Christmas is fast approaching, and if you’re like me then your gift list still has people without checks next to their names. However, at this point you might be getting a little tapped out. You’ve got lots of friends and family that you’re excited to give presents, but they don’t come free!
So, in this article I will recommend three great options of budget friendly knives that make great gifts. These are all modern knives with one hand opening, pocket clips, and locks. I have owned or handled several of each of these, so I am confident in their overall quality, especially considering they’re all under $30!
Byrd Cara Cara 2
The Cara Cara in a stainless steel handle is a great canvas for engraving
Byrd is Spyderco’s budget brand. They’re made in China with less exotic materials than the typical Spyderco, but they seem to be held to a high standard of quality control for their price point. I have actually examined 6 of these, and I’ve been honestly shocked at the consistent quality across all of them. They’ve all had smooth action, solid lock up, and good centering (not all 100% perfect, but none close to rubbing the handles). The Cara Cara 2 is the Byrd version of Spyderco’s well known and loved Endura. It has a 3.75″ blade, which provides ample cutting edge. It comes in several different blade shapes including the classic Endura-like drop point, a serrated sheepfoot, and a spear point with an Emerson Wave Opener. The handles are either fiberglass reinforced nylon, which come in several colors, or stainless steel. I particularly like the stainless steel, and it’s great for engraving. I find the handle to be very ergonomic; honestly it feels better in my hand than that of the Endura. The blade steel is 8cr13mov; lower edge retention and corrosion resistance than the VG10 of an Endura but still very capable and easy to sharpen. The Byrd Cara Cara is a great option if you like the Spyderco aesthetic and emphasis on utility, and offers a great value at around $30. You can find it at many dealers and Amazon, but there are a lot of options available at DLT Trading. There is also a smaller, Delica sized, version called the Meadowlark.
Ontario Rat 1
The Rat 1 with another classic, the Case Trapper
The Ontario Rat 1 is one of the most commonly recommended budget knives. It’s a classic that has been proven to be of high quality. I think I’ve had 3 through the years, and I’ve given at least 3 as gifts. They’ve all come well centered, with no blade play, and smooth. The Rat 1 has an almost straight backed drop point design with a lot of straight edge and an abrupt belly, at about 3.6″. This blade shape works fine for pretty much any usage, and is very similar to that on the classic Sod Buster pattern, although I do prefer blade shapes with less abrupt a belly. The blade steel is Aus8, on which Ontario seems to have really dialed in the heat treat. Mine have always held an edge extremely well, and I’ve seen them stand up to some real abuse. The Rat 1 is right around $30, although it can sometimes be found on sale for less, and most dealers carry it including Amazon. It is available at this link at KnifeCenter, where you can also find the smaller version the Rat 2.
Kershaw Thistle
Nice lines for an inexpensive knife
The Thistle is an interesting model from Kershaw that I really enjoy. I have had a couple of these and have gifted a good several, so I’ve gotten to look over 7. They all had solid lockup and smooth action. 5 of them had perfect or close enough centering, and 2 were a bit off but nowhere near rubbing the handles. The Thistle has a somewhat unique modified liner lock where you push a button on the handle that pushes a bar across and unlocks the liner. This lock allows you to close the knife without putting your fingers in the path of the blade, unlike a normal liner lock. The thing I really like about this knife though, is its design. The handle is nice and simple with great ergonomics and a good bit of grippiness with Kershaw’s “K-Texture”. The blade is a very practical drop point with a good section of straight edge then a nice long sweeping belly. It fits a considerable amount of edge into the handle also, although it’s shorter than the others on this list at 3.25″. The blade steel is 8cr13mov, like on the Cara Cara. Another great thing about the Thistle is that it’s on sale pretty much everywhere! I got mine for Christmas gifts from Smoky Mountain Knife Works at only $9 each, but I think this knife is EASILY worth $30 and offers a similar value as the others on this list.
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
T(oo)L(ong);D(idn’t)R(ead)? Here’s the accompanying video review.
The WarHorse is a modern slipjoint made by LionSteel for CollectorKnives. It’s one that I’ve been looking forward to trying for a while, as CollectorKnives announced it on their Early Reserve page early this year. I had previously tried the CollectorKnives Shuffler, which is the single clip blade version, and liked it other than the handle material. The main reason I decided to get this knife is a bit convoluted; Mike at CollectorKnives had an SFO made by Great Eastern Cutlery in 2014 of a #77 NorthField barlow with clip point and wharncliffe full sized blades. I decided not to get one and wish I had. When I saw Mike was doing one of his modern barlows with the same blade combination I decided to check one out.
