What is the very best folding knife for the least amount of money?

King of the Cheese

King of the Cheese

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For this thread, I’d like to identify the very BEST folding knife for the LEAST amount of money, to see what offerings are out there that BladeForums participants have found. I know there are a few obvious choices that are heavily reviewed, like the Ontario RAT series… but I’m curious to know what you all have come across and personally used that may not have gone viral or trended in popularity. Feel free to leave the name of the knife and company that makes it in the comments, and a note about what makes it so special. Remember: Less $ is “more”. I’m really wanting to focus on that sub $50 range. The more money you save while still having a fantastic knife, the better.
 
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POCEH KOCEB said:
Well, I think it's because if you think about it nobody really contributes anything, answering the question, the way it is put by the OP....
Look at the last page - few offerings of knives around $50 but nobody tells you why they are the "BEST"...
Few great looking knives - G2's PF, the Ruike pictured above and maybe the Sanremu. But Gary will sell it right away because he didn't like the size of the knife he just purchased,
the gentleman with the Ruike don't like the type of lock or opening. Well, are those would be the "BEST" knives if you don't like the two features of the Ruike
and you sell the one you've just got because the size doesn't fit you ?
I understand the price point, makes perfect sense to me, everyone like good quality, nice features and cheap price. But see, none of the entries defines why the knives offered are the "BEST".
And you know why ? Because there is no such thing as "the BEST" as a general blanket used in this thread by the OP. "The BEST" is defined by the personal priorities of the user,
and we all have different priorities or use for our knives. What's the best for you probably isn't for me or for someone else...
Your entry was " This is today. " Well, this is your BEST knife for today ? This is the best knife for around $50 per OP question ? Why, because it fits the price point, because you like it or use it ?
It's definitely a good working knife and I'm sure if you're offering it it suits you well, but in my case this won't last a week for what I'm doing. I can't open it or close it with one hand and there is no clip.
The only valuable thing to me in this knife is the Bos HT of the steel but for the price point set in the thread I can probably find steel that will last longer when I scrape paint or glue off the tiles.
So the "BEST" thingy is strictly personal and the way OP is asking about it doesn't make any sense, that's why every entry shows personal preferences, the way it should be.
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I have and use this Buck 110 LT if you took the time to read the posts. It has the same 420hc Bos ht blade as the standard wood and brass model. It is light weight with FRN handle and I installed a clip and thumb disc on mine so it is one handed operation. Fact is I can open all my 110s one handed without a thumb disc or stud. Many people have the skill to do so but some don’t. As for scrapping putty and adhesive I prefer using the proper tool and save my knife for cutting stuff. It’s really not as complicated as you have stated. The Buck 110 LT is the best knife for the price that I’ve come across and I stand by that statement. Are there other knives that are contenders? Yes I’m sure there are.
In the post you quoted, I responded to his argument about the price which he is ignorant of. I hope this helps you understand better my opinion.
 
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I think the OP is just curious to know what we all have come across and personally used. Perhaps there are knives that may not have trended in popularity as much as the usual suspects.

It's been fun to pull them out and be reminded of why I have them in the first place. I carried that Buck 110 all day... on the belt, which is different than my usual jam. And I liked it more than I remembered.. I don't see taking it off. Anyway, fun thread!
20211209_163819.jpg20211209_164814.jpg20211209_165931.jpg
 
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Lesknife Lesknife - See, again, you’re using your “the proper tool” the way you see it. I have a truck full of good quality “proper tools” for everything you can think about, I do maintenance of office buildings and med offices since 2003. I can’t always carry or know what “proper tool” I’ll need when I check something in the building. My only “proper tool” would be the Gail Bradley 1 for example, or my Voyager, or Griptilian, or Manix LX, all of them in steel that I don’t have to maintain for at least a week worth of work. I usually don’t have to scrape much or cut much or whatever else when I punch out a job, my folder is my “best” or “proper” tool and I’ll waste more time to go and get a “proper” scraper if I follow your logic.
‘So, there is nothing complicated. There is no “ BEST” knife as general statement, the BEST thing depends on your personal preferences.
 
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POCEH KOCEB said:
Lesknife Lesknife - See, again, you’re using your “the proper tool” the way you see it. I have a truck full of good quality “proper tools” for everything you can think about, I do maintenance of office buildings and med offices since 2003. I can’t always carry or know what “proper tool” I’ll need when I check something in the building. My only “proper tool” would be the Gail Bradley 1 for example, or my Voyager, or Griptilian, or Manix LX, all of them in steel that I don’t have to maintain for at least a week worth of work. I usually don’t have to scrape much or cut much or whatever else when I punch out a job, my folder is my “best” or “proper” tool and I’ll waste more time to go and get a “proper” scraper if I follow your logic.
‘So, there is nothing complicated. There is no “ BEST” knife as general statement, the BEST thing depends on your personal preferences.
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You do it your way, I’ll do it my way. Is that okay ?
 
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I looked at it this way. I have come across crap knives that I felt I wished I didn't waste my time or money on. I've also come across one's that surprised the hell out of me because they cost little but surpassed my expectations.

SAK are always good and always in my pocket. Victorinox has managed to produce quality Swiss army knives and still keep the cost way down.

Others that fit that bill for me have been the Spyderco Tenacious ($35 when I got mine), Cold Steel Finn Wolf ($32 when j bought mine) and even the Kershaw Emerson CQC7 ($25 when I bought mine).

