ALL THINGS BUDGET KNIVES

A couple of assisted openers you might want to look at, the Kershaw Chive - small but very quick opening and the Ganzo G620 - I have six of them (one in each style) and only one wouldn’t open by the spring, a strip and clean had it opening as normal.

Enlan EL-01 flipper, with a flick of the wrist opens fine, EL-04MCT I can open by the weight of the blade, it didn’t come like that, a clean and omega spring adjustment, it surprised me how quick it could open.

If the friction is too high then adjust the pivot and give it a few drops of oil, stripping and cleaning makes a big difference, more so if you take the time to flatten the washers, the scales and blade where they bear with wet/dry. The pivot can usually be got to a sweet spot where it’s free but without blade play.

Make sure the spring is free to move without binding on scales or liners, some manufacturers put too much grease in with the spring and it gets sticky.

Then there's this thread ...

If you are looking for an assisted blade, the Kershaw Speed Bump 1595G10 is very tough to beat. It will open flipper only or wrist only. It was USA made with Sandvik steel (this is my preferred version and I still carry one years later) blades but is now made in China with a blade made of 8cr13mov and it’s still under $30 delivered.

The best big budget folders that I own are the Lansky Responder, Boker Uolcos and Spyderco Resilience . All are 4 inches or more. All will open with just a flick.

I guess budget knife is a relative term. I am far enough along my knife collector journey to have it really bad for the designs of Hinderers, Striders, Medfords as well as the art of custom handle work in the likes of TuffThumbz.

Way too much time spent on Usual Suspects Network forum I suppose.

But at this stage I am not about to drop $500-1200 on a custom knife. So to me, a really well done $75-120 Chinese manufactured Kevin John is a budget knife if it delivers a near experience or close performance.

With that said, I would recommend folks take a look at the earlier designed faux Strider SMF double gunner grip to get that custom feel. Like the Praetorian,…it just feels like quality when you hold it, solid lock up, holds an edge well…and has that nice snap when you open it.

I am a big fan of the Kershaw Cryo II, but you will need to check your local laws for spring assited opening knives

Many years ago when I hunted a variety of big game in the US and Alaska I would read about a custom knife that would gut, and skin multiple big game animals without sharpening and still shave the hairs on your arm. I bought knives that claimed that and some factory knives that the writers touted, but never found a knife that would do as claimed.
Finally after spending a fair amount money, for the 60’s and 70’s I decided that the best course of action for me was to get knives that would hold an edge about as well as the rest, and carry a small 6 inch steel in my back pack to touch it up. Accordingly, I settled on a two bladed Camillus M 26 folding hunter.
After field dressing and skinning many deer, antelope, a couple of moose, and elk, sheep, goats and a couple of bears, I never looked back. It is on my shelf with a lot of other knives, but if I were to go on a big game hunt anywhere for anything that is the knife I would be carrying.

I have a good friend who used to make knives. He made them from commercial saw blades. He would not charge for them, and did not finish the blades, but left them black like the saw blades. He had letters for friends for whom he had made some who reported several big game animals processed in the field and that the knives would still shave. He made me several, and I would not part with them. If I mentioned a type of knife I wanted, just in passing, he showed up in time with such a knife and beautiful sheaths. I like sheaths that cover almost the complete knife, and snap. BUT, I did not find that they did not need touching up in the field, although they held their edges as well as any other knife.

So if one likes knives, and I do, then go for what suits you, but I will only believe the “don’t need sharpening” hype when I see it.

Several years ago, when the Sanrenmu knives began to be imported I bought a couple of their 710’s. One of the knife forums had mods and members who thought it was blasphemy to buy them since they were a copy of Chris Reeve’s knives. It mattered not that I was not going to buy a several hundred dollar knife in any case, they just almost banned me from the forum. None of that bothered me, and I like some of the Sanrenmu knives. :slight_smile: I have also found the Rough Rider pocket knives to be fine for me. I carry a small canoe knife along with my AAA edc light in my pocket and find it useful.

Jerry

When I use to help dad skin deer, we used custom rock blade knives. The knives were sharp for skinning but would not pierce the hide.

I really appreciated your back-story. Wish we saw more of that storytelling here and all the various forums.

You wrote: "Several years ago, when the Sanrenmu knives began to be imported I bought a couple of their 710’s. One of the knife forums had mods and members who thought it was blasphemy to buy them since they were a copy of Chris Reeve’s knives. It mattered not that I was not going to buy a several hundred dollar knife in any case, they just almost banned me from the forum. None of that bothered me, and I like some of the Sanrenmu knives."

My Dad spent 43 years working in the same 3'-square space as a machinist with Bethlehem Steel (not counting his service on a PT boat in the Pacific theater of WW II.) For him, then me, any tool (used at work, used at home, used for recreation - guns, knives, ball gloves, etc.) was an ultra-valuable item. It should be researched, recommended, spot-on for the task expected of it, used carefully and only for its intended purpose, cleaned, maintained and stored well. I am holding a razor-sharp, perfectly functional, gorgeous folding hunting knife, my Dad's, acquired in the 1930s.

Seems to me that I can employ the above "tool philosophy" without regard to country of origin (as I did when I bought my 1986 Acura Legend and then 5 more). I also respect the rights of others to incorporate subjective criteria (protectionism, intellectual property in clones, absolute skepticism about product claims, etc.) into their purchasing decisions. However, if they do so in discussions - namely, forums and blogs - about the "tools" themselves, and especially if they use innuendo, non-facts, misrepresentations, snobbery or other childish behavior, then I either leave that forum/discussion (I have entirely abandoned a particular flashlight forum) or attempt to reinvigorate the discussion back to the "tools." I have grown weary and intolerant of professional discussion derailers.

