Reddit reviews CRKT Ripple EDC Folding Pocket Knife: Gentleman Everyday Carry, Satin Blade, IKBS Ball Bearing Pivot, Locking Liner, Textured Aluminum Handle, Pocket Clip K415KXP

• ~$7-8 Sanrenmu 7010/710 - You can find these at Gearbest for cheap as hell when they have sales but they're absolutely $30 worth of knife
  
• ~$10-20 Opinel no.6-12 - Depends on blade size/steel/handle wood. #6 is under 3in blade if that kind of thing matters.
  
• ~$20 CRKT Drifter
  
• ~$20 Spyderco Byrd Cara Cara2
  
• ~$20-25 Ontario Rat II or Rat I
  
• ~$30 Victorinox Cadet Alox
  
• ~$30 Kershaw Cryo
  
• ~$35 CRKT Ripple
  
• ~$35 Spyderco Persistence
  
• ~$40 Kershaw Skyline - Often on sale in the ~$30 range
  
• ~$40 Kershaw Leek - Same sales as with the Skyline \^^
  
  Honorable Mention: Case knives. Traditional lockbacks. Hard as nails and pretty to boot. True pocket knives. Your grandfather (possibly great grandfather) had one. Good stuff the lot of them. $25-50 will get you a legacy knife that you can carry and use and then pass to your kid.
  
  You don't need to spend $200 to get a quality, durable, reliable knife. I've owned all of these knives at one time or another and loved every one of them. Sure they needed sharpening more often and sometimes something a little more drastic (Sanrenmus are often cheaper to replace than fix) but the value is insane. Plus, lets face facts; we're much more likely to break out our Cadet when we get box duty than our Sebenza.
  
  Knife enthusiasts (brothers) if there's a weighed and measured cheapo that I forgot, let me know.

Hi! And welcome!

I like the Gayle Bradley 2 in M4, and the BM Valet in M390, but they are both very expensive to start out with. The Shuffle II is kind of crappy - I'd definitely pass on that one. I have no experience with
the Bartender Defeder, but even the XL version looks too small, as is the Rodie. The Delica and Leek are great knives, and would likely be solid options (their ergonomics are better than their handle lengths suggest, especially the Delica). The CRKT M16 is ok, but it's not great (in my opinion). I've never handled CRKT's Endorser, but it looks like a solid choice.

My best suggestion is a RAT 1 in D2. It's 40 bucks and you get a very well-made knife in D2 (semi stain resistant and will hold an edge for a good long time). The AUS-8 version is good, too, but if you're cutting boxes, the D2 option will stay sharp way longer.

As for some other options, here are some good ones from CRKT:

Foresight - It's big and comfy in-hand, but it's expensive for the materials used (aluminum and AUS-8)

Shenanigan - lighter and cheaper than the Foresight, but with the same blade material (AUS-8)

Outrage - aluminum handle and 8Cr13MoV steel (similar to AUS-8, id est, reasonably stainless, decent toughness, ok-ish edge retention), ball bearing pivot (nice and smooth!)

Ripple - aluminum handle, 8Cr13MoV blade, ball bearing pivot

With these suggestions, it may seem like I'm a shill for CRKT, but I'm not. I'm just a fan of Ken Onion's designs and ergonomics. I also like:

Spyderco Endura - very good stainless steel in a lightweight package, with plenty of handle real estate

Byrd Cara Cara 2 - Spyderco's value brand (basically a cheap Endura with 8Cr13MoV steel instead of the excellent blade steel VG-10)

Spyderco Resilience - big and comfy (G-10 scales with 8Cr13Mov steel), and my daily carry at work

Spyderco Manix 2 - light and medium sized (they also make an XL version), with BD-1 (kinda similar to AUS-8, kinda)

Cold Steel Recon 1 Spear Point - a big knife with lots of grippy G-10 handle space. The CTS XHP steel is the bee's knees, and the Recon 1 is an excellent value, but it may be too expensive as a starting point.

Also, I'm sure some other folks will chime in, too. The guys & gals of /r/knifeclub are pretty knowledgeable and helpful.

Again, my number 1 suggestion is the RAT 1 in D2. It'll be hard to beat interms of construction, ergonomics, and utility.

Happy hunting!

For the record, I feel the same that the Cryo is too slippery - which is why I'm super glad Kershaw released a G10 version of it last year.

I also agree that the Tenacious is just a bit too big for EDC - and they do make the Persistence, which is a shrunken version of the Tenacious, with a 2.75 inch blade vs the Tenacious' 3-3/8 inch blade. If you wanna go even smaller, the Ambitious has a 2.25" blade. All 3 knives share a similar design (though the Ambitious is small enough that the proportions might look a little weird to some).

