap.

Now the grip isn't right. I've always wished Stockmans were just two blade knives, so I cut away that third blade until I could actually hold the thing decently to use it.
View attachment 1237366
Yes, my most expensive knife is a user. Are you shocked ?

Other than that probably my next runner up would be my Chris Reeve 21 but only because the price went up about two hundred dollars after I bought mine just before they all but disappeared from the market. What timing; I didn't plan it that way. I've always planned to buy a 21 and then I got the idea that they might go away when the 31s came out and things just happened to come together and i got mine. When I looked again to see if the vendor I got mine from really was telling the truth when they said they only had one in stock someone else was selling them and they were much more expensive.

Still though . . . I worked the hardest to get that dambed Boker.
Still have it / still love it. Later I realized the color is the same as pomegranate juice.
View attachment 1237369
Click to expand...

That's some dedication!!!!!
 
I am completely stunned with the amount of users being posted! I really expected to see a few dozen $1000 to $3000 trophy knives. Nothing wrong with that of course, but I love to see a practical working knife prized for its value.

Only one of my "expensive" knives I have purchased. I got a ZT 0909 as a gift and loved it as a work knife so much I bought another one "just in case". I got a Spyderco Valloton as a thank you gift from a client after finishing the remodel of their house.

Both models about $200 or so. Except the "backup" 0909, they go to work in rotation when it is their turn.

Robert
 
midnight flyer said:
I am completely stunned with the amount of users being posted! I really expected to see a few dozen $1000 to $3000 trophy knives. Nothing wrong with that of course, but I love to see a practical working knife prized for its value.

Only one of my "expensive" knives I have purchased. I got a ZT 0909 as a gift and loved it as a work knife so much I bought another one "just in case". I got a Spyderco Valloton as a thank you gift from a client after finishing the remodel of their house.

Both models about $200 or so. Except the "backup" 0909, they go to work in rotation when it is their turn.

Robert
Click to expand...

My problem with that theory is while I believe knives are meant to be tools $1,000-$3,000 dollars knives usually don't do much more then cheaper alternative name brands. Other then blade steel heat treat and just assembly quality those higher ends knives you're paying for the maker or discontinued brand production knife or maybe the handle is encrusted with jewels and diamonds.

It's like antique gun collecting in which case it's pure intrinsic value. No one is going out dropping 20-50K on those guns for home defense or hunting or even because they shoot good. It's just the collectors market, historical significance etc.

It's kind of why I have stayed away from the custom knife market. Now I hear the market is saturated with new makers and you have all these high end knives in surplus to their demand. On Jerzee devil they are making fun of the current balisong market being on decline.

You can see in the sales sections dozens of custom balis that aren't getting moved and just keep getting bumped with price drops. The problem is they are asking thousands of dollars or close or more then they originally have in it and with the market being saturated with new makers they are getting low ball offers for probably less then half of what they are asking. So it sits. No one is willing to buy at current market and the sellers are only willing to take so much of a loss.

It's why I always favored the production market, usually discontinued knives over custom when it comes to collectibility. I look at one as more of a stock exchange market and one based on intrinsic value. The custom market is kind of like it's worth whatever someone is willing to pay you.
 
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