A few weeks back, Thomas asked you guys which knives you found to be some of the highest value on the market. This article is the result of that question post. In it, I’ve taken the time to compile your responses, grouping your specific knife recommendations into fixed blade & folder categories.
Knife value is a tricky subject. As Thomas pointed out, to get a feel for the value of a knife, you’ll always be doing something of a balancing act between the knife’s price and its performance. You guys put your feelings about knife value into better terms than we did, I feel, especially with these two remarks in particular:
From John: “Value comes in the form of feeling disgusted at thinking about anything less than what you have now become accustomed too. Anyone whose had a great tool, lost it, and had to use a crappy standby until the good one could be replaced knows exactly what I mean here.”
& from Jack Fallin: “It’s not always the knife maker. Find what you like, what you can afford and become best of friends. Know it like your hands, learn to use it and be comfortable with it. $500 or $50, if it feels right in your hand it is the right knife.”
Two slightly different ways of looking at knife value and yet somehow both ringing completely true to any of us who have come to know and love a specific knife.
Without further ado, your high-value knife recommendations:
Opinel No. 8 Traditional Folding Knife – Amazon / Blade HQ
Reader’s Choice: High Value EDC Pocket Knives
1. Swiss Army Pocket Knife
This had to be listed. It’s a classic for a reason, and in my opinion, not a soul can doubt their usefulness – whether you’re a knife person or not. Broadwing mentioned his Swiss Army Knife “hasn’t let me down in any everyday carry situation where I need a blade or tool. It’s in my front pocket 24/7.”
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
2. Opinel No. 8
Yet another tried and true. There aren’t many lists this knife hasn’t made it to the top of, even on this blog where more expensive knives are very often featured. We’ve mentioned it in our original article on knife value, our top budget knives post, it’s made it to our bang-for-buck best knives by price point article, hell, it’s even in our top picks for lightweight knives for hikers. Hard to beat, the Opinel.
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
Read our review of the Opinel No. 8
3. Buck 110
Buck makes excellent USA-made knives, no doubt about it, and the classic Buck 110 is never off the table when it comes to discussion about knife value. Mike mentioned in his comment that, besides the 110, the 112, 119, and 120 also make it to his top lists when it comes to value.
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
Read our review of the Buck 110
4. Spyderco Dragonfly 2
John says about the Dragonfly 2: “I bought a Dragonfly 2, and looked down at this tiny, minuscule knife with a weird leaf-shaped blade and full-flat grind and second guessed dropping $50 on the VG10 steel “cheap” version of it. Until it felt like it disappeared in my pocket, didn’t scare anyone who saw it, and made me chuckle out loud the first time I used it for cutting. Sure, any sharp knife cuts. But a well designed, well-ground knife with great (albeit tiny) ergonomics elevates the tool from an object that merely aids in finishing chores, to a tangible quality of life change, an increase in efficient work output, and then also manages to transcend that and become something that one would choose to use simply to enjoy how well it does it’s job.”
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
Read our review of the Spyderco Dragonfly 2
5. Boker Stockman
Stockman knives in general are a solid recommendation from bdc. He states about the style: “It is a three bladed pocket knife like grandpa carried. No fancy way of opening. You open the knife and there isn’t a fancy feature that holds it solid.” He notes that the Boker Stockman is beautiful, while the Case Stockman is a collectible. There are many cheap stockmans on the market as well, and all are game as this style of knife seems to be his perfect fit.
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
6. Benchmade Contego
John says about the Benchmade Contego, “I’ve previously mentioned my Benchmade Contego in M390. As soon as I think I won’t go to jail for using it to do a job I have it out. Every movement with that knife is smooth and natural and one-handed. And as quickly as it cuts, I pull the lock and flick it closed and reseat it in my pocket one-handed and I still have to suppress a grin. The knife feels like if I left it alone in a dark room it would just go ahead and do my job for me without me.”
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
Mora Outdoor 2000 Fixed Blade Bushcraft Knife – Amazon / Blade HQ
Reader’s Choice: High Value Fixed Blade Knives
1. Fallkniven A1
Up at the very top of the fixed blade list is the Fallkniven A1, recommended by both Jake and Bjørnar Blystad.
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
2. Mora Companion
Moras definitely make the #1 spot for overall recommendations by knife brands for fixed blades, and if it wasn’t for the fact that so many different Moras were recommended by you guys, a Mora would’ve spring boarded to the top position in an instant. The Mora Companion is Mike‘s solid recommendation.
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
3. Ontario SP-3 Air Force
Broadwing recommends Moras & the Ontario SP-3 Air Force as his fixed blade knives of choice. On them he says: “Both these knives are of good design, not overly expensive, and have been dependable for the cost incurred. JMHO!” “At the front top of the SP-3 handle is a vertical piece of rubber material that can be cut off. By doing so, you can move your hand forward on the top and have better control for close in work in cutting.”
4. Mora 2000
For Bjørnar Blystad, the Mora 2000, and for that matter the Mora Craftline Basic 511, are the two knives that top his recommended list: “If a non-knife person asked me which “do it all” knife to buy, i would have answered Mora 2000 or Basic 511.”
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
Read our review of the Mora 2000 Outdoor
5. Camillus USMC
While this knife no longer appears to be on the market, you can still spot one on eBay every once in a while. Jack Fallin states: “My go to knife for over 40 years had always been a Navy copy of the KBar made by Camillus. Soft steel, nicks easily, can be sharpened on your belt or boot is razor sharp and has never failed me and a few sentrys will attest to it slicing ability.”
