Budget, Middle of the Road, or High-End Custom, Which Is Your Choice for EDC?

What price knife do you EDC?

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  • Poll closed .
A hundred bucks is close to the upper end of what I am willing to spend on a knife, so just about anything I choose will be “budget”. The usual load is SAK Electrician, Okapi Biltong, and Opi 6.

My mini-channellocks at twelve bucks are middle-of-the-road, right between Tekton and Knipex.
 
PM 2 is my daily carry so I guess middle of the road. Have more expensive blades but the PM 2 does everything I need.
 
My Shiro turtle is my most pocketed knife. I consider that high end, but it's not custom. So all things being relative, and the fact that my other most carried knife is a Gayle Bradley 2, I voted middle of the road. Having said that, the GB is highly customized, so now I have having second thoughts on my vote.
 
all of my knives fall between $100 - $250.. but I find the bugout in my pocket the most.
 
Definitely budget for me...current EDC is the Cold Steel Grik which is like $30. Before that was the CS Tuff Lite, Mini Recon, and Mini Lawman. I love the Tri-Ad lock, and would have no problem going more expensive, but they are usually too large for my liking, or have coated blades, etc.
 
Hard to say. I don't own a modern folder under $100. The least expensive one was $120 (in today's money), and the most expensive $345. (about 3 years ago)

I never had any qualms about carrying any of them, though as I've mentioned in two other threads here, I find myself carrying my Case mini Copperlock in my pocket and my Vic Super Tinker in my medicine bag. I only carry the moderns for fidget factor (adhd among other things) and if I know I'm going need something heavier duty than the aforementioned. It was a 40th birthday gift from an old friend. And its pretty much all I need. I've had it for 2 weeks I believe. I suck at sharpening, but it will be good practice, if I ever find my sharpmaker. Another thing missing in this 63 year old house.

At this point, its a combination of what do I really need, and what can I afford to lose. Its a lot easier to replace that $60 Case than it is my $350 Matt Bailey model 2, which is discontinued.
 
TRfromMT said:
My Shiro turtle is my most pocketed knife. I consider that high end, but it's not custom. So all things being relative, and the fact that my other most carried knife is a Gayle Bradley 2, I voted middle of the road. Having said that, the GB is highly customized, so now I have having second thoughts on my vote.
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A modded knife is not the same as a custom knife. A custom is made one by one or in a small group. Not on an assembly line. Hand made or cnc in house with some hand made stuff.
 
The majority of my knives are in the "budget" category. 5 Opinels, 2 Svörds, 2 Aitor Castors, a Mora and a Tramontina machete - all of which can be had for around $20 apiece, give or take a few bucks. I have three more knives in the $70-$80 range and three in the $130-$150 range.
I do find that I am a bit more prone to carry the less expensive knives to work. I would not be happy to lose one, but it wouldn't really bother me much either as the funds to replace it would not be difficult to come by. Losing a knife that cost me more than $100 could well put my knickers in a twist for a while. So I use them more for my personal time hunting, fishing, hiking.
 
All of the knives I own cost below $60 with exception of 2 benchmades and a spyderco Delica 4. I rotate through folders fairly often, somedays a griptillian often times it’s my Rat 1 or buck 110. Sometimes a fixed blade and sometimes a combo of the two. I use my knives a lot throughout the day and I’ve found you can get quality without spending a lot
 
My middle range is $100-$250 roughly, which is also the most comfort zone of my purchases. I do use my Delica 4 a lot, which is one of the few sub-$100 folders that I still keep besides some SAKs.
 
My EDC knives are all customized production knives by Benchmade or Spyderco (I want to add ZT and GEC) in the $200-300 range except when I'm likely to lose them such as fishing, then a cheap Buck Nobleman or Leatherman Skeletool.
 
At current prices, I'm okay up to about $200 for a folding knife for regular carry. If I get much above that I get nervous about loosing or damaging the knife and tend to leave them at home. Over the last few years, with one exception, I have purchased ONLY knives that fit my comfort level for regular carry. I don't "have to" use them, but I'm okay either way.

A $200 knife to me is still pretty expensive. I am much more comfortable with <$150 overall.

I use my SAK a bunch and depend on it. It certainly does not fall even into the middle range of knives these days in terms of price.
 
Budget, Middle of the Road, or High-End Custom

A lot of this depends on the individual. What is Budget to someone making money on Wall Street or at Wal-Mart are different things! ;)
 
From a SAK to a CRK, I carry them all. I don't have any high end knives however as they aren't worth the beatings I'd get for buying one.
 
Buck 110 from C&C, ~ $100, is that middle? I guess so. It's my go-to for about a year now.

Helping me with lamb and potatoes for breakfast this morning:

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Zieg
 
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To me Budget is under $100 high end is around $400 & up (retail price).

I mostly EDC ZT’s and nicer Spyderco’s, so middle ground for me.
I’ll also carry a budget knife or a CRK from time to time.
 
That's about how I interpret it, although I would say budget is in the $0-50 range.
 
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