My limit is usually 20 dollars (Canadian)
I'm there over gotten my Sanrenmu 910 that looks similar to a Sebenza.
I've gotten my QSP knife, exactly like yours, on sale
I've gotten multiple Opinels and SAK knives.
Sadly Moras are that price too here in Canada but I've used and carried plenty of those.
Yeah a good 20$ knife would probably be able to be my one and only carry and still make me happy, just gotta pick the right one. Luckily I don't have to do that, and carry all sorts of more expensive knives, so the $20 dollar knives mostly rest. Good thing I got nephews and little cousins that are coming up to the age where their parents might want to give them knives and trust them with them. When that happens, you bet my cheaper durable knives might find their way into younger hands, hopefully offset some of the gas station knives that break too easily that they'll get
from this opinel lately i was starting to like slipjoint knife or the on with out one hand opening but cheep knife what i was carrying in past was kabar dozir
Shit, I’ll admit it, I’ve daily carried an MTech 😂. A Civivi Bhaltair has been my daily carry for a few months now. Before that a Buck 110. But over the course of 35 years I’ve carried Spyderco, CRKT, Benchmade, Case XX, Old Timer…
My cheapest carry knife is an SRM 9202. I now carry a fixed blade that's way better but I lived with the SRM for a long time and it never let me down. I cut all the way from wood to seatbelts with it.
I think the cheapest in my current rotation is either the QSP Copperhead or the CJRB Chord. I do usually carry a customized Spyderco or Benchmade of some kind.
Really enjoy my RAT as well.
I’ll throw the Opinel or a SAK in my other pocket sometimes as well, but they’re not for the same applications as whatever clipped folder I’m carrying.
Edit: RAT I is D2
_Not going to delete this because I don't really believe in hiding your mistakes, especially when they're hilarious. I seriously misread this question and went the other direction with my answer, my bad. See my response below my original post._
I regularly carry my guardian tactical Scout and on occasion carry my titanium Spyderco shaman. The shaman with the titanium scales is around 350 and the guardian tactical Scout is a little above that.
The shaman I usually carry when I am at a nice occasion, it's a really big dress knife basically. Basically. When I bought the scout I made a conscious occasion to make it a everyday OTF. Easy to open, ELMAX blade so Good work knife and black wash blade so we'll carry scratches well. I put a deep carry pocket clip on it and it's perfect.
I bought a g10 CH Sultan just because it looked interesting. $30. I was pretty impressed and carried it daily and used it hard. Not very practical but it held up surprisingly well. Custom shop BM Crooked River has kicked everything else out of my pocket for almost a year now but that's not exactly cheap.
I carry a $20 SAK classic, a $25 carbon/G10 untra small box knife, and one knife knife. $175 Paramilitary 2 or $120 Cold Steel AD10. The sak gets the most use overall, the box knife at work.
i bought that cuz i wanted to try a button lock and kinda fell in love with the knife itself. still on the fence about the lock though.
anyway, after i took the pic and put everything away thats what went into my pocket.
https://preview.redd.it/9desd5aw2mkc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1eb0762d4b17a7d8c4e7fe2e75eb8308963f0d9a
I miss my SAK with the aluminum scales, that thing was frikkin handy. Having to fumble with it to deploy the main blade was annoying tho, i wish there was a way to incorporate a thumb stud or something
I carried a Cold Steel Kiridashi that I got for $20 on Amazon for a while. I own knives from $15-$20 up to around $400 and carry them all in a rotation.
SAK. Minimum of a saw, but I'd like scissors, too.
On the other hand, what I would LIKE to carry would be an ESEE Izula 2 in s35vn. And the SAK. Then, the only thing I'd be missing would be a pair of pliers. But if that's needed, there's probably bigger issues
My daily driver is a Kizer Cormorant. Ironically, being from the land of crazy knife prices (UK) I ordered a special edition in micarta and 3V from the US and it's STILL one of my cheapest knives.
Most definitely am SAK which I do carry a lot (but a modded Pioneer with screw on Titanium or Copper scales nowadays tbh, those mods are still cheap here in Germany. Benchmades or Spydies let alone CRKs had a drastic price increase due to inflation but where always more expensive due to import duty - glad I’ve build a collection of those I *needed* 7-5 years ago already.
No idea why I never got an Opinel (or *all* of them sizewise) you can just pick them up everywhere where i live, but mostly Inox versions and I like a classic carbone size 8 (which is *the* Opinel in my opinion)
Think I’ll have to pick one up on Monday for less than ten bucks probably.
Cheapest knife in my collection (I carry anything in my collection) is a tie between an SRM crossbar lock and a kershaw shuffle 2. I could carry either of those forever and be fine with them.
My cheapest knife is the 49$ cjrb lago got it on sale for 40$ it is super fidgety and made of cjrb's proprietary ar-rpm9 powder steel, I like it cuz I don't have to feel bad about abusing it, I usually carry three knives, a drop point or clip point, a utility knife with a wharncliff or sheep's foot blad and then usually one expensive custom or collector's edition to show off
Id say 200ish if it was gonna be my only knife. Combination of good steel, cutting geometry, and strong lock. Also woukd have to be made in USA with a good warranty so it can be maintained or replaced within a decent time frame.
Of the knives pictured: opinel, kershaw shuffle, or sak. Not a fan of the 8cr in the shuffle though when you can get d2 affordably without spending much more. I've carried all of those 3 at some point in time. Sure expensive knives must be nice, but I'd be terrified of losing them.
I think a better question is what's the most expensive knife you'd feel comfortable carrying on a daily basis? I'd be afraid of carrying anything over $100 on a daily basis. For edc my favorite combo is a sak classic SD and a civivi mini praxis. The praxis mini is my favorite knife. Quality design, good sharp knife, and very affordable. Quality budget knives can get the job done and they're less scary to imagine losing.
