why pay that for a knife

[big_daddy_merc]

just following on from Aliwren thread and not wanting to highjack it


can i just ask why on this earth do people pay that kind of money for something that small and plain?
when you really think about it their only paying for the "Ray Mears" tag

ebay link

there are many more better knifes out there like Frosts Mora 740, the Ray Mears one doesn't do thing any differently to the Mora, in fack i'd be to scared to use the Mears knife in case i lost it where as the Mora ok i'd be upset if i lost it and worried that it my get into the wrong hands but it would have only cost £10 so i would just go and get another on, i spend more on KFC than i would on a Mora.

I think it's a shame that the lesser well known but possible better makes are left in the dust of "named" items

 

[Draven]

Tis ridiculous, but at least it has a good use - some people pay upwards of a hundred quid for a pair of jeans that's full of holes.

 

[Tadpole]

just following on from Aliwren thread and not wanting to highjack it


can i just ask why on this earth do people pay that kind of money for something that small and plain?
when you really think about it their only paying for the "Ray Mears" tag

ebay link

there are many more better knifes out there like Frosts Mora 740, the Ray Mears one doesn't do thing any differently to the Mora, in fack i'd be to scared to use the Mears knife in case i lost it where as the Mora ok i'd be upset if i lost it and worried that it my get into the wrong hands but it would have only cost £10 so i would just go and get another on, i spend more on KFC than i would on a Mora.

I think it's a shame that the lesser well known but possible better makes are left in the dust of "named" items

Why do people buy an expensive car when a 2CV will get them from A to B cheaper and more economically? They see it as a status symbol, an expression of who they are. And it gives them a greater level of comfort.

A Mora is not a good as a Woodlore, but it is close enough for most of us. Your typical Woodlore is hand made, finished to a high standard and would be scary sharp from the box, the material it is made from is better, thicker, more consistent, better tempered, every part of it is better designed and built, the Mora is an substantially more basic tool. But it is a tool worthy of having for its very basic nature. It is more than able to do all the things that your average user will ask of it.

 

[British Red]

just following on from Aliwren thread and not wanting to highjack it


can i just ask why on this earth do people pay that kind of money for something that small and plain?
when you really think about it their only paying for the "Ray Mears" tag

ebay link

there are many more better knifes out there like Frosts Mora 740, the Ray Mears one doesn't do thing any differently to the Mora, in fack i'd be to scared to use the Mears knife in case i lost it where as the Mora ok i'd be upset if i lost it and worried that it my get into the wrong hands but it would have only cost £10 so i would just go and get another on, i spend more on KFC than i would on a Mora.

I think it's a shame that the lesser well known but possible better makes are left in the dust of "named" items

BDM,

There are many people that are willing to spend more on a knife than a single takeaway.

Your priorities are of course your own business

Red

 

[Greg]

You have just opened a big can of worms with this one me personally I agree with you, yes pay for good quality but not that much!!

 

[big_daddy_merc]

Why do people buy an expensive car when a 2CV will get them from A to B cheaper and more economically? They see it as a status symbol, an expression of who they are. And it gives them a greater level of comfort.

A Mora is not a good as a Woodlore, but it is close enough for most of us. Your typical Woodlore is hand made, finished to a high standard and would be scary sharp from the box, the material it is made from is better, thicker, more consistent, better tempered, every part of it is better designed and built, the Mora is an substantially more basic tool. But it is a tool worthy of having for its very basic nature. It is more than able to do all the things that your average user will ask of it.

but there still only one person that benifits from price tags like that and it isn't the person that made it.that knife could be sold at half that price and they'd still make a good profit. and that why i would buy a mora and if i every wanted a really high quality knife i would be more than willing to buy one off the craftmen on here knowing that they get the money not some big company all out for profit.

 

[Rebel]

Using the car analogy I use the equivalent of a Ford Focus.

I can't justify the expense, nor can I afford, the top of the range knives but I like to have something that offers a little bit more than the absolute basic no frills.

There are knives in the mid-range price that are good quality and aesthetically pleasing but not so expensive that I'm afraid to use them.

