The Cutting Edge

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20 Knife Gift Ideas Under $50

Note: Post updated in 2023.

If you’re like me, trying to find a gift is the worst. Fortunately, for you, helping you find the perfect gift is part of my job.

I’ve written about 20 different knife-related gifts for under $20 with some great options. But, if your budget for a good friend or a brother is a little higher, we got you covered.

Here are 20 knife-related gift ideas for under $50. These include some of the best-sellers at Knife Depot and products people have been excited about recently.

For a more robust list, check out the gift ideas under $50 collections page.

1. Spyderco UpTern

When we first made this list a few years back, the Spyderco Tenacious was one of the top picks for knives under $50, but its price is now well over the $50 mark.

However, Spyderco still has a handful of knives under the $50, including the relatively recent UpTern. This knife is unique in that it’s one of the few Byrd knives to get a Spyderco upgrade (rather than the other way around).

This is an all steel model that’s similar to those original Delica/Endura models. This one has a finger choil that makes gripping this folder very comfortable.

2. Kershaw Bracket

Kershaw has a ton of great knives at just under the $50 mark. The Bracket is a great choice for those looking to get a knife that’s a little different from the rest.

This cleaver style folder has a 3.4-inch blade with a steel pivot overly over a glass-filled nylon front scale. It is a robust yet balanced knife.

3. Smith & Wesson Bullseye Throwers

Smith & Wesson Bullseye Throwers

Does your gift recipient already have a ton of foldings knives and fixed blades? Try getting him or her a set of throwing knives. This set from Smith & Wesson comes with six throwing knives that are durable and great for everyone.

Knife throwing is quickly becoming a popular sport that people can play in the comfort of their own backyard. Start a new tradition with this set.

4. Engraved Old Timer 6OT Golden Bear

From the modern to the classic, the next item under $50 is the Old Timer 6OT Golden Bear from Schrade. I’ve always been a big fan of Old Timer knives — the saw cut Delrin handles and the brass bolsters/pins give this knife a look that harkens back to the days of old.

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20 Knife Gift Ideas Under $20

Note: Post updated in 2023.

Finding a gift for someone is stressful, whether it’s a small Christmas gift for a coworker, a graduation gift for your little brother, or a present for Father’s Day.

But don’t worry; we have your back with a good knife.

We first wrote this post a few years ago, but due to prices creeping up, we had to give this list an overhaul. So here’s a look at 20 easy knife-related gift ideas that are sure to get some genuine smiles and thanks.

The best part is that everything’s under $20. Check out more gift ideas under a slightly elevated threshold of $25 at our gift ideas under $25 collections page.

1. Kershaw Cinder

The fantastic Kershaw Shuffle used to hold this spot, but it’s unfortunately a few dollars over our arbitrary $20 limit. But Kershaw has another small multifunctional pocket knife for under $20 — the Kershaw Cinder in copper.

This one makes an excellent gift. Why? This is a good all-around EDC tool with the dual purpose of being a bottle opener and pry bar. That alone makes this gift a no-brainer.

It’s small enough to fit in a keychain, but the locking blade is nothing to scoff at. The fact that this version comes in copper makes it even more special.

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2. Smith & Wesson SW1101

Smith & Wesson is best known for its firearms, but the S&W knives are more than capable. The value on the SW1101 cannot be overstated.

This is a solid EDC with a 3-inch blade that opens via flipper or thumb stud and has a rubberized aluminum handle. You can’t beat this knife for the price.

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3. Gerber Mini Paraframe

The Gerber Paraframe is a classic design that pretty much everyone has had in their life.

This mini version with a 2.22-inch blade keeps that same iconic skeletonized design but shrinks it down into a package that’s easier to carry and gift.

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4. Tac-Force Knuckle Knife

Is this a novelty knife or unique EDC knife for around the house? Yes and yes!

The Tac-Force Tactical Knuckle Knife is an interesting folder with an assisted-opening blade that springs open via flipper. But you will probably immediately notice the built-in knuckle guard that’s reminiscent of old trench knives.

Just makes sure knuckle knives are legal in your area!

