Budk might be in the same class as Frost? Yes. Mtech, too.
Now that it's mentioned, all three import tens of thousands of knives in hundreds of models in a class of knife which has a lot of other competition, too. Right now the Chinese have it cornered.
Are there outright bargains that will remain hidden from public notice? I'd say yes to that, too. But you have to be very specific about exactly what you are looking for. Spyderco made the Swick in a high grade steel for $70, which is pricey for a neck knife. Mtech? a similar model for $10 on the internet.
Bowie? I wouldn't touch any of the three for one, at any price, and especially in stainless. I will fall apart under use. They make ornamental impulse purchase knives, not working durable ones. Hence the flea market sales as mentioned - it's a quiet form of entertainment with a physical reward and the chance to repeat it again in the near future.
I bought a copy of a switchblade that was originally a Canadian tactical knifemakers upper tier product. It lasted less than 100 flips and broke. I got my $20 worth.
Base your buying decision on the facts, such as the mystery steel, which materials, and how it's put together. Expect to be deceived and you won't get your feelings hurt. I have a US made Colonial "Buck" copy, it turns out the boltsters weren't brass, just plated pot metal. Nonetheless it's still a decent beater knife which is what I do with it.
Buy enough of them, you get an education in value engineering and construction - which then translates into an understanding of what features a knife shouldn't have, and why some American made stuff is equally junk for 4x the price. Like, a collaboration knife from a major maker and tactical knife designer with FRN scales, rivets holding it together, a thin liner, 420HC blade, with a third "tactical expert's" enhancements that make it even worse.
You can buy some really highly rated junk made right here in the USA - or so they claim. I have to wonder if this one skirts the content laws by simply being assembled here.
If someone wants to avoid completely throwing their money away, try the Boker Plus line, or some of the S&W models - of which there are thousands.
You get what you pay for.
). I also spent several years working at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High Temperature Materials Laboratory and leading an analytical team at a separate DOE lab. 
