Value blades.

T

thacheese16

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Feb 26, 2012
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Hey guys I'm looking for a good value EDC for cheap. I don't need the worlds greatest knife I just want something good. I'm looking for something for around $20 I know it's not much but something like the CRKT drifter or Kerahaw Chill. Something like that. What do you have for me?
 
Ka-Bar Dozier folder is a great value blade. We've got a few around for use around the house or car.
 
I'd spend $30 plus shipping for an Ontario RAT-1 folder myself. I have yet to find a better value for the money although some other knives come close. Not only are the RAT-1 folders commonly perfect out of the box but they are also made in Taiwan rather than China and there is a difference in quality between Taiwan and China in most cases I've seen. The blade finish is outstanding on them and they fit the hand really well. The thumb ramp is in a good spot and the jimping works great. If you don't want something smaller, I can't see many other knives competing with it for the price.
 
+1 for the Kabar Dozier. Spent 13 or so bucks on the Hunter version with the thumb hole and don't regret a cent of it.
 
thacheese16 said:
Hey guys I'm looking for a good value EDC for cheap. I don't need the worlds greatest knife I just want something good. I'm looking for something for around $20 I know it's not much but something like the CRKT drifter or Kerahaw Chill. Something like that. What do you have for me?
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try the kershaw half ton, i bought 1 for my gf to edc everyday (she uses it to open boxes and cut bags at work)
IT locks up amazingly tight, deploys very smoothly has a nice strong blade but also easy to sharpen and comes sharp and holds an edge for a while, sharpened it once and it kept the edge for over 2 weeks of use

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Also i wouldnt reccomend the drifter, i had 1 and it was meh, like a 3 outa 5 star knife to me.
 
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The CRKT drifter is great. It's smaller than I thought but works great for most tasks.

Also check out the Buck vantage, and Kershaw Tremor.

All three of these knives are different sizes so it should give you a good variety.
 
Zookie said:
The CRKT drifter is great. It's smaller than I thought but works great for most tasks.

Also check out the Buck vantage, and Kershaw Tremor.

All three of these knives are different sizes so it should give you a good variety.
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yea beware if u have bigger hands def dont get a drifter, there very small, and if u get 1 def dont get the stainless its very slippery
 
KaBar Doziers and Spyderco Byrds.
 
I recently got a Kershaw Half Ton. I made some oversized wood scales for it (4.5" long, 1.25" wide, 0.75" thick) to give it a little more to hang on to. As I EDC it more, the more I like it.

I have also used the Chill quite a bit ( I have two of them, but I think my son may want one of them). Great for the price, seem to hold up pretty well.

As others have mentioned, the KaBar Doziers are very nice.

Don't forget to look at the Spyderco Tenacious and Persistence. I have a Tenacious which is a great EDC and will eventually add a Persistence to my collection.

Ric
 
Kershaw Chill might be a bit thin to use for extended periods, mine causes hot spots because the scales are so thin and the liners are too square edged.
I have no such problems with my CRKT Hammond Cruiser although that is a much larger knife all round, it's available for £20 here in the U.K. so it must be $20 or less in the U.S.A.
How about a Kershaw Needs Work? The Spyderco offerings have already been covered but don't exclude the Grasshopper, it might be small but it also might be all you need.
Although we have strict knife laws over here not many people carry knives so unless you're behaving suspiciously you don't get any trouble.
 
ChrisFarms said:
try the kershaw half ton, i bought 1 for my gf to edc everyday (she uses it to open boxes and cut bags at work)
IT locks up amazingly tight, deploys very smoothly has a nice strong blade but also easy to sharpen and comes sharp and holds an edge for a while, sharpened it once and it kept the edge for over 2 weeks of use

<removed deal spotting link>

Also i wouldnt reccomend the drifter, i had 1 and it was meh, like a 3 outa 5 star knife to me.
Click to expand...

Linking to non-paid dealer sites is not permitted. Please take a few minutes to review the site and Exchange rules. You'll find links to both in my signature.

Thank you

Jason
 
knarfeng said:
KaBar Doziers and Spyderco Byrds.
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+1 and +1. I have one of each both under $20 each. I gave my wife the pink Dozier and myself and Meadowlark 1 frn. I can't speak much on the Dozier since I've never used it but she's had it for 3 years and it's still in excellent shape considering she treats all knives like kitchen knives. My Meadowlark has been through many demolition jobs including removing linoleum flooring, cutting fiberglass insulation bats and cellulose insulation bags. 8cr13mov is very easy to get a hair splitting edge weather using a sharpmaker or bench stones. I'd call it a beater but wouldn't cry if that's all I had. Maybe I would, but I bought it to temporarily replace my Delica that I lost and ended up carrying the meadowlark as my edc for a summer.
 
For little money, the SRM 710 is difficult to beat in my opinion.

But; perhaps try something classic. Have you ever had an Opinel? 100 years old and still going strong.
 
Buck Vantage Select only $26.35 shipped at the "A". Great knife and made in the USA.
Buck BuckLite Max Mediums are only $19.47 shipped at the same site. The Large size is $22.29 shipped.
 
8steve88 does have a good point about the Chill being too thin and may not be suitable for long periods of use. I did make more ergonomic scales for my chill.

Ric
 
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Buck Bucklite Max - the Small is under $20, it weighs 1.6oz and has a 2 3/4" blade
Buck Vantage Select is about $25 (small is 2.3oz and 2.6" blade, large is 4oz and a 3.1" blade)
Kabar Dozier is about $15 (2.3oz, 3" blade)
Kershaw Half-Ton is about $10 to $15

The Buck Vantage and Kershaw Half-ton are more "heavy duty" knives since they have full steel liners.

The Kabar Dozier and Bucklite Max are more "lightweight" knives that won't ever weigh you down so you never fell bad about slipping them in your pocket everyday.
 
Has anyone mentioned the Spyderco Tenacious yet?

I have recently bought a couple of CRKT knives and I think they are good low priced knives. I've even found a couple that sell for real cheap- the Hammond Cruiser and Crawford Kasper.

I've had this desire to buy a Kershaw OSO, it seems to be a great value. Kershaw seems to have the most models available at low prices.
 
I have a G10 drifter, and I literally pryed a 3x3ft x 1/4" thick piece of sheet metal off the ground with it (it was suctioned :P) and nothing bad happened to the blade or handle, it still centers perfectly. They're a fantastic value for the money!
 
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