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2014 Kershaws??

Insipid Moniker said:
If you don't like the China made Kershaws vote with your wallet. Personally, I am fine with 8cr14mov and think it's a bloody revelation to have Emerson, Diskin, Hinderer and Rexford designs available for what will probably be $40 street. Heck, I like the Strobe but I would probably buy one even if I didn't just to encourage KAI to continue working with Mr. Diskin. I would absolutely love to see ZTs take on the Diskin Fire.
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Amen on the Strobe!
 
crom said:
I for one, am disappointed Kershaw has focused their efforts on the boutique ZT brand and is putting out very few US made knives under the Kershaw regular line but I will make other choices. What does being a newb have to do with expressing displeasure in a company's direction? I guess 2 years membership around here affords one condescension and self righteousness.
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Camber, shallot, leek, blur, knockout, skyline, chive (possibly still the piston and jyd as well).

How many more models should they have? It's more than Spyderco USA models without even including the zt line...
 
crom said:
Benchmade brand is 100% US made. They are the umbrella company for the Lone Wolf and HK brands that don't have the butterfly logo on the blades. Sure Benchmade produces these lines, but the BM brand is US made. Red box line is disco'd, google it.
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So if Kershaw created a new brand to market their Chinese models under, all this pissing and moaning would go away?
 
I agree on the classics, Kershaw will (I hope) never stop making these. But to have so little new US models in the lineup is discouraging for this long time Kershaw fan. Nuff said on my part. I was lucky to get some that I wanted when the getting was good and those I will hang onto and remember the good old days hehe.
 
I'm not pissing and moaning, more lamenting a bygone era for one of my favorite companies. I was pointing out that BM does not make any foreign knives under the BM butterfly, that they are a parent company for Lone Wolf and HK has no bearing on their US made Benchmade knives. Also, the red box line was discontinued, new members not as knowledgeable should get accurate info.
 
crom said:
I'm not pissing and moaning, more lamenting a bygone era for one of my favorite companies. I was pointing out that BM does not make any foreign knives under the BM butterfly, that they are a parent company for Lone Wolf and HK has no bearing on their US made Benchmade knives. Also, the red box line was discontinued, new members not as knowledgeable should get accurate info.
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A rose by any other name is still a rose.

Aren't we arguing over semantics?


Anyway, I would have liked more USA made knives under $100 Street price, I don't care what they're called. I'm super stoked for the ZT offerings and I like some of the Kershaw's but I probably won't get many of the imports.
 
crom said:
I agree on the classics, Kershaw will (I hope) never stop making these. But to have so little new US models in the lineup is discouraging for this long time Kershaw fan. Nuff said on my part. I was lucky to get some that I wanted when the getting was good and those I will hang onto and remember the good old days hehe.
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What was the last USA spyderco to come out?
 
I have no idea I don't follow Spyderco much and what does that have to do with Kershaw?
 
It's a good thing KAI are no longer here.....

It's somewhat similar on Spyderco too, Kristi and Sal don't deserve the whining on their forums....wouldn't be surprised if Spy pulled the plug.
 
Vote with your wallet, if more knife companies see oversees model sales dropping and USA made sales spiking they will respond to the market trend. Unfortunately most Americans are not interested in Made in the USA like they used to be, it's all about the price tag. Most don't even look where a product is made, much less care.
 
When engaging in these petty arguments about how many more knives are being made overseas you all keep forgetting one important fact....WE ARE THE MINORITY. The average knifebuyer doesnt give a crap if his knife is made in usa or crapsganistan....if they get a good deal on a cool knife they are gonna buy it. If people truly cared about quality Frost Cutlery would have gone belly up long long ago. I'll bet everyone here would prefer a value prices USA made knife, but a company isnt going to profit & grow by catering to the minority. Be thankful that they do have such a large and robust portfolio of US made quality knives at great prices that they continue to offer in an ever changing assortment of options.

No other company on this forum seems to take as much crap for overseas manufacturing than KAI and its really sad to see. Plenty of other companies offer lots of china knives and take a quarter of the heat.

Haters Gonna Hate
 
I'll admit, a few years ago I was a little disappointed with the increase of off-shore production. I had bought one of the first Vapor imports and it was no where near the quality of the lower cost US made knives.

I paid $15 for it and gladly paid twice the price for a US made Storm.

But last year I bought these and they really are fantastic, especially the Tremor.
They're made well and cost about $30 for both. Not much more than flea market knives, they're well built and have a warranty. The steel holds up fine form my use, IMO no better or worse than the previous Kershaw lower end steels.


 
Even though I don't like Chinese knives for my own personal reasons (certainly not quality related), I've got to admit it just makes sense for Kershaw to have knives made there. Between Kershaw and Zero Tolerance, they've got a very broad price spectrum covered.

Affordable Chinese made Emerson colaborations are a smart move. Price turns a lot of people off Emerson knives (some models are also hard to find at times), these Kershaw/Emersons will be a great option for those folks and will allow them to get to know the designs and features. If Kershaw built an Emerson design with similar materials in the US, they might compete with regular Emersons, something they probably wanted to avoid. So they made the knives with very recognisable Emerson features, but still different enough from the originals. The ZT colaboration will appeal to those who want better materials and perhaps to some people like me who like Emerson designs but aren't quite happy with the materials and finish for the price.
 
Blackie Scantling said:
I made a Chinese mteck mt 151 Trail Master Bowie copy with a bowed blade right. I broke it right in two.
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There is a huge difference between Mteck and other Chinese crap and China made knives from reputable USA companies. You got what you paid for and what you get when you buy from companies that want to protect their reputation is extremely great value, which means quality for the dollar.
 
Knotty, follow the thread. Scurvy stated BM makes Chinese models and he reference the red line. I was keeping things on track by pointing out that benchmade brought it's production of the BM branded knives back into the US and that he erroneously informed a new guy the red line is in current production. If you have difficulty with reading comprehension that is not my problem. Out of the blue he brings up Spyderco, I didn't and still don't get how he brought yet another manufacturer into this thread about Kershaw knives. Feel better now, or do you want to keep this going in PM?
 
Scurvy092 said:
When people stop buying blurs, skylines, leeks, shallots, knockouts etc etc etc then maybe the factory will have enough capacity for more usa models.

Can you imagine how hard it must be to the main supplier of made in the USA knives to big box stores like Walmart and Dick's?
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I'm not sure why this is so hard for people to understand? I don't believe Chinese imports are in any way eroding the sales of USA made product, the customer who buys a $15 knife wants a $15 knife and doesn't care where it comes from, what it's made of or who designed it. Kershaw is really doing the industry a service by marketing a product at a price point that is made with quality materials (for the price,) and designed by some of the most respected designers in the world.
 
kornphlake said:
I'm not sure why this is so hard for people to understand? I don't believe Chinese imports are in any way eroding the sales of USA made product, the customer who buys a $15 knife wants a $15 knife and doesn't care where it comes from, what it's made of or who designed it. Kershaw is really doing the industry a service by marketing a product at a price point that is made with quality materials (for the price,) and designed by some of the most respected designers in the world.
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Agreed. I'm actually MUCH more critical of the ZT line, not because they're at all bad, but because I expect much more for the asking price. I honestly think the value on the Chinese made Kershaws is exceptionally high.
 
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