What knife are you carrying today?

[CGarage]

I am both surprised and impressed by the numbers of Spyderco and Benchmade knives I am seeing. Great marketing efforts by these two companies.

 

[Ohio Andy]

I am both surprised and impressed by the numbers of Spyderco and Benchmade knives I am seeing. Great marketing efforts by these two companies.

I own many knives, mostly case, buck, Spyderco, and victorinox. I mostly carry Spyderco because I want a clip on the side and Spyderco often gives me an interesting choice of knife steel; for example, Rex-121, maxamet, and many others. I also like a one hand blade deployment, and if possible, a one hand blade closing; for me I often do not have two hands free.

Many of my case and Buck knives are stockman pattern, which is a good variety of blades, but no pocket clip.

I am told that I have the unicorn for buck knives that is a fixed blade with a very rare handle variety, but I inherited that knife. I almost never carry a fixed blade now that I am off the farm and do not anticipate an emergency deployment to do something like cut a lead off a panicked horse.

I once bought 50 knives to practice sharpening. They were cheap Chinese knives that I gave away after sharpening. They did not hold the edge well with heavy use and the internal washers were total junk. Most of the people I gave knives to did not use them heavily, but those that did I would resharpen and repair. For those people I usually gave them a higher quality knife.

I have a friend a knife (probably a Chinese knife with D2 steel blade) and he could not believe how well it held up to abusive use.

My whole point of this rant, is that? I don't think that people choosing some of these knives is purely marketing. Some of us chose them after heavily using other knives and finding that the features and options make them a better choice for their uses.

Cheers.

 

[mngundog]

I am both surprised and impressed by the numbers of Spyderco and Benchmade knives I am seeing. Great marketing efforts by these two companies.

I'm surprised nobody's posted a photo of 65 Benchmade knives, all of the same color of every varity in new condition, decorating a cabinet... But then we'd need a thread asking about exercising your unused knives.

 

[sparky 1971]

When working around the house I usually carry one of four 4-1/2" stockmans. Today's was, and normally is, an Old Timer. No clue what the model number is.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Same one I have for years now (I bought it as my own retirement gift) - Buck 112 Ranger (fits my hand like a glove, not like the 110 hunter which is too flat on the grip) from their custom house - polished brass, elk antler, S30V vanadium steel. Lives in a Bench Made sheath (the original sheath blew up within a year). And I use the **** outta it.

I carried a factory stock 112 as my EDC since my early 20's... Also had a similar sized Puma (good knives but brittle) and a Gerber sheath knife for a year or 2 (great knife, good edge, but they kaboshed us carrying fixed blades... grrr...) , but that 112 has ALWAYS been my fallback faithful companion.

 

[Fly Fishing Rick]

The Chaparral is prolly my favorite edc knife from a cutting and general comfort standpoint. Feels good and solid in the hand and disappears in my 5th pocket. It also has an amazing blade to handle length ratio. I've been carrying this one for 8 years or so now.

 

[mike93lx]

I am both surprised and impressed by the numbers of Spyderco and Benchmade knives I am seeing. Great marketing efforts by these two companies.

I've never seen any marketing by either. No ads, nothing featured in YouTube videos. Just a few people in person and here that have them and like them. But maybe I'm just the second layer of brain washing?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Newest S&W after surrendering mine to at a Reds game.

 

[dr_clyde]

I am both surprised and impressed by the numbers of Spyderco and Benchmade knives I am seeing. Great marketing efforts by these two companies.

Why does this surprise you?

Both companies make a great product for a somewhat premium price, but are still affordable for a lot of guys.

Were you thinking that a forum of tool enthusiasts would only carry knives that you can buy at the gas station or the flea market?

 

[cody1325]

Why does this surprise you?

Both companies make a great product for a somewhat premium price, but are still affordable for a lot of guys.

Were you thinking that a forum of tool enthusiasts would only carry knives that you can buy at the gas station or the flea market?

Used they are also pretty darn affordable. I think aside from my smallest Spydercos (two Ladybugs, a Jester, a Roadie, and a Dragonfly); all of what I own was usually around $30-50 used (Saver Salt Rescue, Harpy; Benchmade Mini Griptillian, Bone Collector Mini/Mini Presidio) or factory seconds (Native 5, Para 3). New--honestly, not too bad for most of the entry-level models.

 

[dr_clyde]

My current daily driver is a Benchmade Casbah.

