buying a good knife for my dad

[dauc43]

as the title states im looking to buy my dad a quality knife for christmas. he has plenty but wants a quality one with a nice design. he really wants a william henry http://www.knifeart.com/b09salvadore.html . i am unsure of knives but would like to spend somewhere between 700-800. any ideas or recommendations guys?

 

[dauc43]

bump. no knife gurus here?

 

[JBP55]

With $700-$800 to spend most on BS will purchase a gun.

 

[ulshop]

Arizona Custom Knives has a few in stock within that price range.

arizonacustomknives.com ....

http://www.arizonacustomknives.com/artists/index.php?id=409

 

[I_FLY_LOW]

Buy a bunch of the BS spyderco knives...

 

[TomTerrific]

Chuck Gedraitis makes very nice knives. If you had six months lead time, he could make one to specs.

http://www.gedraitisknives.com/

I have bought about ten knives from Arizona and they are good to deal with. I would suggest giving them a call Monday (904) 826-4178 and talk with them. I wanted a particular knife and they clued me in that the maker was a real jerk to work with. I ended up with another knife at a lower price.

If you want a fancy knife with pricey handle material and Damascus steel, $700-800 is about right, but you can get really nice, special ones for around $500, even less.

You might consider a really nice slipjoint like:

These are all well within your budget.

I just purchased this one for <$200

The Arizona site is fun to browse. You might also post your query on Blade.Forum.

 

[dauc43]

With $700-$800 to spend most on BS will purchase a gun.

i agree, i would purchase a gun as well, but seeing as he wants a knife buying him a gun would be useless.
thanks for the info tom

 

[glimmerman]

Fort Henry Custom Knives has several folding Doziers listed. I like the Ivory folder just listed for $895, sure he would too!!

 

[TomTerrific]

Fort Henry Custom Knives has several folding Doziers listed. I like the Ivory folder just listed for $895, sure he would too!!

The ivory handled one I posted is a Dozier, price ~$650 iirc.

What particularly is he interested in?

 

[Trey@IG]

excuse my ignorance but what makes a knife worth that much? are they made of gold and diamonds? i just couldnt fathom spending that much on a knife

 

[Gunnut80]

Damn now I won't feel so bad every time I buy a new Benchmade.

 

[ulshop]

Many of the high end knives are made by individuals or small shops. The difference is getting something that has the makers hand actually involved in the production. You can go to Home Depot and buy ready made cabinets out of a box, or go to a cabinet shop and have someone design and craft something that will last a life time. In the end both items will do the same thing, some are just built with better materials and real quality craftsmanship. I've tried to make knives.. forging is fun but the finishing sucks. I can appreciate what goes into a really well done damascus blade. I have no problem paying someone a fair price in trade for a sample of their hard worked for skills and abilities. A recent post about a throw away society highlights a decreased value of skilled trade and true craft. Why buy one of something that you can value and pass on to your kids when for the same amount you can but 5-6 and not care what happens to them. To each his own...

 

[TomTerrific]

Many of the high end knives are made by individuals or small shops. The difference is getting something that has the makers hand actually involved in the production. You can go to Home Depot and buy ready made cabinets out of a box, or go to a cabinet shop and have someone design and craft something that will last a life time. In the end both items will do the same thing, some are just built with better materials and real quality craftsmanship. I've tried to make knives.. forging is fun but the finishing sucks. I can appreciate what goes into a really well done damascus blade. I have no problem paying someone a fair price in trade for a sample of their hard worked for skills and abilities. A recent post about a throw away society highlights a decreased value of skilled trade and true craft. Why buy one of something that you can value and pass on to your kids when for the same amount you can but 5-6 and not care what happens to them. To each his own...

Very well said.

 

[SimpleGreen]

Many of the high end knives are made by individuals or small shops. The difference is getting something that has the makers hand actually involved in the production. You can go to Home Depot and buy ready made cabinets out of a box, or go to a cabinet shop and have someone design and craft something that will last a life time. In the end both items will do the same thing, some are just built with better materials and real quality craftsmanship. I've tried to make knives.. forging is fun but the finishing sucks. I can appreciate what goes into a really well done damascus blade. I have no problem paying someone a fair price in trade for a sample of their hard worked for skills and abilities. A recent post about a throw away society highlights a decreased value of skilled trade and true craft. Why buy one of something that you can value and pass on to your kids when for the same amount you can but 5-6 and not care what happens to them. To each his own...

I can entirely see where you are coming from, but being that I'm clearly in a way different income bracket, even a $100 knife I will highly cherish. Of course, there are different interests for different people. I love my $1,000 1911 pistol, but a knife costing more than $75 is not appealing to me. Just not my kind of interest. I have an $8 box cutter that performs my needs. I have a Leatherman Supertool for anything past that. Of course, I don't skin animals, hunt crocodiles, or slit the throats of VC in the jungle on a regular basis, either, lol.

