Decent budget folding knives in Australia?

[Spotty]

  Anyone know any good budget folding knives available in Australia and stores to buy from in Australia? Not looking at importing knives from overseas as Australia has some pretty strict laws against importing a lot of types of weapons/knives and I don't want to deal with the hassle of things getting caught up in customs and potential fines for importing prohibited knives.

 

I'm looking for a simple folding knife. Doesn't need to have any fancy bells and whistles, not going to be used for camping or hunting. Basically looking for something much more durable and strong than a box cutter for the more stubborn stuff, but not as annoying as a multi-tool/pocket knife with a bunch of stuff that I never end up using.
For the locking mechanism I want something that can be quickly and easily opened and closed one handed (no assisted/automatic opening knives (ie. switchblades) due to Australia's weapon laws. Has to be folding).
Probably around 3" blade. Straight edge. Drop point I guess?
Nothing too heavy
Under $50 Dollarydoos. Doesn't need to be the greatest or fanciest. Just something practical.

 

This isn't normally my sort of thing so out of my element here. Even just some brand and mechanism recommendations or some relevant youtube videos would be helpful to narrow things down a bit.

Edited June 6, 2021 by Spotty

[JZStudios]

No idea about AUS laws for recommendations, but cardboard cutting should pretty much relegated to box cutters unless you want to spend a lot of time sharpening knives. I know Milwaukee and the like had folding box cutters you can get that are easy to open.

 

Outside that, if you ARE looking to do a lot of box cutting, a serrated edge might be better, but they're a pain in the ass to sharpen once they get dull. I've managed to "accidentally" get a collection of ~7 knives and I've come to the conclusion that tanto's are often more hindrance than help, and ditto for serrated edges outside a lot of box cutting, and only when they're sharp. What's irritating is that companies like Gerber are absolutely obsessed with doing exclusively serrated edges on nearly everything, which really limits your options.

 

So from my experience, with very large hands, I've always gone for larger knives that fit my hands and are comfortable, but the knife I use the most is a ~3in neck knife, which is serrated. I bought another one that was plain edge. You'd probably just want a liner or frame lock, lock backs are kind of annoying and require 2 hands. For under $50 you could look at Gerber, if they're available in AUS. I have the Paraframe, it's cheap, decent blade style, looks fine, lightweight, easy open/close. I also have a Torch 2. It's a little pricier, heavier, but in my hands it feels really good, has a finger flipper for fast open/hand guard, and at one point I got bored and hammered it through a 2x4. Mine has a really light frame lock, which I like because it makes opening and closing a lot easier. At one point I thought I lost it, bought a replacement, and then found it again. The replacement knife has a much stiffer open and frame lock, but it's not too bad.

[Spotty]

9 hours ago, JZStudios said:

Outside that, if you ARE looking to do a lot of box cutting, a serrated edge might be better, but they're a pain in the ass to sharpen once they get dull. I've managed to "accidentally" get a collection of ~7 knives and I've come to the conclusion that tanto's are often more hindrance than help, and ditto for serrated edges outside a lot of box cutting, and only when they're sharp. What's irritating is that companies like Gerber are absolutely obsessed with doing exclusively serrated edges on nearly everything, which really limits your options.

I'll still be carrying a box cutter - no way I can live without that. 

Does look like Gerber is available here. There's a couple linerlock and framelocks under $50 that look alright. https://www.extac.com.au/brand/gerber-gear/?rf=&sortby=lowest_price

The Gerber paraframe is about $45 (35 USD) so that's an option if I do go for a blade with a serated edge https://www.bcf.com.au/p/gerber-paraframe-i-serrated-folding-knife/281418.html

 

[JZStudios]

12 hours ago, Spotty said:

I'll still be carrying a box cutter - no way I can live without that. 

Does look like Gerber is available here. There's a couple linerlock and framelocks under $50 that look alright. https://www.extac.com.au/brand/gerber-gear/?rf=&sortby=lowest_price

The Gerber paraframe is about $45 (35 USD) so that's an option if I do go for a blade with a serated edge https://www.bcf.com.au/p/gerber-paraframe-i-serrated-folding-knife/281418.html

 

Must be the import price, it's only $27 here. If you're still carrying a box cutter I'd go with a straight edge. The only real function of a serrated edge is it's not supposed to dull as fast, but most don't really come that sharp, it makes a nasty cut, and it removes at least an inch of smooth cutting edge on the belly where you would use it to cut thicker material n such. Having a serrated edge keeps most (pretty much every EDC cutting task) near the weaker tip of the blade.

