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

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I don't want to leave anyone with the impression I'm not Buy American, I am, strictly Jeep and GM (American Made). But it appears clear over the last 25 years they've really got mass production and reasonable quality down pat. Knives don't quite fall in that category so I was curious if a consensus existed in the Blade Community.
 
Blues said:
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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I have Colonel Sander’s recipe and posted it here many moons ago.
 
Blues said:
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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The Colonel's coleslaw is also in a League by itself... 😁👍
 
Almost all my knives are American made, but I had to make an exception for this Elijah Isham-designed Eschaton made by WE.
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I'm sure there's a few decent blades out there, but Is Chinese better? Now ask yourself, How many American companies manufacturer overseas for cheap labor and/or cheap materials? How many Chinese clone companies out there? Pretty sure eafengrow was one of those taking American designs making cheap knockoffs. So you bought a D2 blade but is it? Maybe it's 440c, maybe it's 3cr13MoV. Do they offer any type of warranty like American companies?
 
In any niche hobby people come from all perspectives. Some want "the best for their money." Some simply want "THE Best." Some folks don't really care whether or not a knife is practical/useful, they care how they look.

I have no experience with Reate.
From trusted/knowledgeable knife friends I am told that Reate are producing some of the finest factory knives in the world and I have little reason to doubt that. And apparently We is getting closer and closer (maybe equal).

I have a couple Civivis and a couple Petrified Fish knives. They are fine knives for the price.
However, if I am looking for a $200+ knife it's almost certainly made in North America.

I don't think that most people who want a Hinderer, Spartan, CRK... are tempted by most Chinese knives, for a number of reasons.
 
jbib said:
I don't want to leave anyone with the impression I'm not Buy American, I am, strictly Jeep and GM (American Made). But it appears clear over the last 25 years they've really got mass production and reasonable quality down pat. Knives don't quite fall in that category so I was curious if a consensus existed in the Blade Community.
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At the risk of getting into economics, which are perilously close to politics, American manufacturing is extremely healthy, but American manufacturers have to pay a lot, so we make a lot of very, very expensive things. Like, MRI machine, private jet and super yacht expensive.

Even expensive brands like CRK and Microtech are almost certainly in the knife business because they want to be more than because it has the best profit margins. Machinists and manufacturers with that kind of skill could almost certainly be turning out medical equipment or military supplies and making the big bucks, but many of them are enthusiasts just like us, which is part of the reason I love supporting them with my high dollar purchases.
 
I recently made the decision to divest myself of any knife not US Made (with reasonable sentimental exception) and henceforth only buy American made.
This wasn't a political or quality decision. On the quality front, I haven't a single bad thing to say about Reate or the knives I've handled coming out of Taichung for example. The one Petrified Fish knife I have experience with seems to punch far above its paltry cost.

There is an economic reason, though. I'd prefer the entirety of my discretionary blade money to go to American companies. Also, I needed to have rules for my purchases to keep me from just buying every knife that turns my head, lest I become a collector rather than a user. Holding to this rule reduces my purchase options.

It's a win/win.

Hell, there are a couple of American companies I won't buy from for personal reasons, so it reduces my choices even further.

Going forth, I buy only the absolute highest quality, American-made tool the job requires. And maybe a couple of backups, of course. Options are a good thing.

If I see some shiny nice knife coming from anywhere else, well it just isn't for me. absolutely nothing against those who buy them and enjoy them, for use or collecting.
 
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China is only making headway in knife tech because of American makers sourcing from them. No other reason
 
91bravo said:
But is General Tso’s chicken really a Chinese dish?
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It was invented in Taiwan. So you could call it a Chinese dish, but not a traditional Chinese dish. The original recipe contains tomato paste, which is a very un-Chinese way of creating a flavor that is surprisingly akin to the way some dishes from Hunan taste.
 
UncleBoots said:
It was invented in Taiwan.
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In that case the government of China would call it a Chinese dish.