 

[big_daddy_merc]

You have just opened a big can of worms with this one me personally I agree with you, yes pay for good quality but not that much!!

that knife is almost what i payed for my car though i only payed just over £300 for that

 

[big_daddy_merc]

Tis ridiculous, but at least it has a good use - some people pay upwards of a hundred quid for a pair of jeans that's full of holes.

i know of someone who payed £250 for a beanie hat i payed £2.50 for mine

 

[Silverback]

I am guessing a few members here have added that one to their watch list having followed the link (and no I haven't )

I agree that a Mora can tackle 90% of the jobs but it is nice to have a knife that is a bit special to you, after all it is probably going to be your most used tool in the field so why not have something a bit more 'personal'. I recently bit the bullet and moved on from my Mora and I am glad I did because my Jojo bushcrafter with vine filework along the back is just plain luvvverly

 

[big_daddy_merc]

I am guessing a few members here have added that one to their watch list having followed the link (and no I haven't )

I agree that a Mora can tackle 90% of the jobs but it is nice to have a knife that is a bit special to you, after all it is probably going to be your most used tool in the field so why not have something a bit more 'personal'. I recently bit the bullet and moved on from my Mora and I am glad I did because my Jojo bushcrafter with vine filework along the back is just plain luvvverly

thats what i mean, there some stunning workmanship gone into the knifes made here, and i'd have one of them knowing they get the credit and that i'd have a knife no-one else could ever have, but if i pay £250+ for a Ray Mears knife then i want Ray Mears to have made it

 

[Silverback]

thats what i mean, there some stunning workmanship gone into the knifes made here, and i'd have one of them knowing they get the credit and that i'd have a knife no-one else could ever have, but if i pay £250+ for a Ray Mears knife then i want Ray Mears to have made it

Yup - I understand exactly what you are saying and the woodlore is a very basic looking no nonsense and let's not forget excellent knife but its Ray's name that is setting the price and most of the woodlores sold these days will never see a feather stick or feel the heat from a firesteel which is sad because I am sure that when Ray designed it that was the last thing he wanted to happen .

 

[British Red]

What you want and what is reasonable aren't a fair comparison. The Woodlore knives are made by either WS or Alan Wood. In either case a person made the knife. They had to be paid. They had to charge VAT. They had to charge for wastage, pension contributions, corporation tax etc. The website that sold it had to be paid for. The credit card company needs to cover its overheads. The website has to be paid for. Etc. Etc.

If you can produce a better tool, for a better price than Alan Wood, Wilkinson Sword or Ray Mears himself, go ahead. I look forward to seeing it!

When you have invested your own time in bringing a design to market and added up the hours involved, I'll look forward to your comments.

Red

 

[Tadpole]

but there still only one person that benifits from price tags like that and it isn't the person that made it.that knife could be sold at half that price and they'd still make a good profit. and that why i would buy a mora and if i every wanted a really high quality knife i would be more than willing to buy one off the craftmen on here knowing that they get the money not some big company all out for profit.

Take a object of desire, any object, make it rare, and put two people in a room, and both would be willing to pay well over the odd, just to be the one to own it. Supply and demand (James Denham-Steuart)
I don't buy into it myself, as I use a tool I want the tool to do the job and I don't care who made it. so long as it does the job.

 

[ArkAngel]

thats what i mean, there some stunning workmanship gone into the knifes made here, and i'd have one of them knowing they get the credit and that i'd have a knife no-one else could ever have, but if i pay £250+ for a Ray Mears knife then i want Ray Mears to have made it

I agree having recently got rid of my WS woodie. I asked for the price i paid for it and a member off here bought it.
To most people in the UK and abroad RM is their main foothold into the "bushcraft" world. He is the only person they know of. Myself before i found this site was a frequent visitor to the woodlore website and yes Ray has had more than a few bob out of me over the years. With the benifit of hindsight i would of bought a woodie clone from a maker off here customised to my own spefications. I say a clone because i like the design of knife, it fits me well having tried a lot of designs over the years. I would of got a better knife for half the money.

I now only have my mora, it'll do for me.

