The Gear Market Price Brackets
Editor’s Note: This article was intended to be much shorter, but as I started writing it kept growing and growing. As a result it is coming out a bit later than normal, but there is a ton of information here. Enjoy.
I have been wanting to do this article for a while, but I haven’t had the right conceptual framework to do it. Every summer I do a pairing of a knife and light for each of four price ranges. I have done this for years, on AllOutdoor, then Gear Junkie, and now here. The idea is to give a recommendation for a pairing that can be the foundation of a great EDC in ranges that cover whatever people want to spend. But over the years, prices have…and stop me if you have heard this…crept up.
But another thing happened in the market that is really interesting. We have had really strong currents pushing the creation of two kinds of knives we didn’t really have before—good knives that are exceptionally cheap, like under $30, and kilobuck production knives. Sure, it was possible to find these kinds of knives before (the San Ren Mu 605 and Rockstead stuff respectively). But now with overseas production really covering the market, the variety of knives in every price range has exploded. You can easily spend $1,000 or more on five dozen different production knives from Custom Knife Factory, Rockstead, and Lionsteel.
These two factors mean that price ranges with dollar figures don’t really make sense anymore. When I started this site a Delica cost $55. Now it is approaching $100 for a base model. So, for clarity’s sake, and to dive deeper into what you get than the Light&Saber recommendations allow, here is a look at the way I look at the market.
NOTE: Because of the relatively smaller market for enthusiast and high end torches, this breakdown doesn’t work super well for flashlights. Most stuff falls in the Entry Level or Enthusiast grade stuff, which means that flashlights tend to be better values than knives.
Budget
The stuff here has always been plentiful. But outside Victorinox, finding gems was a true challenge. Now, however, there are a few brands that consistently put out good stuff here. Fundamentally, you get compromises at this price point.
The steels are really not good. There is a lot of stuff from the CR family, which at 8Cr and below is uniformly garbage. The best steel here is the Victorinox 1.4116 steel, but it requires a huge amount of maintenance. You can find D2 or a similar steel like K110. That’s about as good as it gets and while D2 can be excellent with the right blade shape, grind, and heat treat, its not good at this price range.
Similarly, the fit and finish here leaves a lot to be desired. While recent trends have made most knives function flawlessly, down at this price range you will still find mismatched scales, uneven finishes, and harsh edges (when they are not supposed to be harsh).
You’ll also be hard pressed to find stuff that you can trust the specs on. Some of these knives are produced by one company, marketed by another, and sold by a third. All overseas. With all that transfer and sloshing around, sometimes stuff marketed as M390 isn’t really M390. With no name brands, at this price range (and all price ranges), it is buyer beware.
But there are somethings you can expect. Bearing pivot flippers aren’t that hard to execute, so you will find some here. Good detents aren’t that hard to execute either, and you will find them here. Blade shape is really price-independent, so you can find good blade shapes here. Same too with blade geometries. If you are willing to do the maintenance, a good, thin Victorinox will serve you well for a long, long time for $30.
Price range circa 2023: $10-$40
Representative Brands: Victorinox, Sencut, CRKT
Good Tools: Victorinox Bantam, Victorinox Cadet, CRKT Pilar, CRKT Drifter
Entry Level
This is a place where you can start to find legitimately good knives. Its not that hard to find knives with really excellent non-PM steels. There are those that are the next generation of AEB-L (Nitro V, 14C28N) and there is the top end of the Cr range 9Cr14MoV. I have found that all three of these steels are quite good. Of them, I prefer 14C28N, which performs almost as well as a PM steel. These three steels are, in my opinion, easier for people to use and higher performing than steels like VG10, 154CM, and AUS8/AUS10. The other steel I am really impressed with at this price point is the only “budget” PM steel on the market, ARPM9, which is a steel exclusive to Artisan Cutlery and its subsidiary CJRB. For the money CJRB is making some of the best and most interesting knives on the market. They have truly superior fit and finish and in a weird twist, they started releasing “high end” versions of their knives. So, for example, you can score a Mini Pyrite for $40 with ARMP9 or a high end version for $200 with fat carbon inlays and S90V. I actually prefer the simpler, cleaner designs from CJRB over Artisan’s slabby, messy designs.
