What is the best EDC knife under $50?

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I was going to suggest the Baklash, but..... the Ruike P-801 @ $30 is as solid as anything under $50
 
I like both of those knives a lot. I have a Civivi Baklash in carbon fiber, and I have a Ruike P121. I've never handled a P801 though...looks great.
 
Chronovore said:
You've got some of the best listed. The Civivi Baklash might be my pick for "best". I also like the Naja but it is discontinued. Civivi does a stellar job with their 9Cr18Mov. It's like the difference between average 420HC and Buck's 420HC with the Bos heat treatment, only from a better starting point. I definitely prefer it to D2.

I finally had a chance to try the Ortis. I really wanted to love it but a single issue prevented me from doing so. The lock bar has toothy jimping that stands proud of the scales. During use, it routinely caused a major hot spot for me. I also have this problem with my Rat 2 but it's nowhere near as bad.

Overall, the Rat 2 is a good knife at a great price in AUS-8. It snaps open nicely. The blade is thin and slicey. They do a nice job with their AUS-8. (Their D2 doesn't offer enough of an increase in edge retention to offset the higher price and loss in corrosion resistance.) Other nit-picky issues that hold this one back are sharp riser jimping and lack of skeletonization. The closest competitor in the $20-30 range is the Tangram Santa Fe by Kizer.

The Santa Fe is a wonderful little knife. The ergonomics, thin slicey blade, action, and steel performance keep it in my EDC rotation despite owning more expensive knives. It uses Acuto 440, a Japanese steel with similarities to 9Cr18Mov. While not as good as 14C28N, it's easily better than AUS-8. I've taken several of these apart and given them out as gifts. The only issue with Tangram seems to be a little hit or miss QC. For instance, the grind on one was a little off and one had its washers the wrong way. (They should be three per side but one was four and two from the factory.)

Another notable but seemingly obscure knife under $50 in AUS-8 is the Harnds Talisman. It has fantastic ergonomics and honestly some of the best action on any sub-$100 knife. They do a nice job with their AUS-8 but it is still AUS-8 for $40-something. While still better than the 8Cr13Mov in a Tenacious, that is the only thing that keeps this from being a "best" for me. If that isn't an issue for you, it's worth checking out.
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I've run across that Harnds Talisman multiple times in my searches, and it always appealed to me. I've been tempted to pull the trigger on that knife for some time, so I've been on the fence on it, and I'll take the plunge now. I've heard of the Santa Fe, but don't much about it. I'll check that one out, too! Thanks, buddy.
 
Chronovore said:
You've got some of the best listed. The Civivi Baklash might be my pick for "best". I also like the Naja but it is discontinued. Civivi does a stellar job with their 9Cr18Mov. It's like the difference between average 420HC and Buck's 420HC with the Bos heat treatment, only from a better starting point. I definitely prefer it to D2.

I finally had a chance to try the Ortis. I really wanted to love it but a single issue prevented me from doing so. The lock bar has toothy jimping that stands proud of the scales. During use, it routinely caused a major hot spot for me. I also have this problem with my Rat 2 but it's nowhere near as bad.

Overall, the Rat 2 is a good knife at a great price in AUS-8. It snaps open nicely. The blade is thin and slicey. They do a nice job with their AUS-8. (Their D2 doesn't offer enough of an increase in edge retention to offset the higher price and loss in corrosion resistance.) Other nit-picky issues that hold this one back are sharp riser jimping and lack of skeletonization. The closest competitor in the $20-30 range is the Tangram Santa Fe by Kizer.

The Santa Fe is a wonderful little knife. The ergonomics, thin slicey blade, action, and steel performance keep it in my EDC rotation despite owning more expensive knives. It uses Acuto 440, a Japanese steel with similarities to 9Cr18Mov. While not as good as 14C28N, it's easily better than AUS-8. I've taken several of these apart and given them out as gifts. The only issue with Tangram seems to be a little hit or miss QC. For instance, the grind on one was a little off and one had its washers the wrong way. (They should be three per side but one was four and two from the factory.)

Another notable but seemingly obscure knife under $50 in AUS-8 is the Harnds Talisman. It has fantastic ergonomics and honestly some of the best action on any sub-$100 knife. They do a nice job with their AUS-8 but it is still AUS-8 for $40-something. While still better than the 8Cr13Mov in a Tenacious, that is the only thing that keeps this from being a "best" for me. If that isn't an issue for you, it's worth checking out.
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What's the difference between the Tangram Santa Fe and the Amarillo? I couldn't find the Santa Fe. Thanks!
 
Lasador said:
What's the difference between the Tangram Santa Fe and the Amarillo? I couldn't find the Santa Fe. Thanks!
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You're welcome. The Tangram Santa Fe uses thumb studs and is just a tad larger than the Rat 2. It has a thin modified Lambsfoot blade. The blade is taller than a Leek but has a similarly fine point. They are around if you look.

The Amarillo is in a smaller size category and uses a flipper tab. It also has a nice thin blade but with a clip point shape. My only issue with the Amarillo is that the detent on mine is fairly weak. That sucks the fun out of what would otherwise be a dandy little pocket knife. By contrast, all of the Santa Fe's I've handled have snapped open nicely.

One good thing about both of these is that they use T8 body screws. I wish more companies would do this. (They still use T6 for the pocket clip but so does Civivi.) As far as pocket clips, the Santa Fe switched to flatter-fitting screws at some point so that's a nice touch. I don't know if they did this for the Amarillo.
 
Yo Mama said:
Buck 110 is an essential part of any knife collection.
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well said. Ironically for years I collected knives and used 110’s. I never thought of them as part of my collection. They became almost part of me.

justjed said:
For me, it's been the Riuke P-108. The Buck 110 is a close second, and a classic.

I should mention, the only reason the 110 comes in second is that my EDC is a fixed blade, 95+% of the time. But to carry a 110 means leaving my FB at home, they occupy the same spot on the belt.
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Nice to see the 110 so well represented.
 
Agreed about the 110 and 112 Slim Selects. If you prefer sheath carry, there are also the 110LT and 112LT. These are only available in black though, while the Slim Selects are available in many colors. The 112LT is being discontinued though, so if you want one...
 
John_0917 said:
If you can go up to $100 you will open up a lot more options, Seki made Spydercos, Steel Will models etc

If saving up for this, maybe wait a little longer and be able to get a higher quality knife that will be of more value to you long term with better steel etc
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Agreed!

Lot's of perfectly functional at under $50 , but things really open up at $75 to 150 .

In the Cold Steel lineup , you can get a variety of Taiwan built , Tri-ad lock , S35VN folders that will perform as well as almost any knife available , IMO .

I did recently get a Ruike Pi28-SF for ~$50 . Great F&F , smooth flipper frame lock with a secondary "Beta" lock , 14C28N steel blade .
 
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