Most Knife for 60 bucks?

D

DIYknife

Joined
Sep 1, 2014
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52
Hey everybody,

I've just finished up a painting project for the folks and as such have around $60 to spend. I'm open to any and all suggestions for the most knife I can buy for this amount. Keep in mind I would like knives with potential for modding, especially custom scales/handles because I just finished up some denim micarta. Other than that, go wild!

PS "most knife" means either quality or quantity.
 
Mora Bushcraft black is the best bang for the buck, in my opinion, but not really much of a modder.

The Esee Izula is in that price range and is a tinkerer's dream, especially when it comes to handles and sheaths.

Sounds like a fun project, good luck.
 
The Becker bk-15 is an awful lot of knife and can be found for pretty cheap since it is being discontinued. Plenty to mod there too, like removing the coating, thinning the blade out, adding some custom handles, making a leather sheath, adding some liners, ect. The handle stuff is relatively easy because the scales are easily removed with a allen wrench, so nothing to punch or drill out.
 
If your thing is custom scales you can also buy blade blanks and put your own scales on them. There are companies that make and sell blade blanks ready for your handles. You can also buy knives without handles like the Becker 11 or 14 or the ESEE Izula, and make your own handles. I have also seen custom makers on these forums occasionally sell blade blanks. I've put together maybe a dozen myself by using blade blanks or commercial knives without handles. It is a lot of fun and I didn't need nearly as much equipment as a knifemaker uses.
 
@bdmicarta I think you have the winning suggestion! I'm totally surprised by how cheap the blanks are and I think that's the way to go for me. Maybe I'll make a pair of knives...
 
Probably a buck vantage, 119, or 105.
or take your pick of Ontario or Becker that meet the price point.
 
I'll echo what most people usually say when someone asks for a good quality knife, for a good price. It can really be a 'take it or leave it' sort of knife, but I find Opinels are really fun to tinker around with. For your $60 you could get a handful (4 or 5?)
of Opinels to try out. You could get all different sizes, or a bunch of the same size and mod them all differently.



Here are my Opinels, bottom left is a No6 walnut handled with a stainless blade. I removed the locking collar so it's a straight friction folder, sanded down the handle to make it round, tightened up the pivot pin to compensate for not being able to be locked closed, and sanded down the tip to make the blade shape a drop point.
The bottom middle is a No7 in carbon steel, that I only modified lightly, by just removing the collar, tightened pivot and I smoothed the edges, and sanded off the orange varnish before I stained the handle with linseed oil. It is sitting right under a stock, unused No7, so you can see the difference after mods/ use

_5080113_zps56fae9b0.jpg


I can't remember who said it, but I remember Opinels being described as good knives for 'tinkerers.' It helps to keep vaseline smeared in the pivot end of the wood every few months, and keep an eye on how tight the pivot is because Opinels tend to dry out, or swell up a little bit.

Not sure if this is close to the advice on what to get, but I thought I'd give it a shot just in case it appeals! :D
 
Wramo said:
The Becker bk-15 is an awful lot of knife and can be found for pretty cheap since it is being discontinued. Plenty to mod there too, like removing the coating, thinning the blade out, adding some custom handles, making a leather sheath, adding some liners, ect. The handle stuff is relatively easy because the scales are easily removed with a allen wrench, so nothing to punch or drill out.
Click to expand...

This, since the bk15 is on sale at the moment, so you can gwt them cheap for now.
 
Folding or fixed? Locking or slip-joint? 2.5" blade or 4"?

An Ontario RAT Model 1 is one of the best bang for the buck knives under 25 USD in my humble opinion and liner-locks are easier to customize than back-locks I presume (e.g. like a Delica).

Enzo Trapper offers blanks (and kits) in different steels (O1, D2, 12c27, N690 all for 60 USD or less, for what I've seen in the first couple of minutes after I just googled it).
 
DIYknife said:
@bdmicarta I think you have the winning suggestion! I'm totally surprised by how cheap the blanks are and I think that's the way to go for me. Maybe I'll make a pair of knives...
Click to expand...

Be sure to buy from a reputable seller. There are blanks imported from Pakistan that have poor heat treat. There are several knife supply retailers that sell good products.
 
bdmicarta said:
Be sure to buy from a reputable seller. There are blanks imported from Pakistan that have poor heat treat. There are several knife supply retailers that sell good products.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the warning bd. I'm looking at Texas Knifemaker's Supply, is that one okay? If not, any suggestions?
 
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