$40 and under EDC folder

SOG Flash II or Twitch II
Cold Steel Gunsite II, Recon, medium Voyager or medium Vaquero
Kershaw Blackout or Blur
Spyderco Salsa, Centofante III or Calypso Jr.
CRKT M21 or M16
 
Try a Gerber Paraframe..I just bought the 3 inch model at Ace for $24.99+tax it's a nice little knife :cool:
 
 
I'm interested in that Calypso Jr...but it's a bit pricey! :)

Thanks for all the suggestions though. I'm gonna have to shop around. :D
 
klattman said:
EDIT: If I had a another choice, I'd pick the Victorinox Soldier (or farmer). Softer blade steel (which isn't really a big deal, since it is thin, flat ground, and extremely easy to sharpen), but the real beauty is that you can pry, hack, drill, mark, drive hardware, open cans... anything that you shouldn't be using a knife blade for. More compact and classier looking than the very utilitarian Spyderco's.
Click to expand...
Oh man, I forgot to say: the awl is AWESOME. There's nothing you can't put a hole in. And I don't know about you, but there's something kinda primally appealing about being able to put holes in things. After all, isn't that why guns are so great? Before anyone asks, yes, it does get used day-to-day: not too long ago at all, my wife wanted some drain holes in the bottom of these little metal buckets that were to become flowerpots. Badabing, Vic Soldier, quick'n'easy holes.
I keep thinking about a different slipjoint, like a stockman or something, but I can't bear to leave behind the tools on my Soldier.
 
hmmm...

I like the Kershaw Storm idea a lot. I don't have one, but I've played with one a few times and the ergos are incredible and the blade is very functional. It can be had for less than $40 if you look around a bit.

The Kershaw Vapor II is another excellent, hard use knife for under $30 most places. Granted, it is made in China, but the quality control is top-notch and comes scary sharp. Locks up as solidly as my Sebenza and was actually a better pocket rider than the Sebenza (until I broke the tip somehow). AUS-6 steel isn't the best, but decent enough.

If you can find one, the Kershaw Hawk is a good "dressier" knife. Cheap and made from high quality materials: ATS-55 blade and G-10 scales over (I think) 420 liners. I got mine for around $35 on ebay. It was disappointingly dull out of the box, but 10 minutes on the Sharpmaker and it would pop hair. I carry it when one of my usual EDC knives may be too big (it's actually the first tactical knife under 3.5 inches that I've found comfortable enough to EDC).

You can't go wrong with a Buck 110 or 112 as a gift either. Both can be had for under $30 and you'll be hard pressed to find a more solid, hard use knife out there at any price. And they look nice too.

Others have suggested some sort of SAK and I like that idea a lot. A Soldier would be nice, as would a Farmer (a Soldier with a saw).

I'm sure I could come up with more...
 
Kershaw products are one of the most under-rated blades in my opinion. They look great, their build quality is absolutely spot-on, and they come sharp as hell and stay that way for a surprisingly long time. The speed-safe assisted opening is just fantastic too. Hands down the best assisted opener I've ever tried (I'm still waiting anxiously for the Benchmade Apparition passaround to come my way); it is so smooth and addictive and the knives lockup so nicely after thousands (literally) of cycles. I really like Spyderco but it seems that they don't appeal at all to casual users. I used to be interested in Spyderco before I got into knives but they just seemed so butt ugly that I never invisioned myself actually buying one. That's why they make great gifts for people on the edge of being a knife addict; once they own and use a Spyderco they get over the initial aesthetic concerns and really appreciate the ergos and cutting ability (especially VG10 which is my favorite steel that I actually prefer over S30V due to it's ease of sharpening, beautiful finish, and relative inexpense).

Is the person you're buying for an experienced knife user or are they new to it?
 
If it's a gift, and it's for someone who's not a knife nut to begin with, I would recommend a Camillus EDC as well. The various spyderco knives and others with FRN handles and odd (non traditional) blade shapes are not as likely to be percieved as a "nice" gift as something like the EDC which is more conventional looking, has a nice heft with the steel handles, but looks cool to non knife folks with all the slots in the handle.

It can be had for under $30.00 with an AUS-8 blade (very servicable), around $50.00 with a 154CM blade (considerably better edge holding) or with some searching, with a very special Talonite blade (expect to pay a BIG premium for the Talonite version).

It's a refined design with the simplicity and strength of a frame lock and a blade that is under 3" so it should be legal nearly anywhere and not be intimidating.
 
Gotta agree with the Calypso Jr others recommend. VG10 is a quantum leap in edge retention over lesser steels you usually find in knives in this price range.

Now if the person you want to give this to is the kind who uses their knife as field improvised prybar, screwdriver, that kind of thing, then get them something tougher. Calypso isn't built for that kind of stuff.
 
A website is saying the Kershaw Storm uses Sandvik 13C26 stainless steel. How does this compare to VG10 or ZDP189?

I still have a lot to learn about these damn steels. :eek:
 
I would choose the Spyderco Native III. It fits my hand better than the Calypso Jr. The deep finger choils make it a safer knife to use. It has the same VG-10 steel. Imo it doesn't look so utilitarian as the lighter Calypso Jr. Got one last week from Island Security for $39.88 plus ship, and they shipped fast. Give it a look, you might like it!
 
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