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More and more brands are pushing to put out new products in the high-end, premium market segment right now, but they have been leaving behind some space for newer brands to fill a void in the budget space. Although some of these brands have been around for a while, their market share has been growing steadily because of the race to the top mentality that these more established knife brands have right now. It has never been easier to find fantastic knives for low prices. In fact, I think the budget knife renaissance might be happening as we speak. So I’ve made a list of some of my personal favorites and indisputable champions for best budget knife brands out there right now, to aid your search for your next knife.
Key Takeaways
- CRKT is probably the most prolific manufacturer of high-quality budget knives in the world.
- Civivi has built an impressive catalog of creative designs and innovative solutions for budget knives.
- Kershaw recently released the Iridium, which has exploded like a nuclear bomb in the knife industry. They make fantastic knives for great prices.
- Spyderco has been a household name for decades when it comes to high-quality knives.
- CJRB is a newcomer to the knife industry but is certainly no slouch when it comes to making great, affordable knives.
- QSP knows what it takes to make world-renowned knives for very low prices.
Top Picks
- CRKT: Pilar 3
- Civivi: Elementum Utility
- Kershaw: Iridium
- Spyderco: Tenacious Lightweight
- CJRB: Pyrite
- QSP: Penguin
CRKT Pilar 3
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CRKT has become an industry giant when it comes to making fantastic budget knives. The brand is even pretty well-known among “non-knife guys” because of how prolific their products have become in America. You can find CRKT knives in big box stores all over the country, offering a huge variety of options for just about anyone looking for a new knife. I really like CRKT knives, especially because they have been collaborating with some of the most popular and well respected designers in the industry for a few years now, leading to some of the best budget knives on the market. For example, the Pilar III is a collaboration with legendary knife designer Jesper Voxnaes that resulted in one of the most ergonomic and highly versatile everyday carry knives I’ve ever owned. It takes everything I loved about the original Pilar design and scales it up. They changed the blade shape slightly and increased its overall effectiveness as a hard-use tool. They made this my favorite CRKT knife, especially for the price point. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t own or at least know about a CRKT knife in today's world. You can’t go wrong if you’re looking for a great knife for a great price.
Civivi Elementum Utility
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The Civivi Elementum has become extremely popular because of its minimal design, outstanding performance, and fantastic price point. However, one of the most common complaints about the knife has been about blade steel, specifically that the steel just didn’t have enough oomph to justify the slightly higher price tag compared to other options on the market. So Civivi did something interesting, as they normally do. They decided to take what we all loved about the Elementum, throw a button lock mechanism on it, and swap the blade out for a replaceable utility blade – and best of all, drop the price tag significantly. They simultaneously made a product that fits a very niche market supremely well and took some issues I had with the original and just deleted them with the implementation of the utility blade system. So if D2 steel didn’t have enough edge retention for you, then just grab this version. Anytime your knife goes dull, just swap the blade out for a fresh one with a literal razor sharp edge anytime with ease. This version of the Elementum sums up what Civivi as a brand does pretty well overall. They make very high-quality knives, for great prices, and they constantly try to innovate and improve in areas where others would have just settled for good enough. They have an extensive catalog of budget-friendly knives, from popular designers, using modern materials and finishes. My very first “real knife” was a Civivi. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would say that their knives are a fantastic place to start if you’re looking to get into knife collecting, or a solid EDC companion.
Kershaw Iridium
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There has been a phrase floating around the knife industry for years now. Basically every brand has thrown their hat in the ring to produce what they believe to be the “Bugout Killer.” Many have tried; most have failed. But Kershaw seems to have come the closest recently to what many would consider a true Bugout Killer. No, it’s not ultra lightweight; it also doesn’t have the same high-end steel. But for $100 less than the Benchmade Bugout, you can get the all-new Kershaw Iridium, which has a lot of the same characteristics that make the Bugout so popular. First, it has a crossbar lock; second, it has an attractive and highly utilitarian design; and third it is so easy to carry that you can take it comfortably with you anywhere. Don’t believe me? Just do a quick YouTube search for “Kershaw Iridium” and you’ll see hundreds of videos preaching about how amazing a knife it is. The best thing is, the Iridium is only one of hundreds of different knife models that Kershaw manufactures. So maybe the Iridium isn’t for you. Then you can check out their expansive catalog of knives that are sub-$35. Kershaw has done some really impressive work lately, by somehow blending budget price points with premium designs. I am really excited to see what else Kershaw has up their sleeve. This will be a brand to watch for years to come.
