Best Budget Folding Knives

Best Budget Folding Knives

Best BUDGET KNIVES That Are PURE QUALITY

quality budget blades

Some of those in the knife community think that inexpensive or cheap means that a knife isn’t going to be the best of quality. Good news – That couldn’t be further from the truth. Some inexpensive blades have incredible attention to detail. Below is a list of what I believe are the best budget folding knives to date. All of these knives are below $50 as of June 3rd, 2017.

1. Kershaw Cryo

best budget folding knives

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The Kershaw Cryo was the talk-of-the-town in the knife community when it first came out, and for good reason. With a low price and quality construction, this knife has quite the reputation. The Kershaw Cryo is an assisted knife, meaning that when you press on the back flipper, a spring will assist the knife into the locking position. The only real drawback to the Cryo is that the blade steel is a little soft. The Cryo sports a 2.75 inch 8Cr13MoV stainless steel blade. However, this opening and closing the knife is as smooth as butter. If you have never used a SpeedSafe knife by Kershaw before, then you have seriously been missing out.

2. CRKT Tighe Rad

crkt tighe rade folding knife

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The Tighe Rad is a fully functional EDC blade with a dual blade grind. While this knife is a little difficult to sharpen, it feels amazing in my hand. The ergonomics of the handle make this knife great. The blade shape and grind are a good look, but until you have actually had this knife in your hands, then you have no idea what you are missing out on.

3. Buck Bantam BHW

buck bantam knife collection

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The Bantam BHW by Buck Knives is one of the first knives that I have ever bought. The reason that I love the BHW version of the Bantam series is because of the big 3.5 inch stainless steel blade that it sports. The Contoured Injection-Molded Textured Handle gives you a tight grip even when the knife is wet.

4. Kershaw Skyline

kershaw skyline best seller knife

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The Skyline is one of Kershaw’s top selling knives, and for good reason. For a budget knife that is made in the USA, it boasts a 14C28N stainless steel blade that can take a beating. Also the Skyline is extremely thin. I don’t even know that I have in my pocket half the time. This knife is the ultimate folding food preparation knife. It is also quite useful for camping.

5. Spyderco Spy-DK

spyderco spy legendary blade

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This knife is legal almost everywhere in the world. I thought I should add a non-locking knife to the list, and this is the best one that I have ever used. While I am personally not a huge fan on non-locking knives, the Spyderco Spy-DK is one of my favorite knives of all time. It slides perfectly and doesn’t noticeably show in your pocket.

Tanto Blade Advantages

Tanto Blade Advantages

Tanto Blades

-Advantages and Disadvantages-

*Pros & Cons of the Tanto Shape*

       Yes, I am a sucker for the tanto shape and I’m sure many others are as well.  That sexy triangular tipped steel can make a knife look quite awesome and deadly. However, there are some definite tanto blade advantages over say, a spear-point or drop-point edged knife. Unfortunately, due to that triangular shape, tanto blades have some disadvantages as well. While there are more than six advantages and disadvantages, I am going to hit the big three points for each. If you need more information on actual blade geometries of tanto knives, head over to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade#Geometry.

tanto blade example

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Tanto Blade Advantages

1. Tip Strength – This one should be pretty obvious, but due to the triangular shape leading to the tip, the tip has much more reinforcement behind it than a drop-point or spear-point. Unless you plan on regularly stabbing through car doors or using your knife as a shovel, this really shouldn’t play a huge factor. However, if you are using a knife in unorthodox fashion, then a tanto knife is for you. The tanto shape leads well to stab and pry, making it useful for numerous other tasks that most knives probably couldn’t handle. Tanto blades definitely make the cut when it comes to usefulness, ba-dum-tsss…

