4 hundred dollar knives - or one 400 dollar knife… 
Imho it’s better to buy less knives, but each with a better quality.
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Hi damiano,
If we set aside knives I buy for “technology”:
I never buy price–i buy task performance. My Chicago cutlery boning knife for great lakes area “pan fish” cost less than $10. My Shibazi cleaver cost $33. My Victorinox clone less than $5. My high carbon butcher knife, less than $20.
My birthday present knife (Shun Fuji) is a $500 knife–but I was able to finally get one for about half price. My Shun Kaji Santoku, a $300 knife, I was able to get on a bid of $130. My miyabi birchwood gyuto (I paid about $200) was an indulgence.
Every knife I buy must be as good as any “better” new one I could buy–or I’ll upgrade (sometimes to a knife that costs less!!)
Then you’d own all Kiwis. 
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Geez, Chem,
This type of personalized banter is not why I post on Hungry Onion
I’m out.
Production knives through the eyes of a new tech:
I believe this Youtube shows that in Japan, even the knives we think of as “production” knives still take on the Japanese passion for craftsmanship.
It helps me understand why my Miyabi birchwood feels like a one of a kind knife made just for me. It remains my favorite kitchen knife.
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Glad you like your knife, but this feels like you’re trying to elevate your Miyabi to something it is not. It is a mass produced knife - each one the same as the others - and I’m pretty sure they didn’t have you specifically in mind when they made it.
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Hi alexanderras,
I had a great deal of difficulty justifying this knife for my kitchen–both according to my SEU, and the function it would serve in my batterie.
I especially liked the raw birchwood handles. The wood might even come from Northern Wisconsin near where I was born–but I’m not a collector. I found a special opportunity to get it from a great supplier for $200–and I bought it.
When I got it, I was afraid to use it–and damage the damascus–felt I wasn’t worthy of such a great knife–behaved like I was a collector.
Little by little, I’ve gotten confident, found a task niche that works, and even tuned the sharpness with my green compound strop.
It’s still my favorite knife after four or five years of use–and I feel I made it specially mine over those years of use.
In some ways, I think they did make it for me. 
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Hi Ray,
This concept of SEU, it stands for subjective expected utility? You have to tell me more please. How do you calculate this? I love conceptual thinking on everyday topics - it’s good training for my brains.
***Alex, expected utility hypothesis? Please ask me about my formula about CFHCQPR. It stands for Cultural Fusion Home Cooking Quality Price Ratio. I can shorten it to FCQPR.
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My days of doing math are (sadly) long gone!
Still have nightmares from this book, it is better than any Stephen King horror! 
Haha - like you I had to look this up the first time it was referenced. I loved how it was an overly complicated way of saying “gut feel about price-value trade off” and even comes with an equation to suggest that you can get scientific and quantitative about it
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The book is somewhat fusion.
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Hi damiano, I start with a foundation knife that I attribute a cash value to–my seki Magoroku nakiri. I update it’s subjective value all the time. Right now, it’s about the same cost as the Kai Wasabi nakiri ($40).
How do I make the SEU?
I’d justify 2X for Rockwell 60 hardness (maybe 3X for harder) with cladding for rust and stain protection. Maybe to 4X with damascus. Extra for fnf, balance, tapering, handle, bolster, tang. Gets me up to 5X times $40= $200–my SEU
It’s completely subjective, so I can bump it around a bit–but not too much.
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Wow, that is actually quite smart.
It’s very similar to how I would tackle some complicated problems at work. Did you say you used to teach at Cornell?
If my algebra doesn’t deceive me this equation solves to your SEU being $160 - ie 4x not 5x
Why don’t you ask me about my CFHCQPR?
Give it to me Chem - ideally as an equation
