One of the best tools you can add to your EDC is a folding pocket knife. Along with generating light and making a fire, a sharp edge is one of the things human beings don’t naturally produce or easily come by. Adding one to your kit means cutting down on the time spent on daily tasks, from opening a package to preparing food, even working on a hobbies like whittling or working with paracord.
One thing a knife doesn’t have to be is expensive. Modern manufacturing techniques and the availability of quality materials means there’s never been a better time to invest in a great knife without breaking the bank. Inexpensive doesn’t mean cheap!
The best budget knives…
- Use good materials. Many common steels competently hold an edge and sharpen easier than their more expensive counterparts. Common as they are, G-10 handles are actually unparalleled in terms of weight and toughness!
- Stand out among their peers. In spite of their price point, these knives have unique features often found in their higher-priced counterparts. Even the most affordable Spydercos and Benchmades bear the trademarks of their creator, like the Spydie hole and the AXIS lock.
- Are built to last. Our picks for 2015 weren’t released this year, but their reliability in the hands of daily carriers made them timeless.
Under $15
Opinel No6 Carbon Knife
The Opinel No6 with its 2.875″ blade takes all the classy, carbon steel goodness of Opinel’s inexpensive knives and packs it into a useful and non-threatening size. You get the same high-carbon, razor-sharp X90 steel, beechwood handles, and Vibrobloc safety ring in a compact package you can easily slip into a pocket until needed. For all these reasons, it earned a spot in our first 15 Under $15 list of affordable gear (be sure to check out our second 15 Under $15 if you’re looking for essentials to round out your carry on a budget!).
Under $50
Kershaw Cryo
Kershaw as a manufacturer came out of nowhere, making top-notch knives for a fraction of the cost of their competitors. The Cryo fast became one of their most popular models by bringing high-end knife design, fit, and finish to a wider audience. Robustly built, it’s designed by distinguished knifemaker Rick Hinderer. For quick deployment, its SpeedSafe flipper mechanism is a pleasure to use. Its handles with integrated framelock keeps things light and locked in. There are few knives out there that look this good with this many features at this price.
Victorinox Alox Cadet
To no one’s suprise, the Alox Cadet is one of the most recommended Swiss Army Knives in our forum. It has the legendary Victorinox quality, a surgical-sharp blade, and attractive aluminum handles that come in many colors. It’s thin, light, and does many things flawlessly with its solid complement of tools. Best of all is its low price, making it once of the best value EDC knives — and multitools! — in the market.
Spyderco Persistence
No, not the Tenacious, but for good reason. The Persistence features the Tenacious’ best features: 8Cr13MoV steel blade, milled G-10 handle, skeletonized steel liners, and trademark Spydie hole. The difference is in its length — a 2.75″ blade means better compliance to local laws around the world. If you have bigger hands or need the extra cutting length, however, the Tenacious is still a viable option. Otherwise, the Persistence makes for a great value entry-level blade.
Under $100
Benchmade 556 Mini Griptilian
The Mini Griptilian features everything great about Benchmade’s manufacturing and design. It has a useful drop point blade made of tough 154CM steel. Its ambidextrous Valox handles also give superior strength and stiffness while providing its namesake grip, and feature the trademark AXIS lock favored by many knife enthusiasts. It has the pedigree, features, and quality of its bigger brothers without the bigger price.
There are a lot of great budget knives out there that we couldn’t fit on this list. What’s your favorite? Tell us about it in the comments below!