Back to storytelling in this thread... I for one would like to read about your history with budget knives!

Thanks, TB. I don’t have all that much to tell. It is important, however, as you well know to take good care of tools. I recall on a hunt for Dall Sheep in Alaska, I was stationed there from 1960 - 1964, a friend and I were together, and he killed a ram. Somehow he had lost his knife He borrowed mine. I always sharpened my knives so that I could take an individual hair on the back of my hand and snip it without pressure or moisture on it. My friend cleaned and caped his sheep, and when he paused he took my knife and thrust it blade first into the ground. Imagine all the small stones, dirt, etc. that the blade encountered. I saw a “little red” and took my knife away from him. I also had a pocket knife of the type issued, and with several tools like a SAK. I gave it to him, and before he was through he had loosened the blade on that one. He sure was
was tough on knives. :slight_smile:

He remains still one of my best friends, and although we live from S NM to Va apart, we talk and compare notes often. BUT he never borrowed one of my hunting knives again.:frowning:

Jerry

I'm not buying anything good until my kids quit borrowing stuff .

This copy of the beautiful Microtech Whaleshark just might be my next purchase.

Just love the design, carbon fiber handles, big swedge and sweep on the blade, flipper.

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Microtech-Marfione-Custom-Knife-Whaleshark-Flipper-folding-knife-Carbon-fiber-TC4-Handle-Titanium-Liners-Hand-Rubbed/508931_1958230692.html

Wish it had a deeper pocket clip…and I think i would have to flame treat the blue back spacer…but all else seems perfect.

Wow, KS, that is a gorgeous knife! Do it!

I wish you folks who provide pictures or links of stunning knives available only at AliExpress have some compassion for those few of us who can't receive anything from any of their stores. My home State has no escrow services for AE.

Any of the larger Cold Steel knives can be inertia opened, the Voyager XL Tanto having a thicker and slightly heavier blade than its flat ground siblings is very good. Spyderco knives are popular for the Spydy drop, hold the blade and snap the handle out which can also be done on the Buck 110.

As a rule of thumb, a 4” blade with a liner or frame lock should have enough blade mass compared to retention strength to inertia open.

You might be able to do it with a Timber Rattler Scarab.

That’s an 8 and a bit inch long blade. Made in Pakistan so probably a no name stainless, the pivot is a bit too small for the blade size, and I don’t think it has much of a heat treatment, but for Crocodile Dundee’s pocket knife it’s mercifully cheap at about $15-$25 plus postage.

^ Now that's a knife. Thanks for sharing. Something about the picture gives me a sensation of motion. Maybe the crazy proportions and the reflections of the venetian blinds on the table.

@jerm03: I agree. I believe that the most important part of any knife is learning how to sharpen it. There is no magic steel. Long time between sharpening means long time spent sharpening, Knowing that, I can be happy with just about any blade steel so long as I can keep it sharp.

Roger that.:slight_smile:
Jerry

I have this knife, it’s a decent quality budget knife.
I bought it because I really liked the blade shape and machined G10 handles, it turned out to be pretty good quality for a truly budget price.
8CR13 Blade steel (supposedly a decent quality Hi Carbon steel)

$15 from several sellers on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Meyerco-Darrel-Ralph-7-1-8-Spring-Assisted
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Meyerco-MAXX-Q-Assisted-Opening-Linerlock
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Meyerco-Darrel-Ralph-Maxx-Q-Assisted-Opening

Pro’s:

  • Low price
  • Spring assisted opening
  • Blade steel 8CR13 Stainless
  • Nice CNC machined G10 handles
  • Nice lockup and nearly zero blade play
  • Sturdy, useful & cool looking blade shape
  • Blade is very thick all the way towards the tip
  • Lightweight because there are no metal liners

Cons:

  • No “Flipper” on the spine of blade for opening
  • Thumb wheel (instead of studs)
  • Clip is thin & not “Deep Carry”
  • Knife is overall kind of thick

It’s not my EDC but I thought it was worth mentioning here since it is truly budget priced but way better quality than the M-Tech/Tac-Force type stuff.
I thought someone else here might like the design/shape, which is why I was drawn to it.

I have a lot of Kershaws plus some SRM and Ganzo that I EDC, but it makes a great truck knife or backup knife for utility use if I’m going to beat it up when I don’t want to risk messing up my EDC.

As many knives as I have in the collection,…I keep going back often to the Spyderco Ambitious for daily work/office carry. It is one of those big…little knives. A lot a blade and capability in a small package. It is the little brother to the widely popular Tenacious (which everyone should own).

I ran across this guy that made custom scales for his Ambitious and selling on the Bay. I can’t justify throwing $75 down right now….but it sure is tempting. If it had a custom wire clip,…I would probably have pulled the trigger on it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Spyderco-Ambitious-C148GP-with-Custom-Steel-Scales-/321654293038?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae417022e

Hi guys, I’m into budget knive too!!
Would like to buy some Kershaw (now I have 4 original items) because they are nice knives and cheap, but the shipping cost kill me. Buy it in euros is a pain in the ass (Kershaw Chill 12$ in USA, aka 20 euros + 10 euros shipping cost!). Same think with Ontario Rat 1 and so many other well know brand.
So, the question: maybe do you know some place very I can find some nice Kershaw not so clone/copy/crappy? Amazon don’t sell knives in Italy. Ebay have shipping cost/duty too high. I have buy from Exduct and Fasttech…thank you so much!

I don’t know nothing about it, but it seem have the same blade of Kershaw Chill. BTW, it look very nice:

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