Groomsmen

M

Murdamook

Joined
Nov 3, 2010
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Hey guys. I'm stressing over some groomsmen's gifts. I want to stay under 15$ if I can. I don't have much money to spend. I am hesitant about Schrade because I had one with covers that lifted from the liners. So, I've been looking at some lower-priced Buck slippies from China and was curious how they compare to Schrade. I also would like to avoid Rough Rider. I like the brand but find that some of the companies selling them are iffy on shipping.

Thanks in advance.
 
Swiss Army Classic SD. Good quality they should appreciate.

Homer beat me to it, haha.
 
SAK Waiter is one I carry every day, you can get them for $17. The Bantam is the same knife, just without the corkscrew, and $16. That's what I would do. Swiss-made, no quality issues at all.

SMKW sells Rough Riders and they're stand-up, probably can ship them pretty quick. I like Rough Rider quality - it's on par with Case, only the blades are sharpened better. No personal experience with the Chinese Bucks, but I've seen the shield fall out of the Chinese Schrade - I think it was just glued in and not pinned.
 
ALOX (aluminum handle) Swiss Army Knife. A few bucks more (but not much), but they'll last forever and there's a spot where you can engrave some like initials or a date.
 
Murdamook said:
Hey guys. I'm stressing over some groomsmen's gifts. I want to stay under 15$ if I can. I don't have much money to spend. I am hesitant about Schrade because I had one with covers that lifted from the liners. So, I've been looking at some lower-priced Buck slippies from China and was curious how they compare to Schrade. I also would like to avoid Rough Rider. I like the brand but find that some of the companies selling them are iffy on shipping.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

If you haven't already, I would take a look at Opinel knives. They come in a variety of sizes, with the No 7 (my favorite) and No 8 coming in under and at your price range. Carbon or stainless, they are wicked good slicers, with a compelling old-school vibe.

The blades can be engraved (with each Groomsman's initial, for example), but that will take you over budget.

Search out the official Opinel USA site to see the breadth of choices.

~ P.
 
pertinux said:
If you haven't already, I would take a look at Opinel knives. They come in a variety of sizes, with the No 7 (my favorite) and No 8 coming in under and at your price range. Carbon or stainless, they are wicked good slicers, with a compelling old-school vibe.

The blades can be engraved (with each Groomsman's initial, for example), but that will take you over budget.

Search out the official Opinel USA site to see the breadth of choices.

~ P.
Click to expand...

I forgot about Opinel, but those are really cool, and you can come in around $10 a'piece.
 
I have a couple Buck 389 Canoe, 371 Stockman, and a 373 Stockman.
They are all good. The 371 has a pull that is a smidgen stiffer than a 301 on all the blades. The 389 and 373 have a pull about the same as the 371.
No gaps, floppy blades, or anything like that.
All came arm hair shaving sharp out of the box.
They also come with the same Forever Warranty as the domestic knives.
I don't have any experience with any of the other offshore Buck knives, but I imagine they would be of the same quality.
Congrats on your upcoming wedding. :)
 
I was going to suggest the Victorinox recruit, but the lowest price I found it for is $16.64.
The Victorinox classic is available for under 15$
You can get the Case mini blackhorn for as low as 9$ online and around 13$ on average.
The Buck 283 nano bantam is a great american made knife available for under 15$ ( mine was 11$ at the local OSH )
The Buck 425 minibuck is also a great American made knife available for 15$

You don't have to get something made in China when you're on a budget, and these are all great options.
 
pertinux said:
If you haven't already, I would take a look at Opinel knives. They come in a variety of sizes, with the No 7 (my favorite) and No 8 coming in under and at your price range. Carbon or stainless, they are wicked good slicers, with a compelling old-school vibe.

The blades can be engraved (with each Groomsman's initial, for example), but that will take you over budget.

Search out the official Opinel USA site to see the breadth of choices.

~ P.
Click to expand...
I have to agree that Opinel is your best option for cost, value, and class.

I have absolutely nothing against SAK, and that is a great recommendation as well. I just think Opinel seems like a better groomsman gift in my personal opinion.

Congrats!

Ps
If you go the Opinel route, please know that if you order from the "big river" site, the box it comes in will likely be written on, or otherwise roughed up. No big deal...unless you're giving it as a gift;)
 
My best friend gave us carbon Opinels as groomsmen's gifts. I thought it was really nice. Still have the knife.
 
I gave each of my groomsman an AG Russel Woodswalker with leather back pocket sheath. I do a little leatherwork, and I have alphabet stamps, so I stamped the wedding date and treated the sheath to darken the leather a bit. Great little keepsake.
 
Opinel was my first thought, too. Of everything mentioned so far, it is the one I would be most pleased to receive. I don't dismiss SAK, but I think you would be pushed above your budget pretty easily.

As a change of pace, you could take a look at something from MAM or Okapi. Okapi has some smaller knives, about 3.5" closed, that come in under ten bucks. Several MAM models will also meet your price point. MAM are pretty consistent in their quality, but not quite as nicely made as Opinel.

In the end, though, I would probably come back to Opinel. Your more discerning groomsmen will recognize you as a man of taste and distinction, while you won't have to break the bank.
 
pertinux said:
If you haven't already, I would take a look at Opinel knives. They come in a variety of sizes, with the No 7 (my favorite) and No 8 coming in under and at your price range. Carbon or stainless, they are wicked good slicers, with a compelling old-school vibe.

The blades can be engraved (with each Groomsman's initial, for example), but that will take you over budget.

Search out the official Opinel USA site to see the breadth of choices.

~ P.
Click to expand...

This would be my recommendation, too. Although the engraving would put you a little over budget, I will tell you that the site P. mentioned does a very nice job (I've had a few knives engraved by them, both on the blade and the handle, and they all turned out great). For pocket carry, I prefer the No. 6 or No. 7 Opinel.
 
Opinel, Victorinox Classic, or (drum roll) Svord Peasant.

Edit: And congratulations! I got all knifey and forgot my manners.
 
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Unless you know that all your guys are knife friendly, I'd recommend an SAK.

Even non-knife people don't mind an SAK. A Vic Classic makes a handy useful gift and can be obtained well under your budget level. I know lots of folks who wouldn't carry any kind of pocket knife, but who don't mind carrying a Vic Classic on their key ring.
 
knarfeng said:
Unless you know that all your guys are knife friendly, I'd recommend an SAK.

Even non-knife people don't mind an SAK. A Vic Classic makes a handy useful gift and can be obtained well under your budget level. I know lots of folks who wouldn't carry any kind of pocket knife, but who don't mind carrying a Vic Classic on their key ring.
Click to expand...

I agree. The SAK is universal. They might not be everyone's favorite, but I don't know a single person that doesn't recognize their utility if nothing else. A bottle opener, screw driver, tweezers, scissors, these are all great things to have in your pocket even of you aren't a knife person.
 
Hey guys. Sorry, today has been incredibly busy. Along with the wedding planning, I'm working and going to school full time. In my spare time I do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. So, life is crazy. First, thank you to everyone who congratulated me and thanks for all of the replies with recommendations. It is truly appreciated. So, I extended my budget a bit and bought Buck Solitaires for my groomsmen and the fathers. Thanks again, guys. I would have gone Opinel but I know at least two of my groomsmen hate mine. Haha. SAK was also an option but I wanted a little more classic in regard to build, i.e. wood covers, etc.
 
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