$299 or less knives

For a sub $299 knife, which company gets the nod?

  • Spyderco

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Benchmade

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Buck

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • CRKT

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .
Wolverine666 said:
IMO, the quality Spyderco delivers for the price is hard to beat.
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This. And I'll add that while i'm not a steel junkie, for those that are, no major knife manufacturer that I can think of offers the variety of steels.
I have been very very happy with my Spydercos, with my cheapest being a Byrd Cara Cara 2 Rescue, up to my priciest which is my Spyderco Manix 2 in S110v. I do realize that to many here, a $140 knife is actually a cheap knife. It just isn't for me...It's actually the most expensive knife I own. SO perhaps my opinion is only valid from the perspective of $150 and under knives, rather than going up to $300 since i just don't have enough experience with that price range to comment.

Benchmade I find to be absolutely excellent, but much less of a value proposition. I really appreciate them, but then I look at the price and compare to the build quality and materials of comparably priced Spydercos and end of going with the Spyderco every time. They are excellent knives and I don't mean to diminish that in any way, but they just don't have the appeal of "punching above their weight" that appeals to me so much.
 
None.

ZT/Kershaw all the way.

best

mqqn
 
Benchmade for the money is not worth its msrp or map pricing due to questionable fit and finish. they are good knives other than that... for the money tho, they are not. buy used and cheaper then they are worth the money.

CRKT is not worth the money at all. most of there stuff is all gimmicks and made in china at terribly low quality. there might be a few good ones but emphasis on few. what CRKT costs 299$? i wouldnt touch it with a 10foot pole.

Spyderco's are excellent knives, they have only a few that are $299ish area, not sure i would buy them tho, matter of fact i havent. surely they are worth the cost tho.

what BUCKS cost $299?

if i were spending around 299$ or less id buy a ZT or a spyderco or Reate, custom knife factory, WE knives, Rike knife etc.
 
I would replace CRKT with ZT/KAI . ;)
I voted for Spyderco because they made such a variety of high quality knives in a variety of blade steel. ZT/KAI is right up there as well when it comes to quality & design.
Buck makes some great knives for the money at the about $100 and under level.
Benchmade is waaay overpriced imho.
 
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Spyderco for constantly coming out with new models and also using a lot of different steels. Benchmade for the better warranty.
 
Spyderco, assuming we are talking about the higher end of the pricing range. Benchmade has been on a downward spiral lately and they finally lost me with their abjectly horrible 2017 lineup.

I wish Buck made some higher level knives to compete with ZT.
 
I can't vote. For me, it's a split between Spyderco and Benchmade - I think Spyderco does a better job with fit and finish, and their models are priced much more appropriately than BM. BUT, BM's almost-no-questions-asked warranty seems to be worth a bit more, so that is to be considered. I think the grinds on a lot of BM knives are stupid, but that's my preference for an EDC knife that cuts better than it prys. For $299, you can have a like-new second hand small Sebenza 21, and that's pretty cool ;)
 
Considering what I own and carry, Spyderco sees the most time in my pocket. Benchmade does have higher average prices though without more variety in their lineup.
 
Used to be I woulda said Benchmade in the 80s. Les de Asis started BM back in 80 as Bali-Song inc and his knives were essentially handmade by himself and Jody Sampson and ground by Jody. The first of these were the model 68. These are highly sought after and extremely rare knives that the company built their product lines off of. The big difference between them and Spyderco wasn't much but in the early 80s Les and Jody were the company.

Spyderco on the other hand was transitioning into knives while still making sharpeners for the masses. Sal Glesser was looking for a production facility in the US to start making his designs here on US soil so he was preoccupied with keeping a new knife company going while looking to move manufacturing to this country. His attention was divided and even though Spydeco had a fantastic new knife on the market Les and BM's offerings were in my opinion somewhat better at the time.

Now if you asked me today, Id' say Spyderco, Sal and company have got the manufacturing and design aspect locked up given the choice today. That's not to say that both BM and Spyderco only have slightly below $300 knives on the contrary, they both offer fantastic options starting in the $100 price point.

Given the options today though I'd pick Spyderco because Sal has developed a business model that works, producing what the people want at affordable prices. Hope I answered the OP's question.
 
Thomas Carey said:
If ZT was in the list for sure I would have gone with them.
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Same.

I don't have any Benchmades because I just don't think they are worth it.

Spyderco just doesn't make a blade/handle that appeal to me.

All folders are ZT and Emerson. Thinking about getting one of the big Cold Steels as a beater though.
 
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