Gerber Prodigy Tanto Blade

Tanto Edged Knife Case for Gerber Prodigy

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2. Japanese Design – Alright, I have to give a shout out to the Japanese when it comes to knives. Japan manufactures some of the coolest looking knives that I have ever seen. Don’t believe me? Check out this knife and be amazed. The Japanese are also well known for their excellent steels. There are tanto knives made from VG-10 with amazing heat treatments from Japan that are absolutely incredible out there for sale today. Japan also makes a good AUS-8 steel. However, China is quickly joining the globe for the best knife production out there. While there may be excellent knives made everywhere, China has made production so inexpensive and quality to such an impressive value that it will be fun to see who can make the best knives in the near future. In my opinion, Japan is still making the best knives in the game. Tanto blades have pros and cons but most tanto shaped knife advantages are practical. If Al Mar made a tanto shaped knife in VG-10 then I think I would be in heaven. I have a spear point made by Al Mar and it is near perfect. A tanto blade would have made it absolutely perfect, but I can’t complain.

tanto knife by kershaw inc

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3. In The Field Serviceability – Since Tanto blades tend to have two flat edges without much curve, it is easier to sharpen a workable edge if you are in the field and don’t have sharpening equipment with you. This is one of the biggest tanto blade advantages even though they tend get a bad reputation for being impractical. However, this definitely doesn’t mean that sharpening a tanto edged knife is easy as you will see in the disadvantages below. You can sharpen a knife in the field using the edge of your cars glass windows or by bringing a sharpening stone with you. You could also find a flat stone out in the field that could be adequate for sharpening to a working edge.

Tanto Blade Disadvantages

1. Sharpening is a Pain – Since you have two separate bevels, instead of just sharpening one continuous edge, it feels like you are sharpening two knives since you have to switch between which bevel you are sharpening from time to time. However, it is a pretty simple to get a consistent edge on most tanto knives since they don’t tend to have much of a recurve in the blade.

2. Slicing Tasks Can Be More Difficult – Due to the fact that a tanto has two flat edges and almost no belly if you are slicing through a rough material then you probably aren’t going to have as easy of a time as you would with a drop-point or spear-point

.Tanto Blade Advantages

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3. Tanto Blades are Impractical – This goes back to point number one on the tanto blade advantages. If you aren’t planning on stabbing anything or anyone, a different style of blade with better slicing capabilities is much more practical for every day uses. While stabbing into your daily orange at lunch may be fun, slicing it with a drop point knife at the same sharpness would be much easier.

Bottomline

Tanto blades are awesome, but they aren’t very practical for every day uses. However, at I Luv Knives, we get it. You just like showing your knife off to friends while you do little daily tasks like opening letters, cutting meat, or slicing fruit, then a tanto blade will easily manage to complete these tasks. In fact, some of the best budget folding knives tend to have tanto edges. One of the best things about a tanto knife is how versatile they are for most tasks. While they are really made for piercing, using a knife blade shape such as the tanto can really make for a great overall experience.

History Behind The Tanto Edge

The tanto was originally created as a weapon, but throughout the years, it has evolved into a quite versatile knife. While the knife was designed for piercing, stabbing, and slashing, new versions of the tanto knife are great for every day carry. While there tends to be a sharp angle in a tanto edged blade, there are some manufacturers that have taken the liberty of modifying the angle to more of a drop point/tanto blade shape. While the best cheap pocket knife might not have a tanto edge, the blade shape is definitely noteworthy.

benchmade knife with tanto tip advantage

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Typical Uses Of A Tanto Blade

Tanto knives have all sorts of different uses. While many people today use them for every day carry, they have other practical uses as well. Many survival knives use a tanto point. Also, many tactical and fighting blades use a tanto edge as well. In fact, they are one of the types of blades that are most manufactured to date. They have a huge fan base that has developed over the years. Whether you are a fan of tanto blades or not, they are here to stay.

Sheepsfoot Blade Advantages

Sheepsfoot Blade Advantages

Why Would Anyone Want To Buy A Sheepsfoot or Wharncliffe Style Knife?

Short answer: They are Very Practical for Everyday Uses. Sheepsfoot blades have quite a few job-related uses and wharncliffe blades are great for many boating activities. While there are definitely sheepsfoot blade advantages, there are also some disadvantages to this bladeshape that will be discussed as well.

sheepsfoot blade advantages

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Sheepsfoot Blade Advantages

 

They Are Great For Carving Tasks

Have you ever been bored and had a knife on you with a stick nearby? Chances are, at one point you decided to carve that stick into a spear or other wooden creation. Well, many wharncliffe and sheepsfoot blades have a large belly portion that doesn’t curve upward to a pointy tip, allowing for a knife with excellent carving capabilities. Some wharncliffe knives have recurves built into them in order to allow for better slicing.

