j.a.lWell let's put it in perspective. On BladeHQ there are a LOT of knives under $20 or even under $15 that have better steels. I can recommend at least <$20 CRKT knives: Pazoda, Drifter, Squid. Obviously shipping adds cost, but a quick trip to many stores will get you a better knife than the Starter. Inexpensive and cheap are not always the same; you can get inexpensive, which is just low cost, or you can get cheap, which is low cost AND low quality.