Two big full blades, clip and wharncliffe
The WarHorse is an interesting mix of modern and traditional. First and foremost, it is a slipjoint. It is non-locking, and uses a backspring to stay open and stay closed. It also has the hallmarks of a traditional barlow; an elongated bolster on a jack frame. Additionally, it’s a two hand opening knife that uses long pulls. Finally, on the traditional side, the clip point and wharncliffe blades are traditionally shaped. However, that’s where the traditionality ends. Rather than being pinned, the WarHorse is held together with torx screws. It also has a pin that the blade kicks fall upon when closed, eliminating the risk of blade rap. Finally, rather than the blades pivoting directly against the liners like on a traditionally built knife, the WarHorse has phosphor-bronze washers between the blades and liners.
The grip is comfortable enough with either blade open due to the width of the handle
The grip is slightly more ergonomic with the Wharncliffe open
LionSteel did a great job making this knife. It came with nice action; great walk and talk, healthy snap, and a nice 5.5ish pull (just a little stronger than a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife). The blades are nice and tight, with no play or wobble, and they’re both centered dead down the barrel. The fit is different than on a traditionally made knife. Since the knife is held together with screws, the transitions between handle cover and bolster and liners and springs can’t be polished flat. Instead, all of the edges are nicely rounded so that they come together smoothly. The washers help to provide extremely smooth action without any blade play right out of the box, but they also create small gaps between the blades/springs. The blades seem to be ground quite thin, for good slicing capabilities, and evenly. The long pulls (which, unlike on the vast majority of traditional slipjoints, are on both sides of the blade) are a little more rounded than I’d prefer. A traditional long pull has a square / angled inside upper edge which allows the fingernail to catch securely, whereas the WarHorse long pulls are radiused. This radius can sometimes lead to my fingernail slipping off the blade, especially on the pile side wharncliffe blade. Although the WarHorse is not traditionally built, it is certainly built well.
Back springs with no spacer
Stop pin that eliminates blade rap
Brass washers for smooth action
Perfect centering and full blades
Really nice carbon fiber goes well with the titanium bolster
Collector Knives etch
One of the WarHorse’s biggest drawing points is its high end materials. It comes in several different handle materials including olive wood, ram horn, ebony wood, and carbon fiber. I went with the carbon fiber, because I think it really fits with the traditional meets modern aesthetic. Knives have been handled in synthetic materials for around a hundred years, like micarta and celluloid, but carbon fiber is a new age material and I felt that it represented the mix of modern and traditional in the overall WarHorse. It is handsome carbon fiber, with no noticeable voids and a nice even weave. The blades are M390 steel. M390 is a recent super steel that is well liked for its high performance across all categories: edge holding, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpenability. Finally, the liners and bolsters are a nice tumbled titanium, for strength and lightness. The materials on the WarHorse are high end, but I do believe (if the WarHorse was made with pin construction) the materials do not exclude it from being a traditional knife. I really appreciate the high end materials that make up the WarHorse, especially considering super steels are so rare on production slipjoints.
Ready to put in lots of work
Overall, I think the WarHorse is a knife that the slipjoint market needs. It brings to the market a knife with high end materials and newer build technology while retaining a respect for and homage to the traditional knives from which it draws inspiration. I don’t think it has the same spirit and soul as a traditionally made barlow, if I’m being honest, but it offers more muscle and utility to even things out. The WarHorse builds a bridge between the modern and traditional knife segments, and hopefully will continue the trend of production knife companies making knives with traditional designs.
Compared to some recent GEC patterns, the #29 and #97
Thickness compared to the single blade #97 and 3 blade/spring #29
Compared to the Spyderco Domino and Spyderco Native
The WarHorse is a CollectorKnives exclusive. You can get one for yourself from CollectorKnives.net (they are in stock as of 8/20/19). You can find all of the different versions for between $162 and $172 at this link. Tell Mike you heard about the WarHorse on Knife Thoughts!