Another brand that makes exceedingly nice knives at this price point is Civivi, a subsidiary of WE Knives. While WE generally floods the market with blades, and Civivi is no exception to that, there are quite a few Civivi knives that are excellent. Ben Peterson’s collabs with the brand have been some of the highlights: the Banter, the Mini Banter, and now the Sendy. The Elementum, a design by Ferrum Forge produced by WE/Civivi has been a long time staple of the brand. Finally the SNECX Vision FG shows off WE/Civivi’s machining abilities in a very affordable design.
I’d be remiss in not mentioning that some American brands have knives in this range: Kershaw, CRKT, and Spyderco all make knives that sell for under $100. They tend to be pretty underwhelming as they are generally made overseas and while overseas makers have upgraded steels, very few knives in this range from American companies come with these better steels. The Delica is still technically an entry level knife and there are quite a few good Kershaws here (like the Blur, which I have some how never reviewed). But be prepared for a lot of D2 and 8Cr knives which, nowadays, are well below par. Let us not forget that the greatest production knife of all time, the Dragonfly 2 is still available for under $100.
Price range circa 2023: $40-$100
Representative Brands: Civivi, CRJB, Artisan, Besetch, QSP, CRKT; some Kershaws and Spydercos.
Good Tools: Civivi Lumi, CRJB Pyrite, QSP Penguin, CRKT M16, Emerson Kershaw CKC6-K, Spyderco Alcyone, Spyderco Dragonfly 2
Enthusiast
The designs and materials here are all good. Fit and finish is pretty spot on nowadays in this price bracket. You should accept nothing less than S35VN steel here and it is not uncommon to find some pretty exotic stuff like Vanax, Maxamet, and REX series steels. Magnacut is not hard to find here either and if you haven’t had the experience you really should. It is thoughtlessly good. You will also find pretty decent action on most of the knives in this price range. There is unquestionably a range, but some of the best action is on the less expensive knives.
This is where the action is and always has been. If you want the best knife on the market, look here and start with the TRM Neutron 2 (N2). For years now this small Massachusetts operation has been making the best knives in the world. They aren’t as fancy as others, but they offer superior design and fit and finish for reasonable prices. A domestically produced gem lik the Small Sebenza runs $425. The N2, which is every bit as good of a knife, is $180. Even the Ti scale upgrade brings the price to a not unreasonable $360. If the N2 is too big, the Nerd is available, and it if its too small the Shadow and Atom are available. Finally, if it is not fancy enough there is the soon to be available in larger numbers Comet. Literally everything TRM makes is super easy to recommend.
But the embarassment of riches at this price bracket continue. Of course you get the good stuff from Benchmade, Spyderco, and ZT. The Bugout, Mini Bugout, 940, 941, the Spyderco Para 3, PM2, Native, Manix 2, and Zero Tolerance’s ZT0470, and the ZT0545 are all available in this price range. One below the radar knife here is the Spyderco Brouwer.
Once equipped with an aftermarket clip, it is one of the best knives available, but for the only “okay” steel (S30V). We also have good, higher end models from CRKT to enjoy as well. The Squid 2 is one of the best knives they have ever sold and there are host of other gems. The new for 2024 Mini Homefront looks amazing. Hogue’s main offering here, the Deka, in Magnacut, is really a category price breaker, coming $50 less than the Bugout with better steel and a better design. My Dad has gotten years of unbridled abuse out of his Mini AK47 and I like the Recon series quite a bit. The SOG Twitch III is a tempting combination of features and the Flash MT lands here and is quite a nice and light carry. The Leatherman Wingman and Skeletool are great and happily live at the bottom of the range here. There toolbox replacement MTs are also in this price range. I like the Arc, if you want the Free mag pivot technology, and the Charge TTi if you don’t. Its also worth mentioning that many of the classics in the Buck line up like the 110, the Squire, and a few others are available in this price range with upgraded materials and even some lightweight versions.