 

[TomTerrific]

excuse my ignorance but what makes a knife worth that much? are they made of gold and diamonds? i just couldnt fathom spending that much on a knife

I picked this up out there. It is not copyrighted and makes good points.

$400 Knife


Baseline:
Cheap Chinese folder- $10-15
RESULT: A barely usable knife or an unsafe POS, it depends. Most people feel they get their moneys worth, if barely.

An inexpensive knife- $25-$45 (CRKT, low end Spyderco, BM, Kershaw etc).
RESULT: Huge difference. The knife should function reasonably well. Most people feel they get their moneys worth. There is some satisfaction and pride in these purchases. Almost no buyers remorse or diminishing returns here.

Low to mid grade folder- $50-100, (Spyderco, BM, Kershaw, CS, etc.)
RESULT: Really big difference. Now you are getting very good construction and higher end blade steel. People are happy with these offerings, they get a good product that could last many, many years. No buyers remorse, and almost no diminishing returns on this class.

Mid to high end production folder- $ 125-250: (Al Mar, ZT, Fallkniven, Emerson, Spyderco, BM, etc)
RESULT: People start to see what the fuss is all about. These are nice knives. A person jumping from a $60 folder will immediately see the difference and understand why he paid so much for the knife. These are knives that you could hand to a total non-knife person and they would probably comment on how nice a knife it is. These are so close to high-end offerings that there is really no practical need to spend anymore for a superb quality folder. Lot’s of pride of ownership involved with this class of folder. Material quality, and construction, is top notch. Blade steel is near, or at the highest level available. The average person knows they paid a lot for the knife, but probably feel they got their moneys worth and would recommend them to others. Probably not too much buyers remorse if the person could afford it in the first place. Diminishing returns are more prevalent at this point.

High end Production folders- $300-500: ( CRK, Strider, Hinderer, etc.)
RESULT: These knives are the epitome of production craftsmanship. Everything (should) be tight, smooth and strong.

But, there is not that much immediate difference between this price point and the $125-250 price point.You could hand one of these knives over to a non-knife person and they may comment on how nice the knife is. If you told them how much it costs, they would probably be shocked and think you were crazy for paying so much for a knife.

You are not getting twice the knife for the money. Most of the cost involved for these knives are for things you can’t even see; tight tolerances, warranty, prestige. Spyderco, Kershaw/ZT and BM make several knives that are more exciting, different, and fun than these knives, for a lot less money. Things you can see in other words.

A person going from a $60 folder may truly wonder why the heck he paid so much for a knife that may not seem all that great. The quality may be obvious, but not for the extra $300 they just dropped. The knife may have annoying traits, (Strider break-in), be much thicker and heavier than he is used to, (Hinderer), or may just seem plain and unexciting compared to his other folders, (CRK). There may be major buyers remorse.

Bottom line, buy what you like, with a design that appeals to you. Forget about the price.
Bragging rights only last so long.

 

[Swami]

This site has a couple of custom manufacturers that have offerings in your price range:

http://www.the-knife-connection.com/

This one caught my eye particularly, by Kansei Matsuno:

Matsuno uses ATS-34, and also makes a knife very similar to my beloved ICC Urban Tactical.

 

[PrairieCajun]

I'm curious why you would spend $700+ on such a personal item. Not knocking your generosity at all. I just find my knives to be something that I have to choose based on ergonomics and need/job. Glad you are asking here so you can weigh his personality and needs against experiences with different styles and durability. He is a lucky Dad.

 

[DAUC]

OP is my brother. We were just trying to get ideas as to what was available. He carries a small, cheap folder everyday, and usually has the lock mechanism break. I am also having trouble understanding the cost behind it, but it is something he asked for (which never happens). He saw a few at Lee Michaels, which are the William Henry knives. While most are very nice, I just know that a more durable stylish knife would work better for him.

I have been looking at the Chris Reeve knives and they are pretty much what I thought would be best. I like this one most, http://www.chrisreeve.com/annual.htm. They have titanium frames, really nice wood inlays, and a few different damascus blades to choose from. I am tempted with the idea of telling him, and letting him pick from a few or some different options or something.

The more I look at them, the more I understand. Personally, I would just buy a new gun, but this is something I know he will carry everyday, and he has pistols and a CHP and doesn't carry his gun everyday. It is for him. Thanks for all the help too

 

[ulshop]

Gave my Dad a Chris Reeve Mnandi for his birthday this year. Closely matched the size and style of knives he's carried for years. He is very difficult to read on what would make a good gift. Rarely asks for anything and I think I have maxed out on other tools and woodworking items. The knife made a great/unexpected gift. Good luck with the hunt...

 

[Born4spd]

Only thing i would buy in that price range would be a BUSSE..