The cheap list

There have been at least three threads in the last two weeks alone asking the same basic question. Look for them as there are lots of good options mentioned.
 
volante5767 said:
I'm new to knife collecting, I like Bush craft, the outdoors and am into carving.
I recently brought two knives, both flipper knives. One is an MTec USA, the other an Elk ridge. I realise these are cheap budget knives and am ok with that as I slowly build my collection. I first brought the M tec which was very cheap, then I went for a more expensive Elk ridge. Can I just say, in my humble opinion the Mtec quality was outstanding! then the Elk ridge arrived and even my untrained eye could see this really was cheap trash! Any opinions on both makes please? Also, could anyone advise me on other good budget brands?
Lastly, it was VERY difficult to buy flipper knives here in England as I think they are illegal or borderline illegal? I'm so envious when I see them readily available in the US.
Thanks Guys
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Rough Rider is my go-to cheap knife. Fit and appearance is good. Sharpen to razor sharpness fairly easily and retain an edge pretty well, so long as you are not comparing them to super steels.
 
A lot of the usual suspects for cheap brands just don't fit with my tastes so that limits me a lot, and I'm not hip on some of the latest popular Chinese brands. I've had reasonably good luck with Kershaw and CRKT knives that I've bought in the past although I don't own any Kershaw and only one CRKT right now. So that leaves the Spyderco Tenacious for me.
 
The Victorinox Climber is a fantastic knife. With all the options available in the US, it’s what I carry every day.

Not a flipper but, if you can find one there, a Buck Bantam 285 is a very inexpensive folder.

At one point the Kershaw Skyline and Zing were being talked about as if they would dethrone the mighty Buck 110 as the most popular, readily available folder in the US. Didn’t happen but the Zing is still available and a really nice flipper for the price with Kershaw’s incredible warranty.

Opinel, as stated. Everyone should have a 7 and an 8.

The Svord Peasant knife friction folder and the Japanese Higonokami are two affordable friction folders that you can learn a lot from.

There is a lot of quality out there and even more opportunities to learn about steels, grinds, edges, ergonomics and sharpening for very little coinage.
 
Not sure about England but here in the US, so much stuff gets shipped in that the chances of them catching a knife are slim to none. So even stuff that's not allowed here, like foreign-made switchblades, you can send right in.

If you want a cheap flipper that's still good, a lot of Chinese companies are making ones on ball bearings with fiberglass handles that are surprisingly cheap. Look at Sencut, Civivi, CJRB, Twosun, and Sixleaf.
 
SimplyMinded said:
Opinel, Mora, Victorinox and Cold Steel are good cheap to midrange brands.
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This. Add MAM to that list as well.
Spydermade86 said:
Kershaw is hard to beat for budget folders,
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I’m going to disagree. Kershaw’s ever shrinking USA made knives still offer good value, but I have never felt a Chinese made Kershaw (which is the vast majority of their product line these days) that impressed me. For Chinese made, Civivi and Kizer seem better made pretty much across the board IME.
suedeface said:
Ka bar dozier folding hunters. Either size.
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Also this. We have several in our family and they have been serially impressive.
 
Completely forgot the Spyderco Byrd series budget knives. I think they are all under 50.
 
Appears the knife laws are strict in the UK, did a little reading, lockbacks are not allowed and you can carry a folder with a blade of 3 inches such as a Swiss Army knife without a reason, but anything with a bigger blade you would need a valid reason of why you are carrying it or could face some scrutiny.
 
Anyone hear much about Ganzo?
Some with D2 steel and ballbearings.
I watched lots of American Guys reviewing this brand on YouTube, obviously not the quality of Spyerdo and Bench made, but they say they are incredible quality made knives for little ££
 
Good to see the venerable Mora is still great for the ROI - I would also personally say that the Case Sodbuster is still one of my absolute favorites to carry as a knockaround knife, and I know it was mentioned earlier, but it feels worth mentioning again.
 
volante5767 said:
Anyone hear much about Ganzo?
Some with D2 steel and ballbearings.
I watched lots of American Guys reviewing this brand on YouTube, obviously not the quality of Spyerdo and Bench made, but they say they are incredible quality made knives for little ££
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The FH922 is a lot of knife for the money. I bought one as a beater and it surprised me.
 
volante5767 said:
Anyone hear much about Ganzo?
Some with D2 steel and ballbearings.
I watched lots of American Guys reviewing this brand on YouTube, obviously not the quality of Spyerdo and Bench made, but they say they are incredible quality made knives for little ££
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They are definitely good for the money but not on the same level as Spyderco or even some of the better Chinese manufacturers. A major complaint that usually comes up is that they've got a track record of inappropriately copying designs or at least design elements from other companies, including Spyderco, with their cheaper stuff in 8Cr13Mov or 440C. However, their D2 knives in the Firebird and Adimanti lines are original designs and have been consistently good quality for their respective prices. They are notable for hitting the market with those before Civivi shook up the budget scene. So at least for a time, they held "best bang for the buck" status.

BTW, their "D2" is legit Chinese D2 and usually tests in the 60-63 range on hardness.
 
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