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The knife industry today is very different than it was 10 years ago. Knife lovers everywhere can choose a knife with basically any material and color combination from almost every knife maker out there. Unfortunately, now the price of mid-range to high-end knives seems to be inflating more and more every single year, just like everything else… However, this doesn’t mean that owning a high-quality knife has become completely unattainable. In fact, in 2024 there are more knife makers than ever before that have made it their mission to make very high-quality knives for lower prices. This is great news for all of us more budget-conscious buyers.
I’ve made a list of some of the best budget knives available right now that I have either owned, handled, tested, or would personally carry on a daily basis. My personal knife collection consists of quite a few high-end knives, so finding a budget knife that meets my personal standards was key here. I value good design and build quality over everything else, as I’m not as concerned with material choices or country of origin as many avid knife enjoyers may be. I just want a knife that looks good and feels great to use. Everything else is just a bonus for me.
Let’s get into it.
Key Takeaways
- The Knafs Lander 1 is my choice for the Best Overall Budget Pocket Knife. The price point sits just over $40 and outperforms basically every knife in this price range. Not to mention, you can easily customize it later on if you want more high-end materials.
- The Gerber Savvy comes equipped with CPM-20cv steel and aluminum scales for a crazy price, considering it’s made right here in the USA.
- The Civivi Mini Praxis has become extremely popular option for the best affordable pocket knife for its great ergonomics, attractive design, and most especially its price.
- The Kizer Dogfish is easily the most fun knife to carry from this list. Five different deployment methods and a silky smooth action make this the most fidget-friendly knife I've ever handled.
- The Kershaw Iridium has taken the knife industry by storm recently. It blends a great visual design, cross-bar lock, and a great price into one very enticing package.
- The Kizer Brat is my top choice if you need a budget knife that can withstand a hard day's work, day in and day out.
- The Kansept Knives Little Mainstreet is my favorite knife on the list purely for aesthetic reasons (I like wharncliffe blades).
- The CRKT Pilar III is a scaled-up version of the iconic Pilar design from Jesper Voxnaes.
- The Kubey Tityus brings premium materials to the budget knife party
Top Picks
- Best Overall Budget Pocket Knife: KNAFS Lander EDC Liner Lock Knife Fast Swap Scales Black G-10
- Best USA-made Pocket Knife Sub $100: Gerber Savvy 20CV
- Best Value: Civivi Mini Praxis
- Best Fun Factor (Fidget-friendly): Kizer Dogfish Button Lock Knife Black Aluminum
- Trending: Kershaw Iridium DuraLock Knife Black Aluminum (3.5" Black D2) 2038BLK
- Best For Hard-use: Kizer Brat Button Lock Flipper Knife Black G-10 (3.15" Stonewash) V3630C1
- Best Design: Kansept Knives Little Main Street Crossbar Lock Knife Blue Frag Al (2.25" SW)
- Best Ergonomics: CRKT Pilar III Frame Lock Knife Black G-10 (3" Stonewash D2) 5317D2
- Best Build Materials: Kubey Tityus Frame Lock Knife Flamed Titanium (3.4" Bead Blast)
Best Overall Budget Pocket Knife: KNAFS Lander EDC Liner Lock Knife Fast Swap Scales Black G-10 (2.75" Black)
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If you are looking for a no-nonsense EDC knife that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to own, then the Lander 1 is my top choice for you. I have personally heard the designer, Ben Petersen, refer to the Lander 1 as the “Honda Pilot” of knives. It won't win any awards for most attractive knife or catch attention from Instagram knife collectors. That wasn’t ever the purpose of the Lander 1. Ben designed it from the start to be a reliable, cost-effective, and utilitarian option for anyone who wants a great knife.
I can personally say that I am more than impressed with the Lander 1. I carried it daily for six months. I put it through its paces, tossed it around, dropped it, cut through a box with hidden staples (ouch). And when I found myself wanting a more exciting knife, I just got some aftermarket titanium scales and instantly felt like I had a brand new knife all over again. The Lander 1 performs like you’d expect a premium knife to perform, without the immense price tag, making this an easy choice for me for the best overall budget pocket knife.
Best USA-made Pocket Knife Sub $100: Gerber Savvy 20CV
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The Gerber Savvy caught me off-guard when I first saw it. I opened the box expecting to find a run-of-the-mill Gerber knife, one that lacks solid build quality and semi-decent materials. But the Savvy proved me wrong, big time. I have to admit, I’ve been a bit biased against Gerber in the past. I just assumed that most of their knives rightfully deserved their place on the Walmart shelf. The Savvy was different. How could they possibly make a knife with such great attention to detail and premium materials and do it in the USA for less than $100? This idea is still wild to me, and I don’t think I’ll ever understand how Gerber managed to do it.
