El Cheapo knives

[Pacu]

Sure they are not Sebenza or high end Spyderco but cheap and useable..and sometime the quality can surprise you (in a good way )

Here are a few of my flea market cheapies


2 automatics, one cool wood handle, some Frosts, and a Wild Turkey


I got this one for 5 bucks. Keeps a good edge.


My mom got me this one and gave it to me for a stocking stuffer a couple years ago.

[Shane769]

I agree. Cheap knives are great to have around, as your workhorse that you abuse the living daylights out of. Like when I cut things this summer around brick, didn't want to mess up my good blades, so a $10 gas station cheap-o did the work for me. Now it resides as my box-cutter

[WhichDawg]

yes "Mora!" while the price may be low, the durability is amazing.
not the prettiest of blades but they've been doing it for long time and many trust them.

for a cheap folding blade and more you can't beat a SAK or for a dedicated folder maybe a Byrd.

I would not like to take chances with many cheapo's out there for reasons of safety
and dependability if I really needed it but their are some decent inexpensive tools out there.

[Freudian Frog]

Rough Riders, Frost Cutlery (only the traditional ones), Moras, some of the more economic Cold Steel stuff, SAKs, Marbles, CRKT (on closeouts), Byrds, those Tranti-whatever machetes... all very good band for the buck.
Sometimes even random off-brand knives I've found to be very decent.

I have that Eddie Bauer knife too!

I find it strange when people worry about the durability of cheaper knives... they're about as durable as the most expensive knife you can buy... it's not like the technology or technique is any different.
Edge retention is of course, a different story. XD

[ringzero]

I LOVE cheap knives.

For outdoors adventures I used to always carry two knives, a good knife and a cheap knife.

The good knife was a Case Camper or Vic Tinker.

The cheap knife was always some Scout pattern knife, usually a Kamp King or similar.

The cheap knife got all the nasty jobs.  Being carried through muddy wet caves, scraping spent carbide out of lamps, digging holes, etc.  Essentially every nasty job that needed done, but that I wanted to spare the good knife.

Typically, those Kamp Kings would be lost long before they wore out or broke.  So long as you didn't let them rust, they would give years of hard service.

Carried several cheap switchblades over the years, but none were very durable.  I did have one genuine Italian made switchblade that was very good, but I stupidly traded it away.

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[John]

here's some cheap ones   the second one is all SS and I've used it quite a bit surprisingly for $6 it locks up solidly has jimping along the spine,good bang for the buck that said it's a copy poliwog and nowhere near spydies quality  

the second from bottom has a nice flipper like you find on cut throat razor,very fast deployment  







 

[Benner]

Rough Riders, Frost Cutlery (only the traditional ones), Moras, some of the more economic Cold Steel stuff, SAKs, Marbles, CRKT (on closeouts), Byrds, those Tranti-whatever machetes... all very good band for the buck.
Sometimes even random off-brand knives I've found to be very decent.

I have that Eddie Bauer knife too!

I find it strange when people worry about the durability of cheaper knives... they're about as durable as the most expensive knife you can buy... it's not like the technology or technique is any different.
Edge retention is of course, a different story. XD

Huh? 

[Zed]

There is lots of unbranded folders etc around, lots of different styles, cheap maybe but they look very nice,

paul

[John]

Rough Riders, Frost Cutlery (only the traditional ones), Moras, some of the more economic Cold Steel stuff, SAKs, Marbles, CRKT (on closeouts), Byrds, those Tranti-whatever machetes... all very good band for the buck.
Sometimes even random off-brand knives I've found to be very decent.

I have that Eddie Bauer knife too!

I find it strange when people worry about the durability of cheaper knives... they're about as durable as the most expensive knife you can buy... it's not like the technology or technique is any different.
Edge retention is of course, a different story. XD

Huh?  

I think the frog is trying to say........................ Tin blades are as good as S30V but the S30V will hold a better edge 

[Benner]

I am curious to hear his logic on that one. 

[John]

 

I'm staying put for this one   

[AHB]

I'm staying put for this one   

Me too.....

[Benner]

Let the poking commence 

[John]

popcorn for everyone guys,take your seat  

[Shane769]

Yumm... now all we need is the Frog

[2xTap]

I find it strange when people worry about the durability of cheaper knives... they're about as durable as the most expensive knife you can buy... it's not like the technology or technique is any different.
Edge retention is of course, a different story. XD

What? I don't mean to be rude but I hope that huge generalization you just made was a joke? You essentially just put a $2.00 pot-metal Chinese built gas station clam-shell packed junker in the same category as a Tony Bose custom!   

2xTap

[Pacu]

i think Frog was kidding hence the rolling eyes

[Benner]

I really hope he was. 

[John]

i think Frog was kidding hence the rolling eyes

Indeed but we still need to rib him about it,well frog?    

[Nikos]

Nahhh... I bet he was referring to the durability of these low/reasonable-cost knives:

Rough Riders, Frost Cutlery (only the traditional ones), Moras, some of the more economic Cold Steel stuff, SAKs, Marbles, CRKT (on closeouts), Byrds, those Tranti-whatever machetes... all very good band for the buck.

[Pacu]

Anyone have any luck with Boker Magnum knives? I bought a canoe model and it sucks. Lightweight and flimsy. Course i paid 6 bucks for it so   Frost is a better buy than it.

[Gadget Guy]

Hey Ben, cheap knives are for frogs! 