 

You should be able to get the paraframe with a smooth edge drop point. You could also look at clip points if you want a finer tip for smaller work.

Either way, I don't have any particular love for Gerber, I just happen to have a few of their knives. The only reason I got the Paraframe was because my buddy got it for me after I thought I lost my other one. They don't even actually say what the steel is. Although your budget is kind of low since knives are stupidly expensive. Things like Benchmade, Cold Steel, CRKT, SOG, etc. are out of your price range.

[Spotty]

48 minutes ago, JZStudios said:

Although your budget is kind of low since knives are stupidly expensive. Things like Benchmade, Cold Steel, CRKT, SOG, etc. are out of your price range.

Yeah, I didn't want to spend a whole lot and then find myself not using it that often. I can always invest in a better knife if I get a lot of use out of it and can justify spending the money, plus I'd have a better idea then of what I'd want out of a knife.

I've also noticed that prices in Australia aren't that great. Some of the $50 AUD knives I've looked at I've watched YouTube reviews of and they're saying "this is a great cheap knife at only $20". Taxes, import fees, weak currency, and just generally paying more for things in Australia all don't help.

 

57 minutes ago, JZStudios said:

Must be the import price, it's only $27 here.

Is that USA? $27 USD is $35 AUD, plus 10% tax makes it $38.50. Then the extra cost of importing to Australia and higher wages so stores need sightly higher margins... So $40-$45 AUD for something that costs $27 in USA kinda makes sense, I'm not too bothered. I also just went to the first store that had it in stock might find a better deal elsewhere.

 

I've actually ordered the Ka-Bar Beartooth that @Grumpy Old Manman suggested. On the sightly larger side of what I wanted at 3.5" blade length but I'll give it a try and see how it goes. 

[dizmo]

I can't help but say an Olfa is still probably your best bet for the things you've described. If you have a properly sharp blade, it'll go through anything.

 

On 6/4/2021 at 10:13 AM, JZStudios said:

No idea about AUS laws for recommendations, but cardboard cutting should pretty much relegated to box cutters unless you want to spend a lot of time sharpening knives. I know Milwaukee and the like had folding box cutters you can get that are easy to open.

 

Outside that, if you ARE looking to do a lot of box cutting, a serrated edge might be better, but they're a pain in the ass to sharpen once they get dull. I've managed to "accidentally" get a collection of ~7 knives and I've come to the conclusion that tanto's are often more hindrance than help, and ditto for serrated edges outside a lot of box cutting, and only when they're sharp. What's irritating is that companies like Gerber are absolutely obsessed with doing exclusively serrated edges on nearly everything, which really limits your options.

 

So from my experience, with very large hands, I've always gone for larger knives that fit my hands and are comfortable, but the knife I use the most is a ~3in neck knife, which is serrated. I bought another one that was plain edge. You'd probably just want a liner or frame lock, lock backs are kind of annoying and require 2 hands. For under $50 you could look at Gerber, if they're available in AUS. I have the Paraframe, it's cheap, decent blade style, looks fine, lightweight, easy open/close. I also have a Torch 2. It's a little pricier, heavier, but in my hands it feels really good, has a finger flipper for fast open/hand guard, and at one point I got bored and hammered it through a 2x4. Mine has a really light frame lock, which I like because it makes opening and closing a lot easier. At one point I thought I lost it, bought a replacement, and then found it again. The replacement knife has a much stiffer open and frame lock, but it's not too bad.

A serrated edge would be a nightmare for cutting cardboard. Sharp straight edges are the way.

[sub68]

(yes I am from America but using AUS amazon helps me narrow down what is legal in australla)

 

A Gerber paraframe without serrations? (the closing part is a pain thought)

https://www.amazon.com.au/Gerber-Paraframe-Knife-Stainless-22-48444/dp/B000JJJ2UG

 

My brother owns this knife and its pretty good

https://www.amazon.com.au/G0593-BRK-Gerber-31-000593-Mini-Swagger/dp/B004DT24RQ

 

These kershaws look good

https://www.amazon.com.au/Kershaw-Knives-Tarheel-Liner-Knife/dp/B07VJ4NSW

https://www.amazon.com.au/Kershaw-Knives-Bowser-Liner-Knife/dp/B07WHZTMG1

https://www.amazon.com.au/Kershaw-8750TBLKBWX-Shuffle-Blackwash-Packaging/dp/B00Y27X1EO

 

This coast looks good

https://www.amazon.com.au/Coast-DX338-Double-Folding-Knife/dp/B01D4R34DA

[Spotty]

6 hours ago, dizmo said:

I can't help but say an Olfa is still probably your best bet for the things you've described. If you have a properly sharp blade, it'll go through anything.