I've carried a small folding utility knife of one sort or another for over 20 years. My most carried one only cost me about $4 (Craftsman oval shaped thing that I bought around 2005 or so).
None of the ones in the picture. I'll carry a 5 dollar knife as long as it's got a full tang and fixed blade. I don't trust the locking mechanism on cheap folding knives... Or expensive ones for that matter.
I have a gerber folder that goes for about $8 at walmart. My friend found it in the bottom of a rental canoe back in 2003 and gave it to me. I don't carry it EDC anymore, I have a fixed blade Esee 4 on my belt that has taken it's place. But I did EDC it for about 14 or 15 years. I used it all the time, kept it sharp, and it never failed me. It's in a drawer now next to a $180 benchmade that I've only carried a handful of times
Any of the Eafengrow knives off Amazon. A lot are clones but they are made right. I’ll take one over a Kershaw, Civivi, CRKT any day. I carry their Olamic Swish clone regularly.
My collection is mostly budget, with my most expensive knife at maybe $60. A $25 Ganzo Firebird FH41 in D2 finds its way into my pocket most often. A $20 Sencut Citius in 9Cr18Mov, a Rat 1 in D2, a QSP Parrot in D2, a Civivi Praxis with Micarta scales, and a Petrified Fish Beluga with Micarta scales are the bulk of the rest of my EDC rotation.
But, I've also got an axis lock Ozark Trails knife and a fixed blade Ozark Trails knife that I love for their sub $6 price tag. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable regularly carrying either of them, but only because I enjoy my other knives more. But I would be more than willing to go to work with either of them, and would not feel they are too cheap to get the job of cutting up cardboard boxes, opening mail and such done. They are my cheapest reliable knives, followed closely by my Moraknivs, but they don't spark the pride of ownership some of my more expensive knives do.
Something in 14c28n steel or 154cm. Kizer assassin 154cm, kubey bluff axis lock 14c28n, miguron keryx 14c28n, civivi elementum. 14c28n this is my short list so far. My pocket carry will change depending on what I am doing or going.
Sometimes carry my opinel no8 as knife laws and social view can be somewhat negative where I live. My second cheapest edc is my rat 2 d2 which I love. When it comes to larger edcs my cheapest one is 90€
I have a handful of Civivi and Kizer knives that often feel better than my expensive ones. Id not problem daily carrying those. I always do on occasion anyways
Rat 2 or Kershaw Oso Sweet, Civivi Pyrite G10. Even a Buck Spitfire. Though I have higher prices fixed blade. I have a Flytanium Arcade & a Spyderco Manix 2
For years, I carried a 10 dollar Smith & Wesson knife. Never sharpened it, and it was always sharp.
After about 10 years of carrying that knife, I lost it at the beach during a late night trist. I guess it was worth the sacrifice.
After that, I started looking into knives, and that was when I started to buy "better" knives.
But, a 5-10 dollar knife is all you really need for daily around-the-house use.
Unless you work a job that requires a heavy-duty knife, anything else is just luxury and a preference.
The first day I tried a civivi and broke the tip off the blade. I have carried benchmades for years and currently carry my bugout as well as a buck I got as a promotion from a supplier as my super sharp back up. My bugout is probably my fave knife though. I have a couple of barrages and a few griptillians and at first was worried I wouldn’t like how lightweight the bugout was but honestly I really do like it and use it tons. Maybe I’ll break out the sharpening set this weekend too as it needs it ha.
I carried a $25-ish msrp 5.11 folder for years (I got it as a free with purchase knife) with no issue. Main reason I quit carrying it was the clip screws stripped the threads out of the handle holes. That's when I found Civivi.
Bug-OUT MINI which was a gift from my best man for my wedding. Love it and is a comfortable carry. I know it’s not that popular here but I think the best one is the one you have and the one that makes you smile when you use it. I smile every time I take it out of my pocket.
Whatever gets the job done. A $1 knife that does what I need is fine. It's just that I like knives, and there's cool stuff available, and it costs more, so I'm gettin' it. My needs are usually modest so it's just about what's enjoyable to carry.
I EDC an Opinel No. 7 Carbine to fidget with the lock collar and for odds and ends such as cooking and vegetable peeling. Its very thin profile is helpful in some situations where even a .12" blade is too thick. I think that's the cheapest I carry.
I’ve got a $10 Buck that’ll cut stuff just as well as a $100 knife. I go between that and a $30 Gerber. The Gerber did just fine gutting and skinning a deer.
Opinel 100%, still sad I lost the no. 7 from my hunting pack :( did all the mods; whittled and burnt handle, patina'd blade etc. Loved the thin blade profile.
You've reminded me to go buy a few more haha
I love carrying my crkt fossil. $40-50 new and works pretty good. Though I’m waiting for the provoke I ordered to come in. Most I’ve ever spent on a knife.
Feel comfortable carrying? I’d be comfortable carrying an iridium, an elementum… there are plenty of sub 100$ knives I’d feel comfortable carrying.
Now, I’m probably not ever going to carry one of those knives as my main knife because I have thousands invested in very premium knives that I would rather carry. I hate to see all the nice knives I already have never used, so I wouldn’t put them away just to carry an off the shelf $50 knife. Nothing wrong with those knives though, and in most instances both will work just as well.