[Freudian Frog]

Nahhh... I bet he was referring to the durability of these low/reasonable-cost knives:

Rough Riders, Frost Cutlery (only the traditional ones), Moras, some of the more economic Cold Steel stuff, SAKs, Marbles, CRKT (on closeouts), Byrds, those Tranti-whatever machetes... all very good band for the buck.

Indeed. I'm not saying a $2 knife would stand up to the same punishment, but there's TONS of sub $30 knives made of good spring steels that would serve the same purpose as any $300 knife...

Well, as long as the heat treating is right. With cheaper knives, of course, quality control can be hit or miss.

EDIT: Guess I also have to mention I don't SHAVE with knives so... XD
And I forgot to add Buck to that list.

[ringzero]

Sorry, but some of you guys knocking the el cheapo knives just aren't living in the real world, IMHO.

You can find myriads of posts over on Blade Forum where guys are bragging and posting pics of their latest multi-hundred-dollar EDC folding knives.

Always some 'Super Steel' blade, with exquisite fit and finish, and often a customized grind.

They tote these multi-hundred-dollar knives around clipped into their pockets everyday to open envelopes, trim threads, slice bagels, open boxes, etc.  All tasks that an el cheapo knife could handle with ease.  ;>

They make statements like these:

"If the Sh*t Hits The Fan, this is a knife I'd gladly trust with my life."

"S30V is far superior to AUS8A for self defense.  Improved edge holding will allow deeper penetration into an opponent's flesh with a single cut."

"The Benchmade Rift was my first REAL knife - before that I only owned useless cheap knives like Victorinox and Buck."

"Two of the secretaries at my workplace were freaked out by my Spydie Military the other day.  We were in the break room when I pulled the Military to slice a bagel.  They were startled by the sound of its lock and the sight of that big blade.  What fools!  They didn't know the legal limit for carry in this state is a 4 inch blade, so I explained it to them."
 
I read this stuff over on Blade Forums and laugh, but I really hope that MTO isn't headed that way.

.

[Freudian Frog]

I read this stuff over on Blade Forums and laugh, but I really hope that MTO isn't headed that way.

I hope so too. You'd think those kind of people would stay away from a thread called "el cheapo knives"... leave us cheapos in peace, I say!

[ringzero]

I read this stuff over on Blade Forums and laugh, but I really hope that MTO isn't headed that way.

I hope so too. You'd think those kind of people would stay away from a thread called "el cheapo knives"... leave us cheapos in peace, I say!

There are so many sub-20-dollar knives available nowdays that are really decent for EDC, that I can't justify to myself EDCing a knife that costs much more than 20 bucks.

Last year I picked up several KaBar Dozier 3-inch blade Folding Hunters at a local store for 16 bucks apiece.

Those turned out to be great knives!

So good for EDC that I ordered a few more from EDCDepot to get different handle colors, and also ordered a few of the 2.25-inch blade version for 14 bucks each.

The most expensive knives that I EDC nowdays are:
-Spydie Dragonfly FRN version that cost 30 bucks
-Victorinox OH-GAK that cost 29 bucks
-Boker Trance that cost 27 bucks

All of these are GREAT knives for EDC - more than capable of handling my normal cutting tasks and then some.  I wouldn't feel under equipped with any of these knives during an emergency situation.

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[Benner]

Erm can I just point out that no one did in fact "slag off" cheapy knives, were were just commenting on that, quite frankly, ridiculous statement (IMO) that FF made.  I also fail to see how a thread of 2 pages where in fact no slagging off at all was made would give you concerns Ringzero that this place is going the way of Bladeforums.

The bottom line is, don't judge a product necessarily by it's price or where it's made (you know who that but was for  ) but on it's own merit.  Comments such as "I find it strange when people worry about the durability of cheaper knives... they're about as durable as the most expensive knife you can buy" are just daft as it is far too wide a statement.

[american lockpicker]

Erm can I just point out that no one did in fact "slag off" cheapy knives, were were just commenting on that, quite frankly, ridiculous statement (IMO) that FF made.  I also fail to see how a thread of 2 pages where in fact no slagging off at all was made would give you concerns Ringzero that this place is going the way of Bladeforums.

The bottom line is, don't judge a product necessarily by it's price or where it's made (you know who that but was for  ) but on it's own merit.  Comments such as "I find it strange when people worry about the durability of cheaper knives... they're about as durable as the most expensive knife you can buy" are just daft as it is far too wide a statement.

Why do I feel you was talking about me?  And always remember a cheap knife from Europe or USA is always better than one from Pakistan or China if you don't believe me try selling some used ones to a knife dealer and see which ones he or she buys.

[Benner]

I could have been talking about anyone 

[John]

Cheap is also subjective some of the prices quoted here are expensive to some people  I thought if we talk about cheap is one thing and cheap and pure nastiness is another the latter BTW are guilty more often than not of failed liner locks snapped blades under normal use and blades that can't cut butter out of the box and many a trip to the emergency room 

IMO this thread would have been better titled bargain knives at an affordable prices because when cheap is mentioned horror stories come to mind JMO 


And I'll just throw this out there two years ago to me a bargain knife would be under £100 as I was working and could afford nicer knives,now a bargain knife is under £50 as I'm not working perceptions change.

It would be safe to say there are good affordable knives out there but lets not confuse them with cheap nasty knives that should IMO be banned