Can China made produce a good blade?

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I've got two Kizers . . . a Ki3404a3 and a Splinter . . . and a Kevin John clone. All three were in the $100 to $125 range and they're all very well made.
 
No need . . . at least not yet. :) Like I said, all three of my examples are very well made.
 
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It would be interesting for an enthusist to go ahead and send one and review their experience. I'm sure some issues will arise if these knives are used daily by a number of people.
 
I'd imagine so. You may want to inquire in the Reate and Kizer forums re: user warranty experiences. If you decide to do that, let us know what you find out. :)
 
China doesn't make blades. Knife manufacturers do.

Knife manufacturers make things they can sell. When was the last time you opted to pay top dollar for a knife that says "Made in China"? Until you are wiling, Chinese factories will make stuff that will sell. In the current economic environment, low end knives are an easier sell.

There are two things to keep in mind. One, knife technology is extremely mature. IOW, it's not rocket science. The US doesn't have some kind of magical mojo that makes American knives automatically better.

Two, modern knife manufacturing relies on standard manufacturing practices found around the globe. A machinist with modern machine tools, probably the same ones found in American factories, can make the same things on any part of the globe. In some cases, Chinese based factories have newer tooling than older US factories, capable of producing more precise parts in higher quantities at lower cost, even before labor costs are factored in. This is one reason that Chinese based manufacturing is so attractive to many American companies, well beyond knife making.
 
A good blade can be made anywhere no matter the stigma the territory has. IMHO the only reason china had a reputation for poor quality was because that was all they were commissioned to build for the longest time. China is very much the new japan. In fact I would say they are advancing at a rate that puts japan to shame. I am very very confident that If I handed many here some of my knives they would probably not even believe they were made in china to begin with. Some like to talk about never knowing what you are buying with knives from china. Do we ever really know when you buy from anyone? Everything in this hobby is taken on faith. I have never seen any USA company prove they use the materials they use or manufacture where they say they do (some exceptions apply) But then again, I dont think many would be so disrespectful as to ask any local companies to prove those things.

Sosa said:
It would be interesting for an enthusist to go ahead and send one and review their experience. I'm sure some issues will arise if these knives are used daily by a number of people.
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I honestly think the same can be said for any knife from any maker or brand. Perfection is a fools errand IMHO and no one can attain it. And I like to think we are all human and all have the same capabilities to make a decent tool given the proper know how.

Sosa said:
Anyone ever send a reate or kizer in for warranty service?
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In most cases I havent seen a reate that actually needed to go back. I have seen people (including myself) need an odd screw or pivot to which you need but pay the shipping. I had a horizon B that was as solid as any knife I have ever owned. And the company as well as kizer has proved they use the materials they claim as crucible has confirmed their orders for steel.
 
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Having lived in Taiwan for about 10 years and having tried to do business in mainland China I can tell you that Chinese corruption is not just a fact but a vast and sweeping issue. An issue that made its way into Chinese society and culture long ago unfortunately make it engrained. The Chinese can make anything you want and to any standard you want. The problem is there are just too many "supported" and totally corrupt people that think nothing of ripping you off knowing full well you have zero recours in the matter.
I can bore people to dust with hundreds of stories ranging from just getting bumped for a couple of hundred dollars worth of materials to having whole companies stripped from non Chinese owners, all because of blatant corruption and the culture of "what's mine is mine and what's your is mine....and I'm much better than you, too". I personally choose to have as little as possible to do with a place like that. :)
 
That's your decision, of course. But it doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the knives. Quality along with cost are what matter most to me. YMMV.
 
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Haze said:
Having lived in Taiwan for about 10 years and having tried to do business in mainland China I can tell you that Chinese corruption is not just a fact but a vast and sweeping issue. An issue that made its way into Chinese society and culture long ago unfortunately make it engrained. The Chinese can make anything you want and to any standard you want. The problem is there are just too many "supported" and totally corrupt people that think nothing of ripping you off knowing full well you have zero recours in the matter.
I can bore people to dust with hundreds of stories ranging from just getting bumped for a couple of hundred dollars worth of materials to having whole companies stripped from non Chinese owners, all because of blatant corruption and the culture of "what's mine is mine and what's your is mine....and I'm much better than you, too". I personally choose to have as little as possible to do with a place like that. :)
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This has always been and always will be the problem with this topic...
If you can seperate the politics from the knives then you have missed the point.

Anyone in any country can make a good or bad or whatever knife.
The technology and machinery required is not earth shatteringly new or necessarily modern.

I am staring at my screen trying to write something that...

A: Won't get this thread closed.
B: won't get me an infraction.
C: Get anyone to wake up and open their eyes.

However since 'C' is about as likely as me winning the lottery, I will avoid 'A and/or B' and exit this thread.

There is a much bigger picture here, you just have to look....
 
bld522 said:
That's your decision, of course. And I respect it. But it doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the knives. And that's basically the point I keep making.
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Well, It does and the reasons why should be obvious. It would of course be unfair to say that is how China is 100%, it's not. It's bad enough that I for one have walked and will never look back though. If you had lost the money I and others I know have have to Chinese corruption your tune would be a different one, I'm sure. People just don't seem to appreciate the reality....
 
bld522 said:
That's your decision, of course. But it doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the knives. And quality along with cost are what matter most to me.
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That's the problem.

You have no ideal what the cost really is....just the cost to YOU and TODAY....

That is typical blind consumerism at it's finest.
 
JR88FAN said:
If you can seperate the politics from the knives then you have missed the point.
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The way I see it, you've missed the point if you CAN'T separate the politics from the knives.
 
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JR88FAN said:
That's the problem.

You have no ideal what the cost really is....just the cost to YOU and TODAY....

That is typical blind consumerism at it's finest.
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Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment. :) As an educated consumer, I'm proud to be blindly fixated on value . . . right here, right now, TODAY. And I'll continue to use the traditional method of determining what the real cost is to me . . . the weight of my wallet.
 
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Haze said:
Well, It does and the reasons why should be obvious. It would of course be unfair to say that is how China is 100%, it's not. It's bad enough that I for one have walked and will never look back though. If you had lost the money I and others I know have have to Chinese corruption your tune would be a different one, I'm sure. People just don't seem to appreciate the reality....
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If you deal with the wrong people in the USA the outcome will be the same as China. If you know how to do business you won't have that problem. If it was such a huge and overly wide spread issue there would be no quality blades coming from China. Taylor brands, spyderco, kershaw, cold steel, Crkt, and so one wouldn't be successfully selling knives made there if what you said was true. They know how to take care of business and do.

I've got a few Chinese blades and they are nowhere near junk. They give blades 10x their price a run for their money if you do more than look at the made in part on the box.
 
Their knives aren't nearly as impressive as Taiwan's but they can make quality knives. The Spyderco line is a fine example of what they are capable of. It might be their best seller or the Delica.
 
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The quality is outstanding. If you want to see just how well Chinese firms can manufacture a pocket knife, this is the one to try.

You can buy American-made pocketknives that are just as nicely made and made with better steel, like Canal Street Cutlery and Great Eastern, but you'll pay significantly more.
 
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