Christmas Wishlist

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Billy12241

Joined
Apr 8, 2011
Messages
118
Hi all,
with Christmas around the corner, I need your all's opinion on something. For Christmas this year, since this is my first Christmas where I've been collecting knives, I'm asking the family/friends if they are going to get me something, to please make it cash/knives. Now the problem with this is, most of my family are non knife people, so what I'm trying to do is make a wishlist to give them ideas of what they could get. Now, I have a decently sized list, but most knives I have on there are in the hundreds and everyone besides my parents won't even think of spending that much on a knife.

So my question is can you all recommend some knives at about fifty dollars or less? Also if you want to add some other knives for my parents/myself above that price range, feel free. Can be fixed blades or manual folders(No spring assist/autos please).

Things I like in a knife(for reference): Knives that aren't "scary" looking to the public, knives I can carry without a police officer, if ever stopped by one, thinking of it as a weapon(I live in Kentucky, where all "regular pocket and hunting knives" are legal to carry concealed without a license), one handed opening, decently sharp out of box and able to sharpen decently with a sharpmaker ripoff(Smith's 3 in one), fits in pocket nicely, and decent clip where it won't fall out.

Things I don't like: Most bead-blasted finishes, black coated blades, fantasy knives, rust/dirt magnets, and knives with brands such as Frost, Dark Ops, etc.

Things that don't affect my purchases: Weight, length, and blade steel.

Now I know there isn't a perfect knife that meets all of this criteria, especially for the price range I'm asking, just trying to give an idea of what my tastes are, and if something only meets a few of the things, feel free to post it.

Also as a side note, what's your all's opinion on quantity Vs quality? My parents think that it'd be more fun to have say 15 knives in the thirty dollar range instead of getting three in the hundred dollar range.

Thanks all in advance for any help and have a happy Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year, Etc. :D
Billy
 
$50 or less range: Spyderco Tenacious family, delica, endura, buck vantage pro, buck 110, kershaw leek in cpm-d2 can be had for around $52 including shipping, several kershaw knives in that price range though.

As for quality vs quantity its really up to the individual, IMO I'd rather have 3 $100 knives, 2 $150 knives or maybe even 1 $300 knife instead of 20 $15 knives. Why? I prefer quality over quantity, and you certainly can tell the difference between a $15 knife and a $100 knife, besides you can only carry/use 1 knife, wouldn't you prefer it be something you really like that performs very well as opposed to something thats ok that performs mediocre. Kind of like deciding do you want one Lamborgini, 2-3 BMWs/Benz or a whole fleet geo metros and/or ford pintos? Then again there are several people on this forum who are quite happy getting 20 Navy/enlan/bee knives for what I will be spending on one ZT 560, so like I said there's not really a correct answer, its up to you.
 
michaelm466 said:
$50 or less range: Spyderco Tenacious family, delica, endura, buck vantage pro, buck 110, kershaw leek in cpm-d2 can be had for around $52 including shipping, several kershaw knives in that price range though.
Click to expand...

What he said. Also the KA-BAR Dozier series, perhaps some Case knives if you wan to be more traditional.

For fixed blade, go KA-BAR, Becker, Mora.
 
Billy12241 said:
Can be fixed blades or manual folders(No spring assist/autos please).
Click to expand...
michaelm466 said:
kershaw leek in cpm-d2
Click to expand...
The Leek is A/O. You could take out the assist bar and make it manual if you like it a lot though.

A few of these fit your qualifications:
http://kershawguy.com/products-page/low-priced-imported-items/

Also the One Ton http://www.gpknives.com/kershawoneton.html has been getting some nice reviews for such a cheap price.

A couple that would be pushing the $50 limit is the Kershaw Ram and the Junkyard Dog II. Both are flippers, but they might not fit your "innocent" blade design criteria.

As for quality vs. quantity, I think it depends on you, what you're going to use it for and how long you want to keep it. If you want it to last for a long time, then obviously better to invest in quality. If you're not sure of what kind of knives you like the best, then it might be better to stay with cheaper knives until you find what you like. I'm still a newbie myself but that's my $.02
 
I am kind of in the same boat as you. I have a knife or two in pretty much every category so that my family can be thoughtful and make a choice on their own, which is half the fun of gift-giving. The categories I made are $20, $40, $60, $80, and $100. I'm rather new to knife "collecting" too. I don't know if you are like me, but at the start right now I'm trying to find out what KIND OF knives I like before I go for a $100+ folder. I suggest you go for a few knives in the sub-$100 categories, and once you find out what kind of knife you enjoy using and carrying most, then get a higher end model of that knife next year some time.

I'd say a Case traditional, Spyderco Endura/Delica, any of the Buck Vantage models, kershaw skyline, and kershaw one ton
 
A new ranger green Ontario RAT1 is on my list, as well as a few certain surplus military axes in the 20-30 dollar range. Kabar's Dozier line is another fantastic place to start, as well as the stainless handled Byrd models-super classy. Another incredible working knife is the Svord Peasant, a fantastic L6 steel friction lock folder that comes with a shaving edge, and it tends to stay that way even with neglect. The Buck Avid comes to mind. As for prices, don't assume that because it costs more, it functions better. As far as folders go, I'd take the Svord over many 2-300 dollar knives. That's personal taste based on what I know about steel performance, maintenance, and the intended role of a folding knife-a simple convenient slicer that does not attempt (and inevitably fail) to infringe on the role of a fixed blade knife. GLDNDomer's Case recommendation is fantastic as well. Even the CV Sodbuster is a world class knife at 18 dollars. Also consider a good Swiss Army Knife, Camillus US knife and Solingen-built Mercator 54 or 55.
 
I agree with all recommendations previous to my post.

I am like OP, knife nut, and I'd return any knife not up to my standards. With this in mind....I think I've lost something in the holidays due to this for the last few years. I knew a few months in advance what I was getting as it's my fault being so picky no one wanted to buy me anything without asking first.

Results: less cheap knives, but feeling guilty.
 
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