Definitely. It's not an Olfa brand one but I do have an automatic retracting box cutter that I use and wouldn't be without. That's still going to be used for >95% of what I cut. The folding knife is more to replace my Victorinox pocket knife and what I would use that for not to replace the box cutter. I probably explained it poorly or gave bad examples, but just wanted to explain I was planning on using the knife for light/general use around the home with odd jobs. Just wanted to make it clear I was not planning on using it for stuff like gutting a boar, going off in to the woods for a week with nothing but a knife, or defending myself from the impending zombie apocalypse. Plus I also just wanted a nice knife (that doesn't break the bank) and not the cheap no-name stuff I've had off eBay in the past that can't even take an edge.

 

1 hour ago, sub68 said:

My brother owns this knife and its pretty good

https://www.amazon.com.au/G0593-BRK-Gerber-31-000593-Mini-Swagger/dp/B004DT24RQ

That actually looks pretty nice. Like the look of the Coast as well.

[sub68]

Just now, Spotty said:

That actually looks pretty nice. Like the look of the Coast as well.

Yeah, they are both nice.

the tape measure is in inches. by a 1151 socket cpu for scale

[Bitter]

If Kershaw is available, I've liked my Leek. It's an older knife, it is spring assisted so it may not be legal there. It's technically legal here because the spring stops assisting before the knife is locked, spring stops at 90 degrees and blade momentum carries it into lock position. It's sharp, it's thin so it can vanish into your pocket, and you can swap the clip for slightly deeper carry in tip up config. A lot of people don't like the build quality but for the price it's a nice knife that'll last at least a decade of use. I have the 1660CKT version and just bought another one because after almost 15 years of daily carry it's binding up after I took it apart to clean it out. It's something I did wrong but I gave up after spending an hour taking apart and putting it back together. In the 15 years I've had it I've taken apart, cleaned, lubed, and reassembled about 5 times and this is the first time something didn't go back together right.

Another knife I have is a CRKT My Tighe 1091 with the old style serrations, looks like they're about $60 USD on eBay...also spring assisted.

I also have a small Gerber Paraframe and another Gerber knife, I find that their steel doesn't hold an edge very well.

Serrations aren't that bad to keep sharp if you have a ceramic cheater sharpener like I do. A Sharpneasy is great for quick touchups on any part of most blades.

https://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-AS335CD-335Cd-Sharpneasy-Blaze/dp/B007C1P11S/

 

Without knowing your local laws and regulations we're kind of all just guessing, for all we know only this knife is legal there!

https://www.crkt.com/catalog/product/view/id/998/s/nathan-s-knife-kit/category/265/

[Spotty]

18 minutes ago, Bitter said:

Without knowing your local laws and regulations we're kind of all just guessing, for all we know only this knife is legal there!

https://www.crkt.com/catalog/product/view/id/998/s/nathan-s-knife-kit/category/265/

Prohibited weapons:

• Assisted opening (spring), gravity opening, inertia or centrifugal opening (butterfly) knifes
• Double sided blades
• Daggers or other pointed knives designed for stabbing
• Concealed knives (knives disguised as other objects)
• Throwing knives (some states allow with a permit)

Not a complete list but you get the idea. Basically anything that automatically opens or is designed to be used as a weapon is not allowed.

 

19 minutes ago, Bitter said:

If Kershaw is available, I've liked my Leek. It's an older knife, it is spring assisted so it may not be legal there. It's technically legal here because the spring stops assisting before the knife is locked, spring stops at 90 degrees and blade momentum carries it into lock position.

If it's got a spring for assisted opening then it wouldn't be allowed here, regardless of how far it opens. (AFAIK, IANAL)

[JZStudios]

9 hours ago, Spotty said:

I've actually ordered the Ka-Bar Beartooth that @Grumpy Old Manman suggested. On the sightly larger side of what I wanted at 3.5" blade length but I'll give it a try and see how it goes. 

I saw that going through the site. Seems a decent blade shape, though it's a cheaper Chinese steel. Just means you'll have to sharpen it more. Would be a good knife to practice sharpening on.

 

9 hours ago, dizmo said:

I can't help but say an Olfa is still probably your best bet for the things you've described. If you have a properly sharp blade, it'll go through anything.

 

A serrated edge would be a nightmare for cutting cardboard. Sharp straight edges are the way.