As far as knives go I think "eating the USAs lunch" is hyperbole. There are some delightful knives made here and sold at competitive prices.
What Chinese manufacturers do add is healthy competition. There are some very well done knives coming from them at right prices that should make it clear that no one can rest on their laurels. Some big name manufacturers still do that, but the clock is ticking.

I bought a Kizer Genie not long ago. A Ti handled framelock. Stainless lock bar insert. Proper lockup. S35VN blade, nice reverse tango shape. Came sharp. Milled clip that works OK for milled. Front flipper with excellent action on bearings. No skimping on the contour. $160 shipped to my house.

There was a time when all of that would have cost at least double that. I think pressure from the east is what is driving more and more companies to offer more for less.
 
China can build good stuff.
They can also build cheap garbage...depends what you ask them/pay them to make.

I wouldn't pay the same price for a mostly equivalent knife made in China as I would for one made in the USA, Canada, Italy, etc.
The high-end Chinese knife market is not for me.

They are definitely dominating the low to mid-range market though. Hard to compete against them in those price ranges.
 
Just like anyone .. Some Chinese manufacturers chase performance ! Or at the very least try to make a good product .

10 Year ago it was more miss than hit for me .. Now things are different .
10 years ago Chinese flashlights were Ho hum .. There were some outstanding brands at the time like Solarforce .. ( Cheap but good )
And quite a few Chinese knife Manufacturers are coming of age ( Damned good knives for the money ) .
My first Good Chinese knife was my CH3530 D2 , at which time I had collected a box full of not so good Chinese Knives .
So it was a real stand out ! At that time American made knives were
A) Vanishing
B) Increasing in price
C) And many manufacturers simply refused to ship out of the USA ( ???? )

So ? What is a knife enthusiast to do ? Obviously buy knives that can actually be purchased and quite often at very affordable prices ..
I think at the time many USA manufacturers helped the Chinese because of the choices they made ..
The USA market has proven several things
A) People would pay more for quality US made knives
C) People would support US manufacturers
D) Stay brand loyal ..

So in many ways US manufacturers helped grow the Chinese knife industry ..
 
I liked the knives made by WE and Kizer 3-6 years ago, but they don't really interest me anymore, I've given away and sold many of them. Much of it is I find they (Chinese companies) run their PM steels on the soft side.

To be honest, American made doesn't necessarily mean well made.

As far as heat treatment/edge retention, my Russian knives are superior to most of my other knives. I've had M390 and it's derivatives from multiple manufacturers, and thus far Cheburkov kicks everyone's ass. Of production companies, I've had really good experience with Spyderco. Specifically M4 and XHP. The 204p is not too shabby on my Southard, probably second best of that steel makeup.

If you are collecting solely based on looks, and/or are into titanium, the Chinese companies have a lot to offer. However, I'm not going to spend $400 on a knife with soft HRC and from a country with questionable ethics.

I use my knives, so I like functional designs with interesting materials and that are fidget friendly. My Alan Davis is expensive, but it's comfortable to use, flips great, and is a great slicer. You won't find anything over 6oz or super thick in this collection.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
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.
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The (to me) stupid GEC secondary market has permanently turned me off their brand. I have a similar issue with Randall, and will never order a Randall made knife. I can't tell if they really just can't produce enough knives to satisfy their market, or if they feel that driving this secondary market is good for them; so I buy from other USA manufacturers. But then again, I've been accused of lacking refinement in my knife choices and being a low end buyer/user on this website before as well; so maybe I just don't know any better.

I'd like a beer scout, and there's probably a Rough Ryder version of it. But I'm not going to buy an inflated priced GEC Beer Scout and I'm not going to buy a Rough Ryder copy; so I'll just use the cap lifter on my Swiss Army Knife (or the edge of a table, the spine of a knife, someone else's cap lifter, multi-tool, etc.).
 
China makes some nice looking stuff now but nothing they make works as well or holds up like stuff like spyderco, benchmade and crk make for example.
Then there is the fact that we are in a cold war with china.

(Typed on a samsung tablet because they pulled out of china)
 
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