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

Easy win for the victorinox lamb skinner

In your price range I'd recommend the Opinel #9 as a lightweight folder. I've modified mine to have more of a drop point, and have refinished the wood to remove the high point at the rear, sealed it better, and drilled a hole for a lanyard. Even unmodified it is better than the mercator. I used a mercator for years, much perfer the Opinel.

The RAT I and RAT II are great knives, but get it in D2 steel the AUS8 is crap. May be out of your price range though. I own a RAT1 in D2 which I really like but usually take the Opinel hunting due to weight difference.

I've never used a Honey Badger, but they look great. Again get it in D2.

Plenty of good fixed blades in your price range. For the ultimate goodie but cheapie, get a Bahco!

With all these knives you'll need a wee diamond steel to touch up the blade in the field.

Using a regular steel on a regular basis is better for maintaining a sharp edge than an aggressive cutting diamond steel. When you can see flat spots on the edge, it's time for a diamond steel.

Fair point. I use a fine diamond steel simply as it's super lightweight.

Originally Posted by Bol Tackshin

Using a regular steel on a regular basis is better for maintaining a sharp edge than an aggressive cutting diamond steel. When you can see flat spots on the edge, it's time for a diamond steel.

Depends on the knife. A regular steel doesn't do much to a knife over 58rc, and isn't ideal for higher carbide steels like D2 either

Originally Posted by Dama dama

In your price range I'd recommend the Opinel #9 as a lightweight folder. I've modified mine to have more of a drop point, and have refinished the wood to remove the high point at the rear, sealed it better, and drilled a hole for a lanyard. Even unmodified it is better than the mercator. I used a mercator for years, much perfer the Opinel.

The RAT I and RAT II are great knives, but get it in D2 steel the AUS8 is crap. May be out of your price range though. I own a RAT1 in D2 which I really like but usually take the Opinel hunting due to weight difference.

I've never used a Honey Badger, but they look great. Again get it in D2.

Plenty of good fixed blades in your price range. For the ultimate goodie but cheapie, get a Bahco!

With all these knives you'll need a wee diamond steel to touch up the blade in the field.

What was wrong with the aus 8? It's definatley nothing flash but should be a serviceable stainless and should still hold an edge as well if not a wee bit better than the 1075 in the opinel.

If you can stretch another 30 bucks and step up to a civivi they are excellent knives. Big jump in quality and steel treatment compared to the sub $100 knives
https://www.blademaster.co.nz/shop/S...ivi/C907S.html

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.

That kabar fding hunter is a spitting image for my Kershaw folding knife which is my primary hunting knife. Small and easy to handle. Sharpen it before I head out and it easily handles breaking down and boning out a deer. Wonder if kabar bought the design off Kershaw?

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Originally Posted by Ned

That kabar fding hunter is a spitting image for my Kershaw folding knife which is my primary hunting knife. Small and easy to handle. Sharpen it before I head out and it easily handles breaking down and boning out a deer. Wonder if kabar bought the design off Kershaw?

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Both a copy of the original design which is the buck 110. Classic proven knife design

Thanks guys. I ended up going with a Svord Peasant 3" knife. It just arrived today and I really like it. The edge is pretty dull so going to have to give it a sharpen this evening.

folding? Mercator.
ages old
Takes a good edge.
Light and lockable.

Ill tell you what
The bacho Utility knife from mitre10 comes out the box like a razor blade
Shaves easy

Holds its edge very well a mate of mine once field dressed 20 deer without sharping

They don’t look nice but they just darn work and if you loose it just buy another one
They are only about $15-20

or from left field a Havalon.
https://havalon.com/

Or the NZ made Victory knives.
https://victoryknives.co.nz/

but sometime something simple like a Mercator Folder is hard to go past and they hold a nice edge.
https://www.knifeguy.co.nz/category/...folding-knives
Z

Victorinox Sentinel, light lock blade, years of experimenting has resulted in this as an everyday carry..