cheap crap knife that actually is pretty good? Anybody?

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Tornad0Alley

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I know your supposed to buy a good quality knife for shtf but has anybody bought a cheap knife that actually turned out to be pretty good? I bought this Ozark brand knife from Walmart several years ago. Paid 9.99 for it, beat it to hell and it still works great. It's stainless so I have to sharpen it pretty frequently, but otherwise its never failed me. I grab that one when going camping or wandering the field more than I grab my $120 custom. Its because I don't actually worry about using the cheap knife I suppose. Anybody else do this?
 
I got a cheap lock knife(several in fact) for £2 when the airlines brought in a rule about no sharp objects on planes, guy got the contract to sell them and I bought them from him at a Sunday Market.
never let me down and is easy to sharpen, no brand name but looks like a Buck.
 
I got a cheap lock knife(several in fact) for £2 when the airlines brought in a rule about no sharp objects on planes, guy got the contract to sell them and I bought them from him at a Sunday Market.
never let me down and is easy to sharpen, no brand name but looks like a Buck.

2 pounds.....that's like 40 American dollars, right? :D

Just kidding, of course. That's great you could find more of them.
 
2 pounds.....that's like 40 American dollars, right? :D

Just kidding, of course. That's great you could find more of them.
I went back week after week and bought a couple more each time.
I dont know what £2 is in dollars, 2 or 3 dollars I expect.
some of the larger ones cost me like £4.
 
For outdoor use i own beside expensive knives as well an cheap one which makes me really happy.
https://morakniv.se/en/product/companion-c/?v=1ee0bf89c5d1The Mora Comanion is made in Sweden, has an perfect handle, comes with an already sharp blade.
It's an good knife which does the job and even you damage or loose it it wasn't too expensive.
 
This was a pleasant surprise. I bought it for the steel thinking that at the price (~$30) there would be something "cheap" about it. Boy was I wrong! Excellent worksmanship, hefty blade, really nice balance in your hand, removable G10 handle. You should expect to pay well over $100 for a knife like this.

Too bad they only made them one year. Reviews on Amazon were overwhelmingly positive.

iu
 
@Tornad0Alley : I always go for the least expensive options for anything and everything lol; I'm super poor. I don't need "the best" anything, it just has to be "adequate" and I'm happy lol. XD

I'm super poor, too, :), and no shame in being frugal. I'll either just save up or buy the best I can at the moment and improve later on. Often times prepping is all about making the best of what we have, and that can lead to creativity and invention.
 
An true word @Tornad0Alley
Mayself i didn't had always the money left to buy the expensive stuff. So i started with usefull, but the best i got for small money. Over the years i replaced some of the equipement by really good quality. It dosn't mean if you're frugal you just can buy crap. The best preparing is anyway your own knowledge. Equipement is making some things just easier and brings an bit of luxury in an extreme situation.
 
Price point value is my guiding light. Example: My 6.5 Creedmoor, shoots 1/2" MOA. The rifle cost $300 plus some minor work by me (bedded the stock - $10). Do your homework (product research / reviews) and then buy what meets the need.
 
For outdoor use i own beside expensive knives as well an cheap one which makes me really happy.
https://morakniv.se/en/product/companion-c/?v=1ee0bf89c5d1The Mora Comanion is made in Sweden, has an perfect handle, comes with an already sharp blade.
It's an good knife which does the job and even you damage or loose it it wasn't too expensive.

Probably my favorite outdoor knife, It's somewhat cheap, but you definitely get enough bang for your buck.
 
I have a mix of cheap knives, expensive knives, and collectables.

I will often buy kitchen and tableware steak knives and granny paring knives at thrift shops for less than a dollar . . . and I polish them up, sharpen them, and I'll throw one in the tool box, or use one around my parents' barn (when we were on speaking terms). I've found that a six inch sharpened kitchen knife can accomplish the vast majority of routine cutting projects, and spares me from using my more expensive (and limited edition) knives. I also use a cheap dive knife that I bought more than 25 years ago, and it's still going strong.

I've learned that used thrift store knives are the knife of choice among homeless people (when I was a medic). You bleed just as much from being stabbed with a repurposed kitchen knife as you do from a $175.00 SOG knife.
 
I like getting cheap knives and putting good edges on them. That way when they sh** the bed im not mad. Like I am when a $120 kbar sh** the bed.
How does any ka-bar--let alone one of the more expensive D2 steel ka bars--shit the bed?

I have several ka-bars, and none have ever failed me
. . and I abuse the hell out of mine.
 
My top of the lines got bought when I had more money...the less expensive ones get used and were inherited to my son. The cheap ones are used 3 at a time, daily, a folder, a sheath and a neck knife are daily with me for different uses and reasons. The neck knife is good for cutting tape, string and opening letters/boxes quick. The folder has a straight and a serraded blade that cuts lots of thicker things daily. The sheath knife is for protection from dogs and dumb persons and I practice throwing with it often enough to trust it to get me through something. Many have discussed "throwing" knives "away" in bad situations...sometimes you "use" it and sometimes you "throw" it. Just decide which is applicable at the moment...GP
 
I’ve purchased a bunch of cheaper Wally World Ozarks knives, still NIP for SHTF barter purposes. I’m not a cheap knife or tool guy. In SHTF, a cheapie knife will probably trade just as much as a nice knife. I am not rich, but find that value is vastly different than price, and for personal uses I’m inclined to go with quality tools. For quality knives, I’ve got a smattering of various brands (Spyderco, Medford, Esee and TOPS). Spyderco folders are generally my EDC, but my survival/SHTF knives are fixed blades Esee/Tops attached to my kit, and a Gerber Strongarm strapped to my GHB.
 

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