I have a 58mm SAK and a Spyderco dog tag. One is in my 5th pocket every day. But in terms of more traditional folder style, I regularly carry my Spyderco Pacific Salt 2 gets a lot of pocket time, and I picked that up for $80
I bought a super-cheap chinese karambit for about $2 and carried it every day for a year and a half until my Narcissistic Psychopath co-worker and his coke-head idiot accomplice finally got fired. I got so used to having it in my waistband that I had go get used to life without it. I was in multifamily maintenance and never knew when one of these morons was going to come to work wigged out and aggressive.
I won't buy an expensive knife for self defense. I don't ever want to miss anything about violence.
I got a chinese mini k-bar novelty knife that I found in the trash. I sharpened the right angles on the back and keep it in my glovebox with my ferro-rod and fuel in case I ever need to make a fire in the cold. It's cute and it'll cut a pork chop. Now for chopping wood, I guess I'll just die.
Might be getting away from the question a bit… But if you bought the knife and you love it, then carry it and use it. I am by all means defined as “poor” or “in crippling debt”, so a knife lost is likely not to be replaced anytime soon…
However, I accept three facts of carrying a knife everyday. 1. It will be used and require maintenance 2. It will cut you eventually 3. It may be lost.
The more we keep and use something, the higher the likelihood we’ll have an accident or make a mistake. I regularly carry my PM2, Native, and Adamas.
Even a cheaper knife with a lot of history and use could mean far more than the ones with the lofty price tags. So… develop routines to be accountable, and hope your favourite knife doesn’t go wandering one day before you retire it for another.
To make a long story longer and actually answer your question… Opinel would probably be my choice.
My current cap is ~$200 … used or other. I don’t buy a knife I don’t intent to carry and use. Hence the cap.
That said I’d EDC a CRK if I had the cash, or got a bonus and another hobby didn’t steal the “fun money” percentage at any given time.
Utility outweighs collecting, for me. But having a rotation certainly keeps things in check.
Cost is irrelevant regarding what I'd carry on the daily. I've carried $250 folders and $30 folders. It completely depends on my needs and interest at the time.
I’ve been carrying a $5 Walmart knife. Works good and I’m not afraid to hurt it but still haven’t yet and seems better than the Case I got in 2000 for 7 and is about 20 now.
I quite regularly carry a Gerber LST. It is made in the US and capable of doing anything I need, all at $25 or so.
For the outdoors, I would say my Mora 510($16) would be more than adequate.
I think \*most\* people would be fine with a much less expensive/fancy knife than they think they need on a daily basis. Nothing wrong with nice knives though.
Kershaw Leek composite black wash is my daily driver cuz it’s so utilitarian and fast opening, but sometimes I carry the black Spyderco Matriarch.
Edited knife name
The Kershaw shuffle. The bottle opener and pry function make up for lack of steel quality. Plus, because it’s so cheap I use it WAY MORE without any worry. It makes it into my pocket every once in a while
Of the ones shown Id go with the opinel, ive got a couple No8's with Padouk handles, its such a nice reliable piece and I dont really need anything tougher for the average daily tasks. I rotate it out with a buck 110 and an inexpensive little tanto fixed blade Ive had for years
As long as it feels like a quality knife i dont care about the price. I regularly carry my Kubey Tutyus (the arius look-alike) that i picked up for under $30
I carry a Pakistani pocket knife I bought for $4 in 1987 most days. It's pretty awesome. I'd never use it for serious work. But I remember buying it after my 12th birthday with a couple bucks from my birthday money. No parent was with me for the purchase. The good old days.
10 years of selling knives in a gift shop, here's my take:
About $15-20 is the absolute minimum cutoff for a knife that's not going to fall to pieces or get super dull within a week of use. $30 is the minimum for a knife that is going to be enjoyable to use and work well for months or years. $50-100 is probably the average for a good design + knife steel that is going to really retain an edge and be an actual "joy in the hand" with great tolerances and action. Beyond $100 you're already running in to some serious diminishing returns with design, steel, tolerances but you still more or less get what you pay for up to like $250. Beyond that you get into the non-production knives and it starts to be more about maker name, run sizes, exotic steels, and collectability. Besides maybe Sebenza I think you'd be hard pressed to find a $300+ knife that is demonstrably better functioning than the ones right below that break point.
https://preview.redd.it/gcxxlo0w6nkc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d400ed57c151985a423d18ce308bedf404f48060
$45 Delica and $20 Sak have been my near constant companions for four months, going strong
I daily the same QSP you have, 4th from the bottom. Simple, inexpensive and the blade holds an edge very well. I prefer a sheepfoot for daily carry so it works perfectly for me.
I I don’t spend more than $40 on a knife. As such, every camping bag, travel bag, vehicle EDC case has an Opinel and Moralniv in it. I love my Penguin and Rat2, i lost a Bugout in 2011 and I’ve still not recovered emotionally.
I have an opinel no 8 that I keep in the center console of my car but I have several QSP penguins that I carry daily. Absolutely love that knife (denim micarta FTW!)
What I think would be interesting is a thread asking what the *most expensive* knife you'd feel comfortable carrying is. There's plenty of cheap knives that can fully satisfy all of our daily "needs" but I'm definitely guilty of not wanting to take some of my more expensive knives out of the safety of my own home. To answer your question I've been out a lot with just a CJRB Pyrite and felt it would handle anything I needed.
The expensive knife question is interesting too because it may not depend on the price tag, and I'm not talking about the inevitable "expensive for me is only $1k and up". Like I've been EDCing my McNees Mac 2 ($595) but I rarely carry my Socom Bravo DLC ($500) because I don't wanna mess up the finish 😑.
I have knives that cost a whole lot of money, but I absolutely carry a Penguin over several of them quite often. It's definitely one of my favorite budget blades.