It has spoiled me to the point where I don’t think I could go back to a non-automatic knife.

 

[mike93lx]

Why does this surprise you?

Both companies make a great product for a somewhat premium price, but are still affordable for a lot of guys.

Were you thinking that a forum of tool enthusiasts would only carry knives that you can buy at the gas station or the flea market?

It's just a way to try to take a cheeky dig at some people. Don't you know you can get <insert Chinese brand here> for 1/10 the cost and it's just as good?

 

[CGarage]

It's just a way to try to take a cheeky dig at some people. Don't you know you can get <insert Chinese brand here> for 1/10 the cost and it's just as good?

Not at all and I am offended by your comment.
Unless of superior quality and workmanship (which the Chinese are capable of), I wouldn’t recommend a Chinese made knife for 1/10th the cost. You should know better.

 

[CGarage]

Why does this surprise you?

Both companies make a great product for a somewhat premium price, but are still affordable for a lot of guys.

Were you thinking that a forum of tool enthusiasts would only carry knives that you can buy at the gas station or the flea market?

Hand tool users are generally more conscientious of how things are made compared to the average consumer. Not always, but certainly here, on this website.

There are hundreds of knife makers with product readily available to the consumer, particularly in the U.S. market.

By my unofficial count, Benchmade and Spyderco were over represented compared to other brands owned by those who have posted in this thread.

This was interesting to me, and I posted about it.
I too, own Benchmade.
Both Spyderco and Benchmade produce knives with product price points at what I would consider to be the mid-tier for production, manufactured knives. There is a lot of competition at this price point, and they seem to have a done a good job in capturing the market.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd buy a better knife like a Spyderco or Benchmade but I hate to spend money on something like that and be quite liable to lose it. Up until the last few years, my edc knife was the same one I used I carried at work and its been decon'd more than once.

 

[dr_clyde]

I'd buy a better knife like a Spyderco or Benchmade but I hate to spend money on something like that and be quite liable to lose it. Up until the last few years, my edc knife was the same one I used I carried at work and its been decon'd more than once.

That's the secret.

By spending a few hundred bucks on a knife, I'm much, much more in tune with where it is.

I have lost several $30 knives, have yet to lose a $100+ knife to carelessness.

 

[liliysdad]

That's the secret.

By spending a few hundred bucks on a knife, I'm much, much more in tune with where it is.

I have lost several $30 knives, have yet to lose a $100+ knife to carelessness.

I’ve lost a few, but that’s just the price you pay. I’d still rather carry a decent knife.

 

[mike93lx]

Not at all and I am offended by your comment.
Unless of superior quality and workmanship (which the Chinese are capable of), I wouldn’t recommend a Chinese made knife for 1/10th the cost. You should know better.

I don't know anything about you.

 

[dr_clyde]

Hand tool users are generally more conscientious of how things are made compared to the average consumer. Not always, but certainly here, on this website.

There are hundreds of knife makers with product readily available to the consumer, particularly in the U.S. market.

By my unofficial count, Benchmade and Spyderco were over represented compared to other brands owned by those who have posted in this thread.

This was interesting to me, and I posted about it.
I too, own Benchmade.
Both Spyderco and Benchmade produce knives with product price points at what I would consider to be the mid-tier for production, manufactured knives. There is a lot of competition at this price point, and they seem to have a done a good job in capturing the market.

Just because I'm curious, what other makers do you consider to be their competition? I'm looking at the $150-$350 bracket EDC knife bracket, for reference.

I think Spyderco and Benchmade are fairly common because they have a fairly wide dealer network that puts them in front of eyeballs. When I look at the knife case in the hardware store/gun shop/outdoor outfitter, I see Spyderco and Benchmade in the higher end case.

Microtech is the only other brand that springs to mind in that category, and I don't see Microtech in stores with nearly the same frequency.

Kershaw, Buck, Case, Victorinox, Wenger, Gerber, Smith and Wesson, and CRKT are all brands I own in addition to Benchmade and Spyderco, but they just aren't in the same bracket IMO. Perfectly good, serviceable knives, no shade, but they're just not the same quality. They're also half the cost, so I wouldn't expect the same level of quality.

I have a Kershaw 1620FL that I retired to my desk drawer after carrying it for 4 years or so. The spring assist broke, and the safety catch broke off taking the tip of the blade with it. I reground the blade, and carried it as a non-spring knife for a while, but it still was "broken". On the flip side, I have had absolutely zero issues with my Benchmade in over twice the time in my pocket. I got my money's worth out of both knives, but would happily pay more for the Benchmade again given their track record.

