When is expensive, too expensive?

[lucan]

We've all heard the Phrase “You get what you pay for”, But, What i'm curious about is, When You're looking for kit online or elsewhere, Is there a limit to what you will or won't pay for each piece of kit , When a cheaper alternative will do the job.

Or have any of you just thought, To hell with it, I'm having that Knife, Even if it is £150.

I tend to look at it this way, What else could I do with £150, Kids shoes/ Winter coats etc.

I'd be interested in people's thoughts on this.

Thanks Lucan

 

[JonathanD]

It's true, you do get what you pay for. The beauty of our hobby is though, you can do a lot with very little. My kit must be either luxurious and work exceptionally well, or be very cheap and work exceptionally well, and I take pleasure from both. I've spent loads on my knife, but that's my thing, it's the one piece of kit that I find is the most important to me and wanted something that shows that. It's not necessary, but gives me huge pleasure having and using it. I'm not that into stoves but still want top performance in a small package. Andy T gave me a white box clone he had made, it's performance is top, and it cost me nowt. I like my kit items to be one time purchases and last a lifetime, if I have to invest a little more to get that guarantee, then I will.

 

[iamasmith]

It's a common thing that people comment on. If you like it then why not? If you feel you want to justify it then think that you are helping out a craftsman to live doing something that he enjoys making and take pleasure from that too ^^

 

[Shewie]

I've no dependencies in life (kids) and both me and the wife are doing okay so I tend to buy the best I can afford if I'm honest. No snobbery or elitism involved but I've always been like that since I first got a job at sixteen. If there's something which is highly regarded amongst those in the know then why take a chance on a cheaper alternative. I do believe you get what you pay for in the long run but that doesn't mean I waste cash willy nilly, I do the research, weigh up the options and then make my decision.
Sometimes the choice can be cheaper than the Rolls Royce version and if it works and folk recommend it then it's good enough for me.
A couple of things I do treat myself with are tools, boots and clothing. Those are the key buys for me, sometimes they come in multiples too which can be a problem.

Forums are a nightmare for a self confessed kit ***** it has to be said

 

[Man of Tanith]

i work on the sam vimes from discworld theory
if you buy cheap shoes in six months time you will have to replace them then in another six months you'll have to replace them again etc etc
if you buy expensive shoes then whilst initial expense is bigger the actual length of use they provide will eventually negate the price spent.
so i try to buy the best quality i can afford(or occassionally cant afford) on the idea that buying it once will hopefully make it last long enough to outweigh the cost

hope i made sense ever so slightly shattered this evening

 

[Tengu]

I was always brought up to buy the best I could afford.

and to buy something that will last

I love those little blue pens I get from the bookies. Why?

Not only are they short enough to fit in my pocket without nasty messy accidents, they almost inevitably last until out of ink.

Bic do not do this, nor many fancy brands.

Also they are free.

 

[bushwacker bob]

I was always brought up to buy the best I could afford.

and to buy something that will last

I love those little blue pens I get from the bookies. Why?

Not only are they short enough to fit in my pocket without nasty messy accidents, they almost inevitably last until out of ink.

Bic do not do this, nor many fancy brands.

Also they are .free

Not for the Bookmakers.

 

[Adze]

When it costs more to maintain than it does to replace, then it's too expensive.

 

[Marttiini Girl]

I was once informed by an old farmer to buy the best boots you can afford and the best bed you can afford, 'cause if you're not in one, you're in the other

 

[JonathanD]

I was once informed by an old farmer to buy the best boots you can afford and the best bed you can afford, 'cause if you're not in one, you're in the other

Hmmm, always assuming you sleep in the same bed of course.

 

[Marttiini Girl]

an old married farmer

 

[JonathanD]

an old married farmer

Ahh, bless.

 

[lucan]

Thanks for the comments so far .

Thankfully i've set myself a budget, Which i could easily blow with just a couple of buys, I'd love to be able to get the best of everything.

I am looking for a knife at the minute amongst other things , but i've gotta admit it is hard to say no sometimes.

 

[No Idea]

When I was a kid, I was aprenticed as a grease monkey.

