Ok I was knocking together a Christmas list and I was thinking I would like a decent pocket knife. I want one which is a folding knife. No fancy tools or anything just a blade and handle. What do you suggest?
Edit: Also if possible made in the USA or UK or anywhere that isn't a third world country.
You're going to get a lot of responses from folks suggesting 50 dollar knives.
I'm suggesting one from Sheffield. I buy them at big lots occasionally, paid 8 bucks for the last one a few years ago.
That one, and another that doesn't have the serrations. Damn good blades, withstood being used as screwdrivers and prybars and E36 M3, hold an edge pretty well to boot.
Kershaw. Plain and simple.
I've been carrying my Cold Steel Voyager for years. It's got a huge blade, but with the Zytel handle, it's flat and very light. Easy to pocket. But yeah, it was a 50 dollar knife 20 years ago. Made in Japan too. Good knife.
almost anything gerber
ths is mine.
http://www.gerbergear.com/Military/Knives/DMF-Folder-Knife_31-000582
I carry a 3.75" no-name lockblade.
It's loose enough to flick open, cheap enough that I don't freak out about loosing/damaging it, and big enough that I have trouble loosing it. My only complaint is that the belt clip is only attached by a single rivet (...which is also the pivot for the blade. If you use a cheap big box store knife (....which will do all that most people will ever need in a folder) try to find one with two pins for the clip so it can't ever move. Mine moves, and it is annoying
If I wasn't such a cheapskate, I'd be interested in a spiderco...probably something like a dellica
that you can buy a trainer for
Take the trainer to the gym/dojo/kwan, smear some cheap red lipstick on the edge....
That won't work for me, though. I'm always misplacing and re-finding the things, so I stick to the cheap stuff.
Gerber or Benchmade. I sell both at the shop and they are the best I have. Benchmade is not cheap, but a lifetime warranty and free sharpening is nice. And they're razor sharp. We're talking about $75+ for them. I've had people drop upwards of $180 on them.
Ka-Bar should have some nice folding knives for less. I don't know the going rate on them, but they were dishing them out left and right at the NRA convention this year.
Any Spyderco, size and style are up to you. The Delica ($60) would probably be a good place to start.
As a bonus a lot of their stuff is US made.
I've also had good success with Benchmade, CRKT, and Kershaw.
I've got a Kershaw Ken Onion assisted opening knife. I like it a lot. Usually carry it, plus a small swiss army knife.
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Come to Saskatoon, and get Al to teach you how to make your own.
Al Bakke – Artist’s Bio & Statement Al Bakke was born in rural Saskatchewan and moved to Saskatoon in 1948. The craft community in Saskatchewan will remember the Bakke Rock Shop, which he and his wife operated for 29 years. This enterprise led him to silver and goldsmithing and lapidary work. An active craftsperson for over forty years, Bakke has concentrated on lapidary, woodturning, knife making and blacksmithing. Largely self-taught through various workshops and symposia, Bakke has a singular ability to share his knowledge and skills. He attributes his positive, adventurous and free-spirited attitude to an early childhood experience -- after tearing out the seat of his new pants and sobbing on the way home he realized, "how serious could it be? His mother wasn't going to kill him" ... so, he made an early discovery, that he need not worry. He consistently practices his own formula for living, "Don't be afraid to ask if you don't know; stay out of trouble; don't do anything that might upset anyone; and do what will make you happy." The last one has become a motto that he shares with most everyone he meets: “You’re A Long Time Dead!
Out of curiosity, why not a multifunction knife? I've been carrying a Victorinox 'Cybertool' Swiss Army knife for years. It only weighs a few ounces, but it has various cutting.prying blades, a driver arm (along the knife's long axis, so it works like a real screwdriver) with interchangeable flat, Phillips, and Torx bits, a pen, toothpick, tweezers, pin,etc.
It's really not large, it's been very durable, and it's the most massively useful object I own that is not a physical part of my anatomy.
Check out sport.woot.com from time to time for good knives at a decent discount. I got a Kershaw spring assist and just got a CRKT Pazoda in the mail today. I carry the Kershaw every day but it's a bit big. The CRKT may be my new daily.
In reply to Duke:
I have a little Swiss Army card thing that I carry with me that has scissors, a little screw driver thing and tweezers.
I have a Shrade Sp2 which fits nicely in my pocket. It is small but great for opening stuff. Husky makes a nice foldable utility knife, just get the 10$ model.
I like Ken Onion Kershaws .
My Benchmade 9050 has proven itself to be durable and useful over the years. It might cost a bit more up front but it has lasted through a lot of heavy use.
Picked up a Gerber Chameleon at a Flea Market for $5. Compact, sharp as heck, breaks down for cleaning, the finger hole is quite useful. (Great to clip onto a pack with)
I am also a fan of the Emerson CQC7B, but I found a cheap knockoff for stowing in the car, backpack, ATV, etc. Lowe's of all places, for like $10.
I carry a Leatherman Crater. It was under $15 on Amazon for the basic one and they go up a few $ when you add features. I thought all Leatherman products were made in USA, but I don't see those three letters anywhere on the knife itself - caveat emptor.
Edit... added a link
http://www.amazon.com/Leatherman-Crater-Straight-Blade-Knife/dp/B001EYU4IY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353448968&sr=8-1&keywords=leatherman+crater
CRKT M16-12LE Tanto Blade
Kershaw Ken Onion
These are my two EDC knives. The flipper action makes for super fast opening and they are nice and light without sacrificing blade durability.
I have a couple of half serrated Schrades that I keep in my fire gear. They're cheap enough that I won't care if they get lost, but sharp enough to have nearly removed my thumb on my first night on the job.
I carry one of these. It's so small it'll slip into that goofy little watch pocket and you'll forget it's there. Plus, because the blade is replaceable, you can abuse the heck out of it without having to worry about the edge. The blade isn't as strong as my USMC KA-bar, but it's a knife not a screwdriver! Significantly smaller and thinner than the usual box cutter.
If I need tools, I carry the Skeletool CX we were talking about in the multitool thread. If I need real tools, I have a toolbox 
Visit midwayusa.com (I'm sure there are plenty of others) for a decent cross section of what's out there. Pretty cheap when you're looking for something specific. I get most of my reloading junk from them, they've been good to me.
I am also a Kershaw fan, I have a few...
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