Picking the best of something is always subjective to you. You can't complain if someone says a Buck 110 LT is the best bang for their buck just because you wouldn't pick it. What is good for one person might be crap for another.
 
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POCEH KOCEB said:
Well, I think it's because if you think about it nobody really contributes anything, answering the question, the way it is put by the OP....
Look at the last page - few offerings of knives around $50 but nobody tells you why they are the "BEST"...
Few great looking knives - G2's PF, the Ruike pictured above and maybe the Sanremu. But Gary will sell it right away because he didn't like the size of the knife he just purchased,
the gentleman with the Ruike don't like the type of lock or opening. Well, are those would be the "BEST" knives if you don't like the two features of the Ruike
and you sell the one you've just got because the size doesn't fit you ?
I understand the price point, makes perfect sense to me, everyone like good quality, nice features and cheap price. But see, none of the entries defines why the knives offered are the "BEST".
And you know why ? Because there is no such thing as "the BEST" as a general blanket used in this thread by the OP. "The BEST" is defined by the personal priorities of the user,
and we all have different priorities or use for our knives. What's the best for you probably isn't for me or for someone else...
Your entry was " This is today. " Well, this is your BEST knife for today ? This is the best knife for around $50 per OP question ? Why, because it fits the price point, because you like it or use it ?
It's definitely a good working knife and I'm sure if you're offering it it suits you well, but in my case this won't last a week for what I'm doing. I can't open it or close it with one hand and there is no clip.
The only valuable thing to me in this knife is the Bos HT of the steel but for the price point set in the thread I can probably find steel that will last longer when I scrape paint or glue off the tiles.
So the "BEST" thingy is strictly personal and the way OP is asking about it doesn't make any sense, that's why every entry shows personal preferences, the way it should be.
Click to expand...
I kinda agree . To use any term like Best Knife without a ton of qualifications about what that means is just asking for trouble and pointless contention .

I carefully qualified and weakened my answer , because I really have NF idea what the all around ultimate folder for under 50 street price would be .

Most are probably liner lock flippers , not my area of interest, even the "best" ones . ;)
 
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I’m going to throw in the Gerber LST. Soft steel, but a great watch pocket knife, discrete and so light you’ll forget it’s in your pocket.

Lots of great and worthy suggestions that I’d second, though- Victorinox tinker and Opinel #8 are great.
 
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bigsurbob said:
I think the OP is just curious to know what we all have come across and personally used. Perhaps there are knives that may not have trended in popularity as much as the usual suspects.

It's been fun to pull them out and be reminded of why I have them in the first place. I carried that Buck 110 all day... on the belt, which is different than my usual jam. And I liked it more than I remembered.. I don't see taking it off. Anyway, fun thread!
View attachment 1698820View attachment 1698821View attachment 1698822
Click to expand...

Bob, I'm beginning to think you like orange knives. Very, very nice.
 
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Well some people don’t like it when someone else has a different opinion and then they want qualifiers or reasons that they can critique to their way of thinking.

The best can be and is something different from one person to the next depending on what they do and the way they do it, and cheap can mean something different from one to another. Cheap doesn’t always mean poor quality when it uses good materials done at a lower cost. Best doesn’t always mean high grade materials or exotic.

Best is also for a particular purpose, for example, a knife that is used in nasty, dirty environment doesn’t need to be high end exotic materials that might not perform well. And it doesn’t need to have perfect fit and finish BUT a knife that is for display to show off the fine craftsmanship and exotic materials would be more interesting and admired when it does have those qualities.

So we are probably going to see various kinds of nominations for this poll and that’s okay. And I don’t care if a person does or doesn’t list the qualifications. It’s not like we are voting to eliminate all knives that don’t make the top favorite.
 
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Lee D said:
Another option, the Manly Wasp
$50 give or take

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Their slip joints have strong spring that engages on few angles. I'm not sure if your model have this type of spring, but I got one of their Bulgarian Off Road Forum knives and
the force you need to overcome those levels is about 7-8 pounds per "click"... They said it is safety feature and I can see it why, just not my thing, I don't like to push so hard over such sharp blade.
I'm very happy with my Bulgarian buddies from Manly and I know few people in BF that like their knives a lot, too bad they pull out the US site, I think they were decent knives for what they were selling it for.

Zpebl0.jpg
 
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96F06966-E0DC-4A7A-82BD-F1123431CD61.jpegI’ve come to this thread a couple times and really couldn’t think of what my answer would be because I was trying to think of something cheap and robust, but that’s not my style so it wouldn’t be true for me. The truth is, for most of my EDC needs I don’t use or carry a big knife. So my choice is the Quiet Carry Bandit. Small, well built, attractive keychain knife that handles the majority of my cutting tasks throughout the day because I can’t carry a knife at work. Out of the few <$50 knives in my collection it definitely gets the most attention.
 
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Lee D said:
Speaking of that odd Wasp, I watched a buddy cut his hand pretty bad trying to open it. I tried warning him that this knife was a bit different, but his stubborn ass wouldn’t listen. 🙄
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This would be my concern too with those type of "safety" slipjoints... I personally prefer liner lock or some type of backlock,
axis or whatever else of the common locks but I'm trying to stay away from those slipjoints... 😂
 
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