Are there actually any good MTech or Tac Force price range knives?

U can get a bootknife from , Schrade, S-W, Gerber or Kershaw in the 13-50$ range.
 
JasonJ said:
The only Mtech blade that I find is worth a darn is the MT20-30 neck knife. It's all of $8 or so, and pretty decent. But that's it.. no more. If the budget doubles or so, there are even better knives in that style/size that are from reputable manufacturers.
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Agree on the tiny neck knife MT20-30 (about $7 and change). I have one, bought it to compare to the Boker Lil Friend, it's slightly longer than the Boker and the quality is acceptable for what it could be imagined to be used for and it is about 1/3 the cost of the Boker which is $20.
 
DocJD said:
OP asked for good knives in the PRICE RANGE ... Why not read before jumping in to bash !

However , OP , it might be better to just not mention certain brands or countries of origin and just ask for best value within a given price range or you are chumming the water for Jaws .

I believe I've recently seen a Kershaw for < $10 , "Injection " maybe ?
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Kershaw Hotwire assisted open is $10, but it is a pretty small knife. However, the blade shape is really nice for blister pack destruction ;)
 
Kershaw Hotwire for just under 10.00 is actually pretty decent. Wife uses one for work (opening boxes mostly) and its holding up just fine.
 
Okay, thanks for the feedback folks. I was just curious if anyone had actually bought and tested any of the cheaper boot knives to see if they held up. What I'm looking for is something in the style of the older Gerber Guardians that's double edged but, I just can't see paying 100-300 dollars for one.

Anyways, thanks :)
 
Will echo what some others said, but from a different angle which may help you make a better choice.

1. I have zero experience with Mtech or TacForce so I will not be commenting either way good or bad. I know that was the OP's question but I'm presenting a different approach for the answer.
2. I do know that, you usually get what you pay for when shopping at the inexpensive (cheap) end of any market. The same cannot be said for any other part of the market. There are plenty willing to let you pay a lot more for a lot less regardless of how high the price is. If a manufacturer is producing junk, the odds of them making 1 or 2 gems in their product line are astronomically against them doing so. Any organization set up for sloppy cheap work is incapable of producing an occasional winner, even by mistake.
3. With #2 firmly in mind, there are low end knives and manufacturers that ARE exceptional deals for the money. This is the different angle to approach the low rungs of the market.

Ask yourself or ask the forum: "What knives are out there that surprised in how good they were for the money?" The good stuff tends to leap out at you when you put it in those terms. If you're holding a knife and wondering if it is any good or not, you've already got your answer. If you operate from that point of view, you end up with solid recommendations or great value if you are making your own choices.

That being said, There are at least 4 manufacturers that have delivered that type of quality and value for me personally and I recommend them whole heartedly.

Kershaw - They are definitely delivering high value for the money across the product line. And yes, what someone mentioned earlier, their Injection 3.0 is on sale for less than $10 online currently at one of the major dealers. Their Hotwire is exclusive to Wally World and is my #1 EDC. Less than $10 everyday price.

Rough Rider - These guys rule at the low end of the price range. Great stuff - for the money. No you are not going to get super steel, or even information about which steel is being used. If you were expecting it you have unrealistic expectations. Just assume a lower grade of stainless like 440A. I own 3 RR's and all surprised me as to how much knife I got for the money. Got a Barlow with bone scales for less than $12. Knife is clean, tight, finished well and is one of my EDC's for when more of a gentleman's knife is called for.

Opinel - The sharpest factory edge I have found from any manufacturer. The design is genius in it's elegance, simplicity, and economics of assembly. That alone makes it well worth everyone having at least one in their collection, if only as an example of engineered simplicity paired with a quality blade. My N8 cost $15 and included a leather pouch for carrying.

ENZO - This is more outside of the price range but it really drives my point home. I bought one of their Necker 70 knives blind online for less than $45 a few months ago. The Enzo 70 is a neck knife yet serviceable as a hunting knife. The knife arrived, packaged in a plastic bag and insert card for a label as opposed to a box or other "normal" marketing enhancement. The first time I pulled the knife out of it's sheath I said WOW! $45 for this!!?! It was amazing. I have paid 2-3 times that for far less knife. It was stunning. Fit and finish were amazing for the price. I was blown away.