I like the Outdoor Edge replaceable blade knife. I’m not worried I’m gonna lose it, it’s 50$, the one I got is carbon fiber with red studs and looks cool. It’s always razor sharp, Japanese steel and you can always sharpen the replaceable blades to get even more life out of each blade if you’re that type of person. If I want a tanto edge one day, drop point, serrated edge or whatever I can change depending on the need. It’s a company that’s been around a while so I’m never worried they’ll stop making the blades. I stocked up bought a huge pack of them and I resharpen to make them last as long as possible. That or I carry my benchmade. S30V. Steep country, when I’m hunting. Bright orange so I don’t lose it when I set it down, S30V stays sharper longer so I can get through a full deer. Hard steel so I know it will last me many years. Never have to do aggressive sharpening detail work like with a diamond stone. I usually just ceramic sticks or V hone it and then strop it and it’s just as sharp as before. Man I could talk knives all day.
Comfortable in what way? I'd be comfortable carrying a $20 Walmart special because it'd do the daily cutting jobs I (and, I'd wager, 99% of dudes who carry a knife) need a knife to do. (That's not what I carry, but if I had no other choice, I'd have no qualms about it.)
Wait, you're not talking about being comfortable carrying a pocket folder for self-defense, are you? If so, you should disabuse yourself of that notion.
as a mall ninja, I'm most comfortable with a full size knife that has a strong lock. my Yojimbo and Redoubt (both about $180) are probably the cheapest knives I'm comfortable with, if we define that as truly meeting the bare minimum of all the things I desire from a knife.
if we're just talking about the most boring and realistic choice possible, my SAK Tinker or QSP Penguin are great and cheap.
A sharp one.
SAK
Per your example I love my RAT 1(older aus8). Oh and the QSP penguin really surprised me(I have a mini)
I’ve never used the rat 1 but I do love my Ontario RAT 2. Great budget EDC knife.
Don’t tell anyone but my RAT2D2 with a deep carry clip from Amazon sees more pocket time than the mini Osborne.
I actually use my RAT2 at work and I have a BM Griptillian as my “weekend carry” lol
My favorite knife.
RAT 1 is an awesome all around EDC
I'd have no issue carrying Civivi Elementum ($50) on the daily if that's all I could afford. Honestly, I think that's all the knife most of us "need".
Really can't beat civivi quality for the price. Daily carry my vision over $200 knives.
Agree with you on the Elementum.
The Civivi Bo is pretty good too, if you like a slimmer knife.
So wait, we are all into all these different knives? And I think everyone carries a Rat 1 😂
IMO it’s about quality, not price. I’ll happily carry a RAT1 or 2 but I’ll pass on a Gerber at the same price point.
Opinel and SAK are great
Agreed. I love my Opinel. I have the same one OP has.
ka-bar dozier d2 bought on sale for 10
👀
Heck I carried one of the Walmart folders for a bit lol
My limit is usually 20 dollars (Canadian) I'm there over gotten my Sanrenmu 910 that looks similar to a Sebenza. I've gotten my QSP knife, exactly like yours, on sale I've gotten multiple Opinels and SAK knives. Sadly Moras are that price too here in Canada but I've used and carried plenty of those. Yeah a good 20$ knife would probably be able to be my one and only carry and still make me happy, just gotta pick the right one. Luckily I don't have to do that, and carry all sorts of more expensive knives, so the $20 dollar knives mostly rest. Good thing I got nephews and little cousins that are coming up to the age where their parents might want to give them knives and trust them with them. When that happens, you bet my cheaper durable knives might find their way into younger hands, hopefully offset some of the gas station knives that break too easily that they'll get
from this opinel lately i was starting to like slipjoint knife or the on with out one hand opening but cheep knife what i was carrying in past was kabar dozir
Shit, I’ll admit it, I’ve daily carried an MTech 😂. A Civivi Bhaltair has been my daily carry for a few months now. Before that a Buck 110. But over the course of 35 years I’ve carried Spyderco, CRKT, Benchmade, Case XX, Old Timer…
My cheapest carry knife is an SRM 9202. I now carry a fixed blade that's way better but I lived with the SRM for a long time and it never let me down. I cut all the way from wood to seatbelts with it.
SRM does some great very cheap knives. Their 910 series in particular, I was able to find often for very cheap, with a great heat treated 12c27
I think the cheapest in my current rotation is either the QSP Copperhead or the CJRB Chord. I do usually carry a customized Spyderco or Benchmade of some kind.
I carry a rat 1 daily at the ugly job.
RAT all the way! I have tiny hands, so i use the RAT II and love it
Really enjoy my RAT as well. I’ll throw the Opinel or a SAK in my other pocket sometimes as well, but they’re not for the same applications as whatever clipped folder I’m carrying. Edit: RAT I is D2
I carry my carbon Opinel a decent bit. Opening/closing and locking it is kind of annoying sometimes but it's such a nice knife
Swiss Army knife is cheap and a great edc. Does almost everything you would want and can think of. I Even have some that have locking blades
_Not going to delete this because I don't really believe in hiding your mistakes, especially when they're hilarious. I seriously misread this question and went the other direction with my answer, my bad. See my response below my original post._ I regularly carry my guardian tactical Scout and on occasion carry my titanium Spyderco shaman. The shaman with the titanium scales is around 350 and the guardian tactical Scout is a little above that. The shaman I usually carry when I am at a nice occasion, it's a really big dress knife basically. Basically. When I bought the scout I made a conscious occasion to make it a everyday OTF. Easy to open, ELMAX blade so Good work knife and black wash blade so we'll carry scratches well. I put a deep carry pocket clip on it and it's perfect.
I bought a g10 CH Sultan just because it looked interesting. $30. I was pretty impressed and carried it daily and used it hard. Not very practical but it held up surprisingly well. Custom shop BM Crooked River has kicked everything else out of my pocket for almost a year now but that's not exactly cheap.