The Savvy feels amazing in hand, and is somewhat reminiscent of the Benchmade 940 as far as ergonomics are concerned, which is a big plus for me. The icing on the cake has got to be the CPM-20CV steel blade. I’ve handled thousands of knives, but I don’t think I’ve ever come across a budget-priced knife with premium “super steel” before. The Savvy is a gem; do not underestimate its quality just because of the logo on the box like I did. If you are looking for a USA-made pocket knife with premium materials that doesn’t break the bank, the Gerber Savvy is the way.
Best Value: Civivi Mini Praxis
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The Mini Praxis from Civivi Knives has been decently popular in the knife community for a few years now. Its great ergonomics, addictive flipper action, and great overall build quality are hallmarks of the design. But I think the real reason that this knife is so popular is twofold: the way it looks and the price. For roughly $30, you can get yourself a really cool-looking knife that handles extremely well and checks all the quality control boxes we all have come to expect from Civivi. I don’t think there is a knife on the market right now that provides this much value out of the box. Why not add one (or two) to the collection?
Best Fun Factor (Fidget-friendly): Kizer Dogfish Button Lock Knife Black Aluminum (3.1" Black)
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If you’re like me, then anytime there’s a dull moment in the day, out comes the knife, my go-to fidget toy. There’s nothing better than a knife that feels buttery smooth and opens with a satisfying click. In my opinion, Kizer made one of, if not the best, fidget-friendly knives I’ve ever handled. I like it so much because there are at least four different ways you can open the Dogfish (front flipper, back flipper, thumb hole, button lock) variety is the spice of life, and the Dogfish provides.
The steel choice was actually quite decent here, too. 154CM steel was considered premium about 10 years ago in the knife industry, so seeing a budget knife with this well balanced steel is like a breath of fresh air for me. The aluminum scales are milled with a very grippy and attractive texture that add to the experience of using the knife. It’s hard to put this knife down after picking it up. I highly recommend the Dogfish to anyone who wants to add a more exciting knife to the collection.
Trending: Kershaw Iridium DuraLock Knife Black Aluminum (3.5" Black D2) 2038BLK
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It’s no secret anymore: Kershaw has put out one of the best budget folding knives the industry has ever seen. The Iridium comes equipped with the “DuraLock,” which is Kershaw’s version of the ever popular cross bar locking mechanism. There are not many budget knives that utilize the cross bar lock, and Kershaw did it to perfection. The action is dialed in here, very smooth and with great positive lockup.
But I don’t think the lock is the only reason that knife nerds are fawning over the Iridium. The most impressive thing to me about the knife is the visual appearance and the great feel in hand. The Iridium just looks so good. I don’t know why, but budget knives always lack good visual design. The Iridium takes this stereotype and shatters it. The aggressive lines, the fine point of the blade, and luxurious blacked-out color palate take this knife to a whole new level for me. I don’t have one of these in the collection (yet) but I plan on pulling the trigger soon on this one. The hype is real for the Kershaw iridium. It’s not just a trendy knife, it could be the best budget pocket knife available.
Best For Hard-use: Kizer Brat Button Lock Flipper Knife Black G-10 (3.15" Stonewash) V3630C1
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The Kizer Brat is a knife that I would feel more than comfortable putting through serious work. The robust integral G10 handle design and broad blade make this knife feel like it could handle basically anything you could ever need a knife for. The steel is no exception here. 154cm has proven to be one of the best, most balanced knife steels available. It’s very corrosion-resistant, and it holds and edges very well. The button lock really makes this knife stand out, though: it’s very easy to use one-handed and feels great to operate. If you are looking for a good work knife for a fair price, then I highly recommend the Kizer Brat.
Best Design: Kansept Knives Little Main Street Crossbar Lock Knife Blue Frag Al (2.25" SW)
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If you are looking for a modern-looking pocket knife in the budget category, then the Kansept Knives Little Mainstreet is my recommendation. I’m personally a huge fan of wharncliffe blades, mainly for how they look and secondly for how they cut. This knife is the definition of a “slicer.” Great for EDC or for self-defense purposes if needed. The knife is constructed from reliable 154cm steel, which means that it will hold and edge well and withstand rusting.
