4 New EDC Folding Knives Under $120, Each With a Different Reason to Carry It

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Shopping for an everyday-carry knife under $120 sounds easy until you see how crowded the category has become. Plenty of folders offer capable steel, multiple opening methods, and a choice of handle materials. The harder part is finding one that gives you a clear reason to choose it over dozens of similar alternatives.

Recent launches and one imminent revival make that decision more interesting. Bestechman has reworked the lock on a thin-bladed folder. CIVIVI is offering upgraded materials without crossing $120. CRKT is bringing back a decade-old knife with an unusual opening mechanism. Vosteed, meanwhile, has revised the parts you interact with most on one of its familiar EDC designs.

These aren’t ranked from best to worst. Each makes a different case for your pocket, and each is priced below $120.

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Bestechman Cicada’s Wing-TL: $69.90 for the resin version

A thin blade can be appealing for everyday cutting, but blade geometry is only part of the decision. You also have to like the way a folder opens and unlocks.

The new Bestechman Cicada’s Wing-TL retains the original model’s slim-blade concept while changing its locking system. “TL” stands for Top Liner Lock, and this version adds a push-button release. Bestechman says the redesign responds to feedback from owners of the earlier knife.

Price: $69.90
Where to Buy: Amazon

It has a 3.15-inch modified drop-point blade made from 10Cr15CoMoV steel. Blade stock measures 0.091 inches thick, and overall length is 7.205 inches. The linked resin version weighs 2.68 ounces; weight varies with the handle material.

That thin blade stock is the specification to pay attention to. It may help the blade move through some materials with less resistance, though cutting performance also depends on the grind, edge geometry, and sharpening. It isn’t a guarantee that this knife will outcut a thicker alternative.

Bestechman’s official Wing-TL listings vary by handle material. At the final check, the linked resin configuration was on sale for $59.90, down from $69.90. Other versions use materials including G10, Micarta, Ultem, wood, and resin, so check the current price for the specific configuration you want.

Buyer fit: Start here if a thin blade and button-released lock appeal to you more than premium blade steel. Check the current price for the specific handle version you want, since pricing varies by configuration.

CIVIVI Elite Tessera: $116

Once a folding knife costs more than $100, the question becomes whether its upgrades are ones you will actually notice. That is especially relevant for CIVIVI, which already sells capable knives for less.

The Elite Tessera is positioned above the brand’s standard offerings and below the more expensive WE Knife lineup. It pairs a 3.37-inch CPM S35VN drop-point blade with a patterned aluminum handle, crossbar lock, dual thumb studs, and a caged ceramic ball-bearing pivot.

Price: $116
Where to Buy: Amazon

It also has a forward finger choil and a milled 6AL4V titanium pocket clip. CIVIVI lists the knife at about 2.93 ounces, keeping the weight under 3 ounces despite its metal handle.

Those materials and features explain what the extra money buys. They do not, by themselves, prove how smooth the lock feels or how well the finished knife cuts; those judgments would require hands-on testing.

At $136.50, the Tessera uses most of this roundup’s budget. At the final check, CIVIVI listed all three versions at that price and showed them available to add to cart. Verify the current price and stock status of your preferred version before ordering.

Buyer fit: Consider the Tessera if you already like CIVIVI but want S35VN, aluminum scales, a crossbar lock, and a titanium clip without moving into WE Knife pricing.

CRKT Fulcrum 2: $60

If most folding knives seem to open the same way, the CRKT Fulcrum 2 offers something different.

It isn’t a brand-new design. CRKT first released the Fulcrum 2 in 2016 and is bringing it back with its distinctive opening mechanism intact. Rather than using a conventional thumb stud or flipper, you press the sliding handle scale and pull it back to swing the blade open and engage the liner lock.

Price: $60
Where to Buy: CRKT

Custom maker Charles Kain invented the original Fulcrum mechanism, which designer Russ Kommer incorporated into this CRKT folder. It is an unusual interaction, not just an unusual-looking handle.

The other specifications are more conventional: a 3.18-inch 8Cr13MoV blade, glass-reinforced nylon handle with a stainless-steel bolster, liner lock, and 4.7-ounce weight. Its pocket clip is set up for tip-down carry.

Neither the steel nor the weight makes the Fulcrum 2 an obvious specification bargain. Its appeal is the mechanism: it gives someone who enjoys the way folding knives work a genuinely different action to consider.

CRKT lists the revived Fulcrum 2 at $60 and marks it “Coming Soon” at the time of writing. The reported availability date is October 1.

Buyer fit: Pick this one if an unusual opening mechanism matters more to you than premium steel or the lightest possible carry.

Vosteed Raccoon Crossbar Lock 2.0: $69

The Vosteed Raccoon Crossbar Lock 2.0 takes almost the opposite approach. Instead of introducing an unfamiliar design, Vosteed has revised an established knife in places owners are likely to notice.

The new version has a 3.17-inch Nitro-V blade in place of the earlier model’s 14C28N blade. Inside the lock, a one-piece Ball Roll Bar replaces the previous two-piece crossbar. Vosteed says the rolling contact reduces friction and removes a joining screw, though the long-term benefit remains a claim to test over time.

Price: $69
Where to Buy: Amazon

Other changes focus on opening, carrying, and maintenance. Vosteed has repositioned the thumb studs, revised the clip to better accommodate thicker fabric, added spine jimping, and updated the liners and aluminum backspacer. A three-post construction keeps the liners assembled when the scales come off, simplifying handle-scale changes.

Taken together, those revisions give the Raccoon 2.0 a clearer purpose than a simple change in blade steel would. They address how owners open, carry, and work on the knife without asking them to learn an unfamiliar design.

At the final check, the linked G10 version was listed at $69.99. Availability and shipping timing can vary by color and destination.

Buyer fit: The Raccoon 2.0 makes sense if you want a conventional all-purpose EDC folder and value practical revisions over a dramatic new look.

Which one fits your pocket?

The Cicada’s Wing-TL is the thin-bladed value option, with a redesigned lock and a verified resin version at $59.90 when checked. The Elite Tessera spends nearly the full $120 budget on upgraded steel, aluminum scales, and a titanium clip. The Fulcrum 2 is the pick for someone drawn to unusual knife mechanics, although CRKT still lists it as coming soon. The Raccoon 2.0 offers a more familiar shape with thoughtful changes to its lock, opening hardware, and construction.

That leaves the choice with what you actually want from a daily carry knife. A thin blade, upgraded materials, an unusual action, and a refined all-rounder are four different reasons to buy, not four ways of saying the same knife is “best.”

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