6. Helle Temagami
We mentioned the Helle Temagami in our question post, and Bjørnar Blystad chimed in to let us know he’s with us with recommending that knife. In his words, “On the Temagami: I have the SS model (Bonpertuis T7Mo laminated with 18/8) and it is my favourite go-to-knife, and sheat, at any pricepoint. Along with my Fallkniven s1, that is. One thing about Helle though; since they still are handmade in Holmedal, Norway, to this day. They may vary quite a bit in fit & finish. I looked at a few, before i found “my precious!” :)”
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
Read our review of the Helle Temagami
7. Fallkniven F1
The Fallkniven A1 wasn’t the only Fallkniven knife Jake recommended as an excellent value fixed blade: “Living in the Pacific NorthWET on the shores of a gigantic inland portion of the Pacific Ocean (Puget Sound), and leading a life outdoors. I need a durable, stainless steel blade I can trust with my life. For me that’s the Fallkniven A1 and F1.”
Availability: Amazon • Blade HQ • eBay
Helle Temagami Fixed Blade Survival Knife – Amazon / BladeHQ
What High-Value Knives Should Have Made This List?
Any knives you think really should’ve been on this list that we missed out on adding to it? Let us know in the comments! Have firsthand experience with any of the knives listed above? Give them a shout out or a thumbs down in the comments.
I was surprised and saddened not to see any ESEE knives on the list. I have owned nearly every model of ESEE knives, and they are all rock solid. I truly believe that they are the near-perfect intersection of cost and quality.
The other brand that is higher priced, but still well worth the $ is Bark River, especially the Bravo series. When the Marine Corp tests all bushcraft knives they can find and then crown the Bark River as the best, then that should carry a lot of weight.
I don’t like to recommend tools I don’t own. I own the ESEE Izula. the Candiru and recently snapped up an ESEE-4. Don’t own any Bark River blades. As for the bang for buck of ESEE’s, I agree- they are pretty much perfect in price relative to what you get.
I recommend a neck knife from Murray Carter. His philosophy is that a knife should take a keen edge, hold it for a reasonable amount of time, and be able to be sharpened easily in minutes. Otherwise I carry an upscale higonokami knife that looks like a samurai sword and disappears in my pocket.
Got nothing but love for my own Higonokami- greatly underestimated EDC knife- the friction mechanism is perfectly viable for 99% of real world situations.
I own Benchmade, Topps, ESSEE, Rat3 and a couple custom knives, Randle, Chris Reeve, Medford, Zero Tolerance are all worth the money, if you find the one that fits your need, mission, and most important your hand. I also have 50 year old Bal Song Butterfly knife made from a car leaf spring. This is the toughest, sharpest. Baddest knife ever have ever used. Fast, strong and effective.
That bali sounds wicked- any pics? Never owned a Randall- always wanted to but the lack of availability is painful.
I highly recommend the Ontario SP-6 Fighting knife. It has a full tang blade that is 1″ longer that the K-Bar (also the Camillus & Ontario “Marine Combat Knife”), the back blade is straight (not curved like the K-Bar, Camillus and Ontario Marine knives) which makes it stronger to it’s point. It also has a non-slip Kraton handle with a lanyard. It comes at around $47 on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Knife-Ontario-Company-8325/dp/B000I7MHMO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1503216296&sr=8-2&keywords=Ontario+SP-6+knife
Never handled it but looks solid- I have the Marine Raider which is from the same “series” and its damn near indestructible.
Thanks for sharing mate!
Great list! I have no complaints. In addition to the Victorinox Classic (always with me), the Alox Cadet and the Pioneer X find their way into my pocket almost every day.
I have an Alox Pioneer that I absolutely love, I do find that the styling can be a “hate it or love it” situation- Elise can’t stand the aesthetics of the SAK’s.
Fallkniven F1. Not every reader is a workman who can pocket carry a knife on a clip or in a pouch on a belt.
Some time ago, I wanted a fixed blade that could be carried in the front pant pocket of a suit. Nice challenge! It turned out that the F1, in its factory sheath can be comfortably carried in a front pants pocket of a suit. Reflect that a fixed blade designed as a survival knife and adopted by the Swedish Air Force fit the requirement. Amazing.
Another choice – an Al Mar folder. Ever gone to a restaurant and been presented with a steak knife that is more on the order of a butter knife? If you ask for a better knife, you probably won’t receive a beautiful, functional knife. An Al Mar folder meets the bill. No fancy opening mechanism. Slow to deploy. Comfortable to carry.
Finally, any standard size Leatherman with a scissors/knife blade/pliers. Probably a Wave. When you travel, you never know what will be the combat challenge. Once it was opening mussels at outdoor cafe on Riviera. The Russian at the next table was unprepared for the challenge and was trying to use a second mussel shell for leverage.
And when traveling on foot and by bus through Central Asia, it was a Buck 110 as a daily all around useful tool.
Say Al Mar and a lot of people will complain about the cost for AUS8.
However, if you like the Al Mar Hawk or Falcon – not the Ultralight models – then get the same size Moki. Moki makes Al Mar knives and besides having a back lock instead of front lock lockback they are the same. Well, a different selection of cover materials.
For the workmanship vs cost, an incredible value.
I remember when you could pick up an F1 for £50. :( Can’t believe I missed that boat and now the price is pretty painful.
One of these days though, I will snap one up. As for Al Mar, I used to love the S.E.R.E 2000, I wonder what happened to them? I guess they just didn’t keep up with the times.
My favourite Leatherman is the Rebar- perfect size/performance equilibrium. I own the wave too (ti version) but its too bulky for me to EDC. Specially after EDC’ing the Skeletool for so many years. Guess I am spoiled!