Help finding a pocket knife?

[noparlpf]

Hey, I was wondering if anybody has a suggestion for a good, cheap-ish pocket knife. I'm having trouble finding what I want online. My limit is probably ~$30 USD because I also need to get a nice multi-tool for work, but I don't necessarily want to carry a heavier multi-tool when I don't need it.

Features I want:
2-3" blade, preferably half-serrated
One-hand opening (thumb stud or whatever)
Liner lock
Pocket clip for tip-up carry (I'm looking at Leatherman's Crater C33X but it's tip-down, otherwise I might have bought it already; I got used to tip-up from my current little utility knife)

Does anybody have something like that or know of a model that fits what I'm looking for?

[blacklight101]

I like my Schrade Old Timer, but its a penknife, no clip. 20 bucks though. Blade is probably 3.5"

Sheffield might be a good bet, cheap with the pocket clip. I may have paid 15. Blade is probably 3"

Personally I dont like tip up, I have a couple scars from ones that failed on me. At least tip down wont skewer your hand. Heck, im probably not the one for advice on this subject, I just know what I like. I do find clips too fiddly though, I prefer a small case on my belt. They dont get in the way of my pockets then.

My serrated blades never hold up as well as a straight blade either, they always seem to get chipped up before any of my others. Overall favorite is my Buck 110 (might be a 105 though...), best fixed blade ive ever owned, but not at all what you want.

Again, sheffield might be the best bet from wha I know.

[TheThan]

You can’t go wrong with a Swiss Army Knife.

They come in a ton of different configurations so you can find the one that best fits your lifestyle.

For a general purpose one I highly recommend the tinker (http://www.victorinox.com/us/product/Swiss-Army-Knives/Category/Do-It-Yourself/Tinker/53101).

It’s got everything you really need and nothing you don’t. it fits into your hand and your pocket easily, falls within your price range and is a fantastic addition to anyone's EDC (every day carry) system.

[edit]

oops sorry, i didn't realize you were looking for a liner lock. I at this time, don't actually have any to recommend.

[Gopher Wizard]

I think most hardware stores carry pocket knives. You could try one of those in your town.

[darkscizor]

They aren't exactly on-par blade-wise with a more expensive knife, but I have a dollar tree knife with a stainless steel handle that I like, with a few attachments that should help you out a little. With casual use, it'll last a while. I don't have a name and the dollar store page dosen't list it, but if you search "dollar tree pocket knife", then it's the first result.

[cucchulainnn]

i have one of these it is a great little knife. i work in a office where people get upset at any thing with an edge. :( so i intentionally went for something small. the blade on the one i have is little less then 2 inches long. but they also have a variety of blade lengths. it is made of really good steel, holds an edge, is fairly easy to sharpen, has a liner lock, and is easy to open with one hand, the shape of the handle fits my hand nicely and feels comfortable.

like blacklight101 i'm not a fan of serrated blades. but i'm pretty sure the chive has one with it. i also re-profiled mine from a belly to a spear point. but that is because i'm a bit nuts and can't leave things alone.

mine is great, i carry it in my pocket and it take up that same space as some lose change. barely noticeable at all, and it gets used multiple times a day. for instance the other day i was riding my motorcycle and the fuel line sprung a pin hole. so i cut the hose with this knife. i use it to pop tie wraps, open letters, break down boxes. i am hard on knives and this one holds a good edge and is nice an strong. while i haven't i am pretty sure mine is sturdy enough to cut car tire rubber, not the steel belting mind you. mine was $30 on amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009VC9RW?&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

http://i635.photobucket.com/albums/uu72/serratededge_photos/chives2.jpg

[ProudGrognard]

Victorinox has some good one hand liner locks, like the Sentinel.

You know your budget and needs best, but a good knife, if you are to use it, is an investment. May I suggest that you up the ante around 40$? You can find a spyderco for that price.

[blacklight101]

Yeah, the whole half serrated blade thing makes me want to have spent about ten bucks more on a multitool. I should have spent a little bit more just for that tiny sawblade and a straight-edged blade. All the points have rounded down, though with my job it's going to happen. A saw on that thing would have been great a few times now, especially a few times earlier today when I had to cut some PEX tube (rough cut, tie-in tomorrow and we left it long anyway).

I will still faithfully back the Schrade Old Timer and the Sheffield for a decent cheap knife though. I don't think I paid more than 20 for either and they've stood up rather well to cutting pipe insulation for a while now. Maybe a Winchester folding knife too, I think those are cheap and at Walmart. I liked the one of those I had as well. Buck Knives are a little more expensive but great quality for what you pay, I think (fixed blade FTW) they make a good folding knife.

That's just me though, and I like a good many of the brands my dad likes. Especially Buck and Ka-Bar.

[Dodom]

I can't help with the types and brands, but my experience has brought me ONE buying advice: inspect the blade's mount carefully. I've had a cheap knife that looked like solid steel, but the piece the blade was screwed to had a complex shape and was probably expensive to make out of metal, so why, they cast it in plastic instead! It wasn't obvious from the outside, but it became quite visible after it broke.

(And OF COURSE I stabbed my finger in the process. The broken blade could have just fallen somewhere harmless, but that's not as entertaining as the exact place my hand was going to! But at least when you're showing off scars, the look on people's face when you get to the "and this is where it came out" one might just be worth it.)

[blacklight101]

I have a good scar on my right index because of a crappy liner lock. Nice awesomely sharp knife otherwise, but I'm pretty sure it hit bone that day.

[TheThan]

I found a decent little knife that fits all of your criteria:

Leatherman Crater c33x
http://www.leatherman.com/crater-c33x-53.html#start=3

a buddy of mine asked me to take a nick out of his non-serrated version and sharpen it up. (yes he admits he did something foolish to put a nick it in).
I'm fairly impressed with it, the liner lock is tight and there's zero play in the blade, the handle is comfortable even for a leftie like me. The pocket clip (which i think is reversible), is tight and makes for a point down carry so you won't catch your hand on it reaching into your pocket. the version with the protective coating (unless you're on the water, it's pointless for a stainless blade anyway) is a little more expensive than the naked version.

It didn't take too much effort to sharpen it up to shaving sharp after I took the nick out of it either.

one issue, and this is an issue I have with virtually all liner locks, is that the lock is not thick enough. It should be the same width as the end of the blade, where it buts up against it. that way there is no room for it to slip and make your knife closed. but the lock on this is sufficient for most tasks.


[edit]

you know if i had re-read the OP. i would have noticed that he's looking at the very knife i suggested.

[noparlpf]

[edit]

you know if i had re-read the OP. i would have noticed that he's looking at the very knife i suggested.



Haha, thanks for trying though.


I actually ended up buying the Spyderco Tenacious (https://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=294) about two weeks ago. (It was like $15 less on Amazon, naturally.) Most of the negative reviews are just complaints that it's one of their made-in-China models but that doesn't matter to me as long as it's a decent product. I'm happy with it so far. I especially like that all of Spyderco's knives have four-way adjustable pocket clips—although it was mildly annoying because at least around here star/Torx screws aren't super common, so I only had two large Torx bits and had to go buy a cheap screwdriver to adjust the clip.