Best value for the $$$?

T

Tracker81

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I'm wondering what your choices would be for a knife that is relativley cheap but still well built with decent materials. Usually this combo can be a bit of an oxymoron, especially regarding the markup some distributors place on their products but I'm hoping some of you out there have found a decent production piece that is generally priced at an affordable range, and that this pricing is reasonably consistent.

My top two choices would have to be:

1. Spyderco Endura: Even as a Canuck I can still find this knife locally at under $70.00 which I think is amazing for what it offers. Granted I don't own one myself, I've heard nothing but good feedback from friends who have.

2. The Boker KALS74: With AUS 8 blade steel and one of the best thought out handles I've seen in a small folder this is definatley a serious little knife IMHO. And once again at under $70.00 CDN locally speaking and even cheaper online its definatley something that you can use without worrying about the money spent. I keep one in my glove compartment and find the button lock to be extremely strong as I've used this knife to open packages, plastic cases etc. I try not to think about the whole founded in Germany and then mysteriously relocating to Argentina thing :( , but that aside this is a great utility folder.


So those would be my top choices. I understand that some of you have access to great blade retailers ie: Lebaron's in eastern-Canada and as such can probably show great deals on several different knives. The point behind my question is to narrow down what are the best blade buys for the money regardless of where you live or where you shop.
 
As far as value for money spent the Ka-Bar Dozier folding hunter is probably tops at around $20 plus or minus. It is hard to argue with that one being a great deal. Perhaps the best in cutlery at this time.

Spyderco brings a lot to the table though.
a: premium blade steels
b: great warranty coverage
c: the sharpests knives available when new out of the box bar none
d: affordable
e: and don't forget they are run by a great owner that mixes it up here with all us low lifes and actually listens to us from time to time.

The Buck 110 is still a great knife for the money also providing you don't mind a knife that is carried in a sheath and does not have the thumb stud or pocket clip option.
 
The buck 110 is built like a tank and reasonably priced, usually around 25 to 40 dollars.
 
Spyderco's are EXCELLENT knives, and you just can't go wrong with them!! I would strongly suggest you get a Spyderco. And like had been mentioned, that Dozier Ka-Bar folder is a great value. Bob Dozier is an awesome knife maker. I don't have any experience with THAT particular model of knife. I DO have a lot of experience with a wide variety of Spyderco's though. I think you oughta give the Spyderco Calypso, Jr. a look. EXCELLENT knife!!!
 
I recommend the Buck 110, or the Benchmade Pika. If you must have either a Spyderco or a Boker, choose the Spyderco. Spyderco makes some great knives.

TheSurvivalist
 
The Spyderco D'Allara models are so underpriced, it's ridiculous. There's a Rescue version and, now, a more standard drop-point version. These knives are built like fire hydrants, and the Ball Bearing lock basically makes them Griptilian-killers. You can get a D'Allara for barely more than an Endura, and it has full steel liners, contoured scales, and a blade that can cut your car in half.*

*Spyderco is not responsible for replacing your car.
 
Shmackey said:
... and a blade that can cut your car in half.*

*Spyderco is not responsible for replacing your car.
Click to expand...
NOW he tells me! :eek:

Spyderco is the place to go for sharp, lightweight, compact folders, but the Ka-Bar Dozier is the strongest competitor in the Spyderco niche.

For something a bit more heavy-duty and exotic-looking, try the Kershaw Storm framelock folders. Designed by Ken Onion, in large, small, clippoint and tanto versions.
 
Can't argue with the strong Spyderco recommendations as my experiences with the Police model have definatley shown me the worth of this product. My only problem is up here in Canada knives can be VERY expensive and even though I love my C07, its not something I would consider to be a great deal money wise.

I agree with the Kabar-Dozier folder with the AUS8 blade and zytel handle. You can get them for about $40.00 up here and they are great knives.

