Favorite "Budget" Knives

[illini40]

Hey INGO,

As I start getting into the knife addiction, I'm almost overwhelmed by where to even start or to continue building my collection.

What are some of your favorite "budget" knives? I think I am defining budget as <$40.

So far, I've managed to acquire the following folders:

- Kershaw Cryo
- Kershaw Amplitude
- Keeshaw RJ II
- CRKT M16-10S
- Schrade SCH501S
- SOG Magnadot

 

[SSGSAD]

I am not a "knife" guy, I have an esee 4, and a USMC KaBar .....

When I buy a cheap knife, it is cheap ..... $10.00 - 15.00 so if it breaks, I don't cry, just throw it away, and go buy another .....

 

[9mmfan]

Kershaw Leek for cheap. Decent knife but just ok.
ESEE for very good quality.

 

[M67]

Under $40? Try to find a deal on some of the Chinese made Spydercos, Byrds, and some of the Kershaws.

But $40? That's pretty limiting.

 

[illini40]

Kershaw Leek for cheap. Decent knife but just ok.
ESEE for very good quality.

Ive checked out the Leek, but was not crazy about it.

In regards to the ESEE, are they just designed by ESEE and then manufactured by another brand?

 

[illini40]

Under $40? Try to find a deal on some of the Chinese made Spydercos, Byrds, and some of the Kershaws.

But $40? That's pretty limiting.

Understood. $40 is not much. I'm just getting my feet wet at this point. I can see how this can get addicting fast.

If $40 is not your idea of budget, what do you think you need to bump up to?

 

[Dean C.]

I very strongly going up to say $65 you can get a very nice Spyderco Delica for that price. With the $40 price point you are limited to basically Chinese produced "Value" lines of knives. With the Delica you are getting Japanese produced VG-10 blade steel that gets very sharp and is east to resharpen plus it will hold an edge better than the 8CR13MOV stuff used in the Chinese made knives currently. The Delica also has Spydercos refined edge geometry so it cuts very well, plus it is very ergonomic and light weight making it a very good choice for an EDC knife. You also get Spydercos lifetime warranty.

 

[Nam1911]

My new favorite EDC folder is my 20 dollar Byrd Cara Cara 2 with a black FRN handles. After a break down and cleaning the knife is smooth as butter. The blade is on the larger size which I like. The steel is 8cr13mov but it works fine for EDC duties. Takes a razor sharp edge and holds it fairly well. There is the 4 position pocket clip. The best thing I like about the knife is the insanely light weight and slim profile of the knife.

I bought my SIL a Kershaw Link. I actually want to get myself one for a secondary EDC. The knife whips open with authority and the ergos are great. It comes sharp out of the box and is MADE IN THE USA.

Having a new family I don't have much money for >$100 knives. I like the 40-50 dollar range. When I can get a Endura 4 it will replace my Cara Cara 2.

 

[M67]

Understood. $40 is not much. I'm just getting my feet wet at this point. I can see how this can get addicting fast.

If $40 is not your idea of budget, what do you think you need to bump up to?

As Dean said, $65 ish you can pick up a Delica, or spending closer to $90-$100 a Manix II which is a great knife. You can find some used ZT models for around $100, or some discontinued ones for around that too. All would be built better and have better blade steel than that 8CR13MOV. It's been a while since I've looked into Benchmade but I'm sure they make some models that are solid for $80 or a bit more.

When it comes to good tools, might as well spend a little more and get a lot better product, than to try and save $30 and get something that you'll be disappointed in. A lot of the Chinese Kershaws are great values, but there's a lot of knives out there that are built better, have better steel, etc. if you just spend a little more

 

[nighthawk80]

Well, for a fixed blade knife, you always pick up a couple different Mora Knives. those always seem like a decent value. I also like these: Trade Knife | Jeff White Knives

 

[Tactically Fat]

I do know that "budget" means different things to different people - for sure.

For me, $50-100 is definitely square in the "budget" range for a decent knife. I payed $100 for my used ZT0350 Composite a handful of years ago, actually. And it wasn't much more than that and I got a NIB ZT0750.

It's hard to beat a Delica for the money...even though I think many of their plastic scales look "cheap" and goofy.