 

[mike93lx]

That's the secret.

By spending a few hundred bucks on a knife, I'm much, much more in tune with where it is.

I have lost several $30 knives, have yet to lose a $100+ knife to carelessness.

Same here. Never lost a good knife, and this is part of the added benefit of having just one.

Night stand to pocket, back to nightstand

 

[Ohio Andy]

Not at all and I am offended by your comment.
Unless of superior quality and workmanship (which the Chinese are capable of), I wouldn’t recommend a Chinese made knife for 1/10th the cost. You should know better.

I have a SpyderCo and a Buck made in either China or Taiwan. Manufacturers are concerned about proprietary knowledge so certain things they may not be willing to do with stuff made in China because they expect it to be stolen. Some unexpected things, however.

Buck knives made in China do not have the Paul Bos heat treatment, which does not surprise me.

I have one Spyderco made in China and it uses a very average steel.

I was surprised that my Spyderco knives using CPM Rex-121 Steel and Maxamet Steel are all made in Taiwan, and they are still very expensive.

I loaned a nice knife to a coworker once and found them scraping a brass drain cover with it. Not how I usually treat my nicer knives. Enter my favorite cheap made in china knife that I can hardly care what people do with it. The blade is decent and the knife is cheap ($20).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L3Q1DZZ?tag=atomicindus08-20

D2 steel takes some abuse. The Eafengrow EF223 has G10 Handles (I like G10).

Apparently in recent history (few years back) some of their knives were tested and the Steel were not the stated steel. Eafengrow blamed the companies that made the blades (I assume they do not do their own manufacturing). I was told that when the supply chain was fixed they did not pull existing inventory just let it go through. Although I like EF223, the ergonomics are not great and the knife is heavier than my other knives. I use them as beaters and or as loaners to people I do not trust with a better knife. And given their history I am less inclined to buy their knives. I tried some of their other knives that I just did not like at all.

When I purchase a new knife, or perhaps anything, I need to rely on the backing company to perform appropriate quality control. One person explained to me a long time ago that it was not a problem if my Table Saw was made in China, it was a problem if the contracting company did not have quality control people on site to make sure things came out to spec... Or something like that; it was a long time ago.

I compared by older Schrade knives to the newer ones made in China. I had some friends compare the newer version to the original. Every person strongly preferred the original made in the USA version. I used to love the Uncle Henry series such as the LB-5, but I gave away the made in China versions that I bought to test.

 

[decableguy2000]

For work I've had a Klein Flick blade for a couple of months. I carried a Buck 326 I bought at the PX in the early 90's for a long time. Started getting the stink eye carrying a sheathed knife. I then started carrying an Old timer for a while, but upgraded to one hand opening knives. Have a large assortment of mid grade folders, Kersaw, Gerber, SpyderCo, Buck, Ontario. Have some lower end CJRB and Civivi The Civivi Elementum is one of my favorites.

 

[Ohio Andy]

Just because I'm curious, what other makers do you consider to be their competition? I'm looking at the $150-$350 bracket EDC knife bracket, for reference.

Buck made in USA is pretty good. They often have some nice versions with their specialty runs.

Case has some decent knives, but I prefer them for their standard knives such as their Stockman or Seahorse Whittler, especially when they have some pretty handles made from fancy things.

Ther are many specialty brands whose names escape me at the moment.

Microtech is the only other brand that springs to mind in that category, and I don't see Microtech in stores with nearly the same frequency.

Oddly, don't know them.

Kershaw, Buck, Case, Victorinox, Wenger, Gerber, Smith and Wesson, and CRKT are all brands I own in addition to Benchmade and Spyderco, but they just aren't in the same bracket IMO. Perfectly good, serviceable knives, no shade, but they're just not the same quality. They're also half the cost, so I wouldn't expect the same level of quality.

Wenger?? I thought they were purchased by Victorinox. I preferred their scissors. When Victorinox purchased them, they phased them out.

I just googled it and it looks like Wenger Blades is a thing not related to the older Wenger Swiss Army Knives.

I had a Smith and Wesson knife, but most of those types of knives are rebranded and usually from some random chinese company. You can usually tell when they say "Stainless Steel Blade" and leave it at that. To be fair, I think that Klein Tools stated that about their knives so I asked them what steel they really used. It was a very average steel that you will sharpen often. I did not write it down, but I think that I reviewed hawkbill knives here and I stated the steel. It was an OK steel, but SK was using D2.

