under 80 Bucks

We've seen some amazing budget knives come out in the last few years so this is an awesome time to explore.

A few brands have impressed me but Civivi continues to be the brand I'd recommend first. Their quality for cost is incredible. I own three different models and I recently bought another as a birthday present for my cousin. As with most any knife that comes across my desk, I've had them all apart for cleaning, inspection, and quality lubrication. Fit, finish, and attention to detail have been consistently impressive. Based on personal use, their heat treatment and blade geometry seem spot on. For instance, their 9Cr18Mov noticeably holds an edge better than other examples I've had in the sub-$50 category. All have been excellent slicers.

If you want to do some comparison shopping, here are the current models at BladeHQ sorted by price:

https://www.bladehq.com/cat--CIVIVI-Folding--3294#/sort:price_sort_asc:asc
 
The following are knives I have given multiples of at Christmas:
Opinel 8, 7
Miscellaneous Moras, no.1,2,612,511,Companion, 611.
Cold Steel Kudu (you could give a lot of those for 80 bucks).
Leatherman Micra
Rough Rider
Kershaw Cryo
Victorinox Cadet

Most of these were well received, although I did get the fish-eye for the Kudu. I was able to give a lot of gifts for a couple hundred bucks. If you have $80 per knife to spend, obviously the field opens up considerably.
 
I am starting to buy a few knives under 80 bucks for friends. Lots of budget knives now days Civivi, Kershaw, etc. Wondering what folks top 2 or 3 knives in that range might be.
Victorinox Alox knives (especially with a pocket clip :cool:)
bBlElrS.jpg


Kershaw Blur, Leek.

Buck 112, especially the new Slim versions.

Buck Rival - this is my preferred knife for folks who need a single blade and i don't care to spend a lot of $$.
 
Thanks guys. I got a couple Anthropos on the way. Between now and Christmas I will work through the list. I have a Kershaw Launch 4 the 2 at 69 is tempting for myself lol.
 
Spyderco Endura, Kizer Intrepid Vanguard, Kershaw Knockout. Those are my three favorites under 80 bucks.

Back in the day I bought many G10 handled Spydercos and Benchmades for $80, but try touching any for that now. :/
 
Three I personally own:
Civivi Plethiros – like a budget SpydieChef in many respects (except the corrosion resistance)
Civivi Baklash – great handle, slicy blade
Tangram Santa Fe – best $25 I ever spent

6Iehb87.jpg
 
Cold steel american lawman
Cold steel code 4
Cold steel broken skull
Cold steel swift
Cold steel golden eye
The last 2 are recently discontinued so you can find it in this price range easy

These are some of the best under $80. S35VN/XHP steel.
 
for 80 you can get 2 kershaw leeks ; )

or a buck 112 pro in micarta and s30v (and sometimes even s35vn)

kershaw link or dividend in m390
 
Last edited:
Three I personally own:
Civivi Plethiros – like a budget SpydieChef in many respects (except the corrosion resistance)
Civivi Baklash – great handle, slicy blade
Tangram Santa Fe – best $25 I ever spent...

While Civivi stands out in the $40 range, Tangram really shines in the $20 range. There are plenty of nice knives in that range but most of them are using 8Cr13Mov or AUS-8. Ganzo and Kubey have some reasonably nice knives in D2 but Tangram really takes the lead here. Fit and finish is as surprising at this price level as Civivi has been on the next rung up. I've been impressed with their Acuto 440 so far too.

I say "so far" because I only own the little Amarillo. The blade is thin and wonderfully slicey but I'm usually carrying a larger knife. It's already held on to its factory edge for more household cardboard than the 8Cr13Mov or AUS-8 I've had in the past. I just need to use it more. I've heard it compared to VG-10 and I think that's worth exploring for the price. It doesn't hurt to have a good stainless alternative to the D2 creeping down into that range as well. This may call for a separate thread...
 
My top 3 would be Opinel (any of them - Heck, you could have No. 8 to 12 for about $80), Victorinox Pioneer X (or many other Swiss Army Knife versions) and Manly Wasp. I find them all to be great values for the money spent.
 
Three I personally own:
Civivi Plethiros – like a budget SpydieChef in many respects (except the corrosion resistance)
Civivi Baklash – great handle, slicy blade
Tangram Santa Fe – best $25 I ever spent

I spun off a fresh thread to discuss the entry-level steels for Civivi and Tangram. I'd love to hear more about your experiences with the "best $25 you've ever spent" over there.

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/acuto-440-and-9cr18mov-in-budget-knives.1687578
 
I’m with Hackenslash, Chronovore and JimMD on this one. You can have a Civivi Backlash, Praxis or Naja with a damascus blade for ~$75ish. The blade is "Chinese Damascus” and not legit Damasteel powder steel and it's a Civivi and not a Shiro CD, but---for $75, these are understandable and expected. I bought a Backlash on a whim a while ago and I’m honestly impressed by the quality and value of it for the price. I also have a Spyderco Tenacious that I bought a while ago to be a “bag knife” (throw it into a backpack pocket and leave it there forever just in case I ever use that pack and forget to take one of my more serious knives with me for the hike). The Tenacious was a great buy for the $45 it cost me.
 
As mentioned, including an alox SAK (Cadet, Farmer, Pioneer/Pioneer X, etc.) can be a fantastic option. I use a suspension clip to attach to RFP, use for different purposes during a day.
 
Welcome to the forums! My recommendations would be,
-Cold steel broken skull
-Kershaw/Emersen cqc series

Also, I dont know if you are interested in fixed blades at all, but the Mora companion is really good knife in my experience. Best of luck!
 
Back
Top