Country of origin

[brancron]

Dude, People's Republic of China is a "communist" country. Their factories are government owned. Production is government controlled there. You don't breathe there without permission from their government. Come on, man, you can do better than that!

First of all, there is private ownership in China, and the government is not controlling the manufacturing of knives. Second, how is your post in any way a response to what I've said? Are you disputing that there are specific knife companies in China with specific products and specific reputations?

 

[dkblade]

I know...on my Boker Plus War Toad, they intentionally put an edge on it!
Someone could cut themself on it.

I know this doesn't need clarification really, but I think he meant more along the lines of if they put out a knife and called it a sebenza and said it has CPM S35VN but it actually had 70% lead in the blade. And then you bought it on eBay and used it for a while before someone with a keen eye told you it's a knockoff. The quality control of companies in China that are making good products is primarily because of heavy oversight by the products country of origin, IE Apple, Nike, Spyderco, to name just a few. Volkswagens Mexico plant was god awful until the Germans came in and revamped it and made it into one of the best in the industry.

 

[Jhansenak47]

Dude, People's Republic of China is a "communist" country. Their factories are government owned. Production is government controlled there. You don't breathe there without permission from their government. Come on, man, you can do better than that!

If you remember when Qaddafi was being overthrown in Libya the Chinese were forced to admit that their weapons export industry had very little oversight. Even though they knew they sold weapons to Qaddafi they really had no idea what and how much went when and where. Government permission in China is a process that entails the mutual interest of the involved parties at the administrative level often with practices frowned upon by even the cut throat business ethics of America. It isn't exactly well regulated as bribes aren't officially kosher.

 

[The Mastiff]

I have a couple hundred knives of which probably 50 are from China. Some are ok, some not so much. The only knives I refuse to buy anymore from experience are Pakistan made knives. I've seen some real crap. Terrible stuff that can't do things needed to call it a knife and not a thing resembling a knife.

This thread hasn't been to bad except for bld 522 who attempts to set himself up as the one controlling the threads contents. I've seen pretty much everything but knife content from him. Name calling ( sinophobia) ,Even slogans and poetry. Sort of "I'm the enlightened one, everyone else who disagrees is wrong" type stuff. The guy seems to have some social warrior tendencies and that isn't a compliment. When one begins squealing about lack of knife content and talking about rules infractions when they aren't the mod shows they're struggling with control issues. Blues Bender is almost as holier than thou.

I buy Chinese or any other knives that I find value in if they agree with my needs in a knife. Value isn't always going to mean inexpensive. I sure won't be buying $250 PRC made knives though. Not without testing done independently showing the steel is what they say it is. They have showed they need oversight that doesn't let up with the poisoning of thousands of our pets here with their corrupt business practices. Not to mention the scandals there with things including baby food. If I buy a knife from Spyderco, for instance, I can use their warranty for problems. I would never import something directly though. Japan or Europe I can and do import from directly when needed.

I don't get people who associate Taiwan made knives with PRC though. The knives I've purchased from Taiwan are top quality knives. Most European knives are built well but often don't agree with my steel, size or lock preferences.

 

[LX_Emergency]

I like quality, so if the quality is there, I'll buy it.

I have knives from different countries and don't block a knife BECAUSE of its country, that'd be RACIST.

Actually...that would be country-ist? Nationalist? No wait that can't be right....nationality-ist?

 

[gadgetgeek]

haven't read the whole thing, so I assume I'm not the only one to think this. I'm less interested in where a knife is made than supporting the people who made it. Pretty much I avoid knock-offs. Sure there are some that are more loose than others, that might not seem as infringy, like the current batches of izula clones. But Rowen put a lot of work into getting that one right, and so those guys should get the benefit. If someone designed a knife that I really wanted and it happened to be made by some dude living next to a pakistani poppy field, I'd hope that both the designer and the maker were getting a fair shake. I can't do that with everything I buy, but when I can, I do.

 

[leghog]

I get your point . . . racists are misguided people that base their perceptions on a notion with no basis in reality. I'd say they're more to be pitied than censored were it not for the damage they cause. History is replete with their carnage.

Face it - The People's Republic of China has a despotic regime and businesses there practice extremely poor business ethicstrademark theft, and and industrial espionage. That is, as has been, reality. No amount of deflection from that point by you or justification of those practices from you will change that reality.

 

[leghog]

I defy anyone to put a South Korean and North Korean in a room, remove their clothing, walk in and tell me which is which.

The North Korean will be the starving one with grass stained teeth.

