Value Folder

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bratch

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I'm looking for suggestions on low cost high value folders. I've been hearing good things on many of the new Chinese models.

Main use will be general purpose while traveling. I'd be much less upset if I lost a $25 folder instead of one of my Benchmades or Spydercos while on the road
 
Bratch, most of the highly regarded Chinese brand folders (not Chinese made for better known brands) are in the $75+ price point.

The $27 Wal Mart special Buck 110 is a great deal, if you're okay with a traditional style folder instead of something that has more modern styling and ergos like your Benchmades and Spydercos.

The Ontario RAT 1 & 2 folders, ESEE Avispa & Zancudo, CRKT Vox Pilar & Batum, CRKT Burnley Squid, Cold Steel Tuff Lite, and Spyderco Byrd line all sub $30 folders that will at least have styling and ergos like your modern folders. Kershaw offers several modern type frame lock and liner lock folders with 8Cr13MoV blades for under $30. Just check the specs carefully because they also offer many models with lower grade blade steels at similar prices.
 
My absolute FAVORITE ultra budget folder is my Coast brand lockback from Home Depot for $10. Model BX309. Looks kinda like a spyderco too. I keep telling my buddy (who has expensive knife taste) that it's a Spyderco and he gets so worked up.

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Hand-Tools-Knives-Blades-Knives/Coast/N-5yc1vZc8fpZ5s9

Edit: Also, I'l get these as stocking stuffers. They are actually great little pocket utility knives

http://www.cabelas.com/product/BROWNING-ICE-STORM-FOLDER/2521741.uts
 
China, were a child does the work of a man, five men if they're union.
Seriously how much thought does anyone devote to buying a 25 dollar knife?
 
You don't say what size you are looking for.

Buck makes the 110, as mentioned. It's everywhere and affordable. Styling may or may not feel dated to you.

Buck also makes the 112 (finger grooves or without) and the model 55 as well as the 5xx series. None are particularly expensive and one might meet your needs.



For a Chinese or Pakistani knife, you can go to any flea market or gun show and find a jillion of those. Most are well under $25. They may or may not hold up particularly well, but you won't be out much if you lose or break it. Important question; how hard do you plan to work the knife?
 
drunkenpoacher said:
Seriously how much thought does anyone devote to buying a 25 dollar knife?
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More than one needs to put into buying a $100 knife, actually. Buying a $100 folder from a reputable brand almost guarantees a good knife. In the sub $30 price point there are some quite good knives floating in a sea of junk knives. It takes a little knowledge or research to know or learn which is which. Even reputable brands like Kershaw and CRKT offer both good and bad knives within the low price bracket.

tubeshooter said:
For a Chinese or Pakistani knife, you can go to any flea market or gun show and find a jillion of those.
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You could, but why would you? You can get any of the quality folders l listed in my previous post (and several others not listed) delivered from reputable dealers for $20-$30.
 
More than one needs to put into buying a $100 knife, actually.
Click to expand...
Good point. I've thrown away a number of "bargain" products which turned out to just be garbage and therefore weren't bargains at all. It only takes a few incidents like that before one begins to get a different perspective on what a real bargain is.
 
Look at the above Mentioned Kersaw, Ka bar and CRKT Knives for good value.


I bought a few of the United cutlery for the grand son from BUDK. One was a/o. The boy is a scatter brain and would lose his ears if the were not attached to his head.
He is not touching my spydercos, bucks, kersaws etc

They were cheap (inexpensive) came sharp and I made them sharper. To his credit he is a safe knife handler. He whittled and did camp stuff with them. I sent him off with two, and he lost one - total cost for both was less than 25 bucks with shipping.
 
On the matter of steel look for AUS 8, 440 C, 8cr13 mov,
stay away from 440 A or anything just marked just stainless or surgical
 
I carry a RAT-1 pretty much every day, and would replace it with another one if I lost it. The only weakness to it is that the clip won't grip thin material especially well; I know I could adjust the clip, but then it would grip the pockets on my jeans TOO well, and be hard to deploy while causing my pockets to fray. If I'm wearing pants made from lighter material, I carry a Coast BX309 which holds tight to the pockets on my board shorts, can be replaced for under $15, and performs 95% as well as the RAT.
 
