Looking for budget EDC. <$30

NoF said:
I opened my Tenacious too quickly the other week and managed to cut my thumb open on the unchamfered thumb hole edge. If you do get one, you might consider going over the edge with a deburring tool.

I personally prefer the Raven 2 as a beater due to the better steel, significantly thicker blade stock, and more comfortable handle (the Tenacious handle is a bit small for me). However the longer, thinner blade on the Tenacious is better for food prep.

Some extra consideration: the Tenacious might have the Spyderco logo but the Raven 2 has Sal Glesser's mark. On the other hand, byrd has only a 1 year warranty and Spyderco's warranty coverage is relatively sparse to begin with.

P.S. How's the centering on your Tenacious'?
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The centering on the tenacious I have is almost perfect. You are right about the spydie hole,it is very sharp around the edge. I took some 300 grit sandpaper and smoothed mine off.
 
What is Spydercos warranty and customer service like for those who have had to deal with warranty and CS issues?
 
I haven't heard much about spyderco warranty. I don't think it is the best.

You had a pretty good idea with ordering the tenacious and rat 1 then returning the one you didn't prefer. You might end up just keeping them both though.
 
Nah, I don't think I will. My impression of the Rat is that it has better ergos, but it's strength and durability claims are quite overstated and it's a bit on the large size for EDC so I am not too optimistic about the Rat. The Rat 2 on the other hand is a bit too small, but the Tenacious is somewhere in the middle on overall size it seems with a 3 3/8" blade.
 
  • CRKT Hissatsu or Heiho folder (over $30)
  • CRKT Ripple or Sheanigan
  • Kershaw Blur or Shuffle
  • Ontario Rat1 or Rat2
  • Steel Will Knives Cutjack Mini
  • RUIKE P801 Frame Lock
  • Lately been checking out a new LAPG TBFK in S35VN and impressed so far for $30
  • Ridge EDC in D2 (over $30 but matches my Ridge wallet)
  • Utility blades - great at saving your primary blade from boxes and some are little prybars, etc.
Some of my “beaters” EDCs:
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I just made a purchase. I made a last minute decision to buy the Ontario Rat 1 in D2 with black GFN scales. I was actually quite torn between it and the Tenacious but in the end I just couldn't bring myself to buy from China.
 
I already have an Opinel 8 in carbon steel on the way. I'm going to try to make it a one-handed opener. If I can safely do this and get as much use out of it as the Rat 1, I'll carry the Opinel as an EDC, if not, I have the Rat 1 on the way.
 
Did someone already bring up the Tangram Santa Fe? $25 when I got it for Christmas. Liner lock with thumb studs and G10 scales, strong detent, solid build, nice blade design for EDC, and "Japanese Acuto" steel.
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jason41987 said:
I have never heard of a Tangram, where are they made?
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Tangram is Kizer's new budget line, like Civivi is for WE. As far as I know, they only sell Tangram via Amazon, at least for now.

Another nice one is the Vector, a small button lock knife with aluminum scales, but it's a little pricier. I got it for $39 recently, and this week they're $42.50-$45.
 
jason41987 said:
There is a huge difference between Taiwan and China politically speaking. I do not want to buy from China due to political reasons, not racial ones.
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Your reasons are your reasons, but that effectively deprives you of some very high quality knives at great prices. Kizer, WE, Reate, etc. Some pretty great knives to turn your nose up at.

Oh well, enjoy the Rat. They're good knives.

By the way, I bet a good percentage of the stuff you buy was made in China. :D
 
I am not a collector of pocket knives. With most my knife needs being related to outdoor tasks, I use fixed blades more than anything. I just wanted something that can be stuffed into a pocket for everyday tasks because they're easier to toss into a pocket than a fixed blade. If I decide to get something else later, I'll probably just get a PM2.
 
jason41987 said:
I am not a collector of pocket knives. With most my knife needs being related to outdoor tasks, I use fixed blades more than anything. I just wanted something that can be stuffed into a pocket for everyday tasks because they're easier to toss into a pocket than a fixed blade. If I decide to get something else later, I'll probably just get a PM2.
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Would you consider Swiss Army Knives? For <$30 and not from China, that's the first thing that comes to my mind. A model that includes the scissors can be useful for EDC.
 
JimMD said:
Would you consider Swiss Army Knives? For <$30 and not from China, that's the first thing that comes to my mind. A model that includes the scissors can be useful for EDC.
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Sure, but I consider multi-tools to be something entirely separate and the blades are never really that sufficient. So it's something I'd EDC along side a dedicated folding knife.
 
jason41987 said:
I am looking for a new budget EDC knife. Budget because I do not like to put a big investment into something that is fairly easily lost or stolen. So I am setting the budget to $30. I would prefer a blade over 3" and under 4". No assist (legality reasons). And preferably something that could be customized. My idea of customization is probably different from most peoples. Most wouldn't consider the 112 slim customizable, but as long as i could drill out the rivets, replace the scales, and replace the rivets with screws, I'd consider it customizable. And being easy to clean and maintain is a plus.

My preferred lock type (if going with a locking knife) are lockbacks.

Primary uses would be cutting open packages, maybe some food prep, and outdoor activities.

Here is the list of options I am looking at so far.

Opinel No 9
Kabar Dozier
Buck Bantam
Buck 112 slim
Cold Steel Working Man
Case Sodbuster

You get the idea.
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How about the Cold Steel Pro-Lite? It has a 3.5" blade, backlock, the same 4116 steel as the Working Man, is made in Taiwan, has a Torx construction, and best of all... Can be had for $22 from multiple BF supporting distributors.

Personally, if I were you, I'd be checking out the Buck 722 Spitfire as others have mentioned. 3.25" blade with a backlock, Made in the U.S.A., Torx construction, four position pocket clip, and Buck's very usable 420HC. All for just a couple bucks north of $30.

The Bantam on your list is a solid knife for $20 with it's pinned construction being it's biggest downfall.

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jason41987 said:
There is a huge difference between Taiwan and China politically speaking. I do not want to buy from China due to political reasons, not racial ones.
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Not stirring the pot but I am genuinely curious.

Does your personal political anti-PRC rule extend to German and Japanese cars? How about percentage content of any white goods? Turkish food? Russian women? Should immigrant-owned business owners (who send money to family back home stuck in an oppressive regime) be shunned? The UK has draconian knife laws. How about listening to The Beatles or The Rolling Stones? Your stated view should stop you from consuming anything from anybody anywhere who doesn’t share your political perspective. That is true isolationism.
 
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