Top 5 budget knives

Folders:

Rat 1
Spyderco Tenacious
Spyderco Delica 4
Kershaw Skyline
Kershaw Thermite

Fixed:

Mora
"Stout Little Bushcraft" by USAKnifemaker
Boker Plus Rambler
Mora
Mora
 
Ontario Rat 1/2
Kershaw skyline
Victorinox pioneer Alox
Spyderco delica (I think you can get one on those sites for around $50)
Becker Necker (had to have at least one fixed blade)
 
Top five under $50 new:
Buck Vantage Pro $45
BK24 D'eskabar $42
Ontario Utilitac II or Rat 1 $20-30
Mora's or Martiinni's $10-30
Kershaw's $15-50
 
Spyderco Salt!! For under $50 you can get a serrated edge dragonfly salt. For a few bucks more a salt 1. Highly recommended!
 
the BRK Zancudo has got to be on the list. Less than $30, and a frame lock.


I owned the ESEE Zancudo for about 3 weeks, then gave that POS away. The Rat Models are far better for the same $$$.

The ESSE would have been better as a liner lock, the way the clip and framelock works carrying it in any way but tip-down makes the lock almost impossible to disengage.
 
Kershaw Skyline
Spyderco Tenacious
Ontario Utilitac
"Esee" Zancudo
Kershaw Camp 10
 
I owned the ESEE Zancudo for about 3 weeks, then gave that POS away. The Rat Models are far better for the same $$$.

The ESSE would have been better as a liner lock, the way the clip and framelock works carrying it in any way but tip-down makes the lock almost impossible to disengage.

I don't have any RATs, but I can say, I was less than thrilled with the Zancudo.
It's only real positive feature is it's cheap, but considering what else you can get for $30-40, it's hard to pick the Zancudo over some of it's competitors.

When I listed it in my top 5, I was listing only knives that I own.
But I would say the Kershaw Oso Sweet is just as good a knife at about half the price.
Unless you're really fixated on AUS8...
 
I owned the ESEE Zancudo for about 3 weeks, then gave that POS away. The Rat Models are far better for the same $$$.

The ESSE would have been better as a liner lock, the way the clip and framelock works carrying it in any way but tip-down makes the lock almost impossible to disengage.

I have 2 Zancudos and they have been great. Light, sharp, and an excellent size for edc. I just bought 2 because I wanted red and orange. :)
 
Swiss Army Knife "HIKER" $25.00
MORA MG Carbon $11.00
SVORD PEASANT $12.00
OPINEL NO.8 $11.00
F. DICK LAMB SKINNER $21.00
TRAMONTINA MACHETE $10.00

Six knives, $90.00


Regards,
HARDBALL
 
I was truly impressed by a Ka-Bar Dozier Folding Hunter I recently received. Light, sharp, surely easily sharpened with the hollow ground AUS 8. It locks up tight and is a handy size & shape. The thumbstud is a little too smooth and will get some needle file treatment (or replacement), and I'll probably remove the pocket clip, but, overall, under $20? Damn!
 
I don't have any RATs, but I can say, I was less than thrilled with the Zancudo.
It's only real positive feature is it's cheap, but considering what else you can get for $30-40, it's hard to pick the Zancudo over some of it's competitors.

When I listed it in my top 5, I was listing only knives that I own.
But I would say the Kershaw Oso Sweet is just as good a knife at about half the price.
Unless you're really fixated on AUS8...
The Kershaw OSO Sweet was the first Kershaw I owned for a minute. Some guy outside a store was looking for a pack of smokes so I bought him two and he gave me a pretty much brand new OSO Sweet. I played with it for a week when my best friend and I went to a gun show and when I had run out of money my buddy conned me out of my Kershaw for a 500 pack of 22. Fair trade given the current ammo crisis. Anyways I would place it higher on the list than the Zancudo.
 
A lot of these suggestions ate well over the $50 request, like anything benchmade.
For under $50 I would echo classic designs like opinel sak tinker and svord peasant. If you want modern the cs voyagers are great as is the spyderco tenacious. A lot of size and shape options come with the voyager which I also really like
 
The Kershaw Tremor was the first real name brand knife I owned, a great gateway knife. The Spyderco Tenacious is fantastic as well.
 
Depends on your preference on blade steel, length, lock mechanism, weight.
I'm a spyderco fan and in $50 range, probably you can get the dragonfly or Chinese made spydercos.

I used to own kershaws as well. I can probably recommend kershaw thermite, skyline, cryo.
 
What do you mean by "budget"?

If we use up to $30 as "budget" then there are a few candidates.

Enlan EL-01. For the price there's very little to touch it.
Byrd Robin/Meadowlark/Cara Cara 2 FRN. Spyderco's budget range is brilliant.
Buck Vantage Select. 420HC with a Bos heat treatment is some of the best steel in that price range.
Ontario RAT-1. Flicks open incredibly fast, slices like a very slicey thing, very solid.
Cold Steel Tuff Lite. Rock solid cutting tool.
 
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