That inexpensive knife that somehow always seemed too good to be true...

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

Joined
Aug 4, 2013
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Okay, so maybe it's that inexpensive knife that amazes you because it goes on and on, like the energizer bunny, and is simply the workhorse you didn't expect for the money.
Maybe it was that cheaply priced knife that you sharpen and holds an edge way beyond it's pay scale.
Maybe it was the bargain bin knife that is quite amazing in it's fit and finish.

It can be for any of the reasons I stated above, or any other reason(s) you feel the knife deserves placement in this thread.

I will start it off with this little miniature Bowie knife that is marked and sold as being a Windlass Steelcrafts product, but made for them in China (marked PRC).
When I ordered it off an online vendor some years ago, the pictures of it seemed real cool. I do occasionally like adding miniatures to my collection, but they can be as much money, if not more, than their full sized counterparts.
Well, based on the online pictures of it, this one looked almost too good to be true. Like, real wood scales, nickel silver pins/guard/pommel/star shield. A fullered and polished blade, and actually sharpened. It all looked to nicely done for the 15 or so dollars they were charging for it.
Well, I went ahead and ordered it, and soon after, I ordered a couple more versions of their miniature Bowie knives.
They look extremely like full sized knives, just much, much smaller.
Anyhow, it's quality and overall execution makes it one of those knives that I really feel is worth more than what I paid for it.
It has a ton of cool factor to it! 👍😃👍

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Here it is displayed in one of my display cases... Notice how the full sized Bowie knife beneath it dwarfs it! 😅
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Here are a few more pics showing a couple more of these Bowie knives I purchased from the same series...

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I have to add this one as one of my cheap, but satisfying, knife purchases.
It's likely over 100 years old, (making it an antique), and was made in Sheffield England by what was known to be one of the best, (if not THE best), cutlery company in the world... Joseph Rodgers and Sons.

I purchased this very clean example of a Joseph Rodgers Hunting Bowie Knife for the outrageous price of only 50 bucks!
Yup, for a guy like myself that enjoys the thrill of finding little treasures at such places as the local flea market, scoring this knife for only $50, was definitely some cheap satisfaction.
👍😃👍

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For me, it's the SRK...







I'm pretty hard on my fixies, and this little knife ^^^ has never disappointed. I think I scored one at $38.99 and felt like I got an amazing deal. Then (*if I remember correctly), I got my last one at $34.99.

For a Dad or a Mom looking to make ends meet, wanting to expose their kids to "the great outdoors", and needing a great tool that will see them through their adventures, this is an outstanding option in my very humble opinion. Your mileage may vary.
 
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This knife by Joker. It cost me like $25 or something like that. I carried it every day for a very long time until I lost it one day. I got a replacement with bull horn scales that is a bit more expensive. But really anything by Joker is relatively inexpensive and a pleasant surprise.

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I would say my Buck 301. I bought it new about 32 years ago. I think it was about $20 or so. It has been a good knife. There's no telling how many old gaskets it has scraped off of engines/valve covers, and other jobs. It's been my most used knife until recently, but it still has its place in my pocket. When I kick the bucket, it will either be in my hand or in my pocket.

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000Robert said:
I would say my Buck 301. I bought it new about 32 years ago. I think it was about $20 or so. It has been a good knife. There's no telling how many old gaskets it has scraped off of engines/valve covers, and other jobs. It's been my most used knife until recently, but it still has its place in my pocket. When I kick the bucket, it will either be in my hand or in my pocket.

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That's a bit of a confusing picture in the bottom. I first looked at it and was like "is the knife that big compared to a sharpie? wtf is going on" lol
 
This seems similar to the "surprisingly good" thread but I'll play.

I'm something of a gem hunter on the low end. I recently posted this comparison pic in my review for the Large Honey Badger. (I was not impressed.) The point here was to show some better budget knives in better steels with similar blade lengths at similar or better prices. All of these have price tags under $50. All of these except the H6 run on caged bearings and have good action. All of these except the Honey Badger apply here and could be solid EDC choices in the right circumstances.

From top to bottom:

Petrified Fish PF939 (D2, Micarta)
Petrified Fish PF838 (D2, G10)
Petrified Fish PF818 (D2, G10)
Honey Badger Large Tanto (8Cr13Mov, FRN)
Harnds Talisman (14C28N, G10)
Sencut Snap (9Cr18Mov, wood)
Real Steel H6 Elegance (14C28N, G10)

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Legendary_Jarl said:
That's a bit of a confusing picture in the bottom. I first looked at it and was like "is the knife that big compared to a sharpie? wtf is going on" lol
Click to expand...

Yeah, it is. I kept that picture because it shows how good that the clamp on my Wicked Edge holds. The blade is clamped right under the nail-nick. Even clamping the blade on that tiny amount, it still holds the blade very well.
 
I used, and I guess some would say "abused" this knife on construction jobs and while inspecting old houses for renovation. I used it for prying, chiseling through old wood, hacking through drywall and ancient plaster, cutting old electrical wires, etc, etc. Nothing I did to it could hurt it. It cost me $8 on closeout sale on Amazon (it was discontinued).

I almost gave it away when I retired, but in the end I couldn't bring myself to. And I'm glad I kept it.

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I bought all three of these for a total of $50.
The Brother swayback in the center was $30, I didn't expect much when I ordered it, but the fit and finish is perfect.
It's so good, you have to remind yourself how cheap it was.

Both RR's were on sale for $10 each, the Bow Trapper is an excellent knife and I use it all the time.
The $10 RR Stockman has beautiful acrylic scales and copper bolsters.

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Camillus Electrician.

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I bought it because I've started collecting the occasional electrician pattern knife. I decided to carry it instead of my Alox version, found I liked it better. Plenty sturdy, I like spear-point style blades, the nail nicks are bigger and deeper than the Alox, and the wire stripper works better.
 
Well, I wouldn't say "too good to be true".... but "far better than I ever thought it would be" is a realistic description of THIS thing:

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My Uncle got it for me one time because he heard I was into knives, so I grinned with a cringe and thanked him, then carried it around for a bit.

Dang thing sharpens up easy and gets wicked sharp... especially the straight razor part... and really comes in handy sometimes. Carries real well too.

Swore I'd never own a Smith & Wesson knife (albeit I didn't actually buy it), and I won't replace it if it wears out... but I think it will outlive me.
 
Back in 96 or 97 I bought a Sog Pentagon elite for $35 at a store going out of business. Liner lock, and I used and abused it for years, until it disappeared mysteriously. ATS-34.

In 99 or 2000 I got a Sog X-ray vision mini for my birthday. At $77 I thought it a fair price as msrp was I believe $90 at the time. I still have it. No longer a tanto due to my poor sharpening skills as a 20-something then. I busted the pocket clip and in the early 2010's and Sog no longer made the first generation clip so I've kept it in a drawer for posterity. 10+ years of use and flicking open and closed and the old arc lock never failed. Love the original arc lock design.
 
I'm going opposite of your criteria with a pricey knife that I wasn't sure what to expect. Benchmade adamas mini in cruwear. It has held an edge longer than any other edc I've had, excellent action and size.. it's the one.
 
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