I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts
The Spyderco Native Chief is a knife I’ve been waiting to get my hands on for a long time. I first dipped my toes into the world of knife enthusiasm in earnest when I found BladeForums looking for a longer version of the old FRN Spyderco Native. I had been given one and, although I do like the normal sized Native (especially the updated Native 5), I thought that a longer version would be a superior knife. In my head first dive into the rabbit hole that is online knife forums, I eventually found a picture of the Spyderco Native Chief prototype from 1999. There were whispers across the knife community that it was coming, but no one knew when. Then, without warning, this year Spyderco announced that the Native Chief would finally be released; the knife that was promised had come after 20 years!
The Native Chief with a couple other long slender knives, the Camillus made Remington Guide and Great Eastern Cutlery made Northfield Ben Hogan (top to bottom)
This article will give you my thoughts on the Spyderco Native Chief. My experience with this knife is facilitated by Rivers Edge Cutlery. Rivers Edge Cutlery recently started a knife pass-around program, wherein they select a group of knife enthusiasts to try out a knife for about a week then send it along to the next person on the list. I was very excited to see that the Native Chief was the first knife in the program, and jumped on the opportunity to get try out this knife. I really appreciate Rivers Edge Cutlery giving me the chance. I took full advantage of my time with the knife, and will provide a thorough and honest Knife Thoughts review of the Spyderco Native Chief.
The fabled Spyderco Native Chief prototype from 1999. Notice the swedged blade with a hollow grind, more like the older FRN Native. The production Native Chief that came to fruition in 2019 has a full flat grind and handle shape more like the Native 5. This image is not mine, I claim to ownership of it. It was found at this Spyderco forum thread.
Materials
The Native Chief has pretty standard materials for a U.S. made Spyderco. The handle is made of linerless black g10. The g10 has a fairly grippy texture, which lands pretty close to the center of Spyderco’s g10 when it comes to texture aggressiveness. The handle feels solid with no flex, despite the lack of liners. In my experience using knives, liners are more of an aesthetic thing than a structural necessity. I’ve used several linerless g10 and FRN handled Spydercos in what most would consider “hard use” with no issues. The blade is CPM S30V. CPM S30V is still a really good steel, and one that Spyderco certainly knows how to correctly heat treat to bring out its highest qualities. Some people might claim that a knife in this price range should have an even more modern steel, as there is a contingent of knife enthusiasts who see CPM S30V as less than current and not a super steel. I personally have used Spyderco’s CPM S30V a lot and am very happy with its mix of edge holding, sharpenability, stain resistance, and toughness (probably, roughly, in that order). It will hold an edge longer than VG10 or 154CM, is more stainless than AUS8 and 8CR13MOV, and won’t chip as easily and is less difficult to sharpen than things like CPM S110V and the like. On this knife in my use, slicing up vegetables for salads and cutting (a whole lot of) cardboard, the steel performed extremely well and more than what I consider a value for this knife’s price. However, I do find it strange that Spyderco went with CPM S30V, like on the older model Natives, rather than CPM S35VN, like on the Native 5. They made the Native Chief’s design more like that of the Native 5, so I don’t know why they wouldn’t go with the Native 5’s steel. I guess that’s a question for Sal!
The Native Chief sitting victoriously on a pile of cardboard it vanquished at work
Specifications
The Native Chief is not a small knife. It boasts a 4.08″ blade and a 5.08″ handle. Despite the 50/50 choil, this long blade makes for a solid cutting edge of 3.58″. In comparison to something like the PM2, this makes for a slightly better edge length to handle length ratio, meaning the Native Chief fits more usable blade into the handle. The blade is .125″ thick, with a full flat grind and distal taper. This means that the blade grind thins both from the spine down to the edge and from the handle toward the tip, making for a thin edge and pointy tip. Despite its ample length, the Native Chief weighs in under 4oz. The main thing to glean from the Native Chief’s specifications is that it packs a respectable blade and edge length considering its handle size and weight.
The Native Chief, Native 5, and GEC Tidioute #15 TC Barlow for size comparison
Design
By design, the Native Chief is an elongated Spyderco native 5. If you place the Native 5 on top of the Native Chief they line up perfectly for most of the design, the blade is just more gently curved toward on the edge and spine and the handle is continued on the same line. With an inch longer blade, the Native Chief has a long and slender blade somewhere between a spear point (like the older versions of the Native) and a leaf shape. It has some straight edge near the handle then a long gentle curve, pretty close to equal between the spine and edge, toward a very acute point. This blade shape has lent itself noticeably well to kitchen tasks. Some people scoff at using a folding knife for food prep, but it any pocket knife is cut out for it it’s the Native Chief. With a nice thinly ground blade, it slices as easily through peppers, tomatoes, and other food stuffs as it does through cardboard. Now, some people have commented on the thinness of the tip on the Native Chief. Admittedly, it does have a quite fine tip due to the distal taper. I do think that for the majority of knife users the tip is fine enough that you’ll be more likely to break the tip than on the average modern knife in this price range. However, this thin tip also allows for more precise cutting and piercing. So, although it might take some more mindful use, I do think when used correctly the tip should not be an issue.
