Recommendation? 440C vs D2 steel for a Ganzo knife?

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No diamond stones here sadly. Might be able to get some online. I guess 440C will do for now.

Mora knives are nice, don't know if they have folders.
 
Leaving the whole Ganzo steals designs thing alone for a moment.

Most of those YouTube reviews you see are for simple EDC tasks. things like cutting tape, Trimming loose threads and opening envelopes. For more hard use I really wouldn't trust the blades on any Ganzo. They are not very likely to stand up to the work you put them through. I would trust 8cr13mov from Kershaw or Byrd to outperform either of the Ganzo steels. Also an Ontario RAT 1 or 2 in AUS 8 will serve you well for years. If you want the RAT in D2 it is available. The bonus is you can be assured that it is actually a quality D2.
 
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GospodinPera said:
I'm looking to buy my first folding knife, and I've decided to go for Ganzo. Reviews on YouTube seem decent, and it's within my price range. US knives are way too expensive sadly in my country due to import taxes, and the offer is kinda limited.

Question that is bugging me is which type of steel to go for. Basically, I need a knife for some medium farm work, such as cabbage harvesting and corn tree cutting. So no batoning, bushcrafting or anything like that.

The issue is, the steel type. I know that 440C is easier to sharpen, but the D2 holds the edge better so it might be better suited for farm work. On the other hand, D2 need a bit maintenance (some maintaining tips would be also great), and it can be harder to sharpen. Also it's less rust resistant which can be a bummer. I can sharpen I knife, but I just got into it, so I'm no expert by any means.

Which type of blade would be better and why?
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If it's gotta be Ganzo :

I'd consider primarily the overall design and suitability for your purpose rather than steel type .

I would avoid the "gentleman's flipper" liner lock with ball bearing pivot type and go with a more rugged design .

F720 is 440C but overall much stronger than the D2 models that I know about .

P.S. : If you happen to come into some better money . The Cold Steel AD-10 is one of the best hard use folders available at any reasonable price , IMO .




 
US made knives, out of range, huh.
well than OP, ganzo may appear
tailor made for those with
a tight budget;
only, better hope that the blades
have been heat treated right, if at all.
and that the screws and pivot are
able to hold the knife togather in
demanding circumstances.
yeah, looks are deceptively superficial
when there's actually more to fathom.
hopefully there is no premature wear
under normal circumstances...
its terribly considerate for a budget product
to come with steel options.
because now, this somehow complicates
the choice one has to make between 440c vs d2.
bad enought that it just might forestall purchase.
so when in doubt don't...
 
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I’m not even going to read this thread and I’m going to comment the same thing everyone else is going to:

ganzo is trash, don’t give them your money. IP theft hurts legitimate manufacturers and it’s part of the reason we’re seeing yearly price hikes.
 
I’m not that familiar with all of Ganzo’s line except that I wouldn’t buy one from reviews I’ve read. ...........................May I suggest that If you’re using this knife Outdoors you get a fixed blade. Folders are for Cleaner work. Not for use where dirt & rocks for the most part. Unless that’s all you have.
 
instead of ganzo, get this quality kershaw lonerock - for only $32, the grip is fairly excellent for farm work I expect (rubberized in the black portion)

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Ganzo has a bad reputation here because they have copied existing designs and design elements from other companies. This is true for most of their knives using 440C and that's the main reason not to recommend them. However, the hate stirred up by this also tends to generate spurious comments about their quality as tools. Those are separate issues and should not be conflated. Based on reports from actual users, Ganzo's 440C is probably in the same league as 8Cr13Mov.

I only have personal experience with Ganzo's D2. When they launched a line of original designs in D2 with their FH series, I decided to give them a try. At least based on the market for $20-knives at the time, I was impressed by the action and overall fit and finish. In my personal experience, the steel holds a notably better edge than 8Cr13Mov and sharpens like D2. Some independent tests have confirmed that it is real D2 with appropriate hardness. Other tests have put edge retention on par with budget D2 knives from Steel Will.

Of course, D2 might not be the best option if you don't have diamond stones. Tangram and Civivi have both been recommended. Those are reputable brands and don't raise the red flags that Ganzo does here. They have some decent knives in 9Cr18Mov and Acuto 440. They'll hold a reasonable edge while being a little easier to sharpen. They're also much more stainless. Do you have access to either of those brands?
 
DocJD said:
If it's gotta be Ganzo :

I'd consider primarily the overall design and suitability for your purpose rather than steel type .

I would avoid the "gentleman's flipper" liner lock with ball bearing pivot type and go with a more rugged design .

F720 is 440C but overall much stronger than the D2 models that I know about .

P.S. : If you happen to come into some better money . The Cold Steel AD-10 is one of the best hard use folders available at any reasonable price , IMO .
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Are you seriously recommending a knock off? Shameful :poop:
 
Chronovore said:
Ganzo has a bad reputation here because they have copied existing designs and design elements from other companies. This is true for most of their knives using 440C and that's the main reason not to recommend them. However, the hate stirred up by this also tends to generate spurious comments about their quality as tools. Those are separate issues and should not be conflated. Based on reports from actual users, Ganzo's 440C is probably in the same league as 8Cr13Mov.

I only have personal experience with Ganzo's D2. When they launched a line of original designs in D2 with their FH series, I decided to give them a try. At least based on the market for $20-knives at the time, I was impressed by the action and overall fit and finish. In my personal experience, the steel holds a notably better edge than 8Cr13Mov and sharpens like D2. Some independent tests have confirmed that it is real D2 with appropriate hardness. Other tests have put edge retention on par with budget D2 knives from Steel Will.

