8Cr13MoV stainless steel...

[Buffer]

I also have a tenacious and use it for work cutting boxes and plastic wrap. I have to sharpen it fairly regularly but all in all I'm happy with it.

 

[Nemo]

I carried a Benchmade Vex for a little while and it seemed to work fine, no complaints. It was the TAIWAN on the blade that made me trade it off, not the steel.

LOL! I understand what you mean. I used to be like that too. (And I still favoring "Made In Usa", as I love american cutlery in spirit, design and quality.)
Since the day I have received a box full of Laguiole knockoff made in Pakistan. (Ten years ago, those knives manufacturers in Pakistan wanted us to test their 1 dollar knives and they have sent us a bunch in all sizes !!! 50 knives ! All smelling petrol and with very strange colours on the handles...)
But as we found out with Fred Perrin, their steel was much better than the official "440A" 100 euros french made laguiole (we kept that in silent...), their constructions was very solid and the knives were great tools (and eventually made excellent gifts!)... Since that time I don't mind of what is written on a blade.

Also we know heat treating and geometry are perharps even more important than the steel anyway. I've been surprised by the quality of some 440A blades in a long and hard use cycle and been disappointed by S90V and BG42 blades which were impossible to get sharp... Gosh even som 01 and 52100 blades handmades can be a bear to get really sharp. Or is it me ?

Good craftmanship is international, also is good manufacturing.
No stamp on the blade will change anything or ever be a label of quality.

Time can change things also. Taiwan (and soon China) is the new Japan.
After WWII my grand parents would not buy anything "Made In Japan".
Nowadays, it's almost a quality label. (and Japan can thank a guy named Jack Welch (General Electrics C.E.O. !!! ) who has implemented "SIX SIGMA" policy (99,9% perfection goal in quality) in the 80's for their quality control in car manufacturing.... eventually it was like shooting in his own foot... as we know Hell is paved with good intentions! )

So that 8Cr1MoV steel Byrd blades were supposed to be "440C" stamped.
But Sal Glesser wanted to check the quality and the composition of his Byrd blades, only to discover it was NOT "440C" and he could not honestly stamp it.
Quality control is everything, don't you think ?

cheers
Nemo

 

[GunnerP]

Not much to add from comments above really. I have several 8Cr13MoV knives.

Spyderco Tenacious
Byrd Robin G10
Byrd Robin Stainless
Byrd Meadowlark FRN
Cherusker Messer Tusok
Cherusker Messer LLC

All perfom admirably. I EDC the G10 Robin to work every day, and it copes without problem, just a quick swipe on the Sharpmaker once or twice a week.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

I carried a Benchmade Vex for a little while and it seemed to work fine, no complaints. It was the TAIWAN on the blade that made me trade it off, not the steel.

Probably the CHINA on the blade. If it was made in Taiwan I think more folks would like it. It was their first folder made in China. Sorry to be a stickler!

 

[GunnerP]

Got to agree with Nemo on the stamp front.

Of my 9 Spyderco Knives, three are USA made ( Gunting, UKPK and Swick)
Four are Seki City/ Japan (Ladybug, Endura, SPOT and Native)
Two are Chinese (Tenacious and Bug)

All are top quality with regard to components and build. With no stamp I would be unable to say what was the country of origin.

GunnerP

 

[Fletcher Knives]

Good info guys. Thank you for the opinions.

 

[shotgunner11]

LOL! I understand what you mean. I used to be like that too. (And I still favoring "Made In Usa", as I love american cutlery in spirit, design and quality.)
Since the day I have received a box full of Laguiole knockoff made in Pakistan. (Ten years ago, those knives manufacturers in Pakistan wanted us to test their 1 dollar knives and they have sent us a bunch in all sizes !!! 50 knives ! All smelling petrol and with very strange colours on the handles...)
But as we found out with Fred Perrin, their steel was much better than the official "440A" 100 euros french made laguiole (we kept that in silent...), their constructions was very solid and the knives were great tools (and eventually made excellent gifts!)... Since that time I don't mind of what is written on a blade.

Also we know heat treating and geometry are perharps even more important than the steel anyway. I've been surprised by the quality of some 440A blades in a long and hard use cycle and been disappointed by S90V and BG42 blades which were impossible to get sharp... Gosh even som 01 and 52100 blades handmades can be a bear to get really sharp. Or is it me ?

Good craftmanship is international, also is good manufacturing.
No stamp on the blade will change anything or ever be a label of quality.

Time can change things also. Taiwan (and soon China) is the new Japan.
After WWII my grand parents would not buy anything "Made In Japan".
Nowadays, it's almost a quality label. (and Japan can thank a guy named Jack Welch (General Electrics C.E.O. !!! ) who has implemented "SIX SIGMA" policy (99,9% perfection goal in quality) in the 80's for their quality control in car manufacturing.... eventually it was like shooting in his own foot... as we know Hell is paved with good intentions! )

So that 8Cr1MoV steel Byrd blades were supposed to be "440C" stamped.
But Sal Glesser wanted to check the quality and the composition of his Byrd blades, only to discover it was NOT "440C" and he could not honestly stamp it.
Quality control is everything, don't you think ?

cheers
Nemo

Got to agree with Nemo on the stamp front.

Of my 9 Spyderco Knives, three are USA made ( Gunting, UKPK and Swick)
Four are Seki City/ Japan (Ladybug, Endura, SPOT and Native)
Two are Chinese (Tenacious and Bug)

All are top quality with regard to components and build. With no stamp I would be unable to say what was the country of origin.

GunnerP

Sorry, I should clarify a bit. It's not the quality of the overseas manufactured knives that bothers me, it's the politics of the situation and that's not a conversation that's suitable for this particular forum so I digress.

Alot of the stuff that is coming out of the asian markets is quickly making it's way up to the quality level of the US made products. Right now, in my pocket is a RAT 1 folder that was gifted to me (thanks Blake) that I'm trying out and I'm very impressed with the fit and finish and quality.

I also have a few "rough rider" brand slippy style knives that rival the quality of the US made stuff.

I try hard to buy US but it's not always possible.

 

[Nemo]

Should I try to buy french ?

Just teasing. Political views are just a personnal thing...
The way asian markets are flooding the market is a huge debat.
It's not a bad thing to be patriot also !
cheers
Nemo