If you hunt around online, you can find factory seconds from Kershaw and ZT. I'm quite sure that my factory second Kershaw Junk Yard Dog composite was way under $100. I think it's a fantastic knife for the money; it is a tad big for edc, however.

Catching certain sales coupled with coupons and "store credit bucks" and whatnot - you can even find yourself into a Benchmade mini-griptilian or griptilian for $100 or fewer. Hard to beat those knives, too.

I USED to be a Schrade fan - but that was over 20 years ago when I was in Scouts and they were a different and better company. Schrade now isn't the Schrade of yesteryear for sure.

Other often over-looked knives for the money are the Wenger / SAK knives. Utilitarian and ubiquitous.

 

[seedubs1]

If you can get multiple cheap $40 knives, get one good knife instead. If you can only afford one cheap knife, then a cheap knife it is.

Best bang for your buck per price range that I recommend to my friends. These will all be great working knives. Not the prettiest, but great cutting tools that work excellent:

$25 range - Ontario Rat (well proven to be a good knife, AUS8 is good enough, choose between the 2 sizes)
$35-40 - Kershaw Leek (small, and great for EDC, Sandvik 14c28n steel which is good stuff, USA made and better than Kershaw's Chinese stuff)
$45 - Kershaw Blur (a bit larger than a Leek, Sandvik 14c28n steel which is good stuff, USA made and better than Kershaw's Chinese stuff)
$80-90 - Spyderco Manix 2 or Benchmade Griptilian (s30v for the Manix and 154cm for the Grip. You step up to great steels on these. The price jump from the Blur to these is large, but you get a lot for the price increase. These are great knives that will last a very long time)
$110 - Spyderco PM 2 (one of the highest selling EDC knives ever made, s30v steel, just an all around awesome EDC)

 

[cosermann]

A Kershaw Skyline is my "beater" knife.

 

[Rocketscientist]

The Kershaw Cryo II has been my EDC for about 2 years. I have occasionally carried others, but I keep going back to the Cryo II. I pretty much whip it out every chance I get. I have used it heavily and cut just about everything in sight, and it's still fairly sharp. I haven't even touched it up except for sometimes tightening the pivot screw. I think I paid $36 for it, and when I manage to kill this one, I'd buy it again and again..

 

[RAMBOCAT]

For an inexpensive fixed blade, you can't beat a carbon steel MORA.

 

[Nam1911]

The Kershaw Cryo II has been my EDC for about 2 years. I have occasionally carried others, but I keep going back to the Cryo II. I pretty much whip it out every chance I get. I have used it heavily and cut just about everything in sight, and it's still fairly sharp. I haven't even touched it up except for sometimes tightening the pivot screw. I think I paid $36 for it, and when I manage to kill this one, I'd buy it again and again..

2 years without sharpening? Whew I don't think I can go 2 weeks without touching up the edge. I like to keep my blades sharp.


I do like having cheaper beater blades and keep the nice ones for slicing

 

[seedubs1]

With 8cr13mov, the guy either doesn't use his knife, or he's got a butter knife. It's one of the two (maybe both...).

I still don't understand why people bother with Kershaw's Chinese knives. I'm not saying China can't make nice things. But the Kershaw offerings from China are not as nice as their USA made offerings. The US knives use 14c28n Sandvik steel (for the most part), which is VERY nice EDC steel and they aren't much more expensive than the Chinese knives.

2 years without sharpening? Whew I don't think I can go 2 weeks without touching up the edge. I like to keep my blades sharp.


I do like having cheaper beater blades and keep the nice ones for slicing

 

[nate77]

Kershaw Blur is my favorite sub $40 knife. I haven't tried the Kershaw Link yet, but it is around $40 and made in the USA too.

 

[451_Detonics]

Case Sodbuster chrome vandium steel Case Yellow Synthetic Sod Buster 4-5/8" Closed (3138 CV) - KnifeCenter - 00038

 

[Nam1911]

I have used tools with chrome vanadium steel and I can say it is harder than any other tool steel used in drivers.

I also keep my Chinese 8cr knives sharp. Nothing wrong with the steel as long as it's kept sharp. The only thing harder steels do is keep an edge longer for people who don't sharpen or know how to sharpen knives