I have a Kershaw 1620FL that I retired to my desk drawer after carrying it for 4 years or so. The spring assist broke, and the safety catch broke off taking the tip of the blade with it. I reground the blade, and carried it as a non-spring knife for a while, but it still was "broken". On the flip side, I have had absolutely zero issues with my Benchmade in over twice the time in my pocket. I got my money's worth out of both knives, but would happily pay more for the Benchmade again given their track record.

They might fix it for you, no idea what that costs or if it is feasible. I know that Buck has a good group that can fix your broken knives, I expect that it might cost you some money, but Buck has never charged me for anything. But the only thing I ever spoke to them about was a knife shield that fell off and they sent me a new one. They offered to fix it but I said that I could glue it in place.

Cheers!

 

[willf650]

I’ll be the odd man out and have lost two of my favorite knives, the Zero tolerance assisted opening.

I’m now on my third.

Zero tolerance is another good maker of knives in the price point mentioned for edc. I believe they are the premium brand of Kershaw.

 

[Fly Fishing Rick]

I have a SpyderCo and a Buck made in either China or Taiwan. Manufacturers are concerned about proprietary knowledge so certain things they may not be willing to do with stuff made in China because they expect it to be stolen. Some unexpected things, however.

Buck knives made in China do not have the Paul Bos heat treatment, which does not surprise me.

I have one Spyderco made in China and it uses a very average steel.

I was surprised that my Spyderco knives using CPM Rex-121 Steel and Maxamet Steel are all made in Taiwan, and they are still very expensive.

I loaned a nice knife to a coworker once and found them scraping a brass drain cover with it. Not how I usually treat my nicer knives. Enter my favorite cheap made in china knife that I can hardly care what people do with it. The blade is decent and the knife is cheap ($20).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L3Q1DZZ?tag=atomicindus08-20

D2 steel takes some abuse. The Eafengrow EF223 has G10 Handles (I like G10).

Apparently in recent history (few years back) some of their knives were tested and the Steel were not the stated steel. Eafengrow blamed the companies that made the blades (I assume they do not do their own manufacturing). I was told that when the supply chain was fixed they did not pull existing inventory just let it go through. Although I like EF223, the ergonomics are not great and the knife is heavier than my other knives. I use them as beaters and or as loaners to people I do not trust with a better knife. And given their history I am less inclined to buy their knives. I tried some of their other knives that I just did not like at all.

When I purchase a new knife, or perhaps anything, I need to rely on the backing company to perform appropriate quality control. One person explained to me a long time ago that it was not a problem if my Table Saw was made in China, it was a problem if the contracting company did not have quality control people on site to make sure things came out to spec... Or something like that; it was a long time ago.

I compared by older Schrade knives to the newer ones made in China. I had some friends compare the newer version to the original. Every person strongly preferred the original made in the USA version. I used to love the Uncle Henry series such as the LB-5, but I gave away the made in China versions that I bought to test.

Pretty much all of Spyderco's most expensive models with the best/most consistent fit/finish are made in Taiwan. They offer machining that equals ours but labor is cheaper. They can afford to spend more time on each individual knife in Taichung than their Golden CO factory can, since labor, machine upkeep, power, etc. all cost more here.

 

[mike93lx]

I’ll be the odd man out and have lost two of my favorite knives, the Zero tolerance assisted opening.

I’m now on my third.

Zero tolerance is another good maker of knives in the price point mentioned for edc. I believe they are the premium brand of Kershaw.

That's a nice knife to lose. Any idea what's causing their disappearances?

 

[dr_clyde]

Buck made in USA is pretty good. They often have some nice versions with their specialty runs.

Case has some decent knives, but I prefer them for their standard knives such as their Stockman or Seahorse Whittler, especially when they have some pretty handles made from fancy things.

Ther are many specialty brands whose names escape me at the moment.



Oddly, don't know them.



Wenger?? I thought they were purchased by Victorinox. I preferred their scissors. When Victorinox purchased them, they phased them out.

I just googled it and it looks like Wenger Blades is a thing not related to the older Wenger Swiss Army Knives.

