Looking for budget EDC. <$30

I respect that opinion. I've bought Chinese made knives from American companies. I won't argue with your stand against communism. The spitfire as mentioned is a really good knife,I have one and it is a well built knife. Very strong lockback and good fit and finish. I've looked at the vantage as well. I have had a rat 2 ,but not the rat 1. I love the action of the rat,and the blade holds a good edge, I think you will find it to be a very good cutting tool.
 
I don't know about Buck knives though. There are so many stories of people getting blade play and excessive lock rock. Their factory has always been extremely specialized in mass producing 110s and 112s that it seems the company may be struggling getting newer designs to work properly. I don't know, but the other ones I looked at rarely, if ever had complaints about its lockup.
 
The buck marksman is one of my favorite knives. It is under 100 but has the quality of a 200 dollar knife.
 
I may just upgrade to the Buck Marskman at a later date. It seems to be much better done than their other more modern ideas which seems to me is Buck throwing ideas as the wall to see what sticks. The Marksman is unique, and furthermore it works very well. And it is more serviceable than any liner or frame lock being the entire lock is nothing but a flat piece of spring steel with some shaping. But right now it's just out of my budget.
 
It's definitely not a knife i can see anyone regretting buying.
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pinnah said:
I might argue that the quirkinesses of the Opinel is matched by the quirkiness of the Buck 110. Seven solid ounces of scoliosis inducing brass, frail easily broken tip, comparatively weak peened pivot. And by noting this I've just called in artillery fire on my own position from the American Buck equivalents of Pilsner's French farmers.

Regardless, the Buck 110 and Opinel remain the 2 primary knives in my EDC bowl.

@Pilsner, I don't think I would recommend a knife with a super thin handle for "outdoor/bushcraft" type uses as the OP asked about. The Mercator is arguably a better EDC knife for pocket carry but doesn't have the ergonomics for making wood shavings IMO.
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If you're not willing to shell your own position, you're not willing to win.
 
I'm curious what will reach me first, the Opinel that got shipped from the UK or the Ontario that was shipped from Utah.
 
I don't even notice it, and it is one of the best flippers I've ever used. Once you get the feel for it, one hand open and closing is very easy... and likely that one from Utah will be there any day, UK will probably take a little longer.
 
Anyway, thanks to everyone for their help, even if it was just me thinking out loud mostly. And I did get some good ideas and was encouraged to try the Opinels.
 
Don’t know that I can add much to this discussion, except to throw in my vote for Opinel (I prefer No.6 for the pocket), with the proviso that no Opinel carries well unless you trim down the bulging flared pommel. I have tried a lot of the alternatives mentioned, including Svord, Mercator, as well as MAM, Antonini, Douk-Douk, Higonokami, Okapi, Rat 2, Dozier, Buck, Kershaw and the redoubtable Rough Rider Improved Muskrat.

To my mind Opinel is the champ, as a cutting too, as a bit of simple, elegant design, and as a value for your dollar.
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And the winner is... the Ontario Rat 1. It just arrived today and I had some concerns about people saying it was heavy, too large to carry in the pocket and blah, blah. But holding this thing in my fairly large hands I cannot imagine anything with any smaller of a grip would be comfortable, this knife fits perfectly, and I don't think it looks too small to carry at all, not even remotely, and I actually like the weight. It is tight enough that i cannot shake it open, yet still easy to flip open with the thumb, and blade centering is perfect.

I am quite pleased with the $40 spent, great knife for the price.
 
Correct me if I am wrong. But a liner lock will shift towards the right over time as it wears down? Is this true? The locking bar 100% contacts the blade on the left most edge which is what would be perfect I guess?
 
That's how the rat 1 should be. It is a steel on steel liner lock, so it will be a very long time before it ever wears over any more than it is now. Titanium liner locks are what normally wears over to the side.
 
I would really like to get a compression lock sometime. The advantages of the liner lock (simplicity) with a system that doesn't actually rely on the strength of the spring to be one of the strongest locks.
 
Funny thing though, I got the package and tried to chew it open before eventually going to the kitchen to find a kitchen knife to open the package. If only I had a pocket knife.
 
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