El Cheapo knives.

T. Erdelyi said:
Cheap knives are like pain to me, I don't have to punch my self in the face to know I won't like it.

My dad always said to buy the best knife you can afford.:thumbup:
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I can afford a lot of knife. And have.

And I know now that one could pay ten times the price of a Tramontina machete, or Mora, or SAK, and it'd be luck to get two times the knife.

I like fine things like anybody else. But for me, fine begins where utility ends. And utility is pretty darn cheap these days.
 
BRASMAN said:
They are certainly not like my Benchmade, Spyderco, and Kershaw stuff but for what I wanted them for I did not want to spend a lot.
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What did you want them for? I realize not everybody wants to spend the big bucks for Benchmades, Spydercos and Kershaws, but if you have them already, what do you need a S&W for?
 
kjbenner said:
What did you want them for? I realize not everybody wants to spend the big bucks for Benchmades, Spydercos and Kershaws, but if you have them already, what do you need a S&W for?
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One is to keep in my Jeep at all times in a pack even though I usualy have one in my pocket. If I ever need it to cut something in a pinch in the woods or on the side of the road that could damage any knife blade I will pull it out and use it and it it gets screwed up I will toss it. The other is just a spare for probably another kit.
 
This is one of the things I keep harping on. Even a cheap knife can have some value in the right circumstances. I have a number of Smith & Wessons that really aren't great knives by any stretch. Some of them aren't even good. But even a sharpened car fender is better than nothing when one needs a knife.

The thing that surprised me is that a number of the Smiths that I've bought as playthings actually turned out to be not so bad. Some I've even carried on occasion. The only thing that makes a crummy knife truly useless is for it to not function, or function in a dangerous manner. Also, if the blade is so utterly soft that it won't cut anything meaningful. So far, none of my Smiths have landed in either category. But I'll tell you which one does, and that's the Gerber Paraframe. It's much worse than any S&W I've ever seen, and I wouldn't carry a Paraframe unless I were a dirty cop and wanted to use it as a drop knife. I tried to find a legitimate use for mine and had to reject it as a letter opener after I found that all my other knives opened mail much better than the Gerber. So I dropped it in the neared drawer where it's been ever since. I've thought about leaving it in a public men's room so some hapless soul would think he found a quality knife, but I figured he might injure himself trying to cut into some of that heavy plastic computer parts and other products come sealed in.

Anyway, if you have any discerment of knives, you can buy cheapos that can give you a weekend toy and perhaps even a glove box knife or trunk knife. Like that thirteen buck Frost Delta Force PoS that I bought just on a lark, it was something I could play with, then throw in the trunk of my car. Who knows, I might need a tent peg sometime.

SWHRT3.jpg

Very nice little boot knife that sells for about $17. The Gerber
version of this is a whopping $48. And I'd rather have the S&W!

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Since when did NEED have anything to do with knife obsession? One medium size Old Hickory kitchen knives would fill most NEEDS. We could all take a look at our collections and not see much we really need.
 
udtjim said:
Since when did NEED have anything to do with knife obsession? One medium size Old Hickory kitchen knives would fill most NEEDS. We could all take a look at our collections and not see much we really need.
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Yeah, but I WANT all of my knives. I don't WANT or NEED a cheap knife.

I had a S&W Tanto a while back. It wouldn't hold an edge, lock right, and for some reasons screws kept falling out of it. I would've been happier with that Old Hick kitchen knife.
 
S&W got me back into knives again. I knew they were cheap imports, but from my experience, they do their job well beyond what I expected. I have one of the G10 handled types, carried it for two years, used it a LOT, only had to sharpen twice.

The second one I bought was the 'Extreme Ops' shown by udtjim; it was my favorite until I bought a couple of S&W/Darryl Ralph designs. So far, I've had no complaints.

If you want a cool, inexpensive, work knife, this is the way to go, IMO.

thx - cpr
 
If you want a great deal, mosey on over to SMKW and order a S&W Homeland Security Tanto. It's a big hunk of steel with a very nice finish and G10 handles. It cost $30, shipped, and is a great survival tool. It's one I take no shame in endorsing. It's a bit on the heavy side, but it has a nice ground edge and a good hilt. It makes for a fine weapon, is a good chopper, and can even clear light brush. It comes at a bargain price. I also showed my brother one and he not only got one, he got each of his sons one.

Regarding other cheap knives, one of my favorite toys is the famed Maxam Hunting Knife. Although it's a PoS from the word go, I've never seen a knife that fits my hand as well as this clunker. Plus it's as purty as a pimp's chrome-plated Saturday Night Special. It goes for about six bucks and is worth every penny. How they grind and polish the blade and assemble it for that price is beyond me, but I love playing with it! I wish I could find a quality knife with that comfortable a grip.

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Well, while we're on the subject of cheapos, I recently bought a Rough Rider peanut for $8.00 and change, and so far I can't find a thing wrong with it. Fit and finish are good, it takes a good edge and holds it reasonably well, and it's a nice looking knife, to boot. If you're looking for nice cheapies, check out the Rough Rider line.
 
