If you buy a knife that has less expensive components, you generally will get what you pay for.

That could mean your steal is inferior, or machined cheaply and that can mean it breaks, warps or bends if you use it a lot.

While we all want to save money, knives are one area where you must be very careful.

Chose price over quality and you can end up on the losing end of a knife that dulls to quickly, is impossible to sharpen or even breaks during the stress of a survival situation.

The key is to examine it closely, test it if you can and ultimately, always balance your price point with your quality requirements.