 

[leghog]

So anyone else want to talk about their offshore knives and why they bought them? Or have we pretty much exhausted the topic?

I own plenty of knives from overseas. Just none from the People's Republic of China, and that likely won't change as long as it remains the People's Republic of China.

 

[leghog]

"A sheet of stainless stock...had a half melted bolt in it". I almost fell out of my chair laughing. There you go!

Yup. Which is precisely why I don't trust Chinese steel or China's claim to what steel a steel is. Even if you buy into a lie, you are still being lied to.

 

[leghog]

As luck would have it, the People's Republic of China is not the one making knives (just as the United States of America isn't making knives either). Specific companies in China are making knives, companies that are building their reputations as some of the best in the business in terms of design, quality of materials, and fit and finish. Custom makers have taken note and are enthusiastically collaborating with such companies to offer versions of their knives at a much lower cost.

To project one's generalized notions about "China-made = low quality" on these companies is an act of pure ignorance, but people continue to do so, often hostility and with a healthy dose of jingoism thrown in. Such people are an ugly blemish on the knife community.

As luck would have it, it is companies in the PRC who rip-off trademarks and practice industrial and commercial espionage and use steels of dubious quality not living up to the companies' claims. The PRC, AT THE LEAST, condones it too. You know, "as luck would have it".

 

[leghog]

I have a suggestion for the very few here so adamantly defending products from the PRC ---- for the next 30 days ingest/eat no food unless it is imported from the PRC. What's not to trust?



Do that, and I might reconsider my stance on knives from the PRC.

 

[Insipid Moniker]

I have a suggestion for the very few here so adamantly defending products from the PRC ---- for the next 30 days ingest/eat no food unless it is imported from the PRC. What's not to trust?



Do that, and I might reconsider my stance on knives from the PRC.

Okay. But first you have to gift me everything you own that was made in China or that contains any components from China. Essentially all your possessions that have in some way been touched by Chinese hands.

 

[Boris74]

The theme I see trending here is it's more to do with users vs collectors. No one is going to collect a Chinese knife. If a user finds a great hard working knife that's blasphemously made in china the collectors default to its junk, it's commie, made from lead. It's expected from a collector who maybe opens a letter here and there with a collection piece they decide isn't so collectable and "EDC" it.

My current user is a $13.00 Chinese work horse. It replaced a $50.00 made in USA blade that was one of the worst quality blades I've used. The collectors have no clue a $30.00 slab of 1095 from China is as good as a $150.00 slab of Esee 1095. They've never really used either so how could they.

Then we see them repeating everything they see on tv because it's the absolute truth. Just like a friend I have who lives in Germany and all they hear about is how violent Americans are and how we all use guns to violently end any dispute with one another. They believe it too.

There are far more users than collectors, maybe not in cyber world but logged off there is. The high concentration of collectors, non users here, no matter how good it makes them feel, what they say or think is so far from actual fact it makes no real difference to someone looking for a hard working affordable blade. There's more than just a few durable hard working blades being cranked out of China right now.

 

[LX_Emergency]

The North Korean will be the starving one with grass stained teeth.

 

[KenHash]

The good news for those who are into Chinese made knives is that with the current currency devaluations going on, they, along with everything else imported from China, will become
even cheaper. The bad news is that it will likely translate into more lost US jobs.

 

[dkblade]

It's kind of true though...NK is an Orwellian hell on earth, and they often do it grass when the rations run out, which is basically daily. Oh! Does anyone have a North Korean made knife? Come to think of it does anyone have any Korean made knife? I've never seen one I don't think

I would love a couple pictures of Pakistani knives if anybody has some...this thread is kind of useless without pictures.

And whoever said it is racist not to support a knife because of the country it's from needs to take a bath....that's not racism...not everything is racism. Regardless of what THEY would like you to think...and I'll leave it up to you to figure out who THEY are, but just know that when you cry wolf, eventually nobody will listen. The outrageous chants of racism being thrown around today as a way of getting what people want, ending the conversation, and shaming innocent people is only going to work for so long before people get fed up and turn on you. This goes for the whole "micro aggression" and grievance industry. Just saying.

On a different note I really like my Taiwanese made sage! It's grown on me since Wednesday when I received it! I Was gonna pocket my sebenza today but I think I'll take the sage out for another day instead.

 

[Hackenslash]

The theme I see trending here is it's more to do with users vs collectors. No one is going to collect a Chinese knife. If a user finds a great hard working knife that's blasphemously made in china the collectors default to its junk, it's commie, made from lead. It's expected from a collector who maybe opens a letter here and there with a collection piece they decide isn't so collectable and "EDC" it.