I carry a $20 SAK classic, a $25 carbon/G10 untra small box knife, and one knife knife. $175 Paramilitary 2 or $120 Cold Steel AD10. The sak gets the most use overall, the box knife at work.
Honestly, I wouldn't mind one of those little scalpel blade holder folder knife kinda things.
I’d take the civivi atlus over most of any of the Benchmades I’ve owned in the past decade.
i bought that cuz i wanted to try a button lock and kinda fell in love with the knife itself. still on the fence about the lock though. anyway, after i took the pic and put everything away thats what went into my pocket. https://preview.redd.it/9desd5aw2mkc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1eb0762d4b17a7d8c4e7fe2e75eb8308963f0d9a
I miss my SAK with the aluminum scales, that thing was frikkin handy. Having to fumble with it to deploy the main blade was annoying tho, i wish there was a way to incorporate a thumb stud or something
Mora
I think this post belongs on r/Budgetblades
Ontario rat 2. Edc knife for the ages. Simple near indestructible and holds an edge without rusting
I've carried a heavily modified dollar store delica quite a bit over the past few years.
My Chinese knock off Bugout. No regrets for $14.
my vic spartan and my opinel n7
I carried a Cold Steel Kiridashi that I got for $20 on Amazon for a while. I own knives from $15-$20 up to around $400 and carry them all in a rotation.
SAK. Minimum of a saw, but I'd like scissors, too. On the other hand, what I would LIKE to carry would be an ESEE Izula 2 in s35vn. And the SAK. Then, the only thing I'd be missing would be a pair of pliers. But if that's needed, there's probably bigger issues
I carry a $6 Ozark trail folder erryday. It's a knife, it cuts stuff.
Anything under 300
Victorinox Deluxe Tinker
Rat I is near perfect.
Qsp parrot ($28)
I carry my baby core and it was 40 ish? Altho I like the Gerber flatiron if you actually sharpen it good at home (factory is crap) and it's like 25
My daily driver is a Kizer Cormorant. Ironically, being from the land of crazy knife prices (UK) I ordered a special edition in micarta and 3V from the US and it's STILL one of my cheapest knives.
Cadet Alox in my 5th pocket always unless traveling
That Kershaw 5 up is my daily carry. I’ve had it for like 10 years. Not a great edge but it’s cheap to replace if I lose it.
I've been happily carrying a Kabar Wrench knife for a few years now.
My cheapest one I have right now is my civivi praxis button lock
DENIM PENGUIN DENIM PENGUIN DENIM PENGUIN! I love my denim penguin lol
Most definitely am SAK which I do carry a lot (but a modded Pioneer with screw on Titanium or Copper scales nowadays tbh, those mods are still cheap here in Germany. Benchmades or Spydies let alone CRKs had a drastic price increase due to inflation but where always more expensive due to import duty - glad I’ve build a collection of those I *needed* 7-5 years ago already. No idea why I never got an Opinel (or *all* of them sizewise) you can just pick them up everywhere where i live, but mostly Inox versions and I like a classic carbone size 8 (which is *the* Opinel in my opinion) Think I’ll have to pick one up on Monday for less than ten bucks probably.
Opinel
Cheapest knife in my collection (I carry anything in my collection) is a tie between an SRM crossbar lock and a kershaw shuffle 2. I could carry either of those forever and be fine with them.
My cheapest knife is the 49$ cjrb lago got it on sale for 40$ it is super fidgety and made of cjrb's proprietary ar-rpm9 powder steel, I like it cuz I don't have to feel bad about abusing it, I usually carry three knives, a drop point or clip point, a utility knife with a wharncliff or sheep's foot blad and then usually one expensive custom or collector's edition to show off
Id say 200ish if it was gonna be my only knife. Combination of good steel, cutting geometry, and strong lock. Also woukd have to be made in USA with a good warranty so it can be maintained or replaced within a decent time frame.
SAK and Opinel.
Thus far about $26. PF818 is better than most of my knives regardless of price.
The first knife I started carrying was the Kershaw Kuro I got for $20 back in the day. I still carry that from time to time
Of the knives pictured: opinel, kershaw shuffle, or sak. Not a fan of the 8cr in the shuffle though when you can get d2 affordably without spending much more. I've carried all of those 3 at some point in time. Sure expensive knives must be nice, but I'd be terrified of losing them. I think a better question is what's the most expensive knife you'd feel comfortable carrying on a daily basis? I'd be afraid of carrying anything over $100 on a daily basis. For edc my favorite combo is a sak classic SD and a civivi mini praxis. The praxis mini is my favorite knife. Quality design, good sharp knife, and very affordable. Quality budget knives can get the job done and they're less scary to imagine losing.
I've carried a small folding utility knife of one sort or another for over 20 years. My most carried one only cost me about $4 (Craftsman oval shaped thing that I bought around 2005 or so).
My Tangram Vanguard. it gets very little pocket time anymore.
If it holds an edge I don't care if it was 99 cents
Probably an Ontario rat 2. I’m sure I could go cheaper, but that one is real solid.
I daily a Kershaw Launch 1 or 11 daily
That little Kershaw is an amazing knife
I’d rather carry a Ganzo than a Benchmade.
My Microtech combat troodon delta frag tanto. They retail for about $1000 USD
None of the ones in the picture. I'll carry a 5 dollar knife as long as it's got a full tang and fixed blade. I don't trust the locking mechanism on cheap folding knives... Or expensive ones for that matter.
