Have you ever had a "cheap" knife kick nicer knives out of your pocket?

[uofaengr]

As someone else on the forum said "life is too short to carry cheap knives". However, when I am doing something or going somewhere where I might lose a knife or have one "borrowed" from me, I carry a cheaper one. By cheap, I mean $20-$40 knives such as the Gerber Air Ranger (actually an ok knife), a SAK, and the Kershaw Thermite.

Also, I sometimes like to beat on cheaper knives for the fun of it.

Agree with this. On the average day, I'll grab whatever I'm in the mood for and expected use whether working in office or going to the woods. If I travel to a jobsite away from home for an extended period of time, I'll carry a couple beaters no more expensive than a Delica or Mini Grip in case one happened to get lost.

 

[jackknife]

These. If I where not a knife knut, I could do with an Opinel the rest of my life. Feels great in hand, rugged construction, and slices like the hell.

 

[stog75]

I had a Brous Divison kick my Sebenza out of my pocket for about a week. But then after that it was back to the Sebenza. I have a 0560BW scheduled to land today which I suspect will kick the Sebenza back out of my pocket,....for a little while. But I suspect, like the Brous, the Sebenza will make its return. Been like this for a while now. I don't know what it is, constantly on eternal search for a cooler/better knife, but always seem to come back to 'ol faithful.

 

[timberweasel]

Personal biases aside, a good knife is a good knife. It doesn't matter where it was made or how much it cost. Quality is quality.

In my opinion, the Victorinox Pioneer is vastly superior to the bulk of my entire collection as an every day pocket knife. It can do far more than my CRKs. If I wasn't such a knife-nut, it would be all I'd need or want in a pocket knife. True story.

-Brett

 

[cutter17]

My current carry, a Fox Deimos, is the "cheapest" knife I have in my edc roundup. Got it back in December and have carried it ever since, and do not see any reason to change it. That means my LionSteel SR-1 Damascus, ZT0600, ZT801, and BM275 Adamas are all taking a long rest. And even though it is the cheapest knife in my edc knives, it has quality throughout.

Cheap does not always mean cheap.....

 

[ericvar101]

my Para II's are in my pocket much more often than a few other knifes I own that are more expensive. for example my Benchmade Barrage and my ZT 551. I rarely carry either of them. Both are more expensive than my Para IIs (at leave one of em).

 

[Packna45]

For the majority of a year this is what I carried. It was used hard and held up great ...

 

[liamstrain]

I often carry more inexpensive knives, than my more expensive ones (e.g. Kershaw vs. ZT or Spyderco, or Opinel or Case vs. GEC). But I don't consider them cheap - the cheap ones, I've mostly gotten rid of.

 

[Blackie Scantling]

Yeah, one of those dark, drab green el cheapo tension lock folders from Lowes with a semi serrated blade replaced a more valuable Gerber. Thing was so small and light I never knew it was there until I needed it. I never left home without it though. If I bent the tip I would just straighten it back as the steel probably wasn't even tempered but it cut anything I needed to cut. Then one day after jumping off a machine or yanking something deep out of the pocket it was there no more. I combed the jobsite looking for it and even had my crew looking for it which cost way more than the cost of the knife. I've yet to settle on just one knife since as an EDC beater.

 

[dog boy]

I had EDC rotation of BM Contego, Emerson CQC-8, Sebenza, and XM-18 that was interrupted by a Buck Spitfire. My infatuation lasted about a month, but I still have a fling with it occasionally

 

[AddictedToGear]

Many times it could be a honeymoon faze, but some knives will kick others out, even though the materials will not outperform others. I like to share the love with my collection and pocket many different knives. I love my ZT 0561, that big flipper, but after I tuned up my Kerhsaw Chill, it now flips almost as good and is such a small handy little edc knife which I will carry even though it is about $200 cheaper.

 

[jc57]

Personal biases aside, a good knife is a good knife. It doesn't matter where it was made or how much it cost. Quality is quality.

In my opinion, the Victorinox Pioneer is vastly superior to the bulk of my entire collection as an every day pocket knife. It can do far more than my CRKs. If I wasn't such a knife-nut, it would be all I'd need or want in a pocket knife. True story.

-Brett

Similar experience here, though with the Victorinox Cadet. I carry it in addition to whatever else I may have on me, and I could do just fine with it being the only knife on me, for routine daily tasks.

 

[JDunn709]

I chose a Spyderco Military over an xm18 or smf about half the time, great knife!

 

[davek14]

Precisely. Hard to beat the old USA made Camillus and Schrades. Good knives. Good steel. Little cost.

^^^^

I just had a very rusty, shell handle Imperial kick out whatever it was I wuz carrying. It was a ball of rust and I basically painted it with rust converter with oil added. It's ugly and black and I began carrying it at work to finish cleaning it up as I usually do (plenty of tramp oil and compressed air, you know).

The thing cuts like the dickens. I've been carrying it for a while now. Someone said here that Imperial's steel was something like Schrade's and I think they're right. The blade is thinner and flimsier (plus the shell handles), but it's a good knife. Rather have it than a Rough Rider.

I hope that doesn't start anything. I believe I have the flu. My skin hurts.

 

[gooeytek]

Never. Why would you ever carry a cheap knife when the one in your pocket is already nicer?

 

[KrisOK]

Never. Why would you ever carry a cheap knife when the one in your pocket is already nicer?

Well... do you ALWAYS carry your most expensive knife? I certainly don't.

My knives range anywhere in value from $10 to $400, and I carry them all. A couple of years ago I decided to try out some of the Chinese, made knives, so I ordered about 20 SanRemMu, Land, Bee, Navy and Ganzo knives. When they arrived, I carried them exclusively for a couple of months to get a feel for them. Some I hated, and gave away, and others I was pleasantly surprised with.

 

[gooeytek]

Well... do you ALWAYS carry your most expensive knife? I certainly don't.

My knives range anywhere in value from $10 to $400, and I carry them all. A couple of years ago I decided to try out some of the Chinese, made knives, so I ordered about 20 SanRemMu, Land, Bee, Navy and Ganzo knives. When they arrived, I carried them exclusively for a couple of months to get a feel for them. Some I hated, and gave away, and others I was pleasantly surprised with.

I do carry my most expensive folders quite often. I don't however, own any "cheap" knives that would displace any of the nice knives that I have.

 

[timberweasel]

I like to carry a modern one-hander clipped to my RFP and have a (usually) smaller slipjoint in my LFP. I don't always carry my +$250 Case/Bose Coffin Jack, even though it is a spectacular folder and one of the 'best' I own. Expensive and inexpensive knives can get along together just fine, imo.

CRK Small Sebenza 21 Insingo and Spyderco Kiwi 3

-Brett

 

[hunter s thompson]

Yes, 2 years ago, I only carried knives worth less than $25 dollars, for that entire year I only carried an Opinel or a Douk Douk. I quickly learned that I could carry either for the rest of my life and never feel like I was under knifed. That being said, It is always nice to be able to fall back on "better" knives.

 

[pinnah]

Never. Why would you ever carry a cheap knife when the one in your pocket is already nicer?

Because they work great, can be used with impunity and honestly, I'm not into self definition through jewelry.


EDC Pair by Pinnah, on Flickr