When it comes to picking out an everyday carry knife of your own, it can be all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you have to spend a lot of money to get a quality product. While you can certainly get a great knife design featuring premium materials at higher price points, it’s simply incorrect to dismiss all knives that don’t cost a pretty penny as somehow not deserving of your attention. It’s entirely possible to get a quality affordable EDC blade with all the features and performance you need without having to break your budget. Better yet, because these knives don’t cost an arm and a leg, it’s less likely you’ll fall into the other trap when it comes to EDC knives: being too afraid to actually use your blade.
Whether you’re just starting out in the world of EDC and you’re looking for the best cheap knife, or you’re a seasoned vet looking for a beater backup knife or just something new, there’s plenty of options out there in 2021. To help you along in your search, we’ve put together this guide which rounds up some of the best budget knives that you can have in your pocket right around $50 today.

CRKT CEO Pocket Knife
Purchase
CIVIVI Elementum Pocket Knife
Purchase
Gerber Flatiron D2 Pocket Knife
Purchase
CJRB Swaggs Maileah Pocket Knife
Purchase
SOG Terminus XR Pocket Knife
Purchase
Opinel No. 9 Carbon Pocket Knife
Purchase
CRKT Pilar III Pocket Knife
Purchase
Kershaw Random Leek Pocket Knife
Purchase
Spyderco Tenacious Lightweight Pocket Knife
Purchase
QSP Penguin Pocket Knife
Purchase