by Chuck Papp, Contributing Writer
How much is that thing? That question is one we hear every day. Whether someone is referring to a firearm, optic, case, or any other of the many items that are out there for purchase. The one item which it seems it’s used the most, is on knives.
Now a lot of people carry a wide variety of life’s little gadgets, but the one that everyone should have at any time is the common pocket knife. The knife is man’s most useful tool, and a tool it is. From the day humans walked this earth, we have always needed a tool to cut things. Think about how many times we do that task. Cutting envelopes open, rope, string, food, hospital surgery rooms, boxes, that hang tag on your girlfriends or wives’ shirt, and even for self-defense. You also have war. Before guns there were knives, swords, and axes that armies used to conquer new lands or defend theirs.
Like anything else, the better the knife the more it will cost. The different types of steel that is used today are stainless steel, work steel, different thicknesses, tool steel, the list is endless. The material the handles are made of also has just as many options. G10, carbon fiber, aluminum, wood, and of course plastic. Now this all comes at a price. I carry and use a knife everyday so buying one of quality will last for years to come.
The average price for a good everyday knife is going to start around $200.00 and go up. There are knives made solely for self-defense; those will go to $500, $600 and up. Collector grade knives; the sky is the limit. You are paying for the longevity of the tool. A carpenter is not going to use a $5.00 flea market hammer, so you should not be using a cheap knife. Spend some money and you can pass it on to your grandkids, or take it with you to the other side. At my grandfather’s funeral, the last thing my dad did before the casket was closed was reach over into my grandfather’s right pocket and put his knife he carried with him for 40 years. It was offered to us, but it was more important that he had it. It was his knife, and who knows the stories that knife could tell riding around in grandpa’s pocket for 4 decades.
Chuck Papp
Delray Shooting Center.