I was initially going to chide you for making a less than satisfactory stab (pun intended) at irony, thinking that you thought we聮d recoil in horror at the very idea of a 聯$200 pocket knife,” when to really make sure we got the joke it would have been better to use wild exaggeration, as in, 聯I saw a pocket knife the other day that cost eleventy million dollars.”
Gerber F.A.S.T. Draw knife
F.A.S.T. Draw knifeBut you CAN spend $200 on a pocketknife. An example: The Buck Chipflint Skinner ($200; www.cabelas.com) features 420HC stainless steel聴a steel that holds an edge and resists corrosion but is not so hard as to make it difficult to sharpen. And it has a buffalo-horn handle. I mean, good grief!
But look, what you聮re buying is, to some extent, a fashion statement. You get a similar steel (chromium-and-carbon alloy 154CM stainless)聴that聮s what really matters聴in Cabela聮s Alpha Hunter knives, which are made by Buck and sell for $55 and up. Or there聮s the very slick Kershaw Leek knife ($80; www.kershawknives.com), which has a folding blade and excellent steel. Or the Gerber F.A.S.T. Draw with a serrated blade ($40; www.gerberstore.com), also folding.
On the tool/knife front, there聮s the always popular Swiss Army Camper ($27; www.rei.com), which is trim enough to fit comfortably in a pocket. And it has two blades, a small saw, can opener, reamer, and more. It聮s extremely handy when you just want a knife for everyday tasks.
So聴yeah, yeah聴if you spend a lot more, you get a little spiffier knife. But there聮s no reason to go over $80, almost regardless of what you want to do with the knife, whether it聮s to gut an elk or open an envelope.
Get more advice from the Gear Guy as he picks this season聮s top gifts in You聮ll probably find a few things to put on your own wish list, too.