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5. Lansky Blade Medic

All knives need a touch-up at some point in their life, but the need always comes at the worst times. That’s what the Lansky Blade Medic is for.

This pocket sharpening kit is billed as the first responder for field repairs because it’s an entire sharpening system that fits right in your pocket. It has tungsten carbide, ceramic sharpening rods, a serrated knife sharpener, and a diamond tapered rod.

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CRKT Taco Viper – Knife of the Week

CRKT Taco Viper

With Veteran’s Day this week, we thought it only made sense to pick a knife designed by a veteran as the latest Knife of the Week.

The CRKT Taco Viper was the obvious choice.

Designed by Antonio Rodriguez, a veteran of the 82nd Airborne and son of Michael Rodriguez, the Taco Viper was created as a reliable flipper for high-stakes situations like those paratroopers might find themselves.

The knife was made as part of the Forged by War program, which sees veterans team up with CRKT to bring their visions to life.

The first thing you probably noticed is not the design but the awesome name.

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Best Bowie Knives

This post was first written in 2019 and was most recently updated in 2023.

When you think of American knives, there should only be one knife that jumps to mind: the Bowie Knife.

We’ve written a ton about the Bowie knife. In fact, the very first blog post back in August 2010 was about the legendary Jim Bowie.

If you don’t know about the legend of Jim Bowie and his knife, check out our definitive look at the legend of the Bowie knife.

There are a lot of bad quality Bowie knives on the market. Cheap, low-quality steel and bad workmanship are rife. We’re here to help you find only high quality Bowie knives.

What Makes a Good Bowie Knife?

As I’ve said many times, there is not a consensus on the dimensions of the original, but a Bowie knife is broadly defined as a large fixed blade with a clip-point profile.

These days, designers play with the elements of the Bowie to create knives that fit the general framework of the Bowie while pushing the boundaries. You get some original creations that could still be defined as a Bowie knife. We’re including some of those here too.

Cold Steel Wild West

Let’s start with the Wild West Bowie. This is the knife most people probably envision of when they think of a Bowie knife.

It has a long 10.75-inch clip-point blade made from 1090 carbon steel with a rosewood handle. A brass-colored hand guard also adds to the traditional look of the knife.

KA-BAR Bowie

The KA-BAR Bowie is a little small to be a Bowie knife, since it has a 6.9-inch blade (that’s still pretty long).

The original KA-BAR is essentially a Bowie knife too, although most probably wouldn’t instantly recognize it as one. This model has a clip point blade with a stacked leather handle and a small guard. It comes with a leather sheath.

Schrade Leroy Bowie

Here’s where we start to get a little more playful with the design choices. This isn’t the type of Bowie that old Jim would have carried as he defended the Alamo. But the Leroy Bowie still makes a good Bowie knife.

It has an all-black design with a 9.55-inch clip-point blade.

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BnB Damascus Push Dagger – Knife of the Week

BnB Damascus Push Dagger

The push dagger is a unique design initially conceived as a self-defense tool. However, more people are beginning to use them for daily tasks.

The BnB Damascus Push Dagger is the perfect fixed blade for EDC.

This small yet capable knife is very attractive, thanks to its handsome 3.5-inch Damascus steel blade. Because the steel is made from 256 layers of 1095 and 15N20 steel folded over one another, each knife has a distinct look.

A polished bolster brings out that etched design of the steel that’s captivating and eye-catching

The handle boasts polished walnut scales that add to the charm of the knife.

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Old Timer 5OTG Bruin – Knife of the Week

Old Timer 5OTG Bruin

In 2004, production of Old Timer knives in the United States ceased and manufacturing moved overseas. While the foreign knives had great value, their quality and craftsmanship weren’t quite the same.

It took over 15 years, but select Old Timer models are once again made in the United States.

Old Timer brought some of its most popular models back to the United States under its Generational Series, including the latest Knife of the Week: the Bruin.

The Old Timer 5OTG Bruin is a lockback design with a traditional look and feel.

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Top 10 Knife-Wielding Horror Movie Killers of All Time

This post was originally published in 2012 but was updated in 2022 to include more fear-inducing killers and their knives.

