What to you think of as a budget friendly price for an EDC pocket knife?

[DMG]

Try a Cold Steel Recon 1. If that doesn t last for years at your job, your work is harder than I would do.

CS makes great stuff but have been using a GB2 for a while now. I own and work in an auto repair shop so I find myself cutting or poking a wide variety of stuff, some of it not great for a blade.

 

[Delgadonine]

When I see the word 'budget' I think 'need'.

What do you really need a knife for?

EDC means whatever comes up.

Before you spend any money, determine your range of use and just how great you'll look doing it.

 

[SharpBits]

I didn't vote, but for about $38 you can get a Buck 112 Slim Select. It's not the latest super steel, but it's a good, working knife. It's lightweight, has a good clip, lock, and action. The K-Bar dozier is another good budget friendly knife, but the Dozier doesn't get carried much since I got the Buck.
View attachment 2647443

Those Bucks punch well above their weight.

 

[David Mary]

Always loved the look of the GB2. Budget knife, to me, includes the idea of easily replaceable, and the GB2 isn't in that range for me at the moment.

 

[Quiet]

Cheap beater knives from Kershaw using 8cr will be functionally decent.

You can get a good knife at pretty much any price point these days.

Whelp, we're done here.


P.S. Kershaw makes a lot of budget offerings ($50ish range) that have D2 now. That is frankly, fantastic if you just need a Good Knife without spending a lot of money.

 

[Quiet]

... at least until you reblade them all in MagnaCut...

Beeeeeeep.....(checks readout)

No lies detected!

 

[David Mary]

Not exactly budget at that point though, at least not at my cost to make them…

 

[Chronovore]

Whelp, we're done here.


P.S. Kershaw makes a lot of budget offerings ($50ish range) that have D2 now. That is frankly, fantastic if you just need a Good Knife without spending a lot of money.

Yeah, this was a welcome change from Kershaw. They keep their Chinese manufacturer a secret but there have been some clues that it might be YangJiang Flyer Industrial. I've played around with Kershaw's D2 and it seems middle of the pack for Chinese D2. In other words, it's a big jump in edge retention over their 8Cr13Mov.

There has been some talk about Spyderco using Chinese D2 in the near future. They revealed a Tenacious in D2 but as a fancy anodized titanium frame lock so I'm not sure it will be "budget". Sanrenmu makes some of their Chinese stuff but they supposedly use more than one manufacturer in China and there are a couple of other candidates for that project. I haven't been alone in hoping to see an upgrade from 8Cr13Mov in their base and Byrd lines. They had done a little with BD1N but there had been confusion with BD1 in the listings and it doesn't look like they've pursued it.

 

[Maximumbob54]

Yeah, this was a welcome change from Kershaw. They keep their Chinese manufacturer a secret but there have been some clues that it might be YangJiang Flyer Industrial. I've played around with Kershaw's D2 and it seems middle of the pack for Chinese D2. In other words, it's a big jump in edge retention over their 8Cr13Mov.

There has been some talk about Spyderco using Chinese D2 in the near future. They revealed a Tenacious in D2 but as a fancy anodized titanium frame lock so I'm not sure it will be "budget". Sanrenmu makes some of their Chinese stuff but they supposedly use more than one manufacturer in China and there are a couple of other candidates for that project. I haven't been alone in hoping to see an upgrade from 8Cr13Mov in their base and Byrd lines. They had done a little with BD1N but there had been confusion with BD1 in the listings and it doesn't look like they've pursued it.

Bit ironic since I've read when they first wanted some Chinese production there was a snafu over asking for 440C and getting 8CR and then there's Larrin Thomas that was trying to get a piece of 8CR to test and got some 440C.

 

[Quiet]

Yeah, this was a welcome change from Kershaw. They keep their Chinese manufacturer a secret but there have been some clues that it might be YangJiang Flyer Industrial. I've played around with Kershaw's D2 and it seems middle of the pack for Chinese D2. In other words, it's a big jump in edge retention over their 8Cr13Mov.

There has been some talk about Spyderco using Chinese D2 in the near future. They revealed a Tenacious in D2 but as a fancy anodized titanium frame lock so I'm not sure it will be "budget". Sanrenmu makes some of their Chinese stuff but they supposedly use more than one manufacturer in China and there are a couple of other candidates for that project. I haven't been alone in hoping to see an upgrade from 8Cr13Mov in their base and Byrd lines. They had done a little with BD1N but there had been confusion with BD1 in the listings and it doesn't look like they've pursued it.