It's simple economics, RM is popular and demand outstrips supply hence the silly prices.
Remember cabbage patch dolls, Tracy Islands, Beanie Babies ( i saw a Princess Di memorial beanie baby sold at a toy fair for £600 years ago!!! for a bit of cloth and some beans <an ex-girlfriend was into them i should explain >)
There is always someone who will pay a silly sum for a "collectable" item

 

[fredcraft]

Woah.... that's near to 600$CDN... how ridiculous is that ?!

There is a nice Remington knife (similar to the Elite Small Fixed Blade Hunters, unfortunately I can't find the exact model) with a maple handle at discount for sale in a local shop at a ridiculous 10$CDN (less than 5 pounds). I'd rather get that and invest the rest into a beer fund !

Cheers,

 

[BorderReiver]

The "silly" prices are paid by collectors mainly.

An object is only worth what the buyer is willing to pay.

Some people pay astronomical prices for tiny bits of paper with a picture on the front and glue on the back;old comics;plates;78 rpm records;you name it someone will want it and will be willing to pay.

I personally would not want to pay the current price for the RM knife but I can understand why some folks want to.In fact I've got about £500 worth of knives in front of me as I type.

Each to his own.if people want to pay over £400 for a RM knife,good luck to 'em.

 

[big_daddy_merc]

What you want and what is reasonable aren't a fair comparison. The Woodlore knives are made by either WS or Alan Wood. In either case a person made the knife. They had to be paid. They had to charge VAT. They had to charge for wastage, pension contributions, corporation tax etc. The website that sold it had to be paid for. The credit card company needs to cover its overheads. The website has to be paid for. Etc. Etc.

If you can produce a better tool, for a better price than Alan Wood, Wilkinson Sword or Ray Mears himself, go ahead. I look forward to seeing it!

When you have invested your own time in bringing a design to market and added up the hours involved, I'll look forward to your comments.

Red

but if that one person who made the knife got the money then thats fair but they aren't, they get a flat wage no matter how many they make or get payed per knife made but you can count it won't be to the price of the knife made, wilkinson sword get the rest
and i'm not saying i can do better i rebuild engines not make knifes so i totally bow down to the craftsmen and women that can do that, what i'm saying is that if the knife fetches that price tag the the person who made it should get the credit not just wilkinson sword or Ray Mears.
if you get a stone mason building a church he takes the credit for his skill, if i build a dead engine back into full health i get the credit, if you light a fire using a "Ray Mears fire lighting set" does Mr Mears get the credit? no you do
yes Ray Mears is a great man in bushcraft and i love watching him programs but he was only a small part of the total thing, the person behind that sharpening stone has to be recognised as well

 

[big_daddy_merc]

i don't half sound a ranting old fart sometimes

 

[Tadpole]

but if that one person who made the knife got the money then thats fair but they aren't, they get a flat wage no matter how many they make or get payed per knife made but you can count it won't be to the price of the knife made, wilkinson sword get the rest
and i'm not saying i can do better i rebuild engines not make knifes so i totally bow down to the craftsmen and women that can do that, what i'm saying is that if the knife fetches that price tag the the person who made it should get the credit not just wilkinson sword or Ray Mears.
if you get a stone mason building a church he takes the credit for his skill, if i build a dead engine back into full health i get the credit, if you light a fire using a "Ray Mears fire lighting set" does Mr Mears get the credit? no you do
yes Ray Mears is a great man in bushcraft and i love watching him programs but he was only a small part of the total thing, the person behind that sharpening stone has to be recognised as well

does Ray mears credit all the hundreds of people who taught him his skills? does Alan Wood? Does JK Rowling credit her year one Englsih teacher? No...
what about the guys who minded the metals in the engines you rebuild?
Ray designed the shape, Alan made the knife, Wilkinson took the risk and spent a shed load of cash up front in tooling up to make the branded knives.
The Guys on Evilbay spent their hard earned cash upfront in the hope that someone would pay them enough to cover their costs. My wife sells first additions on ebay, sometime she makes a killing and sometimes a loss.
Should she restrict her profit margins just because when the books were first published, they only cost £3.00

.
if you get a stone mason building a church he takes the credit for his skill,

hardly any stone mason have ever been given any credit, the real people, the builders are long fogotten, only the designers or clarks of works are/were ever remembered. Who built St Paul's Cathedral?


was it Christopher Wren?

or the thousands of nameless builders labourers and stone masons