CRK owners-- what is your favorite production knife under $200???

Right now I'm going to go with the Benchmade Contego, it's awesome!

Hoping to try a Spyderco PM2 in the near future, may have to come back and edit this post ;D
 
I paid less than $200.00 for my Benchmade 630 Skirmish. I love that knife. I also paid less that $200.00 for my Kershaw 1636TIZDP and 1850. Both are great knives. I almost forgot my BM 710s in CPM M4 and 390. These are the ones that get the most pocket time.
 
Spyderco Gayle Bradley, CTS20CP Para 2, Emerson cqc-10 ( when I'm feeling "tactical", lol), a John Lloyd slipjoint that I got for just under $200.

I will never let go of my Gayle Bradley. Best damn value in a folding knife I've ever owned. How many times have you seen posted " I regret selling my Gayle Bradley"?
 
mwmccormick said:
Spyderco Gayle Bradley, CTS20CP Para 2, Emerson cqc-10 ( when I'm feeling "tactical", lol), a John Lloyd slipjoint that I got for just under $200.

I will never let go of my Gayle Bradley. Best damn value in a folding knife I've ever owned. How many times have you seen posted " I regret selling my Gayle Bradley"?
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You are right about the Gayle Bradley. I sold mine to help fund a sebenza. I will definitely get another when the time is right. .
 
My favorite folders under 200 would be victorinox SAKs. If I'm gonna spend 200 might as well go custom or keep saving and go full bore badass.

For fixed blades I would go with beckers. I especially like the BK4 and BK5.
 
This would be an excellent thread for those folks looking for a nice knife but aren't ready to drop over $300. I guess most of us were in that category once, in some ways I wish I still were because I keep looking at nice knives I think I might like, but I know they'll get little carry time when choosing between them and my Large Starbenza and Small Insingo. I keep thinking about a Para2, Techno, etc., but just doubt that I'll use them.
As it is, I have a drawer filled with many of the knives listed above that I don't use enough but can't stand to part with.
The top of that list would be the Benchmade 940. It's slim, light, durable, fast to deploy, and a perfect cutter for most tasks. In the @$100 price range, I always recommend the Benchmade Griptillians or the Spyderco Endura/Delica as all around great EDC blades.
I'm working my way up to getting rid of a few that, as nice as they are, I bought to try to scratch the Sebenza itch when only a Sebenza would do. Those are the Bradley Alias II and the Buck Mayo 172. Their just not getting any use now that the Sebenzas are here.
 
I got a very good price on the small sebenza 21 I just bought, just couldn't resist the urge. I've been considering a CR knife for a while now but have been scratching other itches with my money. I really like the simplicity of the construction and the materials, s30v steel and titanium are my current favorites.

That being said, I carried my Benchmade Mini Dejavoo for over a year now and have bought several "below $200" knives that just couldn't replace it.

I like the g10 scales, the s30v leaf shaped blade and the low rider pocket clip. The knife is larger than my sebenza, but doesn't feel larger. It was the first knife that "fit" my hand.
 
I've owned my small Insingo for about thirty-six hours now, so take my opinion for what little it's worth:

I used to carry the CF Caly3 almost every day. Great knife, and I know it's already been mentioned. The other one that I would regularly use – scoffing is permitted – is an old 3" Cold Steel Voyager clip point. It has the original, sensible, handle design, but is from the newer generation with the more secure metal clip. I've owned it for about a decade, I suppose, and it has held up well.

But in shape and carry the Seb is more like the voyager than the caly, so it's the CS knife that is more likely to be left at home on non-Sebenza days. Ah, well: Cold Steel has it coming.

(I'm traveling as I write this, so I've been without my Sebenza for thirteen hours. I miss it. I've been able to exchange text messages with my wife, but don't even have a photo of the Sebenza to keep me company.)
 
Aidansdaddy17 said:
If anyone was ever looking for the tough cousin to the small Sebenza...I would IMHO suggest the Spyderco Techno. I've been talking about it lately and most agree unless left handed(Some of you) that is it amazing. Fit and finish. Tolerances are so close to something 2-3x's it's cost. Very close to a Sebenza. Honest...and I have owned three Sebenza's along with a Mnandi. This is the knife that you want to use. A very good hard user for when you are not quit sure that you want to put the Sebenza through whatever it is. Check one out! Serious.
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I too love this little knife. Can't compare to sebenza, have an umnum but hard to compare to the techno. Anyway, pocket tank is a great description. It gets picked up off the shelf more than my manix2, tenacious, umnum. Really solid. I just couldn't justify the price for such a small knife until I held it and used it.

Also I am left handed and there is a trick to flick it open with your middle finger. Is discussed elsewhere on the forums with reference to a YouTube video to see in action. Once I figured that out, good to go.
 
raym0016@gmail.com said:
"under $200.00 knife". What's yours?? And why?
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Emerson CQC-11

Weight: doesn't weigh too much (compared to my ZT0301 purchased at the same time)

Blade: 154cm. All around great steel in my opinion. Thick spine, great grind, takes razor sharp edge, strong reinforced tip.

Handle: G10; lightweight, grip is nice, more aggressive than other G10's out there.

Liner lock: titanium liner lock, and thicker than other side of the knife. Great for reinforcement.

Screws/bolts: uses flathead screws and Phillips. Not like hex or "special keys/wrenches" that other brands use. I've abused it, smashed it, sharpened it and it keeps taking a beating everyday. I'm truly impressed.

Emerson makes one hell of a knife for sub-$200. I can't recommend them highly enough. I believe I paid around $170 for my CQC-11.
 
Hmm I've generally settled on this frame of thought, go big or go really small. Opinel/SAK/Cheaper Spyderco's (>$50) make nice knives. Don't really need much more than that. If I do want something badass, I can tell ya it'll cost a whole lot more than $200 =)
 
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What an awesome thread!

For me it's the Manix 2 with m4 steel, Sage 2, and the Benchmade 930 Kulgera!
 
The only knife that comes close to the feel of a Sebenza for under a $200 is the Gayle Bradley. I like many others, but that is the closest to perfection I have come across for such a price.
 
Three Sisters Forge CCT left handed. Great little well built knife always in my left front pocket, the right has what ever CRK I am carrying that day. More and more it is my small regular bg-42 serrated blade.
 
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