I know lots of folks spend some  bucks for thier knives, and nothing wrong with that if that is what you like to do but I don't think you really have to in order to get a good knife
I go to alot of flea markets , auctions and gun shows and is pretty easy to get a good high quality knife for less then $25. Here are a few [I have lots more!] of mine....



From left to right....A WWII "Quartermaster" knife made by Cattaraugus,  sort of made like a M2 "kabar" but I like that it is made with a heavier blade and pommel, one of my favorite general purpose knives. I still occasionaly see old kabars for the cheap but many sellers think they are something , these Quartermaster knives often fly under the radar and can be picked up cheap. I bought this one for $15 a few months ago with no sheath and then later found a nice sheath for it for $5
....Next is a  modern Finnish Puukko , I believe these were imported years ago by Garcia, I normaly don't like Stainless steel knives but these take and hold a razor sharp edge. I actually have another one somewhere, this one I bought at an auction for $10  
...This is a gerber MKII combat knife or dagger, classic fighting knife that was first used in Vietnam. This knife is complete with it's sheath and was in mint condition still in it's original box when I found it at the flea market. I asked the seller what he wanted and he told me $20, soon as I picked it up befor I even said anything,  he told me.."go ahead give me $15"......I did
....Gerber lock back folder, heavy well made knife that had seen only minimal use but never even sharpend, Complete with it's original leather sheath...$20  flea market knife
....Gerber bolt action knife, I carried one of these everyday for years and I think it is a great knife, very tough construction and takes a great edge. This knife was mint never used condition and came with it's original belt sheath. I think this is going to be my new every day carry knife. Paid $15....will point out that all three of these Gerbers I bought in the last two weeks
...Above it is a Robeson MKI , the MKI was a light general purpose US military knife of WWII , this one has a wooden handle and probably dates from right after the war still a quality knife and easly took a hair popping edge. No sheath  but I'll find or make one I am sure....$10
...Next to it is a heavy Ontario "Old Hickory" kitchen knife....yeah i know way down on the Tactical cool scale and i doubt it will be featured any time soon in Fighting Knife magazine but really a great all around knife that will probably do about anything you need a "survival" knife to do. Going to make a leather sheath for it...Paid $2 for it at the flea market which seems to be about the going rate, sometimes sellers will ask $5 but i think they are being optimistic.

 Just wanted to point out that in my opinon a knife doesn't have to be expensive and cost you an arm and a leg to be a quality knife and is easy to find a good knife on the cheap if you just take a little time and look for them.....T.

That one on top in the middle, the kitchen knife, is one of the worst POS's i've ever had the miserable experience of owning 2 of. Worthless. Worth LESS than the $2 you paid. Someone would have to pay me to even hold another one of those in my hand. They are garbage. Vile misuses of steel. Think of the wonderful gun toys that could have been made out of the steel that those were stamped out of.

Just my .02

Nice finds. I really like that Robeson. And that puuko. And that Quartermaster....Of course, the Gerber MKII looks good tool.

I take it you don't like the old hickory knives....

they are pretty useless

I used to think $50 was crazy for a knife.  That is, until I started learning about them.  Now, if they're less than $500, I wonder what's the matter with it.

I think your post points out that if your frugal, patient, and actually get out and look, that one can find high quality knives for well below what they tipically go for.

One cant just go out and buy any of those at those prices on any givin day.

I'm a pretty frugal son of a gun myself. I'm not one to go out and buy the newest and nicest.  If one looks there are good deals on all kinds of stuff. I recently bought a brand new with tags still on it USA made gortex jacket for under $40, I got a new pair of outdoor research military gortex gloves for under 20 bucks, a pair of "like new" not even broken in yet Danner arcadia boots for under $40 all from different places. So I got $500 in stuff for 100 bucks. I think buying like this is a mind set, or as my wife would say a defect. I hate when I have to have something "right now" becouse that means I'm paying full price.

As far as going out and buying a new knife at a store for under $25, and being able to call it high quality, I'm not saying you cant do it, but your not gonna get a buck 110, ot gerber sportsman III,  for that price like you could in the 80's

I could be smoking crack, but that puukko looks like the one made by Hackman.  It was designed by Tapio Wirkkala......Cold Steel copied it for their Sisu Puukko and Finn Bear if I remember right.

You might want to look more closely at that knife.  The handle looks right to me.