It’s Difficult To Accidentally Pierce Yourself

This is definitely one of the biggest sheepsfoot blade advantages. Anyone who uses a knife daily has most likely accidentally either stabbed or cut themselves. Well, since there isn’t a menacing tip on the end of a sheepsfoot or wharncliffe knife, badly stabbing yourself is pretty difficult to accomplish. There are some wharncliffe and sheepsfoot blades that do have sharp tips, but they are usually modified. A traditional sheepsfoot knife does not have a very sharp tip because of the smooth curve that transitions into the tip.

Works Perfectly Rescue Situations

Since there usually isn’t much of a tip, if any at all, sheepsfoot/wharncliffe blades are perfect for rescue/emergency situations. For example, if an EMT needed to cut an article of clothing off of someone in order to save their life, a sheepsfoot blade could cut through the clothing without much risk of accidentally stabbing the person.

sheepsfoot and wharncliffe knife

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Sheepsfoot Blade Disadvantages

1. Most sheepsfoot/wharncliffe style knives don’t have much of a tip. If you regularly need to pierce and cut different materials, these styles of knives probably aren’t going to be the best options. However, there are exceptions to every rule, take this knife or perhaps this one for example. Those knives are modified wharncliffe-style blades with very devastating-looking tips.

2. The sheepsfoot shape does not lend itself to being the greatest at cutting food. Since most blades curve up to a tip, you can have your knife at a slight angle and rock the knife from tip to handle as you are cutting food. This is difficult with a sheepsfoot or wharncliffe because you have to have the blade relatively flat against a material in order to slice it.

3. Many Models Seem More Tacti-cool, rather than practical. For example, this knife. If tacti-cool/mall ninja status is what you are going for, well, you’re welcome. If not, then stick to a more classical wharncliffe or sheepsfoot blade like the image below and steer clear of the modified ones.

benefits of a sheepsfoot knife

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Bottomline

Both sheepsfoot and wharncliffe blades usually don’t have much of a tip and can be very useful for carving, slicing, and rescue activities. They are very practical for most everyday uses. There are much more sheepsfoot blade advantages as opposed to disadvantages in our own personal opinions here at I Luv Knives.

About Us

About Us

About Us

I Luv Knives is home to some of the best knife information, knife tips and blade reviews on the internet. It was started by one guy who became absolutely addicted to finding the perfect knife, but slowly realized that there is no such thing as perfect, but instead, there are just tons of really great knives that deserve to be talked about.

On this site, we ransacked the internet looking for nothing but the most awesome and practical knives that are available and put it all into one easy and convenient location for you which is right here!

None of the knives or gear linked to from this website are sold by us, however, we do receive a small commission for many of the items when purchased by our visitors.

Were constantly on the hunt for great new knives and gear all the time, so make sure to check back regularly and enjoy your stay!

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Best Cheap Pocket Knife

Best Cheap Pocket Knife

The Absolute Best Affordable Pocket Knife

Now, before you get your panties in a bunch. Yes, I get that there will be a ton of knife nuts that come here while playing with their $1000 S30V Custom Auto Folding Knife and say, That isnt even close to the best knife ever made! Calm down, read the title again, and then continue. The knife below is what I believe to be the absolute best cheap pocket knife that you can have for under $15. No, it doesnt have a super steel. No, it isnt made in the United States. Yes, it does look like a blatant rip-off of a Chris Reeves Sebenza. All of that aside, this is hands-down, the best cheap pocket knife under $15. I present to you, the Sanrenmu 710.

best cheap pocket knife

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This knife is wonderful for the money. As of today, June 4th 2016, this knife can be purchased on Amazon for $12.99. It is worth every single penny that I paid for it and I paid even more. For those who arent in the knife collecting community, Sanrenmu is a Chinese knife producer that has been around for a while now.