A few other knives of note that are standouts in the sub-$50 price range:

• CRKT Ripple - Ken Onion design with a more-traditional drop point blade, IKBS, 8Cr14MoV. Usually on most people's "Under $50" list.
  
  
• Kershaw Leek - Again, a little slippery and still Speedsafe but a slightly weaker torsion bar so not as forceful. Some people have issues with broken tips since they're a little thin, but this thing was the best under $50 when it came out.
  
  
• Ontario RAT 1 - At $25 this thing is a pretty great package, if not a little big. 3.5" blade, but it's AUS-8 if you don't like the 8Cr China steels (even if they are pretty similar).
  
  
• SOG Flash II - again, a 3.5 inch, AUS-8 blade. Assisted opening, but much less forceful than Speedsafe.
  
  
• The Kershaw Emerson CQC-6K has blown up since it's release and a lot of high speed low drag tactical types love it for EDC use. $25 makes it a pretty appealing choice and rock solid under $30.
  
  
• The Spyderco Delica 4 is just a touch over $50, averaging about $60, but it's also a go-to knife in the $50 for many people. VG-10 steel on this one is a big selling point.
  
  
• On the same hand, the Kershaw Blur is usually available for about $60, and for those looking for a big folder (seriously this thing is large) it's a great choice. Sandvik 14C28N as standard steel, also available with S30V for about $75.
  
  A few notes here
  
  
• You'll see a lot of sub $50 knives using 8Cr13MoV or 8Cr14MoV. The main difference is a little more Chromium in the 8Cr14MoV, leading to a little more corrosion resistance. A lot of people loved the Skyline, but there were a few issues with minor rust spots on the knives, leading to many companies switching to 8Cr14MoV for some of their knives (most of the budget Kershaws are 8Cr14MoV now).
  
  
• Kershaw has many many options for budget folders under $50, for all kinds of aesthetic tastes. The Chill, Thermite, Link, Oso Sweet, etc. I've owned a handful of Kershaws, and loved all of them, especially for the price.
  
  
• The 8Cr steels (13MoV and 14MoV) are pretty much on par with AUS-8, especially from CRKT, Spyderco, and Kershaw who all do a good job on their heat treats. There's a slight difference in hardness (3 to 4 HRC difference by most counts), but really they're nearly identical for all intents and purposes, mainly sharpening and edge retention. Some people just prefer AUS-8 because they don't like so called "China steel."
  
  
  ETA a few more links and some clarification of my still-awake-at-5am rambling.

You won't regret it, but honestly. I would've gone for this version instead..

http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-River-Knife-Tool-K415KXP/dp/B0030IT794/ref=sr_1_1?srs=3548657011&ie=UTF8&qid=1464407607&sr=8-1&keywords=415kxp

it's slightly bigger, but the same exact model. And easier to hold and better overall :)


if you want you can cancel it and purchase it, up to you however.

Of the two you mentioned I would get the Ganzo. I love the Axis lock, its the most fun lock type to play with IMO. I carry a Ganzo G727 quite often and it has been holding up great. Its a good size for a big EDC beater, and the blade does most cutting tasks well. It is a copy of a knife that is very popular for a reason.

The Cryo 1 is a much smaller knife than the Ganzo, they have a larger model 2 that is more similar to the G727. Just be aware of the sizes and what you want to do with your knife. The Cryo is damn good knife I will not fault it for anything other than in my hands it needs a pointer finger choil. That is purely a preference thing though. If you want a sub $20 Kershaw I very much like my Kershaw Freefall. It's lightish, full size, deep carry and has great ergo's. Another option is the Volt SS again with great ergo's and is very thin in the pocket.

If you want a great flipper look for something that runs on ball bearings. CRKT makes some amazing ones for $30~40. The Teigh Tac Two Tanto, Outrage, and Ripple 1 and 2 all fit the bill. The Outrage is a very strong feeling knife, but the tip is very thin, and the other two are not overbuilt but solid so make great EDC knives, but are not the beaters a Rat or Ganzo might be.

CRKT Ripple is an amazing little knife; good blade length and cool handle. If you want to spend a little more money get the spyderco centofante 3 on amazon. Amazing knife and beautiful aesthetics.

I actually went against my original post. I just bought this CRKT Ken Onion Ripple . Thanks tho!!

I don't think it'll sell out so you shouldn't worry.
They finally revealed the knife, it's a CRKT Ken Onion designed Ripple, it's not too bad.
I hope it's around 40-50$ as the non-pka branded one costs 30$ on amazon.

Either way, it's still a good knife, hopefully we can get it within the next month.

oh, and I forgot to mention, it will be engraved PKA, and a pill logo next to the word.

I noticed that someone already mentioned the Swindle, so check out the Ripple