Awesome Living

While there are some pretty sweet knives out there, they don’t all need to be expensive to be good. Our buddies over at Everyday Carry took some time to pick their favorite inexpensive pocket knives, each priced at under $50, without sacrificing function, durability, or looks.

Keep your desk nice and tidy with Abovus‘ smartly-designed contemporary desk organizer system. Its base modules feature V-shaped ridges which can be used for loose pens and pencils, while modular cork components hold everything from phones to paper clips to tiny plants. Available in individual pieces or complete sets.

Made by UK outfit Direct Wood Co. this wooden workbench packs up flat when not in use. Its cutouts allow it to be set at three different heights, and its lid is covered with 20mm holes that can be used for holding clamps or bench dogs. Remove the top, and its legs can be used as saw horses. Its surface measures appx. 51″ x 28.3″.

A smart alternative to the “bug-out” bags, the R72 vest is a wearable survival pack you can grab in a hurry when disaster strikes. It not only works as a floatation vest, it has lots of gear loops and MOLLE webbing for carrying whatever you need, along with a system of eight modular bags, and an emergency tube tent.

Urban Article’s hanging wall organizer stands out from the crowd thanks to its stitched leather construction. Simply hang via the brass grommet at top, then use it to store pens, pencils, eyeglasses, or other small items. Available in single, double, or triple sizes, as well as a horizontal version for mail and other wider items.

While the white and gold the aesthetics of Robbox’s xDrill aren’t our favorite, we’re definitely intrigued by the technology it offers. The 21-volt cordless drill has a built-in digital level, distance and height laser measurements, angle guidance, and the ability to automatically stop when it reaches a set depth or torque.

The “Glo-Toob” is designed to help spotters find you in an emergency. Its LEDs are visible from every angle, and can be set to high, low, and strobe modes. It’s made from aluminum and polyester resin, and is 100% waterproof. Pre-order price available for a limited time from Drop, and includes a free GTK accessory clip for mounting.

This 5-in-1 pocket knife packs in a partially-serrated 420 stainless steel blade, along with a seatbelt cutter, a glass breaker tool, firestarter rod, and a removable LED flashlight. Save 28% on StatGear’s useful multifunction tool in The Awesomer Shop.

Inspired by climbing carabiners, these metal clips might not hold your body weight from a mountainside, but they’ll do a great job attaching gear to bags, belt loops, hooks, and other spots. Everyday Carry shows off a dozen of their favorite carabiners, including the excellent Heroclip, with its versatile swivel design.

These unique desk lamps have a pair of magnetic spheres which float in their centers. When placed near enough to each other that they attract, the light turns on. Move them apart, and it turns off. The LED light offers ambient illumination, with six different color temperature settings, and runs on a built-in rechargeable battery.

Inspired by classic doctor’s bags, but with the wearability of a backpack, Dr. Wilds’ versatile pack opens from its front instead of its top, and has a padded laptop sleeve, a bottle holder, hidden pockets, and more. Optional accessories like a compression bag, camera bag, and waterproof toiletry bag fit neatly in its main compartment.

Find your way in the dark while keeping your hands free with one of these Vega headlamps. It has a 200-lumen COB LED that shines brightly wherever you’re looking. The light runs on 3 AAA batteries (not included), and offers high, low, and flash modes. Grab a 3-pack for 26% off in The Awesomer Shop.

Rival Collective’s compact sling style bag organizes your everyday items like phones, wallets, tools, tech accessories, and more. It features a technical look that resembles a carbon fiber weave, and an anti-theft design with a sturdy PVD steel buckle. A spring-loaded carabiner clip provides quick access to keys.

Make the ceiling of your home theater, car, or other space look like a dark night sky with one of these twinkly fiber optic light kits from AMKI. They come in sizes from 400 to 835 points of light, each along with a bright 32-watt LED RGB/W light engine. You’ll need a drop ceiling or a false headliner to poke the fibers through.

The cheery Ballo Stool by Humanscale combines functional design with the playfulness of an exercise ball. An ideal task seat, it comfortably tilts with your movements thanks to two pliable air-filled domes on an innovative center column. It can help correct posture and alleviate back pain by naturally aligning the spine.

Designed for professional first responders, but a great tool in any emergency bag, Leatherman’s shears make quick work of gauze, tape, and seatbelts, and can also cut off a ring, break glass, or operate an oxygen tank’s valve. Made from durable stainless steel and glass-filled nylon.

UPKnife’s unique multitool packs a 3-position, bolt-action hybrid tanto blade with OTF operation. Functions include a saw, bottle opener, box wrenches, a 1/4″ bit driver, a wire stripper, and a tungsten carbide glass breaker. Each one is made in the U.S. entirely from stainless steel.

The BetterBook fits neatly in front of your keyboard thanks to its ultrawide 18×9 ratio. Its shape and black border improve mobile scans too. The spiral-bound notebook lays flat, and comes with blank, grid, or or dotted grid papers. Each set includes both a desk-size (310x160mm) and pocket-size (130x70mm) 40-sheet notebook.

Like the Gixie Clock, this tabletop digital clock uses RGB LEDs and sheets of laser-etched acrylic to simulate the look of an old Nixie tube clock, but with multiple colors. It offers a variety of color modes, supports 12/24 hour time formats, and has an alarm function. Requires a Windows PC or Mac for programming.

Custom-designed knives can be beautiful, but they’re usually quite expensive. Everyday Carry shows off 10 unique knives that were designed by custom blade makers, but benefit from the price advantage of a production knife. We’re particularly fond of the bold and colorful MKM Voxnaes Isonzo.

Get rid of those cheap sawhorses, and upgrade to heavy duty steel. ToughBuilt’s folding sawhorses hold up to 1300 lb each and offer support arms that hold 2x4s or 4x4s, adjustable height legs, and side brackets for holding sheet goods. Buy two, and create a work table by inserting 2x4s into their end slots. Sold individually.

Limited to just 500 pieces, this unique flipper knife was designed by Dew Hara. It features a modern, skeletonized handle made from two-tone 6Al4V titanium, along with an open frame 3.39″ blade honed from Böhler M390 steel, and a smooth-action ball-bearing pivot. Made in Maniago, Italy for CRKT by lionSTEEL.

Keep your digits from cramping up with these flexible resistance bands that slip around your fingers. Each pack comes with bands in three resistance levels to help improve finger, hand, and forearm strength and flexibility. Save 33% on a 3-pack (9 exercisers) in The Awesomer Shop.