Agreed.

If it's really sharp, it's not bad. Problem is, most aren't and I can't otherwise figure out what use a serrated edge is supposed to be for. Of the dozens of knives I use on a regular from EDC to kitchen use, only steak knives are serrated for the purpose of being used on plates that would otherwise dull a straight edge. I can't figure out why so many pocket knives are serrated.

 

2 hours ago, Bitter said:

Without knowing your local laws and regulations we're kind of all just guessing, for all we know only this knife is legal there!

https://www.crkt.com/catalog/product/view/id/998/s/nathan-s-knife-kit/category/265/

Well that's certainly illegal in the UK.

 

1 hour ago, Spotty said:

Assisted opening (spring), gravity opening, inertia or centrifugal opening (butterfly) knifes

Personally I've not owned a spring assisted knife, but I've messed around with a couple. I really don't like them. They all have some shitty little lock mechanism you have to use to keep them from accidentally opening and closing. The ones I tried were also pretty heavy and I didn't like the feel of the mechanism either. My Gerber Torch has a finger flipper/guard that I've played with so much I can open it just by flicking my wrist, and it's just a regular frame lock with no assist at all. Though apparently some places freak out about knives you can open with one hand in general.

[Bitter]

The whole 'designed to be used as a weapon' part always slays me. Listen, anything is designed to be a weapon if you're using it as a weapon. It'll get too political too fast so I'll zip it on that.

Assisted opening, so any folding knife with a spring ok sure. But 'gravity or inertia', so if the officer can flick your knife open you're going to jail?!? Do all your knives need two hands to PRY them open like a rusty Swiss Army knife???

Double sided blades, so you can't have a blade with a line or rope cutter hook on the back side?

'daggers or other pointed knives for stabbing' so literally almost NO knife is legal?? You can only have one of these?

Just a sheepfoot type blade?  REALLY!?

Concealed knives, makes sense actually that's fine.

Throwing knives, yeah fine since they're mostly wanna be MONSTER ENERGY DRINK Ninja's buying that crap anyway. Unless you're competition level the only thing you're gonna do is bounce a blade and put your eye out.

1 hour ago, Spotty said:

Prohibited weapons:

• Assisted opening (spring), gravity opening, inertia or centrifugal opening (butterfly) knifes
• Double sided blades
• Daggers or other pointed knives designed for stabbing
• Concealed knives (knives disguised as other objects)
• Throwing knives (some states allow with a permit)

Not a complete list but you get the idea. Basically anything that automatically opens or is designed to be used as a weapon is not allowed.

 

If it's got a spring for assisted opening then it wouldn't be allowed here, regardless of how far it opens. (AFAIK, IANAL)

I mean...you can take the spring out  and it's still a nice knife, but it might be flickable so according to you it's illegal.

[Bitter]

I guess see if you can find something like this.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/353061602166

It's pretty indisputable that it's a work knife not a stabby knife.

[Spotty]

2 hours ago, JZStudios said:

I saw that going through the site. Seems a decent blade shape, though it's a cheaper Chinese steel. Just means you'll have to sharpen it more. Would be a good knife to practice sharpening on.

Hmm, good to know. I should have paid more attention to the type of steel before buying. I wasn't expecting too high quality steel at this price point though so I'm sure my expectations of it will be in check.

I did also order a Gerber Evo Jr as a cheap small/lighter knife which uses 7Cr17MoV which is also a relatively cheap steel but supposed to be a little bit tougher than the 5Cr15MoV steel. Not sure if that is going to make a lot of difference. It'll be interesting to see if there's much difference in how they wear.

[kaiju_wars]

I like my CRKT Squid, idk if it's legal or not in Australia, but it's affordable and of decent quality.  It's a smaller knife too, which I like personally.

[JZStudios]

9 hours ago, Spotty said:

Hmm, good to know. I should have paid more attention to the type of steel before buying. I wasn't expecting too high quality steel at this price point though so I'm sure my expectations of it will be in check.

I did also order a Gerber Evo Jr as a cheap small/lighter knife which uses 7Cr17MoV which is also a relatively cheap steel but supposed to be a little bit tougher than the 5Cr15MoV steel. Not sure if that is going to make a lot of difference. It'll be interesting to see if there's much difference in how they wear.

At that price they're all pretty much the same. None of my knives are particularly high grade and I don't sharpen them very often. Then again, I also don't do much heavy use, they primarily cut things like tape, string, food, and the occasional box.

Either way, it's good to know how to sharpen a knife but it takes some practice.