I only bought snap on spanners.

I regularily went without to buy these as I was told how important they were and how a set of these would last me a lifetime.

After the whole lot was stolen.....

I now buy anything that will do what I need done.

I have no expensive named stuff.

That way I have more money kicking around for the other stuff I want.

 

[colly]

when trying to control my spending and weighing up whether to justify spending on a certain piece of kit i add a third for the income tax on top of the price and see if i can still say it is worth it.
some things i want to buy once others i will buy cheaper and replace as necessary as even the priciest tools or toys wear.

 

[rik_uk3]

I did a deal with my wife years ago, the deal is that my hobbies would not impact on the family budget and I've stuck to this from when shooting back in the 80's to stove collecting to camping. Why should my 'want' of a bit of kit reduce the chances of my wife and family having something such as a holiday? Nothing wrong with being a kit collector, just don't let it affect the rest of your loved ones.

 

[Kerne]

Durability is the key as expense is relative to time in service. I buy the best I can afford but not necessarily the most expensive - there is often a "designer label" element which I am not prepared to pay for: e.g. I buy Craghopper Kiwi trousers from T K Maxx for £18 and have yet to wear out a pair while there are bushy-labelled trousers out there at £100 a throw or more. It is often difficult to separate quality from price in people's eyes but a couple of jaunts out into the field will tell you whether you have made a decent purchase or not - my Bison Bushcraft Guide shirt, for instance, is worth every penny and has seen more use in the two years that I've had it then any of my fleeces.

Added to this is the fact that I try to make a lot of kit myself - my rucksack, belt, knife, fleecy hat, tarp, etc. May not be the best quality around but the satisfaction is immense (and there's more money left over for shiny new things...)

 

[rik_uk3]

Durability V expense needs consideration, especially if a kits failure could cause you grief; a £10 dome tent is perfect for woodland camping but dangerous up in Snowdonia, but for the cost of some shirts I can buy forty (40) hard wearing army shirts so on a personal level I could never justify buying the £80 shirt (sorry Kerne). My 2010 knife is perfect for all my needs but if I collected knives I'd be happy to pay whatever the cost. I've sold three stoves this week or so, one for £250 and two at £100 each; I've no problems spending that on whatever I fancy because its truly surplus cash and the wife don't mind. So lots of things come into play when picking kit

Is it fit for my purpose.
Can I afford it.
I just like kit so I'm buying it.

 

[ged]

It's true, you do get what you pay for.

Sometimes you do. I've spent more money than necessary on things that should have been good and have turned out to be rubbish. But nobody here wants to be bored out of their skull about motor vehicles, and I don't want to get into lighters on another thread.

The beauty of our hobby is though, you can do a lot with very little.

That's very true. With what I have in just one of my rucksacks I could certainly camp for the rest of my life and need absolutely nothing else. But that still won't stop me buying things. Crazy.

My kit must be either luxurious and work exceptionally well, or be very cheap and work exceptionally well, and I take pleasure from both.

Well to answer the question "how much is too much?" I don't much care what it costs, I just like it to do something useful for me. But if I think they're trying to take the mick then I'll walk away. I must admit I tend to prefer bargains from the charity shops and flea markets, like my Optimus 111B which cost me (actually it cost my wife) about eight quid in the Barbican in Plymouth. That's got to have been one of the best bargains of our joint lives. I got a decent pair of binoculars in Oxfam for the same price, and in the same sorts of places I've picked up loads of bits of stainless to make stoves and things with.

I've spent loads on my knife, but that's my thing,

Knives aren't really my thing, but I think I've spent loads on your knife too.

 

[Highbinder]

I was always brought up to buy the best I could afford.

and to buy something that will last

I love those little blue pens I get from the bookies. Why?

Not only are they short enough to fit in my pocket without nasty messy accidents, they almost inevitably last until out of ink.

Bic do not do this, nor many fancy brands.

Also they are free.

If that is the case I suggest you try a fountain pen. It will last you a lifetime, is more enjoyable and confortable to use, flexible, and better for the enviornment in t h elong run.