If you just go with the idea of, "Am I knocked out by the product for the price?" I'm sure you will stop worrying about if the manufacturer or product is really any good. If you touch or see a great value at the low end of the market, you won't be wondering if it is any good. You know it is. It will have a heft to it. A balance. Construction will be good, tight, not sloppy. It will also not be great. Anything too good to be believed, shouldn't be believed. "All that glitters is not gold" as they say. Does it look like it was put together by someone who cared about it? Pride in ones work can't be bought.

You can even spot junk from product photos. Are the edges square and sharp or are they contoured. Is the engraving or stamping of the manufacturer clean and clear? I can think of one "manufacturer" on EBay trying to sell his "Custom Made Knives" for $50. Definitely the sub-bottom end for a "custom" knife. One look at his logo tells you all you need to know. It is blurry and looks like it was put on with nothing more than a rubber stamp and ink pad. If it looks like junk in the photos, well, you already have your answer!

One last point and it may be an even better answer and thing to keep in mind - with any purchase. No matter who you are, where you shop, or how much money you have,

"You will never be rich enough to afford the cheap stuff" :cool:
 
Jack_Burton said:
Okay, thanks for the feedback folks. I was just curious if anyone had actually bought and tested any of the cheaper boot knives to see if they held up. What I'm looking for is something in the style of the older Gerber Guardians that's double edged but, I just can't see paying 100-300 dollars for one.

Anyways, thanks :)
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Gerber guardian backup on the big site for $50, also check out Schrade small or large boot knife both well under $20, and Kershaw secret agent just over $20. Any of those are light years better than MTech crap. If you want to go more traditional style, check out the Old Timer 1620 boot knife.
 
panoz77 said:
Gerber guardian backup on the big site for $50, also check out Schrade small or large boot knife both well under $20, and Kershaw secret agent just over $20. Any of those are light years better than MTech crap. If you want to go more traditional style, check out the Old Timer 1620 boot knife.
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Smith and Wesson also has one. It is more knife for less $ than another mentioned here IMO
 
Jack_Burton said:
But I'm just curious, in the last 2 decades has the quality in the bargain basement knife market significantly improved at all?
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Depends.....what's your definition of Bargain? There are cheap blades out there that are fairly good. None made by Mtech however.
Jack_Burton said:
I ask because I've been eyeing several fixed blade boot knives made by these manufacturers and I just wanted to know if anyone's actually tested any of these types of fixed blades and found some not be great but, at least relatively reliable and functional under normal use? :confused:
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Some people have tested them. They function as knives...but not as good knives.

Basically you get what you pay for. Especially from the brand mentioned.
Jack_Burton said:
Also, what about Pakistan blades? I remember back in the day quite a few of those weren't terrible for what you paid. Has anything changed here?
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I'm not going to lump a massive country in one. I'm sure there are good pakistani makers out there. But I haven't found any so far.

They make great mosaic pins, lovely knifemaking materials and pretty decent leatherwork.

But their knives tend to be of the sucky variety. Soft steel, horrible fit and finish sometimes with actual parts falling out.

They also have a tendency to send you something other than what you explicitly asked for.

Don't bother with them.

On the whole with knives you get what you pay for. Now if you give us an actual pricerange/budget some decent suggestions can be made.
 
One of the other salesman at our dealership loves finding good deals on less expensive "quality" folders. He showed me two Kershaws he bought at Wal-mart in a "2 pack special" the other day for $20 total. At $10 each, these were some very impressive budget folders. One was an assisted all steel framelock with a g10 inlay and classic drop point, and the other was similar but with steel liners and full g10 scales. Honestly, I was blown away with the quality for the money. They had OK centering but locked up solid. Good contact at the tang too! Blades looked to be about 3.25 inches. Not sure exactly what the models were but I would imagine the same 2 pack wouldnt be hard to find. Obviously these things won't be boasting the most impressive steels on the market though. Its likely 7cr17 or something similar.
 
Jack_Burton said:
.... But I'm just curious, in the last 2 decades has the quality in the bargain basement knife market significantly improved at all?....
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Yes, the quality of the knife bottom has improved. Compared to the embarassing no-name Japanese and Hong Kong made junk of the 60s and 70s, we have much better choices today.