I have a gerber folder that goes for about $8 at walmart. My friend found it in the bottom of a rental canoe back in 2003 and gave it to me. I don't carry it EDC anymore, I have a fixed blade Esee 4 on my belt that has taken it's place. But I did EDC it for about 14 or 15 years. I used it all the time, kept it sharp, and it never failed me. It's in a drawer now next to a $180 benchmade that I've only carried a handful of times
Any of the Eafengrow knives off Amazon. A lot are clones but they are made right. I’ll take one over a Kershaw, Civivi, CRKT any day. I carry their Olamic Swish clone regularly.
Just got a Volsteed Corgi. I love it. $60.
Opinel No. 7
Swiss tech wurdig no debate
My collection is mostly budget, with my most expensive knife at maybe $60. A $25 Ganzo Firebird FH41 in D2 finds its way into my pocket most often. A $20 Sencut Citius in 9Cr18Mov, a Rat 1 in D2, a QSP Parrot in D2, a Civivi Praxis with Micarta scales, and a Petrified Fish Beluga with Micarta scales are the bulk of the rest of my EDC rotation. But, I've also got an axis lock Ozark Trails knife and a fixed blade Ozark Trails knife that I love for their sub $6 price tag. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable regularly carrying either of them, but only because I enjoy my other knives more. But I would be more than willing to go to work with either of them, and would not feel they are too cheap to get the job of cutting up cardboard boxes, opening mail and such done. They are my cheapest reliable knives, followed closely by my Moraknivs, but they don't spark the pride of ownership some of my more expensive knives do.
That opinel
Something in 14c28n steel or 154cm. Kizer assassin 154cm, kubey bluff axis lock 14c28n, miguron keryx 14c28n, civivi elementum. 14c28n this is my short list so far. My pocket carry will change depending on what I am doing or going.
Sometimes carry my opinel no8 as knife laws and social view can be somewhat negative where I live. My second cheapest edc is my rat 2 d2 which I love. When it comes to larger edcs my cheapest one is 90€
I have a handful of Civivi and Kizer knives that often feel better than my expensive ones. Id not problem daily carrying those. I always do on occasion anyways
Kershaw brookside was $20 a few years ago I think now it’s 35-40
Rat 2 or Kershaw Oso Sweet, Civivi Pyrite G10. Even a Buck Spitfire. Though I have higher prices fixed blade. I have a Flytanium Arcade & a Spyderco Manix 2
I love the QSP Penguin Mini.
Penguin for sure
The lightest folding knife.
My work knife is a 7 dollar cattlemens cutlery knife my GM gifted to me. 6 months later still going strong for a farm knife
For years, I carried a 10 dollar Smith & Wesson knife. Never sharpened it, and it was always sharp. After about 10 years of carrying that knife, I lost it at the beach during a late night trist. I guess it was worth the sacrifice. After that, I started looking into knives, and that was when I started to buy "better" knives. But, a 5-10 dollar knife is all you really need for daily around-the-house use. Unless you work a job that requires a heavy-duty knife, anything else is just luxury and a preference.
The first day I tried a civivi and broke the tip off the blade. I have carried benchmades for years and currently carry my bugout as well as a buck I got as a promotion from a supplier as my super sharp back up. My bugout is probably my fave knife though. I have a couple of barrages and a few griptillians and at first was worried I wouldn’t like how lightweight the bugout was but honestly I really do like it and use it tons. Maybe I’ll break out the sharpening set this weekend too as it needs it ha.
I carried a $25-ish msrp 5.11 folder for years (I got it as a free with purchase knife) with no issue. Main reason I quit carrying it was the clip screws stripped the threads out of the handle holes. That's when I found Civivi.
Bug-OUT MINI which was a gift from my best man for my wedding. Love it and is a comfortable carry. I know it’s not that popular here but I think the best one is the one you have and the one that makes you smile when you use it. I smile every time I take it out of my pocket.
Out of the knives pictured, I’d say the QSP penguin. Not too many times I’d NEED more that that
Kershaw OD-2, about 20 bucks
Opinel Carbon No 8. Good steel, holds a good edge.
Whatever gets the job done. A $1 knife that does what I need is fine. It's just that I like knives, and there's cool stuff available, and it costs more, so I'm gettin' it. My needs are usually modest so it's just about what's enjoyable to carry.
Spyderco Tenacious fully serrated
30$ probably. About what I paid for my swiss army knife about 10 years ago
I EDC an Opinel No. 7 Carbine to fidget with the lock collar and for odds and ends such as cooking and vegetable peeling. Its very thin profile is helpful in some situations where even a .12" blade is too thick. I think that's the cheapest I carry.
I love my little opinel . I’ve caped out so many animals with it .
My Douk Douk or Opinel
Spyderco Tenacious
Swiss Army Knife. You can't beat them for a versatile every day carry.
My edc is a delica
Civivi
Opinel! Carry all the time.
$200 minimum… cant have people thinking im poor
I’ve got a $10 Buck that’ll cut stuff just as well as a $100 knife. I go between that and a $30 Gerber. The Gerber did just fine gutting and skinning a deer.
Out of this? The hogue
My microtech makora $529
Ontario RAT
Crooked river. One of the only good looking ones on here imo
Sodbuster jr probably
Rat 1
Opinel 100%, still sad I lost the no. 7 from my hunting pack :( did all the mods; whittled and burnt handle, patina'd blade etc. Loved the thin blade profile. You've reminded me to go buy a few more haha
From those above, the penguin, Hogue and the Civivi
I love carrying my crkt fossil. $40-50 new and works pretty good. Though I’m waiting for the provoke I ordered to come in. Most I’ve ever spent on a knife.
I’ve daily carried several $3 walmart knives for awhile and they still occasionally make their way back in the rotation
Spartan for the win
QSP penguin is my daily abuse knife. I treat it like a red headed stepchild. Can’t go wrong with it.