A spectrum of peppers sliced with the Native Chief
Like the other knives in the Native family, it has a 50/50 finger choil. This means that a scallop is formed for the index finger half with the handle and half with the blade. On the Native 5 the main grip area, without the finger choil, is just short of providing a full 4 finger grip for me. On the other hand, the Native Chief’s main grip area is more than ample for a solid 4 finger grip with room to spare. I like the finger choil especially on a longer knife like this because it allows you to choke up on the blade and have more precise control for finer cutting tasks. I find the handle to be extremely ergonomic overall, and comfortable in all kinds of grips (pinch, hammer, reverse, etc.). I do find the sculpting on both sides of the handle help to orient my index finger in a normal pinch or hammer grip.
When the Native 5 is placed on top of the Native Chief it’s easy to see that the Native Chief is an elongated Native 5
The blade is opened, of course, by a Spyder hole. The opening hole on the Native Chief is the same size as that on the Native 5. It certainly works fine, and I don’t think it could be much bigger considering that the blade is not taller on the Native Chief than on the Native 5. The opening is smooth and consistent using the normal thumb opening, and it can easily be middle finger flicked and Spyder dropped. However, I have trouble getting enough purchase to flick the blade open, without using my wrist, using my thumb. I think this is in part due to my thick thumb, and also due to the fact that without a thumb ramp the Native Chief’s Spyder hole sits partially obscured by the handle.
A thumb ramp makes for a slimmer knife…
but can also mean the opening hole is partially obscured
The Native Chief’s blade is locked open and self closed by the classic Spyderco mid-lock. This lock is just an upgraded back lock and its simplicity, reliability, and ease of use make it one of my most favorite lock types. The mid-lock holds the blade open with absolutely no play in any direction and also pulls the blade closed once unlocked. This means you don’t have to worry about the knife closing in use, or opening accidentally when not in use.
A Spyder in the vines
Finally, the Native Chief has a 4 way reversible pocket clip. The clip itself is pretty standard for a U.S. made Spyderco. I tried both tip down and tip up right hand carry, and I have to say that I’m not sure which I prefer. Sometimes on knives as large as the Native Chief I prefer tip down, especially on flippers. Being such a long knife, whichever way you carry it you will have to do some adjusting in your hand when you pull it out of your pocket in order to open it. The good thing is you have both, or rather all 4, options available to you so that you can carry the Native Chief however you like.
Build
The Native Chief is built very similarly to other U.S. made Spyderco knives. It has screw construction and is fully disassemblable. As a pass-around knife mind came to me not brand new and somewhat broken in, but this example has very smooth action. Like I mentioned, it’s not the most easily flickable knife but that’s due to the nature of the mid-lock (it always applies pressure to the tang of the blade during opening/closing) more than the quality of the build. It is easy to open and close one handed with the Spyder hole and has consistent pressure throughout. It locks with no blade play whatsoever, and feels extremely secure in its open state. This knife seems to want to stay a little off center toward the pile, or clip (for right hand carry), side but it’s not rubbing the liners and hasn’t seemed to worsen in the time I’ve had it (see the companion YouTube video to see the exact centering). The blade seems to be ground quite well, both even and consistent. The edge came to me quite sharp even after someone else having and using it for a week, and it just took a few passes on my strop to bring it back to extreme sharpness. The edge also seems pretty even, and the angle seems set thin for aggressive slicing. Overall it’s a very well built knife, as is expected from a top line Spyderco.
