Are generic gas station Chinese slip folders “working man” knives?

Makael said:
Well 99 percent of what people use their knives for like cutting thread, cleaning fingernails, taking a tag off clothing a sharp rock would work. Chinese or Taiwan knives are more than enough knife. Not for me but when you don't know any different they work fine. Most of my customers have listened to me talk about the Buck factory sales that most of them go to them now. What they used to carry is different than what they carry now.

Educate or show off your knife to a non enthusiast and you might just get them to jump the fence.
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Came here to say this. Most modern day knife tasks don't require a whole lot more than a minimally sharp edge.

Funny you mention Buck, my current 'non-knife person asks about knives' folder recommendation is the 112 & 110 Slim, depending on what size they want. ;)
 
It might be because I didn't know knives at all. But I feel like the standard for sharpness has increased.
If you had shown me a knife that could cut paper like a razor blade as a kid I would have been absolutely amazed! Most people I knew thier knives were just kinda sharp. If they cut rope that was good enough.
The only people I knew with sharp knives were Chefs who seemed to have magical knife sharpening powers lol.
 
Around here, it's not just the gas stations and hardware stores that get in on the crapenkniven sales. Even the dedicated gun shops have the countertop bucket-o-autos.

Talking to the owner of a local gun shop, says they almost never sell any of the Benchmade's that are in a dedicated glass display. The next counter over is filled with Kershaw that he sells occasionally. Most Kershaw sales are the less expensive china made models that are displayed on individual stands like the more expensive models. But, has a guy drop off a countertop bucket of AO's and Autos every other week on consignment. They sell for about $12, and almost always sell out before a new bucket is dropped off. Being where it is, I'd say that even gun/knife enthusiasts are buying these things.
 
Most gas station knives I see are either over the top fantasy pieces or uber tacticool "de-animators". I'm guessing purchased by teenage boys, mostly.

Now, I see a lot of guys carrying the Walmart folders around quite a bit. They usually run about $10 and have a thumb stud and combo edge. Fine for mashing your way through duct tape and cardboard or opening a shipping bag or blister pack. Actually, I have a no-name chinese folder that I got at a training. The manufacturer had a bunch made with their name on it. Junky stainless blade, combo edge, liner lock. But I'll be dogggoned if it doesn't lock up like a vault. Honestly, you could toss a decent piece of steel on there for a blade and charge $20 more dollars for it. It's really pretty well made for something that probably cost $2.50 in a bulk buy. It would work well for the guys on my crew.

I think you obviously get more performance and pride of ownership out of something that is nicer. But a lot of guys who work for a living simply don't care nor do they want to "waste" money on a better knife. It's good that life gives us so many options.
 
@microbe hit the nail on the head. Most "working men" will use a retractable utility blade knife. That's what I use(d) when I work in my trade.
But, not all working men (people, now) work in the trades. :oops::D
 
I agree that a utility knife is the way to go for a functional tool on the cheap, a lot of times I like to use a utility knife for cutting abrasive materials rather than having to stop and sharpen my folder. Also, it keeps the grit out of my mechanisms.
 
bflying said:
Around here, it's not just the gas stations and hardware stores that get in on the crapenkniven sales. Even the dedicated gun shops have the countertop bucket-o-autos.

Talking to the owner of a local gun shop, says they almost never sell any of the Benchmade's that are in a dedicated glass display. The next counter over is filled with Kershaw that he sells occasionally. Most Kershaw sales are the less expensive china made models that are displayed on individual stands like the more expensive models. But, has a guy drop off a countertop bucket of AO's and Autos every other week on consignment. They sell for about $12, and almost always sell out before a new bucket is dropped off. Being where it is, I'd say that even gun/knife enthusiasts are buying these things.
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The store i worked at had no bucket of cheap knives, we did have many knives from around $24 and they sold to people wanting a good quality knife but did not require M390 blade steel, 1095 was good enough.
But we sold many Benchmade and Kershaws also and the truth was the owners did not give a hoot about the knife sales, all they cared about was the firearm sales they carried the knives and Optics and a maybe 10,000 other items just to be a full service sporting good store.
 
Knife buying is about the same as it's always been outside of the hobbiest market. The difference is that you had a $2-5 American made option in the gas station, that's been supplanted by the Chinese offerings. In the 60's - 80's, for every guy that bought a Buck or Schrade or Case back then, you had dozens that bought a shell handled knife like these -

jack-master-imperial-collectable_1_23eac82bebe29bd63c35b3a5d3d1af4b.jpg
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I see mostly retractable blades on the workmen I know, and for purposes that I think a quality folder would be great for. But they don't care about steel quality. They sure as heck don't feel like sharpening their knife at the end of the day every few days. It's way easier and more cost efficient to buy a boxcutter and a box of replacement blades. I am a knife knut and when I was roofing all I used was a cutter. I could swap out a new blade and be back to work in a minute and not care if I missplaced my cutter or if it walked off.
 
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Most guys will lose a knife before they wear one out. And buy another one. Most guys don't use them to split wood or do other heavy work. So saying that. I guess it's worth it to them to be able to open their mail, cut some boxes open, cut some rope and that's that.
 
Are generic gas station Chinese slip folders “working man” knives?
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Not this working man.
But then . . . I know the difference between sheeeeet and Shinola.

