Best Budget Pocket Knives Under $20: Four Big-Box Store Picks Compared

Introduction

You do not need to spend a lot to get a genuinely good pocket knife anymore. Four big-box stores, four brands, four knives that all land under $20: Harbor Freight, Home Depot, Walmart, and Lowe’s each stock at least one folder that punches well above its price tag. This comparison looks at how they differ on action, lock strength, blade steel, and everyday usability, so you can pick the right one for a weekend, a work glovebox, or a gift.

The bigger story here is how far budget knives have moved forward. Once you start handling these, the gap between a well-made $10 knife and a dangerous gas station special becomes obvious, and it is hard to go back.

Harbor Freight: The Gordon Knife

The Gordon knife from Harbor Freight was one of the first sub-$10 folders from a big-box store, and after a stretch where it seemed discontinued, it is back with new packaging that now properly marks the blade length. The improvements are real: on recent units there is no detent lash, and the detent is better than earlier examples.

The specification list is respectable for the money. You get G10 handle scales, a four-position clip that works for left- or right-handed carry, a hollow-grind sub-3-inch blade in HC13MoV, and a healthy amount of lock bar travel left after initial lockup, around 45 percent, so there is plenty of wear margin. The action flicks open smoothly and can be reverse flicked, and users have generally had good experiences with these. For the price, it is a very acceptable package that some knives costing five times more do not match on action or quality control.

Home Depot: The DeWalt Knife

The DeWalt-branded folder at Home Depot is a solid, if not life-changing, option. It offers decent liner access, multiple deployment methods, an aluminium body, and a reversible clip that allows tip-up or tip-down carry, though it is right-hand only.

It is not the strongest performer in this lineup, and it would not be the pick over the Harbor Freight option when both are available. But if Home Depot is what you have nearby and you need a knife for the weekend, it is a perfectly pleasant choice that gets the job done.

Walmart: The Ozark Trail D2 Crossbar Lock

The Ozark Trail D2 crossbar lock, nicknamed the “Ozark Grail” by some, genuinely broke through in the knife community. D2 steel, a crossbar lock on bearings, and a nice handle at around $10 made everyone want one, to the point that people paid far above MSRP on resale sites, which is not worth doing.

It is a fantastic beater knife at $10, with D2 standing as by far the best steel of the four knives here. That said, keep expectations realistic: it will not outperform a Benchmade or even some $30 D2 crossbar locks. Some cost-cutting is visible, such as the softer steel used for part of the stop pin, which can deform under abuse like batoning. Used normally, it should last a good while.

Lowe’s: The Craftsman Top Liner Lock Knife

The newest find of the group comes from Lowe’s, and it is the most interesting locking mechanism on this list by a wide margin: a legitimate top liner lock, effectively a compression lock, in a knife around $15. That is remarkable at this price point, and the lock strength feels better than even $60 or $70 button lock knives.

The execution details are impressive too. The handle geometry is very comfortable in hand, the cutting geometry is well thought out, there is even a sharpening choil, and the grind is relatively even. The lock button is positioned further back from the pivot than most top liner locks, so your finger rides over the top and accidental disengagement is not a concern, and the button travel feels reassuringly firm. The steel has not been confirmed yet, but if it turns out to be 440A, this knife could take the overall top spot, since 440A is actually a decent budget steel. The action alone is exceptional for a $15 knife.

Overall Buying Advice

Any of the Harbor Freight, Walmart, or Lowe’s picks would be a satisfying knife for a weekend trip, and the DeWalt is a fine fallback. The Craftsman is arguably the best overall package thanks to its lock and ergonomics, while the Ozark Trail edges it out slightly on steel with its D2 blade, assuming you can find one in stock at the $10 price rather than inflated resale prices.

All of these are good candidates for gifts, especially for someone who has only used poor-quality knives; they are excellent at teaching what a well-made budget folder should feel like. If you want to step up slightly, Walmart also stocks knives around the $30 mark, such as the Mini Praxis, that raise the bar further.

Conclusion

Budget knives under $20 have never been better, and all four of these are worth a look. The Gordon offers great action and G10 at Harbor Freight prices, the DeWalt is a dependable convenience pick, the Ozark Trail delivers the best steel here for $10 if you find it in stock, and the Craftsman’s top liner lock makes it arguably the standout of the group. Whichever one matches your nearest store, you can walk out with a genuinely good knife for less than a takeaway lunch.