Recommendation? Favorite thumb stud knives under $200

ktataragasi said:
Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

Is there a clear winner between the Deka and Bugout? I know it is easy to get hung up on blade steel. But unless I find a great deal on the bugout the Deka seems better value.
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I have both and I could flip a coin. I replaced the scales with OGs on the Deka for fun, but honestly, I'm fine with the plastic handles on both of them. They're really light and both cut well (I would give the edge to the Deka for cutting performance). Great knives to carry when you want something to disappear in your pocket.

One thing I do not like about the Deka is the thumbstud grooves. Same issue with the RSK and Mini RSK. They're sharp and uncomfortable to me - and there have been a few times they've caught on my jeans when pulling out of my pocket and partially deployed the blade. I replaced them with smooth ones on my RSK and I like it so much better now.
 
Stringjam7 said:
I have both and I could flip a coin. I replaced the scales with OGs on the Deka for fun, but honestly, I'm fine with the plastic handles on both of them. They're really light and both cut well (I would give the edge to the Deka for cutting performance). Great knives to carry when you want something to disappear in your pocket.

One thing I do not like about the Deka is the thumbstud grooves. Same issue with the RSK and Mini RSK. They're sharp and uncomfortable to me - and there have been a few times they've caught on my jeans when pulling out of my pocket and partially deployed the blade. I replaced them with smooth ones on my RSK and I like it so much better now.
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Thank you for that input!
 
ktataragasi said:
Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

Is there a clear winner between the Deka and Bugout? I know it is easy to get hung up on blade steel. But unless I find a great deal on the bugout the Deka seems better value.
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Both are good choices. The BugOut carries much smaller than it is; but the Deka's springs don't seem to ever break...
 
Can’t go wrong with a Cold Steel here. As mentioned before, Ultimate Hunter is my first choice followed by the Recon 1 series. AD-10 and 15 are also good. Cold Steel S35v steel, Triad lock with impeccable build quality on all of these knives. With the right timing and if you catch the right sales, you can find all of these for under $100. No brainer for me but I’m a Cold Steel fan boy so take that for what it’s worth

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TRM Neutron 2 would be my easiest reccomendation, super slicy and thin enough to dissappear in the pocket. I believe you can still get them right under $200 if you catch them in a drop from TRM and don't pay inflated secondary market prices. Hogue Ritter and Deka are also solid..
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Under $200? Easy choice for me - Ritter Hogue.

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Corton93 said:
TRM Neutron 2 would be my easiest reccomendation, super slicy and thin enough to dissappear in the pocket. I believe you can still get them right under $200 if you catch them in a drop from TRM and don't pay inflated secondary market prices. Hogue Ritter and Deka are also solid..
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I would definitely grab one of these (or my favorite, the Atom, which is a bit bigger, but still in your size specs) if you get a chance over the Bugouts and Hogues. It's one of those few knives where every time I use it I feel there is zero I would change about it and it's just executed flawlessly.

The problem is actually being able to get ahold of one due to the availability.
 
Since you said you like thin knives, the classic choice is the Benchmade 940, typically just over $200 but you should be able to snag one for just under. It really disappears in the pocket but gives you a full sized blade to work with. Because of its unique properties, it's been in the Benchmade catalog forever and stayed there while other models have been discontinued left and right.

The Hogue RSK arguably offers a better value than Benchmade since it's essentially an upgraded Griptilian at a lower price, but for what you asked I'd say the 940 is your best bet.
 
I have never been able to easily deploy a thumb stud blade. I have trouble deploying the blade on my large Spyderco folder. I even used a ceramic rod to break the edges to save my citified, desk job thumb.

what has worked very well for me are the several "flipper" knives I have had; a Camillus "Cuda Maxx" and a CRKT M21, for example.
 
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ktataragasi said:
Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

Is there a clear winner between the Deka and Bugout? I know it is easy to get hung up on blade steel. But unless I find a great deal on the bugout the Deka seems better value.
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I like Hogue better than BM overall.

BTW, I'm glad someone else brought up the TRM atom. That's another contender.

The Kizer T1 is another fun thumb stud knife. I've got a premium one with fancy mods I've been thinking about selling. Message me if you are interested to see it. Otherwise, it'll probably end up on the exchange closer to the weekend.
 
ktataragasi said:
Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

Is there a clear winner between the Deka and Bugout? I know it is easy to get hung up on blade steel. But unless I find a great deal on the bugout the Deka seems better value.
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Deka for sure I have the 20cv model in both sharkfoot and clip point and the knife just fit perfect in your hand and is very slicy but if you can get magnacut steel go for that is my only recommendation .
 
VorpelSword said:
I have never been able to easily deploy a thumb stud blade. I have trouble deploying the blade on my large Spyderco folder. I even used a ceramic rod to break the edges to save my citified, desk job thumb.

what has worked very well for me are the several "flipper" knives I have had; a Camillus "Cuda Maxx" and a CRKT M21, for example.
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Same here, thumb studs never really work for me. There is one model of Spyderco that has both a thumb stud and a hole and they are right next to each other. They kind of work in tandem if that makes sense. Spyderco Vallotton, not at all what the OP is looking for but the Spydie hole and thumb stud together make it very easy to open one handed

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ktataragasi said:
Is there a clear winner between the Deka and Bugout? I know it is easy to get hung up on blade steel. But unless I find a great deal on the bugout the Deka seems better value.
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I have two blue S30V Bugouts. One came out of the box at 18 degrees per side (DPS). It is very good at cutting things. The other came at 15 degrees per side. It is great at cutting all kinds of things, ranging from baling twine to 3-layer heavy duty corrugated cardboard.

I have two Dekas. The 20CV version was 22 DPS out of the box. It is a mediocre slicer. The Magnacut version was 22 degrees on one side and 27 degrees on the other. It can barely cut single-layer corrugated cardboard. I was going to reprofile it when I found out that the whole ******* knife is glued together with red Loctite. Oddly, if you read a lot of Deka threads here, you will find that some Dekas are thread-locked and some are not. But my personal opinion is that a manufacturer that sometimes uses red Loctite is disqualified from further consideration.
 
ktataragasi said:
As the title says I'm looking for some recommendations for thumb stud opening knives under $200. Feel free to go as low as you want if it really stands out. I prefer knives under 3.5" blade length. Not very picky on handle materials but I prefer slimmer knives both in height and thickness.
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Sure, any Benchmade that fits your requirement of thumb studs and under $200. I think the Benchmade Bugout (poor name) 535BK 2 would fit your requirements. I've owned mine since they were introduced and other than a little SAK in my pocket, the Bugout is my most carried EDC. A little beefier is the Mini-Presido 2 and a middle compromise might be the full size Griptilian. Spyderco knives are great too but they like thumb holes more than studs so most of their knives look like birds or something when opened.
 
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