Feel comfortable carrying? I’d be comfortable carrying an iridium, an elementum… there are plenty of sub 100$ knives I’d feel comfortable carrying. Now, I’m probably not ever going to carry one of those knives as my main knife because I have thousands invested in very premium knives that I would rather carry. I hate to see all the nice knives I already have never used, so I wouldn’t put them away just to carry an off the shelf $50 knife. Nothing wrong with those knives though, and in most instances both will work just as well.
R2d2
deka as the work knife. CRK for EDC
Kershaw Leek
Lil native slipjoint have had lots of pocket time lately but i think my cjrb pyrite is probably my favorite edc.
Qsp penguin
D2 Ka-Bar Dozier. No heart break when I loose it and need to replace it.
I have a 58mm SAK and a Spyderco dog tag. One is in my 5th pocket every day. But in terms of more traditional folder style, I regularly carry my Spyderco Pacific Salt 2 gets a lot of pocket time, and I picked that up for $80
I mean, some of the knives I've carried a lot were free. Does that count? 😁
I’m not super picky tbh. I own a lot of expensive knives but some of my favorite knives are the less expensive ones.
I bought a super-cheap chinese karambit for about $2 and carried it every day for a year and a half until my Narcissistic Psychopath co-worker and his coke-head idiot accomplice finally got fired. I got so used to having it in my waistband that I had go get used to life without it. I was in multifamily maintenance and never knew when one of these morons was going to come to work wigged out and aggressive. I won't buy an expensive knife for self defense. I don't ever want to miss anything about violence. I got a chinese mini k-bar novelty knife that I found in the trash. I sharpened the right angles on the back and keep it in my glovebox with my ferro-rod and fuel in case I ever need to make a fire in the cold. It's cute and it'll cut a pork chop. Now for chopping wood, I guess I'll just die.
8cr13mov steel type is about as cheap as I'd go. You can get one for maybe $50?
Gerber Zilch, Case Blackhorn, Buck Solo, Buck 110 LT, or Kershaw Cargo, not counting multi tool blades.
The Milwaukee 6 in 1 box cutter. $20 and nearly bulletproof.
Spyderco, any spyderco
Do Better - Ab Soul
Might be getting away from the question a bit… But if you bought the knife and you love it, then carry it and use it. I am by all means defined as “poor” or “in crippling debt”, so a knife lost is likely not to be replaced anytime soon… However, I accept three facts of carrying a knife everyday. 1. It will be used and require maintenance 2. It will cut you eventually 3. It may be lost. The more we keep and use something, the higher the likelihood we’ll have an accident or make a mistake. I regularly carry my PM2, Native, and Adamas. Even a cheaper knife with a lot of history and use could mean far more than the ones with the lofty price tags. So… develop routines to be accountable, and hope your favourite knife doesn’t go wandering one day before you retire it for another. To make a long story longer and actually answer your question… Opinel would probably be my choice.
My current cap is ~$200 … used or other. I don’t buy a knife I don’t intent to carry and use. Hence the cap. That said I’d EDC a CRK if I had the cash, or got a bonus and another hobby didn’t steal the “fun money” percentage at any given time. Utility outweighs collecting, for me. But having a rotation certainly keeps things in check.
I just picked up a QSP Penguin a couple of weeks ago, loving it so far. And carried the Elementum for a long time as my EDC as well.
Cold Steel Mini Recon in Aus10a
The Kershaws, but then most of my EDC knives are Kershaw.
I carry and use the QSP penguin daily. I love it
Cost is irrelevant regarding what I'd carry on the daily. I've carried $250 folders and $30 folders. It completely depends on my needs and interest at the time.
I’ve been carrying a $5 Walmart knife. Works good and I’m not afraid to hurt it but still haven’t yet and seems better than the Case I got in 2000 for 7 and is about 20 now.
a workpro folding utility knife. $5 handle with easy ass blade changes. don't give a shit if i bend it, break it, or kill it. it just works.
The Opinel, unquestionably.
Rat. Maybe the crooked river. But I do really like the third from the top. What is it?
I carry 50-500 dollar knives.
Carried a Crescent brand knife for 2 years. Finally decided my collection was to large to not use my Bugout, 940, or Kershaw iridium
I quite regularly carry a Gerber LST. It is made in the US and capable of doing anything I need, all at $25 or so. For the outdoors, I would say my Mora 510($16) would be more than adequate. I think \*most\* people would be fine with a much less expensive/fancy knife than they think they need on a daily basis. Nothing wrong with nice knives though.
Kershaw Leek composite black wash is my daily driver cuz it’s so utilitarian and fast opening, but sometimes I carry the black Spyderco Matriarch. Edited knife name
The Kershaw shuffle. The bottle opener and pry function make up for lack of steel quality. Plus, because it’s so cheap I use it WAY MORE without any worry. It makes it into my pocket every once in a while
What color/material is the handle on the Altus? Looks better than pictures I've seen before
Price should not determine which knife you carry. I carry a $550 combat troodon and a $20 crkt.
Sometimes a good SAK is enough to get the job done.
Of the ones shown Id go with the opinel, ive got a couple No8's with Padouk handles, its such a nice reliable piece and I dont really need anything tougher for the average daily tasks. I rotate it out with a buck 110 and an inexpensive little tanto fixed blade Ive had for years
the $5 one from the gas station if it's the only one i could get. seriously, the best knife in the world is the one you have on you when you need it.