This is frankly good information. I have noticed a trend towards D2 with a lot of budget knives from both American and various Chinese companies, and I honestly feel it's the "passable floor", a knife with a decent grind in D2 is going to get it done all day that day, and you can sharpen it when you get home if needed. I also love steels like AUS8 and have had entirely acceptable performance from Cold Steel's AUS10, so I just don't see any real reason to use 8cr, or any of the others these days when something like D2 is so widely available. I have not owned many Chinese knives, and by the time 8cr became widespread in the cheap knife segment, I'd already moved upmarket in my collection and use-habits, so I have minimal experience with it other than a couple of times where I was pressed into some yard work with my Father and had brought a nice knife with me I didn't want to muck up opening bags of mulch and gravel, so we were using a cheap knife he had on him, and it was 8cr and that thing lost its edge FAST. So, I knew that steel isn't for me. And of course, then you've seen some of the American brands use even lesser steels for their bottom-of-the-barrel knives. Was it Buck or Gerber who had some cheap knives in like, 3cr available? I wouldn't even want a knife with a clip made of a steel that bottom tier! 3cr, get outta here! LOL

I am a steel snob who I guess, isn't a great snob because I love cheaper steels as much as I do my XHP, CruWear, S90v, etc. I mean, you can sharpen inexpensive steels with a few swipes on a decent stone and get back at it, so I get the appeal. I know there are folks on this board who don't carry or use supersteels because if you let them get dull, you're in for a bad time if you don't have the right equipment. Cheap Kershaw, Buck, Civivi, QSP, etc. and a decent coffee cup in your cupholder, and I mean, you're good to go when you get to a jobsite.

There's room for everyone at every level in this hobby, and I respect the hell out of that.

 

[VorpelSword]

"Course "Budget Friendly" depends on what your budget actually is.

I might be willing to trade a currently trendy, high specification modern alloy for an years old but adequate blade steel. So, for the same form factor, design and features, I'd drop Magnicut or some other high end, high cost steel for AUS-8, 440-C or D2 to get that EDC pocket folder under $50.

I might stretch my budget to the $100 level by saving up (gasp!) the money for a knife I really like. Another strategy might be to waite till my wife asks me what I'd really like for Christmas and go for a Large Sebenza 31.

 

[Quiet]

Also, my own on-topic answer for the question in the OP is that my range would be between $50-$100. I have purchased several knives in that range recently (Rosecraft slipjoints) that are A. FANTASTIC quality, and yet, entirely usable. I have already scratched the blade on one of my Jacks because I had some bacon grease I wanted to toss and so I cut the top off a can with it. Edge took no damage whatsoever. RC does their slipjoints in D2, and it's the business. However, for modern locking knives, I've purchased many used Cold Steels here on the Exchange and even on Ebay for under a hundred dollars that have seen outdoors camping use with zero issues. Cold Steel S35vn is VERY well done, and as for their AUS10, I mean...a large Voyager is like $53. If you can't do every single knife task in your life with that knife, you're doing something wrong.

So, for me, I think there are a ton of budget friendly knives on the market today, and we're spoiled for choice more now than at any time in the history of the hobby. It's easy to see pics posted by many of us and think "Man, I need to spend $500 or else people will think I'm cheap/broke/not a knife guy/etc. That's false.

You post up an inexpensive knife that has seen some use in one of these threads and I see it, I'll smash that Like button every time. Nothing wrong with an inexpensive knife that works.

Signed, a guy with a collection of both expensive and inexpensive knives, and I love all my sharp children dearly

 

[RoyalHolic]

My Gerber Flat Iron in D2 was $19.99

I got one of the good ones as their quality control has been notorious for being very hit and miss.

You can get CRKTs all the live long day along with Kershaw and Gerber for 10-30 bucks that would be just fine as an EDC.

 

[Chronovore]

Was it Buck or Gerber who had some cheap knives in like, 3cr available? I wouldn't even want a knife with a clip made of a steel that bottom tier! 3cr, get outta here! LOL

Lots of companies use 3Cr as blades in cheap knives. It seems to be the go-to for Walmart's Ozark Trail knives. Kershaw has used it in their cheapest stuff, like the old Hotwire. The funny thing is that 3Cr is often used for liners and the bodies of steel frame locks. So if you hunt around Walmart, you could probably find a steel frame lock where they blade and handle are the same material.

Buck has been using a lot of 7Cr17Mov in their Chinese budget line. Edge retention is theoretically worse than 8Cr13Mov but the margins are small. At least 7Cr17Mov has good corrosion resistance. A big problem with a lot of the legacy brands doing this sort of thing is that they just charge too much for it versus the Chinese brands. (See my highlighted example below.) They were at least partially protected in the big box stores but that won't last forever. Walmart just recently started carrying Civivi.

