gp11Collectors do, but also people who want a quality product that will last them years, if not a lifetime. Aesthetics are a part of it though. Spyderco has been making quality knives for a long time. It is one company that I trust in knife making to always put out a quality product. Also they have pretty good warranties. As long as you treat it properly, they will sharpen and repair for only $20+S&H.
However, that being said, the MSRP on this knife is not realistic. A quick Amazon search will show that you are saving only about $30. Spyderco and Benchmade are known for inflating their MSRP and resellers often have their products on "Constant Sale."
gp11Me! (But I've already got enough EDC's to currently keep me happy)
Quality costs and I can't stand crappy knives and have owned enough of them for a lifetime...
gp11I just joined the drop on this one. I decided to buy it based on several factors. First, this knife is a partnership between Spyderco and Peter Carey. Now, if you wanted to buy a custom Peter Carey knife, you're looking at spending up to $3000 for a hand built creation. While this knife is not a hand built Carey original, it is as close to one as I'll get, and for under $300.
Second, build quality. All of the specific features that are listed in the description play an extremely important role in the overall operation and user experience of the knife. Of essential importance are the weight, balance, pivot point, metal quality. When assembled properly with the right components, you've got a knife that can be used daily, and will still last decades. This knife addresses those issues very well. Again, for similar knifes with this feature set, you'd be spending upwards of $1000.
Lastly, and this is a personal prefference, I think that with this knife, they nailed the aesthetics perfectly. I love the look of this knife, and when the time came to decide to spend the money, I can see myself enjoying the look of this knife for years to come.
TheQuietOne75I bought it, and in the hand or pocket, it fills every hope I had for it based on the look and the specs. I can't say that about a lot of premium things I've bought.
ArcaneOracleI've been following this on BladeHQ which has a constant price of $500 MSRP and $305 discount, so Massdrop has always been $50 lower than the discount.