My advice is to skip the cheapo knives all together. As far as I'm concerned, unless you want to risk horrendous blade play and other fit and finish issues, I'd stay away from SOG. The recon1 is a decent knife but leaves a lot to be desired in terms of materials. Cold steel makes great "beater" knives, but in my opinion that's all they are. The triad lock is crazy strong and most cold steels are pretty overbuilt and can take a beating. Overall they are good working knives (there's nothing really high tech or classy about them). The biggest downfall with cold steel though is their terribly cheesy marketing and "mall ninja" looks. I'm sure the tacticool design philosophy appeals to somebody (usually young people new to knives), but you will find that many experienced collectors and knife users typically steer clear of those types of knives.
So, with that said, I recommend jumping straight into the middle of spyderco's range. Skip the tenacious/persistence line and go for the seki city made spydercos in the $50-75 range. That means dragonfly, delica, endura, and stretch. There are also the "salt" variants of some of these knives which use completely rustproof H1 steel. After that, the Golden CO made spydercos bump up in price, but also bump up the quality of materials. There are many standout in that bunch but the Paramilitary 2 and the native 5 are the cream of the crop in my opinion. Taichung Taiwan makes some of the very best spyderco knives in terms of fit and finish and most models represent quality usually unattainable for less than $200-300. The sage 1 is the best deal around in my opinion. S30v blade steel, carbon fiber handle scales, spectacular pocket clip, and excellent design and absolutely top notch fit and finish for around $100. You absolutely cannot go wrong.
The next thing I would take a look at is the Benchmade Griptilian line. They come in either full size (3.4" blade) or mini (2.9" blade) and at around $60, are an excellent introduction to both Benchmade knives and the Axis lock. When shopping for Benchmade's, don't let the listed prices scare you. Benchmade's requires dealers to display prices more in line with their msrp, but when you actually go to purchase one, most online dealers offer considerable discounts.
In terms of Kershaw, as you've probably gathered, it's hard to go wrong. They make many excellent knives in the $30-50 range. The skyline is a favorite of many, but I think the best deal out there right now is the speedform 2. If you look hard enough you can find one for around $75, and for that price you get excellent elmax blade steel and sculpted smooth g10 scales.
All in all though, these suggestions can only get you so far. You really just have to go ahead and buy the knives you think you'll like. You will like some of them as much as you thought you would, others...not so much. You'll soon develop a set of features you prefer and that's when the real fun starts (and typically prices go up...).
Good luck in your decision and welcome to the forums!!!
. knife keeping/collecting can be equally as expensive if not more than planted tanks
haha