Definitely The Best Cheap Pocket Knife

I heard somewhere that they are actually the manufacturers of the Spyderco Tenacious, one of the best EDC (every day carry) knives out there, but that is just a rumor and I dont actually know if it is true or not. Either way, the quality to price ratio for this particular knife is outstanding. I actually own three (and bought 2 more that I have away as gifts), simply because they are such good knives for the money.

sanrenmu 710 knife review

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The knife weighs 3.1 oz and has a blade length of 2.8 inches, which is perfect for EDC. This knife has an 8Cr13Mov blade steel. It feels virtually weightless in your pocket. The tolerances are quite incredible for how inexpensive it is. The frame lock that this knife sports is quite hefty, despite the relatively light weight. I cant think of another blade that has all of these features at this price-point (except maybe the Cold Steel Finn Wolf), and for that reason alone, I believe that it is the best affordable pocket knife on the market today.

Awesome Blades & Unique Looking Knives

Awesome Blades & Unique Looking Knives

Here Are Five of the Most Awesome Blades and Unique Looking Knives That Man Has Ever Created. (Also They Are Completely Mall-Ninja Knives)

 

1. Edge of Sanity Full Tang Knife

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Ever needed a knife with a handguard, glass breaker, serrations, and a saw all at the same time? No? Me either. But, dont get me wrong, this thing looks awesome. With an overall length of 14.50 inches and a blade length of 8.25 inches, this thing is essentially a small sword. While this knife looks completely useless, it is quite fun to take out into the woods and practice splitting wood and other soft materials. I wouldnt recommend this knife for anyone who is looking for the utmost quality, but this list is mostly just for fun, so dont take any of the knives on this list as serious contenders for an every day carry knife. I couldnt think of anyone who would want to carry this big chunk of steel around every day anyway.

2. Golden Assisted Stiletto

golden stiletto

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Here is another mall-ninja type of knife. This is definitely a unique blade. It is supposed to be a Scarface knife, but I doubt you will be scaring anyone up with this guy. This thing looks and feels awesome, but has the most flimsy liner-lock that I have ever witnessed. I have almost cut myself with this item numerous amounts of times. Beware, if you decide to get one of these awesome blades, you will have the urge to stab things, but I warn you not to. The blade will fold up on you if you apply too much pressure on the lock. The gold coat doesnt wear off easily though and this would be an awesome blade to have underneath a glass case.

3. TAC Force Chain Knife

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No awesome mall-ninja knife list would be complete without putting a TAC Force knife into it. TAC Force makes some of the most awesome blades that tons of people buy and the quality is always hit or miss. With this knife in particular, I was actually surprised by the quality. I would actually carry this blade on a day to day basis. It definitely wouldnt last as long as my other, higher quality knives, but the construction is quite solid for a TAC Force knife. Also, this knife is bound to get some compliments if your friends are into knives. The Faux-chain on the back of the knife looks quite nice and the handle is actually decently comfortable to hold. Good job on this one TAC Force, maybe some day you can get your other knives up to this quality.

4. Spear Point Assisted Knife

awesome knife

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I couldnt think of a more pointless knife, I mean, this knife only has a point. If making a useless knife wasnt enough, the manufacturer of this knife also decided to add assisted opening to it. Just like as with the above stiletto, this knife also has an absolutely terrible liner-lock. Terrible quality, completely useless, and totally awesome, this item has mall-ninja written all over it. Awesome blades unique looking knives it definitely is. The blade is so small, I dont know if I can legally consider it to be a knife. Bottom line, if you like wasting money, then you will love this knife.

5. CRKT Heiho

slicing knife edge

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Alright, alright, I can see serious knife nuts cringing at this list So I decided to add one completely bad-ass and high quality knife. The CRKT Heiho comes razor sharp straight out of the box. The polished G10 handle looks great and feels amazing in your hand. I love this knife. CRKT has a custom locking system called LAWKS, which makes it a lot more difficult for the knife to accidentally close on you. If you like stabbing into lots of random items around the house, then you will love this knife. My favorite thing about these awesome blades is the clip. The clip is super low profile and sits really deep in your pocket, so nobody will know that you are carrying a knife. If you have the money, then the CRKT Heiho is worth every penny.

