Need new knife - not expensive, <3" blade

I currently EDC a Gerber FAST, and love the knife, but it is showing it's age. (I got it used off of e-Bay about a year ago.) I do not have any other knives except for a few SAK's that don't really lend themselves to EDC duty because of the style.

I am looking for another assisted opening knife, and like a drop point style but am not particular about whether the blade is partially serrated, or not. I like the clip to be on the back of the knife, and would like the handle scales to be synthetic. Also, the blade needs to be 3" or less in length, as I carry the knife everywhere, and want to avoid any trouble.

Can anyone recommend a knife under $35, or so that meets my needs?

I would appreciate any insights that anyone may have.

Thanks!

I EDCed a CRKT M16-01Z (spearpoint) for about a year and it worked great. It has Zytel handles and I think I paid about $25-35 for it NEW from eBay. I just bought an M16-02 to replace my other one. The M16-02 has a nice dark grey aluminum handles and is a Tanto style. Seems to hold an edge pretty well and sharpen nicely. The "Auto-Lawks" feature is nice to help against mishaps with the liner-lock. It is not an assisted open knife, but it does have a nice finger stud to help in opening that works amazing.

DaFABRICATA, thank you for the reply.

I just checked out the CRKT M16-01Z on Google. Very cool! That is the kind of knife that I was looking for. I like the look, and the features. The clip is opposite of where I like it, but for the price, I can probably learn to live with it. I'll put the CRKT M16-01Z at top of the list for now. I may try to get one on e-Bay to save some $$. I am not opposed to buying used, as long as it is in "like new" condition.

There's lots of very good dollar value knives that meet your criteria. Kershaw, Gerber, SOG (Twitch II is a very substantial knife), CRKT (the M-16 may look a little too "tactical" for your purpose). Wow, you can be like a kid in a candy store.

You should have a several knife outlets in Atlanta. The major sports chains are now carrying a wide range of production knives. If you have gun shows locally, they're some of the best sources of knives of all types (and you can generally play with them while you're deciding).

Definitely check out the Kershaws. IMHO, they have the best bang for the buck of all the current offerings.

This is all new to me, as the only knife that I have had experience with is the Gerber FAST. I bought it because I liked the one a former coworker had.

I am completely in the dark as to what is quality, so I am relying on the opinions of actual users who know quality. Actually testing the knives in a store may not be a bad idea. I like the thumb opening feature, and would be disappointed if I could not get it open easily.

You might make a visit here.

http://www.atlantacutlery.com/atlantacutlery/default.aspx

They'll have some production knives, but some very fine antiques and other edged weaponry. I visited years ago and it was fascinating.

Also, Bass Pro, Cabela's, Gander Mountain will all have large knife departments that will probably be worth a visit.

Or just get a Kershaw Scallion for about $30. I guarantee you'll be happy with it.

BIGIRON said:

You might make a visit here.

http://www.atlantacutlery.com/atlantacutlery/default.aspx

They'll have some production knives, but some very fine antiques and other edged weaponry. I visited years ago and it was fascinating.

Also, Bass Pro, Cabela's, Gander Mountain will all have large knife departments that will probably be worth a visit.

Or just get a Kershaw Scallion for about $30. I guarantee you'll be happy with it.

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I saw Kershaw Scallion with green handle scales that looked really nice. That does look like a nice knife. The blade is only 2.25", though.

I need to look on the CPFMP non-light section, because I have seen several of the knives there.

Or a Leek. Little different blade form but 3" and very nice for under $40.

This site lists a whole bunch of assisted openers http://www.888knivesrus.com/category/.assistedopeningfolders/
Prices are included to give you a ball park idea.

I love my little Koji Hara AO by CRKT but the blade is only 2 1/2 inches and is 420J2 steel. Needs more frequent sharpening but is super easy to sharpen. Also, is a bit on the small side for larger hands. Otherwise, a cool little knife with a kind of modified wharncliff blade.

I think the kershaw leek would be a good choice.

From what I hear there are only two knives. They are getting rare and so there isn't much choice left as they've all been outlawed. However I do see 74,100,000 hits on Google on 'knife' and 57,707 on eBay so you may still have a little chance left at some selection.

Okay sarcastic mode off - I think I recently checked and decided that with all the knives made that there are actually more knives on this planet than there are people. So there's really a huge selection - I'd just cruise some knife forums and eBay and then maybe go to a brick and mortar store and handle some. I really don't do 'cheap' knives anymore as they are a primary EDC tool useful for so many things so I decided I would just get the best or some of the best. I don't buy knives just for looks or 'wow' factor like Damascus steel knives that really only have a 'wow' factor and no other reason that they are better than another knife steel. I consider them 'Man jewelry' when they get that high cost and flashy.
Some of my favorite brands are Benchmade, Strider and Kershaw. I won't buy anything by Cold Steel or Gerber and I'm not going to get into the reasons why. You won't get a Strider for under $35 but you can find some Benchmade close to that. But I'd shoot for something in the $50 to $80 dollar range at least in BM or Kershaw. Good luck in your choice and just remember there's only 2 knives left

If you go to the $50 to $80 range, you should definitely check out the Kershaw leek with a composite blade (model 1660CB). The cutting edge is D2 steel, a great blade steel that you otherwise be hard pressed to find in a knife that costs twice that much. Handles are stainless steel, and it uses Ken Onion's speed safe assisted opening mechanism. It's a lot of knife for around $65.

Thanks for all of the information, guys. I will certainly need to do some searching around, as I have seen a lot that I like. I have also seen a lot that I like that is in the $50+ range.

I need to compile a small list, and keep an eye out on the CPFMP non-light section. There always seem to be knife deals there.

Again, I really appreciate all of the responses and information. :thumbsup:

I recently got the Spyderco Native CPM S30V FRN knife at Walmart for $40.00 dollars. It is the best bang for the money. You will not be dissappointed in it. I am really enjoying the compactness and the ease of use with it. Good luck in your search.

lightinsky said:

I recently got the Spyderco Native CPM S30V FRN knife at Walmart for $40.00 dollars. It is the best bang for the money. You will not be dissappointed in it. I am really enjoying the compactness and the ease of use with it. Good luck in your search.

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I do not like the style of the Spyderco knives. They remind me of the Frost Cutlery stuff.

You may not like the way the Spydercos look, but don't confuse that with quality. Their quality is among the best, dollar for dollar. And the Native is a particularly good design and value.

I will support the suggestions for CRKT knives. I have three knives by them, the PECK, BULL, and Urban Shark (no longer in production) and I have been happy with all of them. In terms of solid knives for low cost, they are probably my favorite, and they have some very cool designs owing to the fact that they get people from a variety of professions to help them design knives for real people. I use the BULL alot. Its a nice knife and at $30 or so, I won't freak out if something happens to it. Check out their website and see if anything tickles your fancy. Happy slicing!

Another thing about CRKT is their customer service. I picked up an M16 missing clip at a pawn shop. CRKT sent me a clip and screws at no cost. Their website mentions several other 'maintenence " items they provide at no charge.

datiLED said:

I do not like the style of the Spyderco knives. They remind me of the Frost Cutlery stuff.

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I used to hate their look, but after I bought my first one they grow on me. Now I have 3. I'd strongly recommand their walmart native too.