Thread: Good quality knife that won't break the bank?

On a recent trip I tried out a bunch of low-cost knives:
From top to bottom:
- Kabar Dozier Folding Hunter
- Kabar Folding Hunter
- Victorinox Hunter
- Svord Peasant
- Mercator



Honestly they're All pretty reasonable. Of the two Kabars, I'd rate the Dozier as being better all-round. It's lighter and the point isn't so pokey. The Folding Hunter is surprisingly heavy, being all steel construction. The Dozier is mostly plastic so it's light. Both Kabars can be opened with one hand if that matters to you. The Dozier is also available in D2 steel for a little bit more if you want more edge holding, but I think the AUS8 is fine.

The blades on the Victorinox and the Mercator are very similar to use. The Mercator in carbon steel is a little bit sharper maybe, but the Victorinox has a saw and a secondary serrated gutting blade that is viciously sharp but has a blunt point - good for opening up the gut cavity and cutting the diaphragm without damaging anything you didn't mean to. The saw is useful for going through the ribcage and pelvis if you like to do it that way.

The Svord is basic but gets the job done nicely. Not as narrow of a blade as the Mercator or Victorinox, so not quite as nimble for boning out. In the photo you can see that my Svord is slightly modified to make the point a bit pointier for penetrating cuts.

I would say that if you just want a sharp blade, the Mercator, Kabar Dozier, or Svord are a solid choice. I really like the Victorinox as a complete system for field use though.