Am I on the right track buying these budget knives?

[Bob Denman]

So they'll let you tinker with the knives...
...as long as you don't make the problem worse!

 

[CR888]

From what I've seen Spyderco doesn't just give you 'said metal say M390' they give you proper heat treated and ground M390 that can really bring out the best in the steels. I like their level of quality that you don't see which I think some of the chinesium name brand blades lack. I think I've just been looking at the wrong Spyderco's, the one on the previous page is much more my style. One thing I really like about USA made brands is they tend to hang around for a while...like decades. I bought a Buck 191-Zipper about 20 years ago. It's been a great knife lasted many trips all over the country. I noticed they still make that same knife today and it's for sale. I kinda like that, their warranty is worth the paper it's written on. Funny back then I paid under AU$150....now same knife AU$375!!

 

[chalby]

....and the 12C27 easily outperforms 8Cr13Mov....

I really like 12C27 but I disagree with that as a general statement.

It might be a bit tougher and more corrosion resistant, but 8Cr should be at least equal if not slightly better holding an edge. For a folder, I would be happy with either.

 

[zippo123]

Civivi, Civivi, Civivi….all you have to own.
cannot beat them for price point and quality.

I picked up this Tan and Black beauty , d2 , as a closeout on the civivi website for around $50 bucks shipped.
Really like it. Own about 6 more Civivi, highly recommend all, especially the Praxis.

 

[Chronovore]

I really like 12C27 but I disagree with that as a general statement.

It might be a bit tougher and more corrosion resistant, but 8Cr should be at least equal if not slightly better holding an edge. For a folder, I would be happy with either.

Maybe in theory but in my experience, 12C27 often outperforms 8Cr13Mov by a noticeable margin. Of course, it depends on the company and the heat treatment. (Also, you can't count the modified 12C27 with less carbon used by Opinel.) I think that might be the issue. For instance, D2 should have much better edge retention than 14C28N in theory but that's not always true when comparing against the Chinese D2 used in budget knives.

Maybe somebody smart like Larrin can get deeper into this. I've heard that the Sandvik steels are easier or less sensitive for getting a good heat treatment.

 

[chalby]

Maybe in theory but in my experience, 12C27 often outperforms 8Cr13Mov by a noticeable margin. Of course, it depends on the company and the heat treatment. (Also, you can't count the modified 12C27 with less carbon used by Opinel.) I think that might be the issue. For instance, D2 should have much better edge retention than 14C28N in theory but that's not always true when comparing against the Chinese D2 used in budget knives.

Maybe somebody smart like Larrin can get deeper into this. I've heard that the Sandvik steels are easier or less sensitive for getting a good heat treatment.

Most of the members here who are fans of the Taichung Spyderco's as an example seem to be relatively happy with 8Cr in these knives.

Generally though, neither "easily outperform" the other. Specific examples/comparisons will vary, although I get what you are saying.

 

[Dergyll]

Most of the members here who are fans of the Taichung Spyderco's as an example seem to be relatively happy with 8Cr in these knives.

Generally though, neither "easily outperform" the other. Specific examples/comparisons will vary, although I get what you are saying.

I have an 8cr spyderco counterpuppy and it is the ONLY Spyderco I regret buying. The knife is not horrible due to the thin grind and good cutting geometry, but gets dull just from looking at it. I strop/sharpen it every 2 sessions roughly.

Compared this to my Shun 4in VGMAX paring knife, which I only sharpen about once a month, and I use it more than the counter puppy.

Back to 12c, I have a Due Cigni (sp?) In that steel and once again, easily cuts longer than the 8cr...I sharpen it about as much as the VGMAX knives and I dont really have to...where as the 8cr I kind of have to because it cut like a butter knife.

All three steels are easy to sharpen on the sharpmaker or strop.

Back to topic, I buy knives because of the design and steel, not because of the grade. People asking "what's a para 2 alternative" should just, like many members suggest, save up and buy a para 2! I buy civivi because their design and f/f are great! Not because they are "budget". Civivi designs are very diverse and all are great quality, very collectible.