The Little Mainstreet (smaller cousin of the larger Main Street) utilizes a cross bar locking mechanism, which makes this knife perfect for lefties or anyone who just prefers that lock mechanism. I put the Kansept Little Mainstreet on this list purely for aesthetic reasons, but that doesn’t mean that the knife doesn’t have amazing ergonomics. It feels great to hold and to use, but it might be a bit too small for those with large hands.
Best Ergonomics: CRKT Pilar III Frame Lock Knife Black G-10 (3" Stonewash D2) 5317D2
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If you’ve been around the knife industry over the last few years, then you’ve heard of the CRKT Pilar. It has become an iconic knife design for good reason: great design, comfortable ergonomics, and a great price. The Pilar III is all that plus some.
The Original Pilar was a very small knife, way too small for a lot of people. However, the way it was designed, with a large finger choil, made the knife feel a lot bigger than it really was. The Pilar III takes the original Pilar design and scales it up, giving you a much larger blade, finer point, better blade steel, and a deep carry pocket clip – all of which are a big upgrade over the original Pilar. If you want a good budget-friendly knife that feels good to use, you won’t find a better option right now than the Pilar III.
Best Build Materials: Kubey Tityus Frame Lock Knife Flamed Titanium (3.4" Bead Blast)
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A titanium frame lock for $100 would have sounded crazy 5+ years ago, but the wizards at Kubey Knives have made that crazy dream a reality with the best affordable pocket knife, a.k.a the Kubey Tityus. This knife looks and feels like a $300+ premium knife. The titanium scales have been intricately milled with a micro texture, which adds a very nice grippy feel to the knife. I really don’t know how the Tityus can be overlooked in the best budget knived market. If you want a truly premium feeling knife without spending a ton of cash, I don’t think there is a better option out there right now.
The Sandvik 14c28n steel is no slouch, either. Yeah, it’s no super steel, but it’s about as close as you can get in the budget knife space. This steel offers amazing corrosion resistance and incredible toughness. No, it won’t hold an edge as well as other steel types, but if you don’t mind stropping or sharpening occasionally it won't be a problem at all. The Kubey Tityus is a truly remarkable knife for the money. I will be adding one to my collection in the future.
How To Choose The Best Budget EDC Knife
Choosing the right knife is purely a matter of personal preference. Everyone has different needs, different tastes, different budgets, and different opinions of what looks good. So deciding what your personal criteria are before making a purchase is important if you want to choose the best possible knife for you. A good place to start is to determine what your budget is and find a knife that is within that budget that comes from a reputable maker with the best materials you can afford. Any knife on this list is a great place to start.
Why Trust Us
This was not an exhaustive list of budget pocket knives. Whether it's the best budget EDC knife or a knife that you use only occasionally but still want to find at the right price point, I've given you some things to think about. I wanted to give you a more curated approach to some really good, maybe even underrated budget knives that I have had personal experience with. I have had the amazing opportunity to test, carry, and own many knives in the last few years. I’ve also been in a position to hear the opinions from a very large audience of avid knife lovers, so I have a pretty good understanding of what is good and what isn’t.
Final Thoughts
Although my personal preferences may be different from yours, I recommend only knives that I would personally carry myself. Every knife on this list passes the two most important tests for me when I’m choosing a knife. 1) The knife has a great design 2) The knife is high quality, and well made relative to its price point. As I said earlier, materials and country of origin do not matter as much to me as others, so take this into consideration when you go shopping for yourself.
My personal opinion is that the Knafs Lander 1 is the best budget pocket knife you can buy right now: for just over $40 you get a very well made and highly customizable pocket knife that will be with you for years.
I also quite enjoy the new Kershaw Iridium. It looks great, has decent materials, and comes in at a very fair price. You can’t go wrong with this one, either.
FAQ’s
Question: What is the most reliable budget pocket knife brand?
Answer: Kizer knives has created an immense portfolio of very high-quality budget pocket knives through the years. Their quality control seems to be top-notch, and they release new designs frequently. Kizer also uses really nice high-quality materials for their knives, especially for the price point. If you are looking for a good reliable first knife, then I highly recommend anything made by Kizer Knives.
Question: How much does a good affordable pocket knife cost?
Answer: If you want a high-quality knife for the lowest price possible, then you should expect to spend around $40–60. Once you cross over the $40 threshold, most knives these days will be quite good and will last for a long time with regular maintenance.
