E-Mail 'Knives Under $50 That I Love - Part 2, by The Novice' To A Friend

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1. the opinels are really a great deal. for that price the blade is of very good quality and the ergonomics are pretty decent. I’m not a huge fan of the folding/locking mechanism but despite that an opinel has been my typical daily use knife for random home repair/ in the shop/out in the garden or field type of general purpose pocketknife needs and it’s been fine. all the other cheap knives in a similar price range , compared to the opinel, are really junk. swiss army knives (the victorinox genuine article) are decent but a bit overrated. The quality of the steel is excellent. the random mix of tools is sort of a grab bag, sometimes a couple of them might be handy , but mostly you want a small knife- the swiss army type knives dont have locking blades and for me thats a big detractor, having to worry about loading the blade just the wrong way and it folding up on my fingers. never happened but even the slightest tilt toward it folding is enough to limit what one is willing to do with it. For a small hand gadget with a non-locking knife blade, i prefer my old-school leatherman tool (which the sheffield you show here looks very similar to, it might even be an unbranded oem rebadge of the leatherman).. if i can take only one tool with me, the leatherman is it, no doubt about it. if i actually plan to want to use the knife specifically, the opinel.

   They dont make the old simple leatherman anymore, for many years now. i found that out by surprise after thinking i’d lost the thing and started looking around for another one. luckily it turned up again. Ive had that leatherman now for close to 20 years and it’s still _very_ useful. maybe the newer ones (all bigger and more awkward looking to my eye) are still of the same high build quality, dont know.

2. Thank you for the submission. A great time to chime in with ‘knife talk’. As far as machetes go, the Tramontina and Gavilans are fine work blades. About $20 when can be found. We keep a 10″ Tramontina in the pack for chopping up kindling and even some camp knife use. Made a DIY PVC pipe sheath with a heat gun for it, a lightweight cover. Still haven’t figured out a way to keep it inside – a piece of duct tape bridging handle to cover is how it is done now. A simple belt loop – cut one end of the pipe down the pipe about 5 – 6 inches, then heat at middle to fold over and form a belt loop that slides over belt or pants hem.

   SAK tools – the wood saw is fantastic, especially in the larger 110mm sized belt knives. Those last are at tip-top price point we are discussing, but can be found for sale for less. Those large saws really put out some work, especially on soft wood. Even in pocket knife models, the saw is very useful for outdoor work. There are some great internet videos on alternative uses for SAK tools, well worth reviewing.

   One of my outdoor kits is similar to yours with the water bottle. Mine uses the Thermos hinged flask for the container for easier access to interior. Fits a jacket pocket very easily, about $15 or so at big box stores. At the expense of not having a water boiling container though – that is a huge trade-off maybe not worth it.

   Thanks again for the submission and feedback from others below.

3. I would never own a replaceable blade knife..They are like replaceable blade broadheads for archery hunting..they just aren’t strong enough to do the job thoroughly and consistently. I would not trust my life with one.

   I like a knife to be a tool, a potential weapon, as well as a work of functional art. Not a junker held together with tape or wire and non-locking blades. I’m willing to pay for high quality and be able to think “Now, THIS is a knife!”.

   1. Which of the knifes here is a junker?

4. There is all kinds of knives. These two types are what I find useful for processing large game. Both are classics for a good reason. There is no substitute for chopping power of a heavy butchers knife.
   https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Classic-Chef-Knife-butcher-knife_60693734012.html

   Or the ability to quickly remove large sections off the bone with this one.
   https://hosstools.com/product/old-hickory-butcher-knife/

5. Thanks for the very good write-up on everybody’s fun subject. It is a great distraction from the gloom and doom.

   As I look over to my bookshelf I see JWR’s book “How to Survive TEOTWAWKI” and smile about his remark on page 245 ….. I am also an expert in BUYING knives.

   I like a good factory knife NOT made in China (I’m prejudiced) and like the Mora knives. However, a few years ago I purchased a Marttiini skinner for use as a “cheap” camp knife. That knife has been a pleasure to use for chopping, slicing and processing fish. The stainless steel blade touches up easily and the Kraton handle is great for wet chores. A very comfortable and balanced knife.

   I have no skin in the game but I pass this Amazon link along if anyone is interested:

   https://www.amazon.com/Marttiini-Knives-Stainless-Skinner-Kraton/dp/B001BTNNLC/ref=psdc_3307781011_t2_B00BEV81LE

   1. Hi Tom, Great looking knife. Thank you for sharing the link.

6. I own an Olsen #704 which is very similar to what is shown above. Great carbon blade that takes a fine edge like you said above. If I were you, I’d use it – only if not to appreciate what a pleasure it is to use a fine tool. Some of those sharpening marks could be buffed out I think, or at least minimized.

   1. Hi Anonymous, Thanks for the suggestion about buffing out the sharpening marks. I may do that.

7. Hey Novice, nice article.

   I have an Opinel that I use for grafting which I really like.

   I’ve carried a Tinker Swiss Army knife for almost 40 years and wouldn’t be caught dead without it. I only had the TSA catch me once so they are easy enough to conceal. When they did catch me, I went back out to the main lobby and pushed it down into the soil of a large planter, then retrieved it on my next trip there a month later. Most of the other Victorinox knives are too large for me to carry comfortably in a front pocket or they wear a hole too quickly.

   If any knife makers are reading this… I go to festivals and drool over all the really nice knives I see but like the author of this article, I just can’t justify spending that kind of money on something I’ll rarely use. I already have way too many knives. Now, if they had those same kind of cool handles in different selections of wood and other materials, different blade materials, Damascus steel, in cooking knives, then I’d gladly fork over some major bucks for a knife like that which I’m going to be using almost every day.

   1. Neat story, St. Funogas, about hiding the knife in the planter. Thank you for sharing it.

   2. I’ve done the same at ABIA. I had a SA Huntsman I forgot to leave in the vehicle. Left it on top of the cut flower machine near baggage claim. Picked it up on my return.

8. Nice article. Check out some Buck knives, there are many in that sub $50 range.

   1. Great suggestion, Spotlight. Do you have any favorites?

9. I have been carrying a VICTORINOX for 35 yrs. Some models do come with a lock back, such as the one I own. I use mine almost every day for some project or another. I’ve worn 2 of them out, and without a receipt, sent them in and had them replaced for free. I have 2 of them. One is a back up. I’d not like to be without one.

   1. Hi, CuzMike. What model Victorinox do you carry?

      1. I believe it’s called a Backpacker but not sure. The one I have now is around 10 yrs old and the label is worn off.

         By the way, thank you for the article.

         1. Sounds like a nice knife. Thank you for telling me about it.

            My pleasure. I had a lot of fun writing the article.

10. Almost every article on Amazon Canada is twice the US price. I know there is an exchange difference but c’mon Amazon, this is sheer greed.

11. Used motor oil is a carcinogen and neurtoxin. Use new, or don’t touch it — personally, I prefer nontoxic firearm lubricants for knives.

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