I have had about nine or fourteen responses (rants) forming and dissipating in my pea brain since this thread started and I think that is about as short as I can make it.

 
In my other hobby/profession of watches we have a saying "For those who know" as a guy with a Timex will never understand why a Rolex is better. Quite frankly it's due to being ignorant. But the timex guy may someday handle a Rolex and then it's suddenly like a light comes on and the realize the difference and there's no turning back! They see the timex as inferior and go about getting a much better quality watch.

I think knives are the exactly the same way. People are ignorant to quality and don't understand the difference between junk and a good knife. But if they somehow get to handle a great knife, suddenly the light bulb turns on and they won't be able to tolerate the junk anymore.
 
When I worked retail, I carried a folding replaceable-blade box cutter alongside my folding knife. The folding knife was for when I needed a stronger blade or a cleaner edge, and the razor blade was for tape/cardboard/things I wouldn't use my folder for. They both saw pretty frequent use throughout a day.

But, generally, my experience is that cheap folders are what most people know and trend towards when looking for a knife. Most people I have told the price of my knives to have been visibly shocked - but generally understood if I described the reason for the price, or if they handled the knives. Those last two things (coupled with my visibly genuine enthusiasm) are how I ended up converting at least a half dozen of my co-workers into knife bros, and got one of my oldest friends to turn into a full-on knife bro with at least three Spydercos and a Hogue EX-01 (and is now limited from expanding due to his irreproachably practical wife.)

Even still, when I picked up a Cold Steel Counter Point II in AUS-8, I thought I had really gone off the deep end for spending $40 on a pocket knife. I imagine a great many other people have that same mentality preventing them from even considering the notion.
 
those box cutters sharpen up pretty good. People just don't know how to sharpen their stuff. They buy a new cheap knife when the other one is too dull or when they loose it. That's one theory :)
 
cbrstar said:
In my other hobby/profession of watches we have a saying "For those who know" as a guy with a Timex will never understand why a Rolex is better. Quite frankly it's due to being ignorant. But the timex guy may someday handle a Rolex and then it's suddenly like a light comes on and the realize the difference and there's no turning back! They see the timex as inferior and go about getting a much better quality watch.

I think knives are the exactly the same way. People are ignorant to quality and don't understand the difference between junk and a good knife. But if they somehow get to handle a great knife, suddenly the light bulb turns on and they won't be able to tolerate the junk anymore.
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In 1961 i joined the military service after boot camp at a training base i went to town saw a stainless submariner no date Rolex in a store price new $160US samesman wrote a contract $25 a Month and i had my first good watch, over 25 years had it cleaned and oiled many times around 1998 i got the news moisture under lens face damaged it was time to retire it.
Sold some of my stocks and bought a new Rolex stainless no date submariner price $3,500 Rolex wants their submariner cleaned oiled and new seals every five years, if moisture get under the lens it's going to really cost to get it repaired, sent it to Rolex New York postage alone was $60 with insurance price for Rolexs service needed a new wind&adjust time stem total $650.
While it was being repaired bought a battery powered watch at Walmart $7.88 it kept better time then my Rolex ever did and the battery lasted over two years, as when i got my Rolex back in around two Months, i pulled the stem to stop it and put it to bed in my safe.
Today i checked pricing on a new Roxex stainless submariner no date $8,500US so today i am thinking if i can sell it for around $5,000 i would be happy but anyway i just buy a new $7.88 Walmart watch when the battery dies i surly don't want another Rolex service cost of who knows what it is today.
 
Well as far as keeping time goes. You won't do better than a quartz movement. In that sense they both keep time. The cheap one better to boot.
 
cbrstar said:
In my other hobby/profession of watches we have a saying "For those who know" as a guy with a Timex will never understand why a Rolex is better. Quite frankly it's due to being ignorant. But the timex guy may someday handle a Rolex and then it's suddenly like a light comes on and the realize the difference and there's no turning back! They see the timex as inferior and go about getting a much better quality watch.

I think knives are the exactly the same way. People are ignorant to quality and don't understand the difference between junk and a good knife. But if they somehow get to handle a great knife, suddenly the light bulb turns on and they won't be able to tolerate the junk anymore.
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Nope on all accounts.

Your Rolex and your Timex both do a great job at their primary purpose, keeping time. Your Rolex is perhaps better built (arguable), but it definitely has had more attention to detail than your timex and is definitely a more interesting movement. It's not a superior quality product in that it doesn't do the job of keeping time any better than your Timex, but it is a product with superior craftsmanship and QC that might be able to withstand the abuse that MAYBE 0.001% of the population could inflict on it better than your Timex. For most people in most circumstances they are functionally equivalent.

Knives are very similar in that pretty much anything made of even okay metal that is sharp will do the job that 99.999% of people require of it (assuming it's a 'knife' job). Handling a nice knife doesn't suddenly make everything else junk; but handling a spendy knife might make you realize what you're missing in the craftsmanship.
 
Many opinion is if it’s safe and has a good lockup when open its a decent knife. Depends on the job ur using it for. I use mine constantly so I buy more pricey knives. But for the occasional opini g a package or small things than I’d say go for it. Purpose of knife safety and budget come into play. That’s my thought
 
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