Knives Under $10

Hi Ryan,

Thanks so much for your wonderful posts. I have always found them interesting, especially your "roll call" posts. I always wonder if I carry too much..LOL. After seeing what everybody else carries, well....I feel fine:)

On to your topic here. I bought a very similar knife about 3 months ago from a reputable outdoors store here in Johannesburg. This knife was "made in China" It was about the equivalent of 10 Dollars, and it was a replica of the Boker Superliner. Nine shape, a 2 3/4inch drop point blade etc, with skeletonised all-stainless handle. I had to have it!!! It had a linerlock similar to the one in your picture with the notch where it "bends" in. Well, I was hardly in my car when the liner SNAPPED!!!!, as it did not engage properly. Well, I went right back in there and let them have it and got my money back.

All I am saying is be careful of the liner itself especially by the cut out notch. This is the weakest part of the knife.

Good luck and I look forward to more of your posts Ryan.:)
 
About the sharpening angle...

I put my VaporII on Crock Sticks for 10 passes... it shaves!

I tried my cheap China Framelock... it won't take a shaving edge, period!

Tried my Cheap China Auto... same deal.

So there IS a difference in blade steel beyond strength and edge holding. I still think about $20-25 is as cheap as I would feel comfortable buying with the intent of using!
 
Originally posted by JoeShmoe2002
I still think about $20-25 is as cheap as I would feel comfortable buying with the intent of using!
Click to expand...

I can't believe this.
At Walmart or the local hardware store, you can often get Schrade Old Timer slipjoints for $10. You don't need anything more for cutting. Camillus and other major companies also have lines of cheap, simple, quality working knives.
The checkout aisle at Fry's Electronics has Victorinox Classics for $10.
Moras and Opinels have already been mentioned.
Ragnar at Ragweed Forge has some other options in the $10 range, like the Okapi folders and Kissing Crane Mules.
That's not even going into "utility knives", which are usually under $10 from Stanley or Craftsman. For a lot of cutting jobs they are just the right tool. Then there are X-acto knives, which are also great for the right purpose.
Now I happen to like nifty mechanical toys, like liner and axis locks...but they're not the only things I cut with!
 
Everyone beat me to the punch noting my FAVORITE sub-$10 knife, the Frost's 'Mora' Swedish Army Knife ($8 at Smokey Mountain Knife Works) but the same folks also carry an $8 Queen 'Coke bottle' style pocket knife that should put a smile on anyone's face. And if you can scrape up $15, check out their Kissing Crane stilleto. VERY well made.
 
Well ok then, but I knew nothing of most of what you've said, and had no real idea how to look for CHEAP knives.

Now if most of them are fixed blades, it don't help a bit. I'm saying for $20 you can get a Kick Ass looking Vapor that ain't anywhere NEAR a bad knife!

The cheap Frame lock S&W copy I have LOOKS great! But has a crappy! blade.

The cheapy Auto I have looks darn good, but has a crappy blade and lotsa play when open.

So cheap only ain't enough. I'm cheap but not stupid!
 
First, if its only going to be used for opening boxes or letters, im sure itll be just fine.

Next, a few weekends ago in Orlando i went to some flea markets and was surprised to see a TON of cheap autos. The little S&W-like ones with the 2" blades were $5! Yes, im sure theyre crap, but so what? They had strong springs, and if the only thing you do is flick it open and shut when youre bored, seems like $5 well spent to me. :) They also had "upscale" cheap autos for about $10 each, and i have to tell you, they were NOT that bad. They had blades that were sharp, stapmed 440 SS (if they really are, who knows)But, what i was particularly impressed by was the very strong springs, and the lack of blade play, virtually none, and get this, the blades were perfectly centered in the handles! Heck, ive seen big-dollar customs that dont get that right.

So, to conclude, i think cheap, disposable knives have their place, when you just want something to play with, throw around and not worry at all what happens to it.
 
I got my Stanley box cutter for $4, I'll be it outcuts your $6 knife............. and it's one handed too :)
 
"Twine Knife" from Victorinox

Specs:
2.5" Blade. High carbon, stainless steel blade. Special tempering process to produce an edge that can be re-sharpened over and over again.

Here is one link, but they are selling it at full retail:Twine Knife $16

Here's one for $12.90: Twine Knife
 
I have reversed my thinking on inexpensive knives in the past couple of years -- these days I hesitate to carry anything on a daily basis that is not easily replaceable. I have a fairly good collections, but what I carry on a daily basis are a couple of CRKT KISS folders; I have also just got a deal on ebay on a couple of other CRKT knives for under $15.00 that seem decent for the price. These work well for 95% of my cutting needs.
 
This one is a nifty little locking work knife for $4-$5 at just about any hardware store.

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I know what you mean. I got 2 Maxam framelocks similar to yours off ebay for $10 shipped! I've had some really nice knives for a lot more money. This one's a good user and loser.I gave the other to a good friend who uses his more than I do. Can't go wrong for the price.
 
My mother has had a black-handled version of that Victorinox "twine knife" for many, many years. Hers has a chisel edge and was used to cut flowers than as a general utility and gardening knife. I recently took it and touched it up for her on my Sharpmaker. Although it was butterknife dull after she used it for weeding, I got a very sharp edge back on it. The knife is very solid and the handle feels almost like matte Zytel.

Excellent knife for the $$, I may get one for myself.

Jim
 
I have gotten this Spyderco type model made with 3" blade. This thing cuts! I have used it for opening parcels and this thing is pretty good, not to mention It goes through tough double shoe laces wth ease. I've even dropped it on concrete floors dozen of times and not a scratch on the plastic handle! So now you wonder how much I spent on this knife; nothing! it was free with a purchase of another blade and quite a suprise, this cheap china-made imitation actually has served me beyond my expectations. I have it over a month and use it for light tasks almost every day now and have yet to re-sharpen it.
 
I have gotten this Spyderco type model made with 3" blade. This thing cuts! I have used it for opening parcels, thick paper cutting and not to mention It goes through tough double shoe laces wth ease. I've even dropped it on concrete floors dozen of times and not a scratch on the plastic handle! So now you wonder how much I spent on this knife; nothing! it was free with a purchase of another blade and quite a suprise, this cheap china-made imitation actually has served me beyond my expectations. I have it over a month and use it for light tasks almost every day now and have yet to re-sharpen it.
 
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