Budget knife on a budget… this is what $7.50 at Stat Gear gets you:
Looks ok.
But that hi-rise pocket clip placement???
$7.5 usd / ~7€ decent knife?
Challenge accepted!
This is what I would choose here in France. Not a pocket knife though
Hultafors HVK
For a folder, not sure 7€ can buy an Opinel 8 here
Nice! Looks similar to Morakniv Craftline.
at a local Walmart, these were clearanced for $1 each.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Stag-Finish-3-Clip-Knife-with-4-Handle-Model-7501/652010622
cool, shows 75¢ online
I think I had that exact Ozark Trail knife. It came in a gift set with a few other things. Fit and finish was surprisingly good. Action was okay. It’s almost unbelievable for a buck. Of course, steel is where the price hones true. It came fairly sharp and was easy to sharpen but it just wouldn’t stay that way. Some of the Ozark Trail knives were independently tested and came back as 3Cr13Mov. That sounds about right for my experiences.
Hmm, I might waste a buck tomorrow….
The QSP Penguin is starting to resurface after being out of stock just about everywhere. If you missed it on Drop or anywhere else and wanted one, KnivesPlus has them. How many and for how long I haven’t the slightest idea.
How is the Penguin?
I just got one. Then I moved. It’s in a box somewhere. :cry:
I’m not sure. I don’t have one, yet. I had one in my cart on Amazon. I was running late for an appointment and let it sit for the day. By time I got back home, they were all sold out. Strangely, that isn’t the only time that has happened. I tend to get distracted easily. 
Well the Penguin showed up in the mail yesterday. Seems like a great little knife so far. Super smooth action, blade nicely centered, 45% or so lockup and the pocket clip is pretty stout. Sits pretty deep in the pocket as well. Not a single fraction of a mm sticks out of the pocket. Came razor sharp. Time will tell how the edge holds and how it sharpens. I don’t have any other Micarta handled knives. Has a nice feel to it. Not as slick as aluminum or titanium but not as grippy as G10. Somewhere nicely in the middle. I got this denim colored one and got the other color too. Forget what they call it but it looked sort of pinkish in the stock photos. In person it is more of a darkish rust color.
If you are looking for something in this size and blade type, give it a try. It doesn’t hurt the wallet too much.
My birthday is coming up soon, and now that I’m working from home rather than in an office I feel like getting a nice (but still budget) knife to fidget with.
My budget is around 60 USD (100 AUD), so unfortunately that rules out a Benchmade 940 or Spyderco PM2 and probably anything shipped from the US. Local laws prohibit automatics and assisted openers.
I’m tempted by the Real Steel G5 Metamorph Mk II, but I’m still looking for inspiration.
Can anyone suggest something’s else fun within those constraints?
The Metamorph is a cool knife but I don’t love aluminum scales. Supposedly, there will be more exclusive G10 versions sometime this year but nobody knows when.
In the meantime, pretty much anything from Civivi will be a good time. Some of the $52 Bestechs are excellent too. I’ve had my eye on the Bestech Texel for a while but I’m not sure I need another knife in D2.
And now for something different.
After a recent outing for the wife’s birthday at her favorite restaurant(Outback), we ran into an issue with their cutlery. The lack of “edge”, coupled with dexterity issues from a stroke, led to sending 1/2 her 12oz steak across the dining area. So I’ve been pursuing a nice, non-tactical looking, folding steak knife to put together a dining out kit. After viewing a $300+ Emerson’s & Takeshi Saji’s, and the slim $100+ Shun that’s been around forever, I came across these guys, at just under $20/ea, that seem to fit the bill. These 8” oal, higonokami style knives that sport a 3.5” 50cr15mov blade with a liner lock, and have a nice hand feel for control. I look forward to trying them out, if or when a restaurant ever opens up for eat in dining again. Also, after poking around AE, I found a 4” folding bread knife to round out the kit.
can you please link the steak knives?
https://barebonesliving.com/collections/dining/products/folding-steak-knife-set
New sign ups get a 20% coupon.
Ordered a Ruike P843W today on ebay, from a trusted seller. I made an offer for $35, and it was accepted. Ships from Virginia, guaranteed to arrive by Monday.
I love Ruike knives about the same as Twosun knives. The P843 is a newer model from late 2019. I am a sucker for a harpoon blade shape.
Thanks Rat_Racer! I really like the look of those steak knife folders. The general design reminds me of the Chris Reeve Mnandi:
