Recommendation? Help me choose a cheap EDC

Kershaw has production in Wilsonville OR, but the company is Japanese.

https://kershaw.kaiusaltd.com/blog/i-am-kershaw-a-global-company-with-local-impact

Kershaw is part of the Kai Corporation, a family-owned Japanese company with different divisions across the globe, such as Kai USA and Kai Europe.

The Kershaw I use for EDC says "China" on the blade. Because it is a Kershaw, I don't have issues with the "China" production. I have Uncle Henry Schrade knives in D2 steel that don't say "China" on the blade. But they have "China" on the box they're packed in.

Designing a decent knife is not rocket science. Pick a blade where the steel is marked on the blade or otherwise specified. (Search "blade steel" to get up to speed.) Look for grip material with a name. I'm a big fan of G-10 for work knives. Also partial to drop point blades.

Kershaw Speedsafe, drop point, G-10. Work horse design from a reputable company, and not an arm and a leg on price so you can use it without worrying that it might not look brand new.

I had to Google CQC "close quarters combat"
 
If I was picking from the ones you have links to I would pick the link.
 
Look around for a Kershaw Shallot. Ken Onion design, flat profile, 14c28n blade steel, assisted opening, and reversible tip-up/tip-down carry, and good ergonomics(at least for me). Or you might get lucky and find one of the limited edition composite blades. Mine is ZDP-189, holds an edge forever, or close enough to it. Mine was made in Oct 2008, I bought it in Nov 2008. In ten years of carry and daily use, I had it sharpened exactly once. Any other touch-up was done on a ceramic stick. The 14c28n won't hold an edge that well, but is still above average for a cheap knife. I did have to send it in for a new torsion bar a couple of months ago, but I don't consider that an issue.
 
Big fan of Kershaw, and especially their versions made in the US.

Pretty much any knife you get from them is going to be decent as an EDC. Even their entry level offerings are very good.

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Buck 112 Slim Select. US made for about $25. I have two and can personally recommend them.
 
btw, the kershaw cryo (2.75" blade in d2) is available for $35... that seems a really great deal, has anyone used it? That is a huge improvement in wear resistance over the default 8cr13mov
 
My budget blades are Rat 1 & 2, Steel Will Mini Cutjack, and Kershaw Copper Matrix, all with D2 blades. Don't personally care for assisted/automatic actions. (Just sold my Kershaw Cryo and Knockout in the sales forum) The Steel Will offerings are mostly manual flippers, and as someone above said, they are such a value at their price point, that I may have to get another, either a Modus or a fullsize Cutjack.
 
Recc. #1 Spend up a little bit and get a Spyderco Delica. Probably the knife I'd carry everyday if I had to choose just one. $80
Recc. #2 Spyderco Tenacious $50
Decent quality to be made in China, still convenient and useful with Spyderco ergos

Recc. #3 allow this place to "screw you up" buy Chris Reeve Sebenza $500 :D
 
Korean Hog said:
Recc. #2 Spyderco Tenacious $50
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Lol. Dont ever waste hard earned money on a tenashit. $50 for 8cr13 is a fools proposition at best, and flat out mental instability at worst. Especially when you can get Sandvick and D2 for less.
The Byrd Raven 2 has the same ergos, better materials and is made by the same factory, for significantly less money. If you insist on a budget spyderco, that's the way to go.

Now the delica on the other hand is a fantastic offering from spyderco and a great edc option. small enough to carry comfortably and sheeple friendly for office/church type settings, while still being more than capable of handling all of your daily cutting tasks.

For the money, you're not going ro do better than a D2 Rat. There are certainly other great options, but the Rat is the reigning king of budget folders and the benchmark that all other budget knives are measured against. For under $50 it doesnt get much better.

You might also consider the Ruike p801 which offers 14c28n on a framelock flipper, riding on bearings for under $30. It even has anodized accents if you're into that sort of thing. Of the two I've owned, one of them had centering problems, but a drop of loctite fixed that in a matter of seconds and it was smooth sailing from there.
 
coffeeandknives said:
Lol. Dont ever waste hard earned money on a tenashit. $50 for 8cr13 is a fools proposition at best, and flat out mental instability at worst. Especially when you can get Sandvick and D2 for less.
The Byrd Raven 2 has the same ergos, better materials and is made by the same factory, for significantly less money. If you insist on a budget spyderco, that's the way to go.

Now the delica on the other hand is a fantastic offering from spyderco and a great edc option. small enough to carry comfortably and sheeple friendly for office/church type settings, while still being more than capable of handling all of your daily cutting tasks.

For the money, you're not going ro do better than a D2 Rat. There are certainly other great options, but the Rat is the reigning king of budget folders and the benchmark that all other budget knives are measured against. For under $50 it doesnt get much better.

You might also consider the Ruike p801 which offers 14c28n on a framelock flipper, riding on bearings for under $30. It even has anodized accents if you're into that sort of thing. Of the two I've owned, one of them had centering problems, but a drop of loctite fixed that in a matter of seconds and it was smooth sailing from there.
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Sorry to be a mentally unstable fool, but plenty of people like the tenacious just fine. Below $80 or so dollars, I wouldn't get too caught up on blade steels except for a few smaller spydercos that are either H1 or vg10 just because IMO vg 10 outperforms all the other budget steels for EDC, and h1 doesn't rust.

In fact, to OP, my final recc. Would be to just take a look at all 50-100$ spydercos. They're pretty much all good. Kershaw is a close 2nd but they tend to run a little heavier/ bulkier than the spydercos.
 
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coffeeandknives said:
At least you're not alone
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Take it easy pal. No need to be insulting just because you disagree about budget EDC. I've held the tenacious and know a couple people that carry one. Seems fine to me.
Personally, I carry a Pm2, Military, Manix 2 lately. I don't like any of the budget stuff anymore, but I can certainly understand wanting to keep things $50 or lower and the Tenacious or any of the Spydercos in that price range seem fine to me.
 
Ka-Bar Dozier is an outstanding budget knife. Highly recommended.

If you like Kershaws and don't mind 8cr13mov, I would get the Kershaw Atmos. It has an amazing design and is built well. In fact, if they offered the Atmos with a better steel, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
 
I picked up a Kershaw Dividend (M390) a few months ago and absolutely love it. It is incredibly low profile, especially with the deep carry clip, and the ergos are nice as well. It isn't a work knife and it isn't a gentleman's folder, but a great all arounder. Lots of folks don't like the speedsafe assist, but I think it's fine. I tend to think the upgrade to M390 steel is worth the extra money, but then you are getting into a price range where you can get things like a Delica.

All that being said, if I were going for a budget EDC today, I wouldn't hesitate to get a Ruike P801. It is such a clean looking knife for $30 and everyone I have talked to loves theirs.
 
On the "budget friendly world" IMHO nothing can beat the Rat´s.

Rat 1 for guys who likes bigger blades and Rat 2 for whom that likes little...
The D2 versions prices are around $40 for an incredible knife.
 
Buck 112 SlimPro, for about 80.00 with better steel, light weight and good pocket clip. Also look at the Manly Wasp, I really like mine in Sandvik.
 
I agree with those suggesting the Kershaw Atmos.Really good action for a budget folder. This one was under $30.
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Rat-2 is prety decent, but for the same price you could have an Okapi Biltong and an Opinel 6 or 7. The two of them in the pocket are less obtrusive than anything with a pocket clip, and you get two handy blade profiles.
 
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