 

[Quiet]

Lots of companies use 3Cr as blades in cheap knives. It seems to be the go-to for Walmart's Ozark Trail knives. Kershaw has used it in their cheapest stuff, like the old Hotwire. The funny thing is that 3Cr is often used for liners and the bodies of steel frame locks. So if you hunt around Walmart, you could probably find a steel frame lock where they blade and handle are the same material.

Buck has been using a lot of 7Cr17Mov in their Chinese budget line. Edge retention is theoretically worse than 8Cr13Mov but the margins are small. At least 7Cr17Mov has good corrosion resistance. A big problem with a lot of the legacy brands doing this sort of thing is that they just charge too much for it versus the Chinese brands. (See my highlighted example below.) They were at least partially protected in the big box stores but that won't last forever. Walmart just recently started carrying Civivi.

Oof, that is pretty bad.

My ACE (where I score a lot of my Case finds and so on) are now carrying QSP and Civivi as well. The QSP Penguin I own, I picked both up on a sale they had at the time, and one went to my best friend and I kept the other. That little knife is entirely good to go, and a good deal for the price. I see they've gone quite far with that particular knife as it's now available from various retailers with higher end steels, and even in larger sizes.

I'm still cracking up at the idea of a knife where the blade and liners are the same steel. LOL That's terrible.

 

[RoyalHolic]

Lots of companies use 3Cr as blades in cheap knives. It seems to be the go-to for Walmart's Ozark Trail knives. Kershaw has used it in their cheapest stuff, like the old Hotwire. The funny thing is that 3Cr is often used for liners and the bodies of steel frame locks. So if you hunt around Walmart, you could probably find a steel frame lock where they blade and handle are the same material.

Buck has been using a lot of 7Cr17Mov in their Chinese budget line. Edge retention is theoretically worse than 8Cr13Mov but the margins are small. At least 7Cr17Mov has good corrosion resistance. A big problem with a lot of the legacy brands doing this sort of thing is that they just charge too much for it versus the Chinese brands. (See my highlighted example below.) They were at least partially protected in the big box stores but that won't last forever. Walmart just recently started carrying Civivi.

They have a name though even non knife folk probably know Buck.

They've been sold in Walmarts far too long for most people to not be aware of them.

Nobody knows Sencut unless you're in the knife world.

 

[beeinak]

I have some folders I use for chores at my remote property. They sometimes get used for things I would not want to expose my favorite ones to. I have had fantastic results from some inexpensive knives. Brutalica (Russian) with D2 have been super tough snd reliable (I have 3). SpydercoTenacious is a great design and have held up to terrible tasks (I have 5). The Spyderco Endura in VG10 is such a great knife for under $100! People seem to dismiss VG10 with so many newer steels, but it takes a screaming edge, super slicer, touches up easily, holds a good edge during chores, and shrugs off rain and snow. (I carry 2 orange ones when off road).

So many great knives that don’t cost a lot. So many choices in blade steels and shapes, handle options and lock options. The most important thing is finding ones you like, trust, and will use instead of leaving them in a drawer.

 

[SharpBits]

Consider the Chinese brands to be subsidized.

 

[Boattale]

Also, my own on-topic answer for the question in the OP is that my range would be between $50-$100. I have purchased several knives in that range recently (Rosecraft slipjoints) that are A. FANTASTIC quality, and yet, entirely usable. I have already scratched the blade on one of my Jacks because I had some bacon grease I wanted to toss and so I cut the top off a can with it. Edge took no damage whatsoever. RC does their slipjoints in D2, and it's the business. However, for modern locking knives, I've purchased many used Cold Steels here on the Exchange and even on Ebay for under a hundred dollars that have seen outdoors camping use with zero issues. Cold Steel S35vn is VERY well done, and as for their AUS10, I mean...a large Voyager is like $53. If you can't do every single knife task in your life with that knife, you're doing something wrong.

So, for me, I think there are a ton of budget friendly knives on the market today, and we're spoiled for choice more now than at any time in the history of the hobby. It's easy to see pics posted by many of us and think "Man, I need to spend $500 or else people will think I'm cheap/broke/not a knife guy/etc. That's false.

You post up an inexpensive knife that has seen some use in one of these threads and I see it, I'll smash that Like button every time. Nothing wrong with an inexpensive knife that works.

Signed, a guy with a collection of both expensive and inexpensive knives, and I love all my sharp children dearly

Yup. Thus the Ka-Bar Doziers sharing carry time with K390 Endura. You might be quiet, but you ain't dumb.

 

[Kwon Kwang]

$50. People who aren't enthusiasts typically won't pay more than that for a pocket knife, especially in this economy.

For me, I don't really think about the price. If I want something, I find a way to buy it, and if I don't, I didn't need it anyway.