A lot of people do take the handle into account when buying a knife (or
gun) i.e. shiny, smooth ivory. If you're asking that question in the sense
that there's a dull knife with a fancy handle, and a sharp knife with a dull
handle, naturally I'd opt for the sharp blade, given that both knives cost
the same. But, if the choice was between two equally sharp knives, with one
being fancier than the other, I would most likely go for the fancy one, even
if it did cost a bit more. It's the whole form vs. function issue...
There's a Northern Exposure episode where Maurice (the local magnate) buys
an expensive antique clock from Switzerland, with all these clockwork
mechanical doodads. It was a nice piece of workmanship--very nice to look
at--but when he found out that it would lose an hour or so every day, he
sent it back.
Yes, utility is important and more fundamental, but I think most people
consider appearance to be almost if not just as important.
Mark