When it comes to knives, whether we’re talking about EDC, camping, kitchen, or survival, the sky’s the limit when it comes to pricing. You can easily spend several hundred dollars or more, especially if you want a full custom job with all the bells and whistles. But there are also several budget blades on the market.
You can get a very nice knife, one that will hold up to real-world use, for a relatively low price. If you know where to look, that is. The market is flooded with cheap junk that is likely to fall apart or otherwise not hold up very well. Sure, it looks shiny and cool, but if it won’t hold an edge, it’s all but worthless.
Here are three budget blades to consider the next time you’re in the market for a new knife.
Budget Blade #1 — Victorinox Swiss Classic Paring Knife – $8.00
Made by the same company that produces the venerable Swiss Army Knife, this fixed blade is incredibly handy. It weighs just 0.7-ounce and has a thin blade, so it’s very slicy. It runs 7.4 inches from end to end, with a 3.25-inch stainless steel blade. I’ll grant you that a kitchen paring knife might sound like an odd addition to this list. But it works very well with food prep in the field as well as at home.
The only drawback is it doesn’t come with any sort of sheath. But honestly, you could easily put something together yourself. Heck, just fold it up inside a bandana and put it in your food kit in your pack. The Victorinox Swiss Classic Paring Knife is available in several handle color variations at the Victorinox website.
Budget Blade #2 — Mora Companion Orange – $19.99
Mora has long been known for producing knives that perform well above their price point. The Companion is a shining example. I’m going with the blaze orange model for our list, as it’s easy to see if you set it down. But it’s available in several different configurations as well as slightly different price points.
The sheath is a sturdy plastic with a weep hole at the bottom. The Companion’s stainless-steel blade is just about four inches long. The knife is comfortable to use and feels great in the hand. This knife is recommended by many survival instructors. You can find it at numerous retailers, including DLT Trading.
Budget Blade #3 — Kershaw Culpepper – $28.99
I’ll be honest in that this is one of my favorite folding knives, and that has nothing to do with the inexpensive price. The Culpepper is a Barlow-style knife. This is a design that’s been in production since the 1600s. Traditionally, it was a commoner’s knife. It was something the average person might have as a working knife for doing chores.
The Culpepper is a great example of a knife that’s just made to do its job. This is a single-blade folding knife. The 3.25-inch blade is 7CR17MoV steel, and it features black G10 handle scales with brass liners. It tips the scales at a modest three ounces. There’s a lanyard hole at the base of the handle in case you want to add some decoration.
You can find it at the Kershaw Knives website for $35.19, but it’s a little cheaper at DLT Trading.
You could buy all three knives and still not spend over sixty bucks. And none of them are likely to fail under pressure.
