Are the Chinese eating the USA's lunch in knives? (no jingoistic intent)

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jbib

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I just purchased an Eafengrow EF335 Folding Knives D2 Blade and G10 Handle,5 inch Closed EDC Pocket Folding Knife with Clip (orange) on Amazon for under $30 dollars. I admit that I am no blademeister but the fit and finish "appeared" scary good. When I held it in my hands and played with it I thought of knives that cost 5 to 6 times as much. Tell me what I'm missing, Please tell me!​

 
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Just sayin'...

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Not for people like me.

I buy American made knives because I want American made knives. I'm not interested in chasing some elusive dragon of "better" that doesn't exist or trying to find the optimal solution of "cheapest X bestest" where I give up on American manufacturing to hit a price point to find a steel that won't actually be anymore useful to me in daily knife use.

I can't think of a single thing a Chinese knife can do that an American knife can't except maybe beat it on price, so I buy USA made knives (and Salvadoran made, because that's a part of my family heritage).

Now if we're talking historical patterns... I'll buy from around the globe.
 
Nope. I think there are a ton of low end Chinese knives that are fantastic blades for the price and I'll happily buy and enjoy them, I have no prejudice against them at all and many of the higher end Chinese knives are great! But for innovation and quality starting at $250+ I'm generally looking at American, or maybe Italian, Japanese or German, knives. Just because I think they have more interesting designs, use a broader variety of materials, and make things that appeal to me more.

For $475 I could get two very, very nice WE knives, but instead I'm getting ready to spend that on a Demko AD-15 in Magnacut, because it appeals to me more than anything that's currently in WE's catalog.
 
There are definitely different levels of quality in Chinese knives, example, Jack Wolf vs Marbles. I have collected some of the premium Reate / WE stuff, but I love getting a premium US piece. Plus several of the Chinese OEM stuff is designed by US knife makers. If I was made of money I would only buy from the US companies, but sadly, I’m not. If I do buy Chinese, I try to justify it by looking who the designer is.
 
If I was going to spend $100 or less on a knife, I’d be hard pressed to find anything American that was as good as what we/civivi is putting out. I wouldn’t begrudge anyone on a budget buying something from China. Based on what I’ve read and experienced myself, these knives are not low quality in any way.

Beyond that, however, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to use whatever value judgement you choose to make a decision on a knife. A $300 knife is a luxury purchase, not a necessity. There are no wrong personal criteria at that point.
 
It's an apples and oranges issue a lot of the time. There are some big American knife brands that have been gobbled up by corporate conglomerates or seen downturns in quality over the years. There are also some outstanding knife brands in the US. China has a region of knife makers (Yangjiang) where 70% of the cutlery and scissors in that country are made. It would be like having one city in the US where almost every knife company did their work. They are making some high quality products, but a lot of the stuff being done on behalf of American knife companies doesn't have the same level of oversight as the stuff those companies make domestically (except Spyderco who can get stuff made properly anywhere). The domestic knife industry in China varies from high quality to knock off junk and everything in between. You have to compare quality to quality and bargoon knifes to bargoon knives. The lack of even observing Chinese labour and environmental regulations, let alone corruption, by some companies can make things a bit like the Gilded Age in American sometimes.
 
I believe the younger generation are looking only at price point, and of course there are way too many marketers to count. Chinese knives are not nearly as good, no matter the price point, but the sales are going straight to them.

source: I talk to knife enthusiasts 1 generation below mine at work and there are 3 camps: only china, only straight edge utility folders, and me.
 
I think there is a lot of quantifiablely good stuff coming out of China. I don't fall on either side of the fence. I can appreciate those wanting to buy American at all costs, and I can appreciate those who take note of the FnF coming out of China these days.

My take on it is that if I am going to spend over $150, I will currently gravitate toward an American company. Where I see China making headway in my personal wallet is traditional slipjoints. I WANT the $70 Case to be as good as the $30 Rough Ryder, but I have generally been disappointed with what I get for my money with Case. I love GEC knives,but I'm not playing the game to get one. Price it at $200 and make it available from the manufacturer , and I'll buy it. None of this hunting one down business for me.

I have been super impressed with my Brothers brand Cowfish. Excellent for under $40. If I could spend $80 and get one like it from Case, I would.
 
mak1277 said:
This is the part I don’t really get. Are there bad Chinese knives? Sure. But it’s hard to argue that the good Chinese makers aren’t as good as US makers at the same price point
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People don't want to face facts. We aren't going to go down the political rabbit hole here...but the same folks who think that Chinese companies can't make a good knife are the same sorts of folks wearing blindfolds who can't believe they build submarines, aircraft carriers and space vehicles.

You can't help people see, if they refuse to see.

You don't have to like things...you just have to be honest with yourself and others. Then you can move ahead and attempt to make changes where necessary.

Editorial finished.
 
Blues said:
People don't want to face facts. We aren't going to go down the political rabbit hole here...but the same folks who think the Chinese companies can't make a good knife are the same sorts of folks wearing blindfolds who can't believe they build submarines, aircraft carriers and space vehicles.

You can't help people see, if they refuse to see.

You don't have to like things...you just have to be honest with yourself and others. Then you can move ahead and attempt to make changes where necessary.

Editorial finished.
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But is General Tso’s chicken really a Chinese dish?
 
MyLegsAreOk said:
Chinese knives are not nearly as good, no matter the price point, but the sales are going straight to them.
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Quite incorrect......There are many Chinese makers that produce knives that are just as good or better than knives at the same price point made in other countries. That is why sales are going to them.....better product at much lower prices. Thats an inescapable fact....
What maker in the US would or could produce a front flipper thats as smooth as glass with excellent grippy linen micarta, integral milled titanium billet back spacer/clip, and perfectly centered14C28N blade for $50.....
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91bravo said:
But is General Tso’s chicken really a Chinese dish?
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That was the last remaining secret I hadn't divined when I retired from 20+ years of federal law enforcement.

(But, don't tell anyone, Colonel Sanders is a paid informant of mine, and he's on the case. He's got 10 of the herbs and spices nailed, and pretty soon, the secret will be out.)
 
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