I had a Smith and Wesson knife, but most of those types of knives are rebranded and usually from some random chinese company. You can usually tell when they say "Stainless Steel Blade" and leave it at that. To be fair, I think that Klein Tools stated that about their knives so I asked them what steel they really used. It was a very average steel that you will sharpen often. I did not write it down, but I think that I reviewed hawkbill knives here and I stated the steel. It was an OK steel, but SK was using D2.


They might fix it for you, no idea what that costs or if it is feasible. I know that Buck has a good group that can fix your broken knives, I expect that it might cost you some money, but Buck has never charged me for anything. But the only thing I ever spoke to them about was a knife shield that fell off and they sent me a new one. They offered to fix it but I said that I could glue it in place.

Cheers!

I was mostly just listing some brands that I happened to own for a point of comparison, not necessarily ones that you can go buy right now, like Wenger.

Buck has a few automatic knives, but they are meant to be in a leather pouch and don't have a pocket clip. This is a non-starter for me, as I need my knife to have a pocket clip. I do like Buck, but I only have their hunting knives, I never really considered them major players in the EDC knife world. They're a nice knife, I would consider driving one for a while if they had a pocket clip.

Some guys really like the slip joint folders like Case or the classic SAK for their EDC, I prefer a lockback for daily carry.

I'm sure Kershaw might fix my knife, but it's not worth the hassle to send it in. I'm not going to carry it again, so there's no point.

 

[willf650]

That's a nice knife to lose. Any idea what's causing their disappearances?

Using them at work and crawling around machinery with them clipped in my pocket.

 

[CGarage]

I'd buy a better knife like a Spyderco or Benchmade but I hate to spend money on something like that and be quite liable to lose it. Up until the last few years, my edc knife was the same one I used I carried at work and its been decon'd more than once.

I know where you are coming from. I have some hand made knives that are $$$, but the production knives from the same manufacturers are 97% as nice for 1/3rd the cost.

Knife making is an art, so the hand made knives are more collectibles than functional tools.

I agree with your assessment. I also think that Benchmade and Spyderco are some of the best of the “manufactured knives”.

 

[CGarage]

Buck made in USA is pretty good. They often have some nice versions with their specialty runs.

Case has some decent knives, but I prefer them for their standard knives such as their Stockman or Seahorse Whittler, especially when they have some pretty handles made from fancy things.

Ther are many specialty brands whose names escape me at the moment.



Oddly, don't know them.



Wenger?? I thought they were purchased by Victorinox. I preferred their scissors. When Victorinox purchased them, they phased them out.

I just googled it and it looks like Wenger Blades is a thing not related to the older Wenger Swiss Army Knives.

I had a Smith and Wesson knife, but most of those types of knives are rebranded and usually from some random chinese company. You can usually tell when they say "Stainless Steel Blade" and leave it at that. To be fair, I think that Klein Tools stated that about their knives so I asked them what steel they really used. It was a very average steel that you will sharpen often. I did not write it down, but I think that I reviewed hawkbill knives here and I stated the steel. It was an OK steel, but SK was using D2.


They might fix it for you, no idea what that costs or if it is feasible. I know that Buck has a good group that can fix your broken knives, I expect that it might cost you some money, but Buck has never charged me for anything. But the only thing I ever spoke to them about was a knife shield that fell off and they sent me a new one. They offered to fix it but I said that I could glue it in place.

Cheers!

Victorinox now owns Wenger in Switzerland.

These were the two original “Swiss Army Knife” makers.

 

[CGarage]

Just because I'm curious, what other makers do you consider to be their competition? I'm looking at the $150-$350 bracket EDC knife bracket, for reference.

I think Spyderco and Benchmade are fairly common because they have a fairly wide dealer network that puts them in front of eyeballs. When I look at the knife case in the hardware store/gun shop/outdoor outfitter, I see Spyderco and Benchmade in the higher end case.

Microtech is the only other brand that springs to mind in that category, and I don't see Microtech in stores with nearly the same frequency.

Kershaw, Buck, Case, Victorinox, Wenger, Gerber, Smith and Wesson, and CRKT are all brands I own in addition to Benchmade and Spyderco, but they just aren't in the same bracket IMO. Perfectly good, serviceable knives, no shade, but they're just not the same quality. They're also half the cost, so I wouldn't expect the same level of quality.

I have a Kershaw 1620FL that I retired to my desk drawer after carrying it for 4 years or so. The spring assist broke, and the safety catch broke off taking the tip of the blade with it. I reground the blade, and carried it as a non-spring knife for a while, but it still was "broken". On the flip side, I have had absolutely zero issues with my Benchmade in over twice the time in my pocket. I got my money's worth out of both knives, but would happily pay more for the Benchmade again given their track record.