Spyderco Tenacious Lightweight
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If you’ve been even somewhat familiar with the knife industry during the last 20+ years and you haven’t heard about Spyderco, then I’d say you’ve been living under a rock. Spyderco has about as close to a cult following as I can imagine a knife company having. They have thousands of avid fans waiting all over the world to strike when their latest sprint run drops at whatever obscure online retailer they may frequent. It’s honestly a strange phenomenon seeing one person own 50+ variations of the exact same knife, all with different blade steels and handle colors. So what if you’re not into collecting limited edition knives like infinity stones? Well Spyderco still makes some of the greatest budget knives in the world. And the Tenacious and Tenacious Lightweight are exhibit A & B. Ironically, they are the heaviest knives on this list, but don’t let that discourage you from checking them out. You get everything that makes a Spyderco knife a Spyderco for a fraction of the price you can get one of their true “flagship” knives – the iconic and somehow patented round thumb hole, aggressive asymmetrical designs, and fantastic ergonomics to name a few. In my opinion, everyone should have at least one Tenacious in their collection.
CJRB Pyrite
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When you are competing for your customers' pocket space with monstrous brands like Benchmade and Spyderco, you need to set yourself apart in as many ways as possible, and especially in two specific areas. The first is design, and the second is price. CJRB has done just that. Although being fairly new to the scene, they’ve come out swinging recently with their latest design called the Pyrite. You can get this blade in a huge variety of sizes, colors, materials, and shapes. I’ve been seeing more and more people talking about how much they love the Pyrite online almost everyday. Check it out for yourself: it’s hard to look at it and hate it. And it feels just as good or better as it looks in hand. But the Pyrite is only one model that CJRB makes; they have a litany of other knife designs from a range of different designers that are priced extremely well. It’s definitely worth taking the time to check out the CJRB for yourself.
QSP Penguin
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Quality, Service, Price: I mean it’s literally in their name to make high quality knives for fantastic prices. QSP has more than delivered on that promise. Look at their Penguin design. For less than $40 you get carbon fiber scales, D2 steel, and a fantastic design that is as fun as it is functional. The Penguin has been a perennial best-seller for years now and has gained a huge following thanks to all the glowing reviews it gets online. I remember having a conversation with a friend who was knife shopping for the very first time. He had a list of like 10 different options. Although they were all good knives, I told him to just go with the QSP Penguin because it had everything he was looking for. The only thing stopping him was that he didn’t know much about the brand. It’s been a few years since, but he’s been carrying the Penguin basically daily and has had nothing but great things to say. So the lesson here is, when shopping for a knife, brand name matters but not as much as you think it does. High-quality products delivered for fair prices is the name of the game. And QSP is a brand that you should check out.
How To Choose The Best Budget Knife
Use Case
Most budget-priced knives on the market today are designed to be used for everyday carry. Although there are certainly some budget-priced fixed blades out there, they are not nearly as popular as folding options. This means that finding affordable pocket knife brands has never been easier. Just make sure to pick a knife that is versatile enough to handle most cutting situations and also easy to carry. Materials don’t matter as much as design, in my opinion.
Price Point
Budget can mean different prices to a lot of different people. But generally speaking, budget knives are really any knife that costs less than $100. Although most of the most popular budget knives sit somewhere near the $50 price range, these days, you can even find a super high-quality knife for around $30, which considering how inflation is going these days, might not sound too bad for a lot of people.
Material Choice
Materials and price point go hand-in-hand in the knife industry. High-end materials command higher prices. So first determine what your price point is and then search for a knife with the best materials in that price range. For budget knives, look for blade steel like D2 or better. This is a great steel option and is quite affordable. For mid-range knives, look for 154cm or better. And for high-end knives, you’ll be looking for M390, Magnacut, or similar. Handle materials can vary greatly between price points, so looking for the steel that you want is the most important thing.
Why Trust Us
I have worked in the knife industry full-time for four years now and have had the opportunity to handle, test, and compare thousands of knives from basically every maker. I have extensive hands-on experience with so many great and not-so-great knives, which has allowed me to develop some pretty well-informed preferences and opinions on mankind's oldest tool.
FAQ
Question: What is the most reliable budget knife brand?
Answer: There are many brands that make extremely reliable budget-priced knives right now. Yeah, some are better than others, but in reality the competition is fierce. So if you stick to the brands mentioned in this list you can't go wrong.
Question: How much is a good budget pocket knife worth?
Answer: Most would agree that the budget price point starts at $99 and below. Many of the most popular budget knives right now are hovering around the $50 price point. This is just a general rule of thumb. You can get some seriously good knives for about $30 right now.