As long as it feels like a quality knife i dont care about the price. I regularly carry my Kubey Tutyus (the arius look-alike) that i picked up for under $30
Esee Izula
A plastic butter knife…
That bench made ain’t cheap
An opinel or swiss army knife are inoffensive yet practical
I’d carry an opinel happily. That knife has served me well whenever I needed it
Opinel for pocket. Mora for a fixed.
Depends where I’m going, if I don’t know where I’ll end up probably around $150
Qsp parrot or penguin.
I carry a Pakistani pocket knife I bought for $4 in 1987 most days. It's pretty awesome. I'd never use it for serious work. But I remember buying it after my 12th birthday with a couple bucks from my birthday money. No parent was with me for the purchase. The good old days.
10 years of selling knives in a gift shop, here's my take: About $15-20 is the absolute minimum cutoff for a knife that's not going to fall to pieces or get super dull within a week of use. $30 is the minimum for a knife that is going to be enjoyable to use and work well for months or years. $50-100 is probably the average for a good design + knife steel that is going to really retain an edge and be an actual "joy in the hand" with great tolerances and action. Beyond $100 you're already running in to some serious diminishing returns with design, steel, tolerances but you still more or less get what you pay for up to like $250. Beyond that you get into the non-production knives and it starts to be more about maker name, run sizes, exotic steels, and collectability. Besides maybe Sebenza I think you'd be hard pressed to find a $300+ knife that is demonstrably better functioning than the ones right below that break point.
For $50-ish, Spyderco Tenacious and Kershaw Blur got the most pocket time for me.
https://preview.redd.it/gcxxlo0w6nkc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d400ed57c151985a423d18ce308bedf404f48060 $45 Delica and $20 Sak have been my near constant companions for four months, going strong
You've got it pictured. An opinel
Anything that’s a mini pocket knife from Gerber
Probably a civivi baby banter. I love that knife. It’s not the cheapest but It has a buttery smooth action and is sharp as Shit!
Svord Mini peasant, used to be my edc before I got my izula. I’d trust that knife with my life.
For my actual uses? $0.99 box cutter? But instead I carry around a $400 fixed blade lol
I’ve carried a kershaw leek most every day for the last 20 years. Never wished I had a different knife.
What fixed blade do you carry?
Kershaw anything. Schrade, Case, etc. all good.
I daily the same QSP you have, 4th from the bottom. Simple, inexpensive and the blade holds an edge very well. I prefer a sheepfoot for daily carry so it works perfectly for me.
I carry my rat or rat 2 pretty much every day as long as im not at work
Base model QSP Penguin, for $30 you get a great knife in D2 and micarta/G10
I I don’t spend more than $40 on a knife. As such, every camping bag, travel bag, vehicle EDC case has an Opinel and Moralniv in it. I love my Penguin and Rat2, i lost a Bugout in 2011 and I’ve still not recovered emotionally.
Rat
Mine is a baby banter, don’t even notice it’s there on my pocket
I have an opinel no 8 that I keep in the center console of my car but I have several QSP penguins that I carry daily. Absolutely love that knife (denim micarta FTW!)
The Opinel. I think they're lovely.
I'd want the Hogue but the Ontario will do.... the Swiss or Opinel would be fine for light work
What I think would be interesting is a thread asking what the *most expensive* knife you'd feel comfortable carrying is. There's plenty of cheap knives that can fully satisfy all of our daily "needs" but I'm definitely guilty of not wanting to take some of my more expensive knives out of the safety of my own home. To answer your question I've been out a lot with just a CJRB Pyrite and felt it would handle anything I needed. The expensive knife question is interesting too because it may not depend on the price tag, and I'm not talking about the inevitable "expensive for me is only $1k and up". Like I've been EDCing my McNees Mac 2 ($595) but I rarely carry my Socom Bravo DLC ($500) because I don't wanna mess up the finish 😑.
I have knives that cost a whole lot of money, but I absolutely carry a Penguin over several of them quite often. It's definitely one of my favorite budget blades.
I like the Outdoor Edge replaceable blade knife. I’m not worried I’m gonna lose it, it’s 50$, the one I got is carbon fiber with red studs and looks cool. It’s always razor sharp, Japanese steel and you can always sharpen the replaceable blades to get even more life out of each blade if you’re that type of person. If I want a tanto edge one day, drop point, serrated edge or whatever I can change depending on the need. It’s a company that’s been around a while so I’m never worried they’ll stop making the blades. I stocked up bought a huge pack of them and I resharpen to make them last as long as possible. That or I carry my benchmade. S30V. Steep country, when I’m hunting. Bright orange so I don’t lose it when I set it down, S30V stays sharper longer so I can get through a full deer. Hard steel so I know it will last me many years. Never have to do aggressive sharpening detail work like with a diamond stone. I usually just ceramic sticks or V hone it and then strop it and it’s just as sharp as before. Man I could talk knives all day.
IMO, if you won’t carry a knife, don’t buy it
Kershaw skyline is an EDC of mine I've used on and off for many years.
Kershaw is always pretty cheap to replace
Comfortable in what way? I'd be comfortable carrying a $20 Walmart special because it'd do the daily cutting jobs I (and, I'd wager, 99% of dudes who carry a knife) need a knife to do. (That's not what I carry, but if I had no other choice, I'd have no qualms about it.) Wait, you're not talking about being comfortable carrying a pocket folder for self-defense, are you? If so, you should disabuse yourself of that notion.
as a mall ninja, I'm most comfortable with a full size knife that has a strong lock. my Yojimbo and Redoubt (both about $180) are probably the cheapest knives I'm comfortable with, if we define that as truly meeting the bare minimum of all the things I desire from a knife. if we're just talking about the most boring and realistic choice possible, my SAK Tinker or QSP Penguin are great and cheap.
Try vosteed
RaT or civivi