Top 5 Inexpensive Folding Knives

Top 5 Inexpensive Folding Knives

Top 5 Inexpensive Folding Knives For EDC

Below is a list of my personal favorite and best inexpensive folding knives, all of which can be bought for less than $30. There are many quality knives with a Sub-$30 price tag, but the knives below I feel deserve special recognition.

1. Ontario Rat Model 1

rat model one knife

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Of course no inexpensive folding knives list would be complete without noting the almighty Rat Model 1 from Ontario. With 3.5 of AUS-8 Steel for a blade and a very comfortable nylon handle, that’s enough reason to take interest. However, don’t just consider the fact that I am interested, consider the fact that this knife has had a 5 star rating on Amazon for years now. I’ve gone camping with this knife numerous amounts of times and am pleased with how well its flat ground, satin finished blade slices through just about anything you would reasonably cut with a knife. This knife is the standard for other budget folding knives. Its buttery-smooth manual opening and closing is truly a treat.

2. CRKT Drifter

top inexpensive folding knives

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Next up on the list is none other than the CRKT Drifter. This knife can be a tricky purchase since it has two different versions, a stainless steel handled version and a G10 version. I highly recommend the G10 version over the stainless steel because the slick handle on the stainless steel will slip right out of sweaty or wet hands. With a 3-inch blade and solid liner lock, this knife fits perfectly into an every day carry role. The Drifter also has a gorgeous Titanium Gray finish on the blade. I wouldn’t recommend this purchase for someone with larger hands, but if you have small to medium sized hands, there is much to love about the Drifter.

3. Kershaw Cryo

kershaw cryo blade

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Do you like assisted knives? Then you will love the Kershaw Cryo. With a 2.75 blade and Kershaws SpeedSafe assisted opening system, this blade flies out as soon as you press down on the flipper or thumbstud. This is one of Kershaws most purchased knives, and for good reason. There aren’t a whole lot of inexpensive folding knives with a frame lock and lockbar stabilizer at under $30, but somehow Kershaw can still make one and turn a profit. If you have heard about this knife before and considered purchasing, all I can say is you wont regret it.

4. Gerber EZ Out

gerber ez out blade

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Okay, first off the review on this knife is going to be quite bias. While it may not be the most popular knife, this is my personal favorite inexpensive EDC (every day carry) knife of all time. No, its not pretty. No, it doesn’t have any fancy assisted opening system or Titanium coating. Yes, it is very plain looking, but hear me out. This is one of the most comfortable inexpensive folding knives that I have ever had in my large hands. It is truly a pleasure to open and close with an authoritative click! every time you flick it out to use it. I have been using an completely abusing this knife for over ten years. I love trying and using different inexpensive folding knives, but this knife always seems to come back into my pocket over the years. The only reason that I didnt make this knife the first on my list is for the fact that most people would stop reading immediately if they saw this knife in the number 1 spot. I recommend this knife to anyone who wants a knife that always seems to get the job done, even though it may not be the prettiest looking knife.

5. Spyderco Byrd Cara Cara 2

spyderco byrd cara cara 2 knife

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The Byrd line is Spydercos budget or inexpensive folding knives line. Don’t fret though, just because these are inexpensive knives, doesn’t mean that Spyderco made dramatic changes in quality. While the US, Japanese, and Taiwanese knives manufactured by Spyderco have absolutely incredible standards of quality, their Chinese made knives are better than most other knives that you can find at their price-point. The Byrd Cara Cara 2 is made in China and has a 3.75 blade made from 8Cr13MoV stainless steel. The knife is 5.6 ounces but surprisingly feels like there is nothing in your pocket when you are carrying it. For me, the handle is the only drawback, as it has some sharp edges that don’t feel great after you have been cutting something for a long period of time. However, many people love it and it is definitely one of the better inexpensive folding knives with superior quality, so it deserves a place on the list.