We’ve had a front-row seat to the evolution of the knife industry, so trust us when we say that there has never been a better time to buy a knife. Back in 1995 when we started selling knives online, the choices were slimmer, the materials less advanced, the craftsmanship largely more crude. These days, technological advancement and fierce competition have driven the quality up and the prices down. Even accounting for inflation, it’s absolutely incredible how little you can pay for a great knife. If you want to see the best value knives in stock you can buy today, read on and get more for less!

Flipper Knives – Best Values

Ever since being popularized by the original CRKT M16, flippers have become one of the most popular styles of folding knife.

A flipper knife is equipped with a small protrusion on the blade, called a flipper tab, that extends outside the handle near the pivot when the knife is closed. This allows the user to deploy the blade quickly and smoothly by pulling back on the tab. Flipper knives are practical for everyday carry, since they can be easily opened with one hand without much fine motor control, making them safe, reliable, and downright satisfying to use.

It used to be impossible to find an affordable flipper with a truly great action, but today there are countless options under $100 with crisp detents and smooth ball-bearing pivots for flawless performance. 

Best Buy: Petrified Fish Hourglass

For 2025, our pick for the best value flipper knife in stock is the Petrified Fish Hourglass. It outperforms its price point no matter how you measure it. The handles are impressive, with a graceful profile and beautifully contoured shape made from anodized titanium bolsters and a selection of fine wood scales. The bold drop point blade features brand-name K110 blade steel for excellent performance, and of course the flipping action is outstanding—you’ll find it hard not to fidget!

Button Lock Knives – Best Values

The button lock has been around for decades, but improvements to design and manufacturing have brought it back in a big way in recent years. Smoother and more satisfying than other mechanisms, the button lock knives in stock now are better than ever. A button lock folder features a spring-loaded post that secures the blade in the open position. This post extends through the side of the handle, forming a button that you press to release the lock. The key advantage of this locking system—other than ease of use—is that it allows you to operate the mechanism without your fingers crossing the blade’s path, enhancing safety during use.

Because they’re so intuitive to use (simply push to unlock!), button lock knives make great gifts for a knife novice. Anybody can learn to use them safely in a matter of seconds!

Best Buy: CIVIVI Elementum Utility

Our customers voted with their dollars to make the CIVIVI Elementum Utility one of the best-selling button lock knives of 2024. Building on the popularity of CIVIVI’s original smash-hit Elementum, the Elementum Utility is an even better buy thanks to the glass-smooth action of the button lock, the choice of flipper or thumbstud deployment, and above all the replaceable utility blade holder. No other knife combines the multipurpose utility of a dedicated pocket knife with the confidence you get from a disposable utility cutter. Go ahead and destroy the edge—as long as you have a fresh replacement blade on hand you’ll be back to work in no time. 

Liner Lock Knives – Best Values

Liner lock pocket knives are great because they’re simple, lightweight, and usually quite affordable. A liner lock uses the handle’s metal liner itself as the locking mechanism with a spring-loaded portion that flexes inward and locks firmly against the blade’s tang when you open the knife. The primary advantage of a liner lock is its simplicity, allowing them to be incredibly inexpensive while still being strong and solid enough for hard use.

Best Buy: Real Steel Iris

The Real Steel Knives Iris is a masterclass in refined and efficient design on a budget. It’s constructed in a unique way, with a single-piece liner that is bent to form the entire handle assembly. As a result, the knife is both extremely lightweight and extremely solid. Thanks to a ball-bearing pivot system, deployment is silky smooth. At just 1.69 oz., it’s practically weightless in your pocket, yet the black G10 handle scales ensure a secure, non-slip grip. A reversible deep-carry wire clip allows for discreet, ambidextrous carry, making it as practical as it is stylish.

Frame Lock Knives – Best Values

Invented by Chris Reeve, the frame lock is an evolution of the liner lock made entirely from metal that uses a portion of the handle to flex into place against the tang of the blade to lock it in place. Because it uses the whole handle instead of a thin liner, it allows more metal to secure the blade than a liner lock and is generally seen as stronger. Frame locks have a reputation for being expensive, but the selection linked here proves that is no longer the case. Frame lock knives—whether steel, aluminum, or even titanium—are now more affordable and more available than ever.

Best Buy: QSP Penguin Frame Lock

The QSP Penguin, with its traditional-inspired sheepsfoot blade and boxy silhouette, is one of the most charming knives from any budget brand, and the frame lock version is even better. It pulls out all the stops with flagship-level features like powder-metallurgy blade steel, milled titanium handles, anodized or coated finishes, and even a selection with exotic carbon fiber scales for a truly eye-catching look. All that starting at less than $100 makes the Penguin easy to recommend for anyone looking to experience the premium frame lock experience without overpaying for it.

