On A Budget

Frankiarmz · Oct 22, 2009

I like knives but my limited budget forces me to purchase lower end items. Today I ordered another Coleman CMN900, Ridgid Bear Tooth in both plain and tanto blades, and a Colt CT253 stainless steel tanto framelock. Total came to $31.50 and that included shipping. I plan to do a little detail work on them, and at those prices I can afford to experiment.

Gatsby · Oct 23, 2009

FWIW I seem to be able to cut as well with my $18 SAK alox Cadet as my Spyderco Sage 2... I see no problem with being on a budget, and taking satisfaction in the things you have versus those you don't - it's a good way to live!

I will say that I've been taking a slightly different approach of having fewer knives, flashlights, whatever, but having the best quality I can afford. But there are some who would rather have multiples at a lower price than one that costs the same as the cumulative of the multiples. We all pick our own approach and what brings us satisfaction.

I'm down to: Benchmade MiniGrip; Spyderco Sage 2; Spyderco CalyIII; Spyderco Native; Spyderco Navigator; SAK Cadet. And arguably I could have only one of the CalyIII/Sage 2 since they are very similar - my Native is my general weekend utility knife rather than a day to day EDC as it is a bit more worn.

Frankiarmz · Oct 23, 2009

Gatsby said:
FWIW I seem to be able to cut as well with my $18 SAK alox Cadet as my Spyderco Sage 2... I see no problem with being on a budget, and taking satisfaction in the things you have versus those you don't - it's a good way to live!

I will say that I've been taking a slightly different approach of having fewer knives, flashlights, whatever, but having the best quality I can afford. But there are some who would rather have multiples at a lower price than one that costs the same as the cumulative of the multiples. We all pick our own approach and what brings us satisfaction.

I'm down to: Benchmade MiniGrip; Spyderco Sage 2; Spyderco CalyIII; Spyderco Native; Spyderco Navigator; SAK Cadet. And arguably I could have only one of the CalyIII/Sage 2 since they are very similar - my Native is my general weekend utility knife rather than a day to day EDC as it is a bit more worn.

Thanks for the response. I believe in buying the best for my money when it comes to tools, and machines to make my life a little easier. I buy the best quality I can afford rather than buy twice, unfortunately as much as I would like to own higher end LED flashlights and knives they fall into the "hobby" category. I own a couple Olight T-20 flashlights and the build quality and features are clearly well above the items I purchase from DX, although I have to say the Ultrafires are fun. I use my carry knife every day for different chores around the house and property, so it takes some pounding. The other knives I just bought will satisfy my desire to own a wider array and at the same time won't cause an argument with my wife. One daughter soon to graduate college and one a year from entering college puts a damper on the nonessentals. Take care.

NonSenCe · Oct 23, 2009

keeping within budget.. yeah that is a smart plan.

good bang for buck if you really need a folder that can take some beating and twisting.. spyderco tenacious (or its smaller version persistence or what ever its called) (tenacious is my work knife and it sure get abused daily)

and for everything else. buying decent quality fixed blade makes sense.

and then there is the option of buying stuff second hand/used.

i have few quality knives that were bougth lightly used or are factory seconds with little blemishes on finish. (looks dont hurt the functionality in my mind.)

even here in cpfmp there are some good deals of such time to time. (few that spring to mind: kershaw leek for 22. sog trident for 45. few spyderco delicas and enduras)

buying 3 weaker quality knives instead of one is not really good plan unless you already have that good one that you use.. and the others are just stowaway spares.. for those occasions you forget or dont have your better blades with you.

Frankiarmz · Oct 25, 2009

NonSenCe said:
keeping within budget.. yeah that is a smart plan.

good bang for buck if you really need a folder that can take some beating and twisting.. spyderco tenacious (or its smaller version persistence or what ever its called) (tenacious is my work knife and it sure get abused daily)

and for everything else. buying decent quality fixed blade makes sense.

and then there is the option of buying stuff second hand/used.

i have few quality knives that were bougth lightly used or are factory seconds with little blemishes on finish. (looks dont hurt the functionality in my mind.)

even here in cpfmp there are some good deals of such time to time. (few that spring to mind: kershaw leek for 22. sog trident for 45. few spyderco delicas and enduras)

buying 3 weaker quality knives instead of one is not really good plan unless you already have that good one that you use.. and the others are just stowaway spares.. for those occasions you forget or dont have your better blades with you.

I agree with much of what you wrote, especially buying one quality knife in place of several weaker ones. I also find the savings on a factory second interesting. I've mentioned the Coleman CMN900 a few times because for the money it is an impressive knife. The full metal liner, strong tanto blade and rubber inlay grip are among the features I like. The knife has some weight to it, so I know it's not for everyone. When a buddy of mine gave me one with a black finish on the blade, I was beside myself. The action is extremely fast and yet the blade remains very stable. I ordered another one just as a backup. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, certain features they look for in a knife, for me the Coleman has it all. I would not think of comparing it to a custom made knife, that would be insulting and foolish. I just find that on my budget, it is not a compromise. Thansk for the suggestions. Frank

carrot · Oct 25, 2009

The great thing about knives is that even when you're on a budget there are still a lot of great choices out there.
Spyderco has the $20-ish Byrd line, the $30 Tenacious and Persistence, and the $50 Delica and Endura.
Kershaw offers many knives made in USA for $50 and under, and the sweet OD-1 can be had for only $40, the Skyline for $30.
There's always the low cost high performance Mora fixed blades and Opinel and Doul Douk folders,
but let's not forget Boker's excellent $20-50 CLB folder lineup like the Subcom
or the Victorinox Swiss army knives, many for only $20-30.

On A Budget

Frankiarmz

Enlightened

Gatsby

Enlightened

Frankiarmz

Enlightened

NonSenCe

Flashlight Enthusiast

Frankiarmz

Enlightened

carrot

Flashaholic

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