Best Knives for $150 or Less

You ask, we answer!
A while back, we had someone on Instagram ask what our best knife for $150 or less is. (If you aren’t already, start following us on Instagram! It will make your life complete.) I asked around at Blade HQ, and here are the knives people picked and why. Next to each comment, I included which department that person works in—it’s kind of interesting to look at.
(Since the question is pretty broad, I told people they could pick any type of knife they wanted—folding, OTF, whatever. Also, even though $150 was the limit, some of these knives cost significantly less than that.)
 
Spyderco Caly 3
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“I love Carbon fiber and manual openers. Also ZDP-189 is very nice.” -Marketing
 
Benchmade Griptilian
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“…Solid and backed with a good warranty.” -Customer Service
 
ESEE Laser Strike
esee-ls-p
“It can be a go-to knife for a lot of different situations and be great in a survival situation. Plus the awesome ESEE warranty.” -Products
 
Spyderco Sage
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“Great size, great handle ( I love carbon fiber), great steel, I love the look of the knife, and it’s a folder (don’t have to worry about any complicated problems that come with the spring assists or autos) and it has a deep pocket clip so it sits nice and low in your pocket.” -Operations
(Apparently there’s a lot of carbon fiber love at Blade HQ. Can you really blame us, though?)
 
TOPS Brothers of Bushcraft
tops-brothers-of-bushcraft-tpbrosblk10
“[Great, lightweight survival knife that comes with a couple survival items.]” -Store Front
 
ESEE Izula
esee-izula-venom-green-new-april2012
“Never fails and has unlimited lifetime warranty. It’s not too big and will never let you down.” -Customer Service
 
Boker S2 Sniper Bladeworks
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“[I like the custom feel, and it feels very good in hand. The handle looks like it would be uncomfortable, but it’s not and you can choke up on the blade. It has the same feel as the other Sniper Bladeworks knives that cost hundreds of dollars more. Of course there will be differences in the steel quality with that price difference, but I like that it feels similar in hand to more expensive, custom knives.]” -Marketing
 
ESEE-6
esee-6p-od
The person who chose this knife actually said, “Anything ESEE,” but chose this knife specifically because all of the others under $150 had already been mentioned by other Blade HQ employees. He’s a big fan of ESEE’s quality and warranty. -Store Front
 
Spyderco Manix 2
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“Strong lock, good price, super steel.” -Store Front
 
ESEE-4
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“[Lightweight, you can take it hiking and not be weighed down, it can chop wood…]”   -Store Front
 
This probably goes without saying, but the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 is obviously a number one pick for many. (“Premium blade steel, great ergos, perfect EDC” -Products)
I didn’t include a picture of it because they’re not currently in stock. However, we are always working on getting more, and we will have Paramilitary 2 knives slowly trickling in through the rest of the year.
 
Now it’s your turn to weigh in—what knife would you recommend? What do you think is the best knife for $150 or less?

12 thoughts on “Best Knives for $150 or Less

  1. I agree that for a fixed blade under $150, ESEE is the way to go. But for a fixed blade in that price range on your site, I would go with the Emerson Horseman or Mini-Commander.

  2. I agree with the Paramilitary 2. I have the satin with digicam and as far as form, fit and finish the knife is just perfectly executed. There is good reason why they don’t stay on the shelves, and I can vouch for that much.

  3. +1 Paramilitary 2 great ergos, weight, and when a sprint run is available with super steel (CTS-XHP, CTS-20CP, CTS-204P come to mind) for under $150 heck yeah.

  4. Very Spyderco heavy, which is great if you dig Spyderco’s product. I think those of us not in the spyde camp would have different selections, though I agree with the inclusion of the ESEE knives because they are solid.

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