Crossbar Lock Knives – Best Values

The Crossbar Lock, originally introduced by Benchmade as the AXIS-Lock, has become an industry standard for its strength, ease of use, and ambidextrous design. A spring-loaded metal bar runs through both sides of the handle, automatically locking into the back of the blade when opened. Because the crossbar extends on both sides, it has several benefits: it allows for seamless one-handed operation with either hand, and it keeps your fingers safely away from the blade’s path during operation. Now that the crossbar lock is a generic mechanism that anyone can use, the prices have come down and the options are abundant.

Best Buy: SRM 255L

Even among affordable brands, SRM stands out for the value they offer for your money. And when given just a little bit more budget, as with the 255L here, they do incredible work. The way this knife looks and feels, the fact that you can get one for under $60 practically feels like a mistake! The contoured handles have a surprisingly sophisticated shape, with nested liners for a seamless look and an integral backstrap that doubles as the stop pin. The pocket clip has a neat trick, too: it’s secretly spring-loaded, so you can swap from right-handed to left-handed carry without any tools. Plus, what other knife at this price point offers San mai laminated blade steel? Stop reading this and get one already—with knives this good SRM deserves more fans!

Damascus Steel Knives – Best Values

You’ll find a lot of conflicting information in the internet about Damascus steel, some rooted in history and fact, and some based on myths and legends. Let us set the record straight: modern-day Damascus is simply made from multiple layers of different steel alloys that have been forged or welded together, then folded to create a beautiful pattern. You’ll often see Damascus steel on high end knives and custom knives, but quality Damascus has come down in price in recent years so now there are plenty of great choices available to buy now.

Best Buy: CIVIVI Merit

The Damascus blade on the CIVIVI Merit has the best looks—and the best cutting performance—at the price. The wide-spaced layers have the appearance of controlled chaos, with a core steel forming the edge flanked by alternating lines of brightly polished and acid-etched grey. It’s the perfect compliment to the ivory G10 handles, which set off the blade by contrast. It’s not just good looks that set the Merit apart: the blade stock is unusually thin (2mm) and features a full-flat grind for laser-like slicing efficiency, too. Throw in the ceramic bearings for smooth, fidget-worthy action, and the Merit is a refined EDC that blends cutting performance with style.

Multi-Tools – Best Values

Nothing beats the utility of having multiple tools in your pocket ready to go whenever the need arises. If you’re not interested in the traditional pliers-based options and Swiss Army Knives leave you cold, the selection inked here will put a spring in your step. From one-piece multitools with a personality, to innovative form-factors that flip-fold, or clip like nothing else, these are the best value options you’ll find.

Best Buy: Olight Oknife OKS2

By rejecting the typical multi-tool formats, Oknife has made a uniquely capable portable problem-solver that punches well above its weight with the Oknife OKS2. At its core is a versatile drop point blade, smoothly deployed via a thumb stud and secured with a liner lock for safety. But the OKS2 isn’t just about the blade—safety and convenience are built into every tool, with a unique side lever that presents the interior tools for use when pushed one way, and unlocks them when the job is done when pushed the other. We also love the surprisingly large pair of scissors plus little luxuries like the excellent deep-carry pocket clip and aluminum handle scales. This hidden gem is an EDC classic that’s ready for anything!

Non-Locking Knives – Best Values

Non-locking doesn’t have to mean old-fashioned. Quite the contrary: in fact, there has been tremendous innovation in the category with new mechanisms, new materials, and new brands all cropping up in recent years. These aren’t your grandfather’s pocket knives, but they could be!

Best Buy: Real Steel Luna

Designed by Poltergeist Works, the popular Real Steel Luna perfectly walks the line between modern and traditional pocket knife designs. Its 2.8-inch drop point blade is easy to open without having to use your fingernail, so you can put that slicey flat-ground blade to good use. A classic slipjoint mechanism secures the blade in the open position and keeps it firmly closed in your pocket when not in use. And for convenience, it also includes an elegant deep-carry pocket clip. Thanks to its simple, yet sturdy construction, it’s also available with a huge range of handle materials, including titanium, Micarta, and G10.

Premium Blade Steel Knives – Best Values

Arguably, blade steel is the largest determining factor of a knife’s perceived value. An upgrade in blade steel is the easiest way to improve the user experience, with many of the best alloys on the market offering record-breaking edge retention, leviathan-level toughness, or untouchable stain-resistance. Now that powder-metallurgy supersteels are widely available, they are much more affordable so you can buy a cutting-edge knife without cracking open your piggybank!

Best Buy: Bestech Swordfish MagnaCut

The Bestech Swordfish is one of the most popular knives from the brand, because it offers an unparalled value for its size. Even though it boasts nearly 4″ of blade, the contoured handle and perfectly-integrated deep-carry pocket clip help hide its size in your pocket until it’s ready to use. And now that it’s available with MagnaCut, it’s an easy pick for the best value premium blade steel option.

What’s MagnaCut? Only the hottest supersteel on the planet! This revolutionary formula combines toughness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance in a single alloy. MagnaCut has been shown to be just as tough as non-stainless high-performance steels, with similar edge retention AND top-tier stain resistance. While other steels can still beat MagnaCut in terms of ultimate edge retention, none so far can do so while also boasting good toughness and stainless properties.