Knife under $250 for HS graduation gift

I'll suggest getting him a trinity of tools instead of one nice high price one. I know my high dollar knives are rarely used and usually brought out just for fun. Yes, they are nice to collect but more fun to use.

I'd suggest getting him gear he will use. A BRKT Fox River or the new HCF (maybe out by then, we'll see) are perfect for that use. A Victorinox Farmer is a great pocket knife, a fiskars hatchet and a good folding saw like the Bahco/Kershaw folding laplander. All these tools will set you back less than $200 combined. You could always get him a good firesteel and guyot bottle with a stainless cup and he will have a lot of great gear that will last a lifetime.
 
How about...

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http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=542176
 
For this type of gift I would go with a bark river or a custom from this site, there are many great makers and since a lot of them are fairly new they are letting blades go at very good prices. Plus a custom is a one of a kind thing, you know?
 
Click the link to my website...lol. A goodly number of guys can do a nice custom in that price range.:D
 
I would get him a BRKT Aurora or similar, a Gransfors Bruks, and a Vic.
 
I *think* you could get a Koster Bushcraft within the time and budget frame. Dan is working on a batch to be ready before Blade, and not all are sold yet. The Bushcraft with Ironwood handle would be impressive looking, and a good performer. Fiddleback also makes some nice bush blades.

I understand the sentiment of wanting him to actually use it. A Fallkniven or Bark River would be easier to replace with a similar blade if it were lost or damaged. I think my first choice would be the Barkie with a stabilized wood handle - good performance and easier to replace. Second choice would be the Koster Bushcraft.
 
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I really like the idea of giving a good quality "user' knife and some other accessories. I will put some things together over the next few weeks.
Sharp Eye
 
I would go with the companion set from RS6. Put a little note to him from father to son under the handle. Plus you get him 2 custom knives.
 
Some very good suggestions here. All good knives that should last you a lifetime. For around $200 you could pick up a Busse family knife. One of my favorites, the Swamp Rat Chopweiler is around $200, and I find it to be an excellent value at that price. For a bit less money you can check out Scrap Yard knives.

It really depends on how you will be using the knife and what your preference is toward blade length.

One thing for sure, buy quality and it will last you a lifetime.
 
a great idea would be a customised fällkniven

find someone who wants to make a stag handle for one fo their blades or something
 
I just graduated college and can tell you from experience that something custom means more.

You should have enough time to work with one of the makers here to get exactly what you want for the amount of money you want to spend. Ray Laconico, Dan Koster, and Eddie White from Shadow Knives are a few makers I have dealt with who are excellent people who make great knives. Just my .02 :)
 
How about a Scott Gossman PSK Sr.? It has been reviewed here and looks like a good knife at a good price.
 
Oh... one more piece of advice...

It is all about the steel! There are many pretty knives that will not hold an edge long enough to skin a whitetail. Some steels are brittle. A lot of it depends on the heat treatment. Do some research and find one that will hold up to serious use... even abuse... and laugh. Some makers provide a lifetime guarantee.

For some very extreme knife testing check out NOSS4's website... www.knifetests.com. Certainly some things on there I would never do with my knife, but it is interesting to see which knives really hold up to extreme abuse.... and pretty damn entertaining. :thumbup:
 
If you don't go for a custom, the BKRT Aurora is the best knife I've ever owned. I have yet to consider new knives since I got it...it's exactly what I want in a knife. Tough to beat and generally under $200!
 
I just graduated from college as well, and my parents gave me a set amount. I'm leaving the area (from AR to OR) and I wanted something local. This gave me quite a few options as there are some great makers around this area (Krein, Koster, Dozier, Crawford, etc...). I decided to go with a set, a Krein Bushcraft and a Krein TK1 with matching black/blue G10. I LOVE them. However, my tastes in knives is changing a little. This doesn't make me like them less, but sometimes I wish I might have chosen the blades a little differently.

I really enjoyed scouring the internet for different types of knives to chose from. Unfortunately, that is what really got me addicted!

My father has also recently given me one of his favorite knives as a going away present, and it means as much, if not more than the knives I chose because of the memories and the history involved.

If I were you (which I'm not!) I would go one of two routes based on your sons personality. Either get a nice, custom bushcraft knife (and Mors Kochanski Bushcraft book) that will be treasured for a lifetime. Or, as other's have suggested, get him a collection of bushcraft goodies, including a good knife.

You might check for local knife shows and try to go find something.
 
I think those ML knives look outstanding. If you cant go custom cause of time, get him a Bark river. Like the aurora paired up w/a mikro canadian and matching firesteel. Bravo1 w/ leather sheath, and matching firesteel, paired up with a matching psk. Might be a hair over your budget, but its an idea. I am liking the piggybacked knives.
 
I recommend Chris Reeve! My Project I hasn't let me down yet! There are also models that are EDC able.
 
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