looking for a decent edc under $50

M

mec003

Joined
Jan 1, 2015
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Hey all. This is my first post. I'm looking for suggestions on a new edc. I don't have a lot of money to spend. Trying to keep it under $50. Currently using a Kershaw skyline. I am considering: Esee Izula or BK 24 (never carried a small fixed edcbefore), Ontario rat-1 folder, or Esse zancudo folder. I have not had the pleasure of owning an Esse so I might be leaning that direction. My state knife las have no restrictions on folders. And fixed blades cannot be concealed. Only reason I might not want a small fixed. So, any suggestions?
 
Kershaw has some nice knives for your budget, you might check out the used knives on the BF and find something nice for your budget there.
 
Rat 1 or 2

Both great knives, with the Rat 2 being a little more pocket friendly.
 
For a fixed Izula and BK14 or 24 are both excellent. I can carry my Izula in my pocket and never notice it. Dad has a BK24 and it's very nice.
 
You can also find a spyderco delica 4 in the classified section of the forum for less than that more than likely.
 
Tenacious maybe. It was my first decent quality folder, and it's hard to beat in terms of value.
 
Thank you. I'm new to the forums and haven't even checked that yet. I appreciate the suggestion. And thanks to everyone else for the input.
 
Honestly I dont think anyone knows enough about you or your needs, likes and dislikes to make a recommendation that wont be tainted by their own personal tastes. My first suggestion is to recommend a CRKT aluminum ripple but only because I like bearing flippers. You may hate them. So for me when reading your post and you saying you want a new EDC to replace your skyline, I think the most logical questions is what is it about the skyline that has you wanting something else. Hell it was what I was going to recommend until I read you had it all ready.
 
I like that the skyline is light weight and holds its edge well. While I do like and have become accustomed to the flipper, I'm not necessarily attached to that feature.

My daily routine has changed a bit recently. I am a student and am finding myself outdoors doing field research more frequently. (Biology major). While also spending time on campus and at a full time job. I want a knife that is built a little tougher than my skyline. I like kershaws, but the ones I've owned/handled don't seem like they would be particularly dependable in the woods.

However, because I'm also on campus and in the workplace I still want something small enough that isn't going to garner much attention if I need to use it.

I could simply keep another knife in my car but I don't want the hassle of swapping out knives.

Maybe I'm just being too picky.
 
Check out the Buck Vantage line also. Their Marksman is also neat but haven't seen used ones come down quite to $50 yet.
 
If you want tough but inexpensive, check out Cold Steel's Mini Recon 1 it's nearly bullet proof. But best EDC for less than $60 is still Delica 4. Good luck.
 
as much as I hate to admit it in the price range a cold steel may be the best bet. They are tough, have strong locks and decent steel. They are a bit hokey int he tacticool department but if you get a smaller one you wont draw too much attention. The limited price range really hinders the choices.
 
Spyderco Delica if you're willing to wait and save $10~ more or so. Kershaw Strobe if you're looking for a good flipper. Ontario Rat 1 or Spyderco Tenacious for a good, solid workhorse.
 
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Krissig12 said:
Tenacious maybe. It was my first decent quality folder, and it's hard to beat in terms of value.
Click to expand...

+1 this is a great quality folder that holds an edge well from the reports i've seen
 
I have a Rat 1 I really like and my next edc will be the rat 2. Of course my budget is a little smaller than yours.
The search function is giving me pains right now but if you look for my username, you'll see I asked a similar question yesterday and got great suggestions, albeit a a slightly lower price point.
 
nick21 said:
Spyderco Delica if you're willing to wait and save $10~ more or so. Kershaw Strobe if you're looking for a good flipper. Ontario Rat 1 or Spyderco Tenacious for a good, solid workhorse. And if you insist on something made in America, the Kershaw Skyline would be a decent choice.
Click to expand...

He's got a Skyline already.

But I do second the RAT-1. I think it would serve well as a woods or campus knife, based on personal experience.
 
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