Budget knife brands with small knives

E

Etna

Joined
Jun 17, 2015
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Now that BTI Tools has discontinued then entire S&W line of knives, I need to start looking elsewhere for affordable modern folders with blade lengths from 65mm (approx 2.5") to no more than 85mm (or approximately 3.2"). Any brand recommendations? There are only a few criteria

  • Brand / company must have a reasonable selection of knives with the length limit mentioned above.
  • not exceeding US$50 MSRP. it's unfortunate, but in my country, all knives sold locally are priced at MSRP or above MSRP. We will never get the chance to enjoy the large 30% - 50% discounts that US online stores and resellers can cut on their products.
    • International shipping to my country is a little on the high side (we are talking US$20 - US$45), so I'd avoid shopping online where possible, since there are really no savings to be made unless I make a bulk order, and that's the fastest way to get my package confiscated by Customs.
  • No Spydercos, i just don't like their designs (although I doubt i'd find a Spyderco for <US$50 anyway)
  • Should not be AOs.

Currently, the only brands I have identified are Schrade, Sanrenmu and Gerber. Am I really limited to just these three companies to choose from?
 
Try Buck. They have some Made In USA selections that fit your criteria, and produce a very solid well built knife.
 
bloody_pawprint said:
Try Buck. They have some Made In USA selections that fit your criteria, and produce a very solid well built knife.
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Bucks aren't really my thing. I have a Buck 284 and am looking at the Buck 298, 364, 365 and 300, but their blades are a little on the narrow side, which my sharpening clamps does not really like.
 
Try the Buck Glacier or Vantage or Bantam. The Vantage and Bantam lines come in various sizes and colors. I have and use as an EDC the Glacier (I removed the pocket clip). For heavier duty work the Vantage is excellent. Schrade 105 and 106 are nice smaller thumbstud/linerlocks also. The Ontario Rat II is a fine blade.

Rich
 
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Hasn't the schrade line basically picked up the slack of the S&W line? Gerber was the other I was going to recommend, both of which you've identified already.

Spyderco byrd line has many under $50, just as an FYI (I know you weren't interested in spyderco).

I think magnum by boker and boker plus, their more budget friendly lines, have some options in the $50 MSRP range, especially the magnum line.

Kershaw should have some chinese made options in that price range.
 
Rich S said:
Try the Buck Glacier or Vantage or Bantam. The Vantage and Bantam lines come in various sizes and colors. I have and use as an EDC the Glacier (I removed the pocket clip). For heavier duty work the Vantage is excellent.

Rich
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I have the Bantam BBW (aka Buck 284). It's okay but the pivot pin is starting to work itself out. Which is the main disadvantage of the pinned assembly; i can't exactly remedy it myself. The Rival and the Fluid also use pinned assemblies, but I am considering them along with the Glacier.

User17 said:
Maybe Ontario Rat 2?
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I owned a RAT 2 for all of one day before eventually giving it away. Design isn't exactly my kind. :(

bikerector said:
Hasn't the schrade line basically picked up the slack of the S&W line? Gerber was the other I was going to recommend, both of which you've identified already.

Spyderco byrd line has many under $50, just as an FYI (I know you weren't interested in spyderco).

I think magnum by boker and boker plus, their more budget friendly lines, have some options in the $50 MSRP range, especially the magnum line.

Kershaw should have some chinese made options in that price range.
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Schrade has its own line, but it's not absorbing the S&W models, unfortunately. Which is a disappointment, because much of my < 3" blades came from S&W. As for Magnum and Boker, i'm still browsing their homepage, but most of the knives have blades of at least 3.4", and those few with blade lengths < 3.2" really do not strike my fancy as of yet. Still searching though.

Kershaw? The only thing I'm moderately interested in is the Fraxion.
 
I use a drop of super glue to fix the pivot pins in place once they are adjusted to the tension I like. On some models the adjustment for the pivot pin is one sided and under the pocket clip. To work on or maintain most all modern knives you need a good set of Torx wrenches (T5-T10).