Conclusion
The Native Chief is a knife I, and many other knife enthusiasts, have been waiting to see come to fruition for years; it doesn’t disappoint. It is exactly what I hoped it would be, simply an elongated version of Spyderco’s classic Native pattern. It provides more handle for a better grip and more blade for a wider range of suitable cutting tasks. Although the point is probably fragile in comparison to modern knives of more “tactical” or “hard use” designs and the opening hole could be more easily accessed if bigger, these minor gripes are far outshadowed by the good things the Native Chief brings to the table. In my time with this knife I have used it for food prep, opening and breaking down boxes, work usage (cutting paper, opening letters, cutting tape, etc.), and general EDC / every day carry type uses and it has taken everything in stride without breaking a sweat. Considering this is a large made in the U.S.A. knife with high quality materials and build, I think a price tag of ~$160 makes it a good value in today’s modern knife market. I hope to put the Native Chief into my permanent collection at some point, and if you’d like to also you can find it at Rivers Edge Cutlery by following this link. Tell them I sent you!
Rivers Edge Cutlery was generous enough to include me in this pass-around and share some stickers!
P.s. When Spyderco announced the Native Chief they also announced the Emphasis (linked here). I see the Emphasis as a budget version of the Native Chief. Due to their similarities, I hoped to write an article comparing the two. However, I might have to do a separate article on the Emphasis alone. Either way, if you like the general design of this knife but don’t care as much about the lock type or high end materials, and would prefer a more budget friendly price point, keep your eyes peeled for a review of the Emphasis (hopefully) in the future.
Pretty similar in size to the Spyderco Native 5, but with more cutting edge
Rough Rider is a brand of knives owned and produced by Smokey Mountain Knife Works, but sold through many dealers both online and at brick and mortar stores. Recently SMKW announced that they would be changing the name back to Rough Ryder knives. Apparently this was the originally trademark, and they’ve decided to switch back to that spelling. Either way, the knife discussed in this article was produced under the “Rough Rider” spelling, so I’ll be using that terminology. Rough Rider is a brand that offers a wide variety of knives and knife related paraphernalia. Although most of their knives fall under the traditional umbrella with classic designs and materials, they also make modern folders and occasional novelty style knives. This knife falls squarely within those latter two categories: it is in no way traditional, and it flaunts the obscure theme of a pastel color palette.
I bought this knife for just that reason; it slaps you right in the face with its weirdness and bold refusal to look like the typical modern knife. It has all the normal features of a low price budget modern knife: spring assisted flipper opening (but still manual, don’t let anyone hassle you into believing this is a “switchblade” or automatic knife), liner lock, steel handles, pocket clip, and stainless steel blade. But instead of sticking with the status quo when it comes to finish and color it leaves behind the typical black plastic/g10 handles, black or silver clip, and plain satin or black coated blade and instead goes with a dazzling combination of a neon pink handle, sky blue blade, and canary yellow clip. You wouldn’t be wrong to call it garish, and that’s exactly what I like about this knife. The coatings seem relatively durable. They’re certainly not cerakote or diamond like coating levels of toughness, and I’m sure if you used this knife hard the coatings would scuff and scratch, but they seem to be about on the level of the blade coating on an Ontario Rat or Cold Steel Micro Recon.
Surprisingly good ergonomics, with a design that lock in your thumb and forefinger for a pinch grip
As for the practical design of this knife, I am pleasantly surprised. The blade is an amalgamation of a drop point, spear point, and leaf shape and seems to work pretty well for general use. It came sharpened evenly but with a burr, so it just needed a one over on a stone and light stropping. The blade is just under 3″ with usable edge right around 2.5″. The handle proved to be well designed. As you can see above the finger scallop and thumb ramp combine for a secure and comfortable pinch grip, and other grips are also comfortable due to the simple handle. If you’ve watched my videos you know I appreciate the ergonomics afforded by a simple handle shape and, although this isn’t a particularly large handle at about 3.375″ overall with 3.25″ of usable grip area, this knife is a good example of how even a small handle can be comfortable with a simple design.
Blade off center to the non clip side, but not rubbing liner
The construction of this knife has to be viewed within the price range it occupies. It came with a significantly off center blade with some play in the closed position, but it doesn’t touch the liner and has no blade play in the open position. The action is fine with consistently solid opening, if not as snappy as the average higher end assisted knife. The detent isn’t super crisp and has a little slop in the closed position, but seems to hold the blade safely within the handle frame. It is only set up for tip down carry, which for me isn’t a deal breaker but I know some have strong preferences in this area. Overall I would consider this slightly less well constructed than the average Chinese made Kershaw or Byrd knife, but still a more than usable knife especially for the price. Remember though that I’m making my conclusions from a sample size of one, so you might get one that’s better or worse than mine.