Of course, D2 might not be the best option if you don't have diamond stones. Tangram and Civivi have both been recommended. Those are reputable brands and don't raise the red flags that Ganzo does here. They have some decent knives in 9Cr18Mov and Acuto 440. They'll hold a reasonable edge while being a little easier to sharpen. They're also much more stainless. Do you have access to either of those brands?
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As you learned in previous threads, the issue of ganzo making clones will not be separated from the quality of their knives. It is the same discussion. Buying ganzo after knowing what they do is a slap in the face of reputable makers and obviously hurts the hobby.
 
GospodinPera said:
I'm looking to buy my first folding knife, and I've decided to go for Ganzo. Reviews on YouTube seem decent, and it's within my price range. US knives are way too expensive sadly in my country due to import taxes, and the offer is kinda limited.

Question that is bugging me is which type of steel to go for. Basically, I need a knife for some medium farm work, such as cabbage harvesting and corn tree cutting. So no batoning, bushcrafting or anything like that.

The issue is, the steel type. I know that 440C is easier to sharpen, but the D2 holds the edge better so it might be better suited for farm work. On the other hand, D2 need a bit maintenance (some maintaining tips would be also great), and it can be harder to sharpen. Also it's less rust resistant which can be a bummer. I can sharpen I knife, but I just got into it, so I'm no expert by any means.

Which type of blade would be better and why?
Click to expand...
Check out this thread that is currently going about inexpensive knives people like right now: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/cheapest-favorite-knives.1729447/

All of these options are better than a ganzo.
 
craytab said:
As you learned in previous threads, the issue of ganzo making clones will not be separated from the quality of their knives. It is the same discussion. Buying ganzo after knowing what they do is a slap in the face of reputable makers and obviously hurts the hobby.
Click to expand...

No. All I learned in "previous threads" is that the hate runs deep enough that some people don't care about facts, accuracy, or anything other than trashing the brand and zealously steering sales away from them. There are enough people who hold this position that trying to debate, discuss, address everything they raise or provide deeper context is utterly exhausting and beyond my capabilities.

Consistent with the position you just expressed, it is perfectly fine and beyond reproach to make claims about Ganzo's quality with neither evidence nor firsthand experience. Logic be damned. They copied the designs of another company. Therefore, everything they make is trash on par with a rusty tin lid. Also, there is absolutely no possibility that Ganzo could ever contribute anything positive in any way, shape, or form from now until the end of time.
 
Chronovore said:
No. All I learned in "previous threads" is that the hate runs deep enough that some people don't care about facts, accuracy, or anything other than trashing the brand and zealously steering sales away from them. There are enough people who hold this position that trying to debate, discuss, address everything they raise or provide deeper context is utterly exhausting and beyond my capabilities.

Consistent with the position you just expressed, it is perfectly fine and beyond reproach to make claims about Ganzo's quality with neither evidence nor firsthand experience. Logic be damned. They copied the designs of another company. Therefore, everything they make is trash on par with a rusty tin lid. Also, there is absolutely no possibility that Ganzo could ever contribute anything positive in any way, shape, or form from now until the end of time.
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Looks like you learned something to me :thumbsup:
 
Chronovore said:
No. All I learned in "previous threads" is that the hate runs deep enough that some people don't care about facts, accuracy, or anything other than trashing the brand and zealously steering sales away from them. There are enough people who hold this position that trying to debate, discuss, address everything they raise or provide deeper context is utterly exhausting and beyond my capabilities.

Consistent with the position you just expressed, it is perfectly fine and beyond reproach to make claims about Ganzo's quality with neither evidence nor firsthand experience. Logic be damned. They copied the designs of another company. Therefore, everything they make is trash on par with a rusty tin lid. Also, there is absolutely no possibility that Ganzo could ever contribute anything positive in any way, shape, or form from now until the end of time.
Click to expand...

Every time this maker comes up, you put forth this completely inaccurate bit about the anti-Ganzo crowd being full of hate and not caring facts. You do it every time. And every time, the anti-Ganzo crown, of which I am firmly entrenched, confront you with facts that you then readily dismiss.

As I have numerous times before, let me again remind you that we don't need you to tell us what is or is not logical or right or wrong. We've already assessed the situation and drawn logical, rational conclusions. Just because you disagree doesn't make us illogical or imply that our position is not rooted in fact.

You stake your flag on the "yeah they did bad but we should give them money for the not o bad stuff so they keep making the not so bad stuff". That's your prerogative and you can express that all you want. But we can equally express why we feel you're absolutely wrong.

As I always say in these threads, tell it to Sal.
 
:rolleyes: Gonzo quality / performance / value vs price is definitely a "separate issue" for most normal consumers from supposed "intellectual property " conflicts .

Is it legal to purchase ? If "YES" , than that's all most rational consumers need to know or care about ,IMO . YMMV . ;)

Intellectual property is only meaningful as defined by some governmental authority , not web blogs opinions . Everyone has one ! :p
 
DocJD said:
:rolleyes: Gonzo quality / performance / value vs price is definitely a "separate issue" for most normal consumers from supposed "intellectual property " conflicts .

Is it legal to purchase ? If "YES" , than that's all most rational consumers need to know or care about ,IMO . YMMV . ;)

Intellectual property is only meaningful as defined by some governmental authority , not web blogs opinions . Everyone has one ! :p
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Sigh...

You can run around this Mulberry bush time and again but you're wrong. Intellectual property absolutely has meaning and it is absolutely important.

If you choose to support a company that blatantly ignores this importance, then so be it. But attempts to diminish it are disingenuous.
 
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