The most competitive part of the knife market is not the $400 titanium tier. It is the $70 tier, where a buyer can reasonably expect a decent steel, a clean lock and a handle that does not feel like a compromise. CIVIVI's new Ryson-E enters that fight at $69.40, and the way the line is built says a lot about how good budget knives have become.
The base versions use G10 handles and a 3.32-inch blade in burgundy or tan, at $69.40 each. Step up to $71.70 and you get green or black canvas micarta, which is a meaningful upgrade for anyone who prefers a warmer, grippier material to layered fibreglass. At $87 the line tops out with a Damascus blade and black canvas micarta, which is a different proposition again: a knife bought partly for how it looks rather than purely for how it cuts.
The thumb-stud, non-flipper configuration is the detail worth flagging. Flippers have dominated the budget category for years because they are cheap to get right and satisfying to use, but thumb studs remain the most reliable opening method in gloves, in cold weather and for anyone with limited hand strength. A $70 knife that opens this way and still looks current is filling a real gap.
Positioned against the alternatives, the Ryson-E has to justify itself against CIVIVI's own enormous back catalogue, which is the brand's real competition. Against a generic budget folder of the same price, the case for it is fit, finish and a knife company with a reputation to protect.
Verdict: the micarta version at $71.70 is the sweet spot, and the base G10 version at $69.40 is the honest buy. Either way, this is what $70 buys in 2026, and it is more than it used to.
For anyone assembling a first serious carry rotation, this is a better place to start than a knife twice the price with half the thought behind it.We earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you.