It's not "why would I carry cheap knives if I have cooler ones?" There are times yes, I want to carry a cheaper knife for fear of losing or damaging, so even more reason to have a very diverse collection. Just because expensive knives exist, doesnt mean theres no place for collecting budget knives.

Rant over lol. Also, dont like SG2, for some strange reason I have trouble getting it sharp lol.

 

[Chronovore]

Most of the members here who are fans of the Taichung Spyderco's as an example seem to be relatively happy with 8Cr in these knives.

Generally though, neither "easily outperform" the other. Specific examples/comparisons will vary, although I get what you are saying.

Honestly, I see that happiness as love for Spyderco clouding judgement relative to better budget steels.

Don't get me wrong. I love Spyderco too and I have a Sage 5 in my pocket as I type this. Objectively though, the 8Cr13Mov in the Byrd and Spyderco knives isn't much better than your average 8Cr13Mov. It's just not a good steel in 2021. The higher price tag on the Spyderco-branded knives in 8Cr13Mov makes them just as bad of a deal as when Kershaw or CRKT do $50 knives in 8Cr13Mov.

Luckily, Sal has confirmed that Spyderco is exploring options to replace 8Cr13Mov. There has been talk of 9Cr18Mov as one of the possibilities. Even with an average heat treatment, that would be a significant upgrade. I don't want to set my expectations too high but with a good heat treatment, like we see on the Civivi or Sencut knives from WE, that could be incredible.

 

[ookie199]

Hey folks new member here my name is Colin. About a year ago I bought a new knife from TwoSun China at auction. It was a D2 blade with VG10 handle inlays. Well anyways I kinda like the knife and am impressed with its overall quality for the US$40ish bux I paid. I don't know a lot about knives and all the makes and models out there. So I was just asking what you folks think about TwoSun flipper knives (folding knives)... see I don't even know the right words. I just ordered a couple more Twosuns which are in the mail one a M390? blade, the other a D2. They seem to go for $50-200+ US dollars depending on the model. Should I buy a different budget knife or are these decent for the money? I'm not into spending $600 for a pocket/EDC knife but would spend a couple of hundred if I had too. Anyways great forum ya'all got here lots of info & stuff.

I recently bought a couple Two Sun's and they are great deals for the $40 range. You probably don't need M390 steel and if you spend little while researching the different metals knives are made of you will have done yourself a HUGE favor. D2 is tool steel and great for most applications (and much less expensive). Happy hunting.

 

[IdaDave]

I have a couple of the $50-ish TwoSun knives and for the price, I can't complain.
They're worth it just for the big grin you get on your face, when you first open the box that they're in.
I've torn them both completely apart and they are built extremely well - better than most knives in the same price range.
But... they're too big and blocky to make a good EDC knife, in my opinion.
I'll probably end up buying more though, 'cause they're so damned cool!
On another note...
I've always been interested in knives, but over the last few months I've trod the path that you are now beginning.
There are A TON of great knives that you can buy in the $30 - $50 dollar range.
I basically went on a "Hmmmmm, I think I'll try one of those!" spree for a few months.
I wasn't looking for the knife that would last me the rest of my days, I just wanted to check out a few budget knives.
Now, I guess I have a collection.
Favorite Budgets (Bang for the buck and general appeal):
CRKT Pilar and Pilar 3
QSP Penguin
CJRB Feldspar
Kizer Begleiter

Favorite knives to actually use and abuse:
Ka-Bar Dozier
Ontario Rat II
Byrd Cara Cara II
Cold Steel Recon I

Thing that's in my pocket everyday at the office:
Spyderco Para 3

If you're not wanting to go down the "rabbit hole" that I did (absolutely not regrets, by the way),
Just buy a Spyderco, or a Benchmade (or one of each).
They will do everything for you that you will ever need them to do and you won't have a drawer full of knives (not that having a drawer full of knives isn't a magnificent thing).

 

[BillZee]

GANZO!!!!!!