Some forget that back then we had to deal with stuff like this, which not only fell apart when you took it out of the package, but had no edge or heat treat, and came with an a thin vinyl sheath best suited for a toy rubber knife.

s-l1600.jpg


Cheap foreign labor and modern designs and tooling have helped. Companies like Mtech imports thousands of designs, sometimes they are worth the price, more often they are not. It depends on the specific model and its asking price.

But, as many have already said, there are many good quality branded knives in this price range. So there is little reason to go with a cheap brand that is hit or miss.

n2s
 
For $5-20 you can get a few Opinels. They are 100s of times better than any of them mtec tacforce junk or any other zombie, Rambo,skull covered gas station ,bodega garbage. I know lots of people who buy that nonsense. Remember the karabit madness! Every gas station and smoke shop had those things with some sort of zombie this or skull that on them. Just skip over that stuff. If you want an affordable fixed blade dagger look at the SW HRT I carried on for some time. It got sharp enough some 400 series stainless. But it was easy to carry concealed and quick to deploy. Pointy as you need to puncture some ones lungs,kidneys,liver or any other part of the body that would render a human helpless and most likely dead
 
You can find some Gerber and Kershaws at wally world. A Few even made in the USA. I think the Gerber LST or something similar. Anyways it's a locking sodbuster Jr type knife and about $10. My cousin is all about the Kershaws. He says they are great for the money. I don't think he has ever spent more than $20 on a pocket knife. I would add that the China stuff is hit or miss, but I can say the kissing crane stuff isn't bad for the money. Atleast some of the traditional stuff. I would say better than Imperial branded stuff
 
Sorry one more post. I would say for under 30 you can get an OKC Rat1/2 or a ESEE Avispa/Zancado by BRK. They are worth 2-3 times there cost in my opinion
 
Hickory n steel said:
Yes there are, but mostly not from mtech, definately not from pakistan, and mostly not from China.

The M-Tech and Tac-force price range is about $5-$20 and there are most certainly some good blades at this price range.
Buck has their 425, their 283, the standard medium bantam, and the 482 to name a few of their American made knives right at $20 or less.
There are many Mora's in this price range.
Opinel is in this price range
Victorinox has a few models for $20 or less.
Rough Rider makes a pretty decent knife in this price range.
Gerber has a few acceptable small US made folders in this price range.
Case has a small lightweight folder or two in this price range.
There are some Kershaw models to be found in this price range that people seem to love.


And lastly M-Tech's small little neck knives are actually decent, they're a small solid piece of steel you won't be breaking, and they hold an edge just fine for the tasks knives like this are up to. The blades may rattle a bit in their kydex sheaths, but I carried one ( it was a gift and was marked with a different brand name ) every single day for over a year as a teenager without issue.
It didn't hold an edge forever but was easy to sharpen.
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Actually those $18-$20 folders in 3Cr13 Stainless Steel by Kershaw are just relabeled MTech models.Look through Master Cutlery's catalog and you'll find the exact model that Kershaw picked out from MTech.The Kershaw branding instead of just MTech's name pretty much makes them go from $11-$20.
 
Frotier76 said:
Actually those $18-$20 folders in 3Cr13 Stainless Steel by Kershaw are just relabeled MTech models.Look through Master Cutlery's catalog and you'll find the exact model that Kershaw picked out from MTech.The Kershaw branding instead of just MTech's name pretty much makes them go from $11-$20.
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I've never had one of them, but people give many of them favorable reviews.
Are you sure M-Tech didn't just copy the designs ?
It's possible that the same factory that makes M-Tech was contracted to make the ultra cheap Walmart Kershaw's like that one that came with the keychain and spork tool for like $6, but who really knows.
 
Frotier76 said:
Actually those $18-$20 folders in 3Cr13 Stainless Steel by Kershaw are just relabeled MTech models.Look through Master Cutlery's catalog and you'll find the exact model that Kershaw picked out from MTech.The Kershaw branding instead of just MTech's name pretty much makes them go from $11-$20.
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Sorry, I call BS on this. Show me an example.

The two knife Kershaw sets are called "starter series". I think there are two sets I have seen. I don't have either of them.
https://images.knifecenter.com/thumb/1500x1500/knifecenter/kershaw/images/KS1300KITXt.jpg
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/262648506297-0-1/s-l1000.jpg
 
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