My current user is a $13.00 Chinese work horse. It replaced a $50.00 made in USA blade that was one of the worst quality blades I've used. The collectors have no clue a $30.00 slab of 1095 from China is as good as a $150.00 slab of Esee 1095. They've never really used either so how could they.

Then we see them repeating everything they see on tv because it's the absolute truth. Just like a friend I have who lives in Germany and all they hear about is how violent Americans are and how we all use guns to violently end any dispute with one another. They believe it too.

There are far more users than collectors, maybe not in cyber world but logged off there is. The high concentration of collectors, non users here, no matter how good it makes them feel, what they say or think is so far from actual fact it makes no real difference to someone looking for a hard working affordable blade. There's more than just a few durable hard working blades being cranked out of China right now.

Actually, I'm a collector and there are some Chinese knives that qualify as safe queens. I have a Reate Valkyrie that I consider a collectible; only 80 were made and its a beautiful knife. I fondle it a little but have yet to carry it. I also have a Todd Begg Kwaiken on order made by, guess who, Reate again. I don't think I could ever pull the plug on a mid-tech Begg, let alone a custom Begg, so this is probably my best shot to own one. I know I'm going to want to carry the Kwaiken but I'm not sure if I will. There IS a growing market of collectible Chinese knives.

 

[Hackenslash]

I don't just mean to pick on China. Made-in-Pakistan too has a very crappy reputation, which is well deserved. I don't trust their knives either. And it isn't just about the price point either. I mean, look at Condor knives. They're pretty cheap, but their steel has a very good reputation. Some made-in-Taiwan knives are cheap but still of excellent quality. BTW I checked out Reate and Kizer knives, which some here are recommending. I'm not really into folders anyway but those prices will knock your socks off. Made-in-China and asking $350. Wow! Ontario RAT 1 is made-in-Taiwan, available for about $20, and is probably just as good a folder.

Reates and Kizers costing $350?...I don't think you were looking very hard. There has NEVER been a Kizer that cost that much. I think the most expensive is around $225 but most of them fall into the $75-$175 range. You better look again. There has only been one Reate designed/produced knife that was that expensive and that was the Horizon D. If you do a forum search you'll see that many Reate fans railed against the high price of that knife, including me. The Horizon A was initially over $300 but as the knife became readily available in the supply chain the price came down to around $275. The other Reate designs fall into a price range of $250 to $185. Some of the Reate collabs are $350 and up but those prices are set by the designer, i.e. Begg, Mah, Yamin.

I love my ZT's but if you take a ~$200 Reate (Horizon B, Hills, District 9) and compare it against a ~$200 ZT an impartial person would be hard pressed to say the ZT was better. With an unbiased evaluation of materials, fit and finish...the Reate would come out ahead.

 

[Ken44]

I have a couple hundred knives of which probably 50 are from China. Some are ok, some not so much. The only knives I refuse to buy anymore from experience are Pakistan made knives. I've seen some real crap. Terrible stuff that can't do things needed to call it a knife and not a thing resembling a knife.

This thread hasn't been to bad except for bld 522 who attempts to set himself up as the one controlling the threads contents. I've seen pretty much everything but knife content from him. Name calling ( sinophobia) ,Even slogans and poetry. Sort of "I'm the enlightened one, everyone else who disagrees is wrong" type stuff. The guy seems to have some social warrior tendencies and that isn't a compliment. When one begins squealing about lack of knife content and talking about rules infractions when they aren't the mod shows they're struggling with control issues. Blues Bender is almost as holier than thou.

I buy Chinese or any other knives that I find value in if they agree with my needs in a knife. Value isn't always going to mean inexpensive. I sure won't be buying $250 PRC made knives though. Not without testing done independently showing the steel is what they say it is. They have showed they need oversight that doesn't let up with the poisoning of thousands of our pets here with their corrupt business practices. Not to mention the scandals there with things including baby food. If I buy a knife from Spyderco, for instance, I can use their warranty for problems. I would never import something directly though. Japan or Europe I can and do import from directly when needed.

I don't get people who associate Taiwan made knives with PRC though. The knives I've purchased from Taiwan are top quality knives. Most European knives are built well but often don't agree with my steel, size or lock preferences.

I agree.
Also agree with you about Taiwan. Taiwan is nothing like PRC. I've only bought two from there(Sage1 and 2), but both were top notch all the way.