I have all the models I mentioned above, but forgot one of my favorites, the CRKT M4-02W. It comes as an A/O, BUT can easily be deactivated with a small allen wrench and a pair of needle nose pliers. It uses a leaf spring instead of coil spring like most A/Os. There are three models of the M4, all have the same blade length 3.25 - just at your maximum. Might give it a look. Look at other CRKTs also, not all are A/Os. I like the Drifter (smaller blade than the M4), (among others). So many good knives out there and so little cash :(

Rich
 
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knowing your appreciation of quality value Chinese folders, I recommend these brands...

OMUDA,
HARNDS
of course Enlan, Bee, SRM and the original makers of many CRKTs and Kershaws, Shuangrong Knives
 
Rich S said:
I use a drop of super glue to fix the pivot pins in place once they are adjusted to the tension I like. On some models the adjustment for the pivot pin is one sided and under the pocket clip. To work on or maintain most all modern knives you need a good set of Torx wrenches (T5-T10).

I have all the models I mentioned above, but forgot one of my favorites, the CRKT M4-02W. It comes as an A/O, BUT can easily be deactivated with a small allen wrench and a pair of needle nose pliers. It uses a leaf spring instead of coil spring like most A/Os. There are three models of the M4, all have the same blade length 3.25 - just at your maximum. Might give it a look. Look at other CRKTs also, not all are A/Os. I like the Drifter (smaller blade than the M4), (among others). So many good knives out there and so little cash :(

Rich
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CRKT is very overpriced in here, unfortunately. And the only way to get a good price is to buy in large numbers (at least 6 to 8 pieces) from places like knifecenter, which is a sure way to get Customs involved. :(

Hickory n steel said:
I still don't own one yet, but opinels are like 10$ and are highly revered.
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Not my kind, unfortunately.

JupiterPaladin said:
How about an Esee Zancudo? It's a fantastic knife you can get in D2 for as low as $33 USD shipped.
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I have been looking at the Zancudo for a while already. Unfortunately, the Zancudo costs at least twice of the typical US retail price in here. And i don't own a money printing press. :(

ThePeacent said:
knowing your appreciation of quality value Chinese folders, I recommend these brands...

OMUDA,
HARNDS
of course Enlan, Bee, SRM and the original makers of many CRKTs and Kershaws, Shuangrong Knives
Click to expand...

I can't find any online shop that sells OMUDA. Harnds, I already have their one and only sub 3.3" blade, so there's nothing more to add to my collection. Enlan has been dead for the past year with no new releases to the M-series, which is the only series I'm interested in. And my usual go-to places for SRM, Harnds and Enlan have recently become quite unreliable; one day there may be a shipping option to my country, and the next day it may be gone, with my order stuck in limbo. Experienced it at least once already.

SR Is a no-go. Most of the SR knives I see are large, and with 3Cr13 steel.
 
IIRC S&W is knives were from the company that owns Schrade so I would say Schrade for nearest to what you had. You can also look at Gerber and Kershaw though majority of Kershaw will be AO and I would look into Boker their budget lines are Magnum and Plus. If you don't like the traditional designs seen in many Buck knives they do have some more modern designs you may want to check out. While you said you don't care for Spyderco designs you can look at Byrd it is Spyderco's budget brand mostly just the same designs in less expensive materials for lower cost.

If you can give us more specifics on what you are looking for in a knife and some examples of what you have bought and liked we might can name some specific models for you or at least maybe add some more brands.
 
**sorry, realized you already said you didn't like the rat 2
 
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Forgive me if I missed it, but I don't know which country you're from. I'm from the Netherlands, and some good options here in Europe that have good line-ups in the specified price range and good quality for the price are the following:

Buck
EKA (Swedish knife company)
Opinel
Victorinox
Böker
KA-BAR
Eden (if the specific retailer that carries it is active in your country)
Higonokami
Cold Steel

I've left out a few of the obvious ones that have been mentioned before.

I haven't been a big fan of S&W's and Gerber's quality the last couple of years, so if my experience is anything to go by, I think the brands listed above should provide you better quality than S&W did. (Although there were a couple of lemons among my last few European made Bökers).

Your mileage may vary, of course.
 
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