Other members like @Ohio Andy gave some great recommendations.

The only other knife maker that I would consider and recommend to be of that Spyderco / Benchmade style / quality / price point would be Emerson. In my opinion, Kershaw is slightly below Benchmade / Spyderco in market position, and Emerson is slightly above (as they also make limited runs of hand made knives).

I don’t think you need to spend more than $200 US for a quality, every day use knife.

Remarkable that Benchmade and Spyderco are so well represented here. Respect to both companies.

 

[Airframer]

Kershaw Bel Air

 

[liliysdad]

Other members like @Ohio Andy gave some great recommendations.

The only other knife maker that I would consider and recommend to be of that Spyderco / Benchmade style / quality / price point would be Emerson. In my opinion, Kershaw is slightly below Benchmade / Spyderco in market position, and Emerson is slightly above (as they also make limited runs of hand made knives).

I don’t think you need to spend more than $200 US for a quality, every day use knife.

Remarkable that Benchmade and Spyderco are so well represented here. Respect to both companies.

I’ve had a couple of Emersons, and was unimpressed. Maybe they’ve improved in the last 20 years, but neither I had were any nicer than a decent Benchmade or Spyderco. The chisel grind they use is absolute silliness, and the wave is a gimmick.

Zero Tolerance makes some great stuff, I just don’t care for their designs. Their knives are fat and bulky, and in the end just fancy Kershaws. If you like Kershaw, ZT is a great option.

 

[decableguy2000]

Kershaw Bel Air

The Bel Air is nice that's been the one I've been carrying when not a work.

 

[mike93lx]

I don’t think you need to spend more than $200 US for a quality, every day use knife

Need isn't a factor for me when anywhere near even the $200 price point for things like a knife. It's like saying you don't need more than a Casio for a wristwatch. I don't need a mechanical watch, I want one. And it's a hell of a lot less accurate than the Casio.

 

[mike93lx]

Pretty much all of Spyderco's most expensive models with the best/most consistent fit/finish are made in Taiwan. They offer machining that equals ours but labor is cheaper. They can afford to spend more time on each individual knife in Taichung than their Golden CO factory can, since labor, machine upkeep, power, etc. all cost more here.

I don't have a big sample, but I was a little surprised to find out energy really isn't cheaper in China, at least at the factories I have dealt with.

Looking at power costs in golden, it's the same price as my employer pays in China.

Labor, equipment and some raw materials are definitely a lot cheaper

 

[sparky 1971]

I don’t think you need to spend more than $200 US for a quality, every day use knife.

Or less. Much less. The most I've ever spent on a pocket knife was $75 for a Buck 346 and that was for my son on his birthday. I see those are pushing $100 now. I'd probably be willing to spend that much as a present again but there's no way I'd spend that much on a knife for my edc.

 

[CGarage]

Or less. Much less. The most I've ever spent on a pocket knife was $75 for a Buck 346 and that was for my son on his birthday. I see those are pushing $100 now. I'd probably be willing to spend that much as a present again but there's no way I'd spend that much on a knife for my edc.

It is hard to beat the Swiss Army Knife for an every day carry knife if you are planning on using it as intended, as a multi-tool, rather than for ‘social’ encounters. They can be had for under $100 US, and make for a beautiful gift.

 

[Beerhippie]

Or less. Much less. The most I've ever spent on a pocket knife was $75 for a Buck 346 and that was for my son on his birthday. I see those are pushing $100 now. I'd probably be willing to spend that much as a present again but there's no way I'd spend that much on a knife for my edc.

My Benchmade, above, was purchased new in '90 or '91 for, IIRC, $135. Amortize that over thirty-five years of heavy use... $3.86/year. Pretty damned cheap--and it ain't done paying back.

 

[dr_clyde]

It is hard to beat the Swiss Army Knife for an every day carry knife if you are planning on using it as intended, as a multi-tool, rather than for ‘social’ encounters. They can be had for under $100 US, and make for a beautiful gift.

I feel like once you’re in the multi-tool world, a Leatherman or Gerber beats a Swiss Army Knife for everything except compactness. I keep a Leatherman in my bag in my truck, but I rarely need it.

95% of the time I just need a blade. I’m rarely more than a few steps from a toolbox if something needs more than that.