There are also a number of smaller brands that make stuff in this price bracket that is compelling. The Kaviso (formerly Drop and formerly formerly Massdrop) Mini Keen is a surprisingly excellent Ti framelock flipper for $125. The Begg Knives Diamici is a very elegant looking knife. The Knafs Lander in M390 is very, very solid. The Indiana Knives EDZ is a slicing champion with positively addicting action. There are a few variants of the Burnley Kwaiken available in this price range and the Mini Air looks compelling. The Protech Malibu and the Protech Runt 5 are excellent. There are quite a few Cold Steels in this price range that are good. If you have more nimble fingers than I do the Vanax equipped Quiet Carry Drift in G10 can be had in this price range. Most of Giant Mouse’s stuff is available here as well and my favorite by a large margin is the truly inspired Riv.
This is one of the best buys out there with good materials, nice fit and finish, and some of the best ergos outside of Spyderco. Urban EDC Supply’s F5.5 is a great knife and costs less than $300 in some configurations and their truly superlative Baby Barlow 2.0 is a great looking knife that works well in a suit or bouncing around town doing errands.
You can find some Emersons in here and they are good hard use knives, but I have found that a lot of them are difficult to carry as EDC blades. They are large, their handles are exceedingly rough, and the chisel grind is hard to cut with and hard to sharpen well. Maybe if you are a private security person, these are the best, but they really aren’t EDC knives. My Mini A-100 has a bunch of mods to it to make it an EDC knife and it is pretty good, but I spent a lot of money to make that knife EDC friendly. Sane people would not do that.
Price range circa 2023: $100-$300
Representative Brands: Spyderco, Benchmade, ZT, CRKT, TRM, SOG, Leatherman, Cold Steel, Giant Mouse, Protech, Quiet Carry, Kaviso, Urban EDC Supply, and Quiet Carry
Good Tools: TRM N2, Spyderco Native 5, and PM2, Benchmade Bugout, Mini Bugout, Hogue Deka in Magnacut, CRKT Squid 2, Leatherman Skeletool CX, SOG Twitch III, Flash MT, Indiana Knives EDZ, Giant Mouse Riv, Urban EDC Supply Baby Barlow 2.0
High End
You will find some crazy stuff here. First, the action on these folders are basically flawless—a quick bump or flip and the knife is open. Magnacut and M390 are the default here. But you can find some pretty amazing Damascus steel as well. Additionally, you can find some crazy builds with things like blind screws on clips and stand offs. There are even full on integral folders.
This is a part of the market that, in the 14 years I have been doing the blog, has absolutely exploded. It used to be that there was the Sebenza, Rockstead, and then a slew of customs. But now there are dozens if not hundreds of knives that cost more than $300. Every Chris Reeve knife is over this price range. Most WE and Reate knives are more than this. Both WE and Reate make so many knives it is hard to pick a few to highlight. Generally, I do not like Reate blades as they are thick and slabby. I like WE stuff, but they make so many models it is impossible to say what will be available by the time you read this. Basically, if you like the look of a WE and its size, go for it, they are supremely well made blades. The Hi Fin is a WE I have had recently and it was a fabulous carry. There are a dozen very fine OTFs in this price range from both Microtech and Guardian Tactical. I also like the look of Templar’s OTFs.
Tactile Knife Co is a comparatively new company but is knives are exceptional. The micarta or G10 ones can be found in the Enthusiast bracket, but the titanium knives are placed here. The Bexar and the Rockwall and dialed in, smartly sized, and beautifully made. Either is an easy recommendation.