Cheap knives have their place. A lot of us got started collecting with cheapos and then moved up as we learned more about knives. I still have some that I keep as utility knives that I won't be too upset if I lose it or break it.

The exception is the knock-offs. I won't support any company that rips off the legitimate knifemakers and designers. It's just bad for the whole industry and trickles all the way down the line. It really sucks that so many good knifemakers have paid their dues and worked hard for years to come up with a popular design only to have it ripped off and somebody else makes all of the profit from it.
 
MisterSat said:
Cheap knives have their place. A lot of us got started collecting with cheapos and then moved up as we learned more about knives. I still have some that I keep as utility knives that I won't be too upset if I lose it or break it.
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Good post!:p

Yes cheap knives do have a place in the overall sacheme of things. But over the last 60+ years, I've owned enough Schrades, Old Timers, Cases, KaBars, Bucks, Gerbers, etc, that I will never buy another "el cheapo." I keep them in a box for abuse, of course. If someone wants to "borrow" a knife from me, he'll get a Case or a Buck, not one of my good knives.

After all of those experiences, I want top quality. and not just quality of workmanship, but top quality, modern steel as well. Hell, half of the Benchmade, Spyderco and Kershaw line I wouldn't buy.
 
Ben Dover said:
Good post!:p

Yes cheap knives do have a place in the overall sacheme of things. But over the last 60+ years, I've owned enough Schrades, Old Timers, Cases, KaBars, Bucks, Gerbers, etc, that I will never buy another "el cheapo." I keep them in a box for abuse, of course. If someone wants to "borrow" a knife from me, he'll get a Case or a Buck, not one of my good knives.

After all of those experiences, I want top quality. and not just quality of workmanship, but top quality, modern steel as well. Hell, half of the Benchmade, Spyderco and Kershaw line I wouldn't buy.
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Right on the money, for many purposes many cheap knives are fine for what you get. Take to work and beat on them, or abuse brakes them, someone borrow's, it's lost or broken no big deal. Just buy another :thumbup:

Knives you can count on for military, police, fire or ambulance work is a different seneraio.
 
Those are such blatant ripoffs of other designs it amazes me.

No offense, glad you like them I just keep losing more and more respect for S&W.
 
TLR said:
Those are such blatant ripoffs of other designs it amazes me.

No offense, glad you like them I just keep losing more and more respect for S&W.
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Now that I'm a little more experienced with knives, there are quite a few models I won't buy - some S&W included. The designs Darryl Ralph did for them, I'll buy, but there are a few S&W's that are too similar to other maker's designs that I won't even consider them.

I wonder if part of the problem is Taylor letting his kid design some S&W knives. He sees something he likes, designs something similar? I don't know . . .

thx - cpr
 
TLR said:
Those are such blatant ripoffs of other designs it amazes me.

No offense, glad you like them I just keep losing more and more respect for S&W.
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Then they should take them to court if the are a blatant ripoff.
 
BRASMAN said:
Then they should take them to court if the are a blatant ripoff.
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I don't claim to understand copyright law, but I don't think a rip-off is illegal if you don't use the other company's name without their permission and the design isn't patented or copyrighted. Just because they've been ripped off doesn't necessarily mean they have a legal leg to stand on.
 
There is more to ripping off than merely copying a look. People have complained that Cold Steel's G.I. Tanto is a rip-off of a Strider and it's true there is some physical resemblance. Yet it's also true that "punch out" knives aren't anything new, nor is paracord wrap, nor the tanto blade design for that matter. The knives are made from different materials and are different in color and price. That Cold Steel's version (now with plastic grips vice paracord) actually may be as good if not better that Strider's expensive offering only makes things worse. And of course Lynn Thompson's being such a jerk about Strider runs against him. But in all fairness, rip-offs are part of doing things. When the first folder appeared, it wasn't long before others came out with folders. When locking designs were developed those, too, were copied. Even Pepsi ripped off Coca-Cola. And don't get me started about Mr. Pibb!

I don't know who S&W rips off, but Taylor's folders seem to always be linerlocks. I also don't know how good or bad Taylor's 440C is, either, but many of mine seem to hold up fine and, based on posts here, many people report similarly.
 
People have been making knives since they lived in caves. They have been made from every type of material every shape and size all over the world. There is nothing that doesn't resemble some one else's product. Are we to throw dirt on everyone who makes a Nessie? I believe it was someone else's design.:rolleyes:
 
udtjim said:
People have been making knives since they lived in caves. They have been made from every type of material every shape and size all over the world. There is nothing that doesn't resemble some one else's product. Are we to throw dirt on everyone who makes a Nessie? I believe it was someone else's design.:rolleyes:
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That is about how I look at it as well. I can not see how any one who was going to buy a $200 or $300 folder is going to say "Oh look a $12 cheapo I think I will just save several hundred and get it instead.". If any thing it would motivate them to get into knives and then get the $200 knife. There is nothing new under the sun and after thousands of years of knife making I do not see how any one is making anything that has never been seen or done before as far as the side profile anyway.
 
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