The Opinel folders are a good value but their prices are on the rise.
I have been pleased with my No 9 carbon and No 10 stainless.
I had to make mods to the blades and handles, bubba is happy.
 

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I recently picked up a Kershaw Fraxion. I like it for it's very light weight, decent steel and reasonable price. It's also less than 3" which is important in some cities near me. It did not come Spyderco sharp but I made it sharp easily. It also rides a bit high in the pocket.

I think a great little knife, especially if you are looking for light weight.
 
The Ontario Rat 2 and Kershaw Cryo are the two I personally would look at if I was trying to spend around $30. That said, honestly I would just spend more and get arguably the best EDC blade there is, a spyderco delica. Its not worth it to me to save $30 to have a knife I'm not really happy with and will carry for a years. That said the difference between a $30 Rat 2 and some cheap $10 knife is HUGE. If I was only going to spend $10 or so I'd get an Opinel 8.

The Nick Shabazz budget knife championship is worth watching if you are looking for $30ish knives.

This video on the difference between inexpensive and cheap is really worth watching $10 harware store knives are cheap and can be dangerous .
 
Cold Steel Tuff Lite or Kabar Dozier folding hunter would be considerations of mine. I also think Rough Rider slip joints are a really great value and the quality is very good.
 
Let me admit that I'm not a knife guy - but I may just be catching the bug. So I've been developing a want list, and I'll be starting at the low cost end. The list below is accumulated from online forums, YouTube channels (nick shabazz, late Boy Scout, birdshot ii) & Amazon customer reviews. Costs are what I've seen online, mostly Amazon or EBay:

"size that's scary-to-normal-folk"
$20 Kabar Dozier
$30 CRKT Pilar
$25 Kershaw Emerson CQC-6K
$25 Kershaw Zing
$15 Kershaw Drifter
$12 Sanrenmu 6044 (this is one of those "value" Chinese makers; they apparently contract for some USA firms too)
$25 Ontario utilitac2
$25 Buck 3045BKS Vantage Select
$38 SOG Flash II (automatic)
$28 Ontario RAT
$43 Kershaw Skyline
$21 Kershaw Brawler
$23 CRKT M-16
$11 Sanrenmu 7046

"Just-enough-big-to-make-Folks-nervous size"
$35 Spyderco Ambitious
$30 Kershaw Cryo g10
$15 Opinel 8 & larger
$28 CRKT Jettison compact
$23 Kershaw Amplitude 2.5
Spyderco Byrds - $26 Robin 2, $20 Meadowlark

"size that-doesn't-upset-Folks"
$12 Opinel 6
$15 Sanrenmu 7076
$20 CRKT squid
$24 Kershaw Ember

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
cc-hangfire said:
"size that's scary-to-normal-folk"
$20 Kabar Dozier
$30 CRKT Pilar
$25 Kershaw Emerson CQC-6K
$25 Kershaw Zing
$15 Kershaw Drifter
$12 Sanrenmu 6044 (this is one of those "value" Chinese makers; they apparently contract for some USA firms too)
$25 Ontario utilitac2
$25 Buck 3045BKS Vantage Select
$38 SOG Flash II (automatic)
$28 Ontario RAT
$43 Kershaw Skyline
$21 Kershaw Brawler
$23 CRKT M-16
$11 Sanrenmu 7046

"Just-enough-big-to-make-Folks-nervous size"
$35 Spyderco Ambitious
$30 Kershaw Cryo g10
$15 Opinel 8 & larger
$28 CRKT Jettison compact
$23 Kershaw Amplitude 2.5
Spyderco Byrds - $26 Robin 2, $20 Meadowlark

"size that-doesn't-upset-Folks"
$12 Opinel 6
$15 Sanrenmu 7076
$20 CRKT squid
$24 Kershaw Ember
$8 Browning ZPK

Hope this helps.
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I've owned several of the knives on your list, and handled most of them. So, I'll point out a few things. The Kershaw Zing is actually smaller than the Cryo. The CRKT Pilar is actually pretty close in size to the Squid. The Byrd robin is also more in the Squid / Pilar size group than the larger knives. The Cold Steel Tuff Lite should be on your list too: It's better made than the Spyderco Byrds, and similarly priced.
 
Thanks for the corrections!
(That's what happens when a gun guy starting a new hobby posts on the knife forum)
 
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