I'm surprised no one here has mentioned the Boker KALS74. Even with the meger sharpening tools I have, I can put a hair-popping edge on it with relative ease, and I'm still amazed as to how much thought Pohl put into the handle of this thing.
 
Get yourself a Benchmade 556 Mini-Griptilian, or the slightly larger 551 Griptilian. Trust me on this.
 
For the $$, I think the Spyderco Native is a tough act to compete with. I really do like mine. A couple of threads down, some one has said that they bought a Native at Walmart for $40.

Ron
 
spyderco caly jr zdp is pretty hard to beat...sharp sharp sharp. dont pay retail for anything. crkt m16 (aluminum handles-aus8 steel) are pretty hard to beat too. Any spyderco is going to be a good knife. Always check for any blade play first in anything.
 
You've got lots of good advice so far. These are the budget knives that have workied great for me:

-Swedish moras. I like the wooden handled ones because the tang goes all the way through the handle, some of the plastic ones have rather short tangs. You can get them in carbon or stainless steel for ridiculously low prices, like $8 or something like that. My favourite is the Eriksson #22 with a stainless steel (Sandvic 12C27) blade, it costs around $20. Excellent fixed blades, easy to sharpen and dirt cheap. I buy mine from Ragnar. Their only drawback, IMHO, is that the sheaths are not always good, I usually make my own.

-SAKs. You can get a used Huntsman in very good condition for around $7. Check Tim's store at the URL in my signature. Besides the cutting implements, you get lots of goodies in a SAK that come in handy everyday and save wear on your main knife. I like carrying a 91mm cellidor or alox SAK paired with a folder or fixed blade, they are awesome little tools. The bigger locking models make excellent main knives, too. Check www.sosakonline.com to get all the info you might ever need on SAKs (there's even a feature selector to find your perfect SAK model).

-Spydercos. I don't think that there is another company using premium steels in cheap knives, there are lots of Spydies that can be found for under $50. Even the more expensive models like the Manix are well worth each cent. Excellent company to deal with and, as has already been pointed out, Sal takes time to read and post on the forums and actually listens to the knife-user community. For urban carry, a combination of a Spyderco folder and a SAK is difficult to beat and you can probably get both new for $60-70.

-Opinels. Folding moras is the best way to describe them. This folders rock, they've been around for a long time with almost no modifications. I find #8 to be the best overall size, I also like that it is available in different handle options. IMHO, the olive handled #8 is the prettiest Opinel. You can also buy a knife bigger than what you need and modify it, I did it with a #9 and a #10, with a minimum number of tools you can customize your Opinel to fit your perosonal taste. They sometimes come a bit dull from the manufacturer, but take an edge like there is no tomorrow.

-Benchmade 550 Griptillian and Pika. The Griptillian is one of my favourite EDC knives, it is awesome and priced right: costs about $60. The handle is very comfortable (once you get over the "cheap" feeling of the plastic), the blade geometry is excellent and the size is, at least for me, just perfect. Not to mention the excellent AXIS lock. I've used the Pika for a few weeks and, for the price it is a very good knife, I still think the BM 550 is a better investment, though.

-Beckers are superb hard working fixed blades for a moderate price. I only bought one of them (BK-10) and don't use it very much because I don't really like black blades and overall "tactical" looks in my fixed blades. I'm more into bushcraft style shiny knives. I've used to to cut lots of wood at my grandad's farm, and it handled everything very well.
 
Since this post was started Spyderco just started being offered by Wal-Mart in the form of the Native in plain edge only but it is CPMS30V steel. I couldn't resist picking one of these premium made in America knives when I was there the other day. Nothing like a hands on purchase to make your day after dealing with mail order for so many years. Not to put down the guys I deal with but being able to pick from the ones available and take the one you think is best means a lot and the price was such that there is just no way to argue with it. $42.64 total for a premium MADE in the USA folder.

Check your Wal-Mart this is a very good deal by anyones standards.
 
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