The slasher movie is the bread-and-butter of the horror genre: give a guy a mask, a giant, glistening blade, and a few busty cheerleaders to carve up and you’re almost guaranteed to sell a couple million tickets.

At the Cutting Edge, we’re, of course, not encouraging you to use your knives for anything violent, but at the same time, we’d be remiss if we didn’t spend a second during the Halloween season to recognize some of the most brutal slashers in film history.

I originally created this post way back in 2012 with a meager four movie killers. So, I decided to revisit this ancient post to give it new life with 10 horrific movie killers.

Patrick Bateman | American Pyscho

Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale in the 2000 movie American Psycho, is a yuppie, status-obsessed Wall Street banker with a penchant  for bloodshed. Whether he’s carving up a defenseless homeless man with a pocket knife or slaughtering a rival with an axe, this guy’s got a bevy of murderous blades in tow at all time.

He’s also a big fan of unleashing deeply profound, sensitive critiques of ’80s pop music before commencing murder.

Knife of Choice: Ax

Cold Steel Trail Boss

Even though he’s featured on the cover art with a kitchen knife, I don’t remember him actually using one in the movie. Instead, he uses a bunch of different weapons to murder people, ranging from his teeth to a pocket knife.

However, he seems to have the most “fun” with the ax. The one in the movie is most similar to the Cold Steel Trail Boss.

Jason Voorhees | Friday the 13th

When it comes to knife-wielding villans of the silver screen, few can match the body count of Jason Voorhees from The Friday the 13th Series.

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10 Seriously Small Knives

This post was first published in 2016 but updated in 2023 to include different models.

In this world of big-box stores and 128-ounce sodas, some say the bigger, the better. In the world of knives, however, that’s not always the case. Sure, you could get a truly massive folder like the Cold Steel Counter Point XL (which has a 6-inch blade) for hard-core tasks, but what about when you need to carry something light that can cut some twine or open a package.

That’s when smaller is better.

For those who want a lightweight knife that will slip unnoticed in any pocket or attach easily to a keychain, we searched our store for the smallest knives around. There are a lot of tiny knives out there, but these come with blade lengths around 1.75 inches and under.

CRKT Squid Compact

Blade length: 1.75 inches
Overall length: 4.65 inches

The Squid was already a small yet bulky folder that was consistently called one of the best little big knives ever made.

So when CRKT decided to shrink some of its popular folders even more, the Squid was a natural choice. The Squid Compact has a small but capable 1.75-inch blade and an overall length of 4.65 inches.

Despite its small size, it’s still a very capable knife.

Spyderco Bug


Blade length: 1.27 inches
Overall length: 2.9 inches

Spyderco makes some minuscule knives like the Ladybug and HoneyBee, but the Spyderco Bug is the tiniest of all. This cute little guy fits in the palm of your hand with a 1.27-inch blade. When engaged, the knife comes in at less than 3 inches long.

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CIVIVI Elementum II – Knife of the Week

CIVIVI Elementum II

Since it first came out, the CIVIVI Elementum has been widely praised as possibly the best EDC knife ever made.

When you factor in the streamlined design, lack of excessive branding, and unbeatable price, it is clear the Elementum was a masterpiece.

The success of the original led CIVIVI to release tons of variations, including a button lock version that almost hit the mark.

Now, the CIVIVI Button Lock Elementum II may be the pinnacle of the design. It’s definitely one of the best CIVIVI knives.

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BnB Tactical Cobra – Knife of the Week

BnB Tactical Cobra

If you need an outdoor companion for heavy-duty tasks or defensive applications, reach for the BnB Tactical Cobra.

This fixed blade is as wily and vicious as the serpent it’s named after. It starts with the long 6-inch blade made from D2 tool steel. This is an increasingly popular alloy for fixed blades due to its toughness and strength.

The drop-point blade features a partially serrated edge that offers additional versatility, while a thumb ramp with jimping on the spine provides greater control for finer tasks.

It also has a black coating to dampen the steel’s reflective properties and add extra protection.

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