Suggestions for a cheap knife?

G

Grizzy

Joined
Jul 25, 2004
Messages
2
Hey - I am in the market for a ~$20 knife.

I want something dependable (preferrably metal construction) and something I won't have to worry about going dull in a week

I am not looking for a top grade knife, but am tired of going through $2 knives every week or two
 
The Kershaw Vapor is very good for a sub $20 knife. I bought one at Wal-Mart as a stand-in for my regular EDC when I flew home on leave two years ago and had to leave all of my knives behind. My Dad carries it now and has been quite happy with it.
 
I personally am not impressed with Gerber's under $50.00 knives, it's not all metal but Kabar is selling a Dozier designed folder for about $20.00 have heard nothing but good about them.
 
Benchamade Pika, Mini-Pika, or (for ten bucks more) their all steel Monochrome. At New Graham the Zytel Pika & mini-P are $21.87 and $18.75, the Mono is $31.25, that's without digging around for a lowest price.
 
I like my Cold Steel Trail Guide, medium blade. It's light and Carbon V steel, so its a decent knife for under $20.

KP
 
If a fixed blade is what you are after, the Swedish Moras are frequently recommended as being very good knives in the under $20 range. For folders, the French Opinel brand has a lot of fans.
 
i'll second the kabar dozier for $20

it's been my 3" EDC knife now for 6 months.

my 4" EDC is spyderco endura

both are thin, lightweight, and strong.
 
How about a Cold Steel Bushman or Mini-Bushman. I dont own one, but have heard good things. If you want a folder, go with the Vapor.

Thor
 
gotta say the Kabar/Dozier Thumbnotch Folder... i was shocked that this knife was $20 when it got here...

shaving sharp... no blade-play what-so-ever... very light... no cosmetic blemishes... the clip's even pretty decent (plus reversable)... full handle too...

it looks great thanks to Mr. Dozier, and when it's open, it's effectively a fixed blade aside from prying, which i think would 'cause the handle to bend or even break and create blade-play...

on the negative column, it was pretty difficult learning how to close it one-handed... and i think the blade sits slightly too far in the handle when it's closed, making the thumbnotch a little hard to get @...

but once you get to know the knife, it's pretty crazy that it's only $20...
 
I have an old Kershaw Vapor beater, and although the steel is soft (AUS-6), and the beadblast takes a bit more attention to keep spotless, it's an extremely well built frame lock. Butter smooth opening, and rock solid lockup.

The Gerber LST is an OK knife for the price, but I had one that the lock wouldn't hold under hand pressure (let alone a spine-whack). You can get better for the price, or much better for just a bit more.
 
Hmm, my gerber held on like a rock. Spine whacked, stabbed and pulled, etc. The steel wouldnt get any sharper than utility/hair cutting sharp, though
 
I had one that was solid too. I've gone through 3 (4 actually) of them (in retrospect I should have gotten 1 $60 knife instead of 3 $20 ones). The first one I destroyed from abuse, and the second one was the crappy lock one that I returned for another. The first one, I never noticed whether the lock was bad or good, only after the crappy one did I realize there might be an issue. The 3rd one I got now belongs to my dad. I think he uses it to scrape out his pipe. For some reason, I could never keep the last one sharp worth a damn.

I must say though, the optional pocket clip on the LST is garbage. Too damn thick and too big for such a small knife. However, it fit nicely at the bottom of my pocket.
 
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