A lot of the self-published blades, like the Sharp by Designs stuff and blades from Pena are in this price range. I love the SBD Micro Evo 2.0. The Pena X Series is filled with great stuff, just pick what you like. TW Price is a young designer that makes some sweet looking knives. I haven’t had one. Oz Machine Co makes a little knife that you might not have heard of called the Roosevelt. It is pretty good. Honestly, its quite good, but probably not worth the wait or the secondary prices. Custom Knife Factory’s entire line exists in this price bracket and they make nice, typically very large knives. The Rotten Evo 3.0 is a truly massive knife, but it is nice. Liong Mah’s entire line up is here and they are very sleek designs. They tend to be larger than I usually carry and they are heavy, but if that is what you are looking for, these will be appreciated.
Spyderco and Benchmade both make knives in this price range, but for the most part I have found them to be duds. Something like the atrocious Spyderco Drunken or some of the Gold Class knives just aren’t worth it. I have found that some of the slightly less expensive models like a high end Native 5 sprint or the Benchmade S90V series knives ARE worth the price.
A word about Rockstead—these knives have been the last bastion of production knives on the price scale for a long time. They are exceedingly expensive and exceedingly nice. They have mirror polished convex ground edges which is quite impressive on a production scale. They aren’t fliptastic nor are the flavors of the week, but if you have money they are truly staggering blades. Just be aware that they are virtually impossible to sharpen back to an as new condition. Rockstead blades are basically tamper evident stickers.
Shirogorov is another prolific maker in this range and their stuff is very nice. The Neon Zero is a great flipper, the Sebenza of flippers. But I am not sure what they offer for the money over something like a Chris Reeve Sebenza. For twice or three times the price, I don’t see the logic, but obviously I am in the minority. With the advent of ceramic and Skiff bearings at lower price points the traditional justification for Shiros doesn’t really exist anymore.
Olamic knives are all in this price range and they are very good. I have found that that the lines and designs are polarizing. If you like the looks, they are great. If not, skip. Vero knives are uniformly excellent and are at the lower end of this range. The action is good, the lock up is good, and the looks are very much on trend. I love my Vero Mini Synpase and carry it pretty often.
Hinderer makes a tidal wave of knives in this price bracket. I like the 3 inch XM-18 slicer, the Half Track in a clip point, and the Hinderer Mini Dauntless. All of these are hard to find. There are always Hinderers available, just not necessarily the ones you want. I’d love to see a full run of Half Tracks. Its been years.
Koenig makes a few knives and they are almost always 4 digits in price (where did the Goblin go?). Similarly, Grimsmo, Holt, and a few others make what I think of as ultra small batch productions but sell for custom prices. I have handled a lot of these knives and they are amazing. But for the prices they demand you can get a full custom that is both nicer AND completely unique. My Sawby Swift was $995, direct from Mr. Sawby. The Ray Cover engraving was another $500.
None of these knives are even close to the level of mastery and execution that that knife is and they rountinely sell for much more money. And this difference between price and output is why I generally avoid knives in this price range.
Price range circa 2023: More than $300
Representative Brands: WE, Reate, Chris Reeve Knives, Custom Knife Factory, Rockstead, Shirogorov, Vero Engineering
Good Tools: Chris Reeve Sebenza, Tactile Knife Co. Rockwall, Vero Engineering Mini Synapse, Sharp By Designs Micro Evo 2.0, Shirogorov Neon Zero, Hinderer 3” XM-18
Overall, I find that the Enthusiast range offers the best and most interesting knives. The High End stuff is stupendous, but a lot of it is just gilding the lilly extra hard. The innovation tends to happen at a lower price range. I also think the Entry Level is getting better. With good steels and overseas manufacturing, this is a place where you see the biggest improvements. We are in a tremendously oversaturated market, but fortunately there is no such thing as too many well designed blades. I hope this helps you find what you like and figure out what you spend. I am going to pin this article in the “Start Here” tab for easy reference. Also look for these terms “Budget”, “Entry Level”, “Enthusiast”, and “High End” coming to reviews in the future. And, of course, check out the Light and Saber pairing article in the summer.
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