- Joined
- Dec 3, 2003
- Messages
- 93
Hello, I have been trying to make a little overview of all (most) of the manufacturers and their quality.
I know that not all these manufacturers are making the same type of knife but my aim is to grade them at things all knives have in common: like fit&finish, sharpness out of the box and the materials used.....
I also don't own knives of all these brands so my overview problably isnt100% correct.....feel free to correct me!!
Here's my attempt:
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Highest quality:
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CUSTOM KNIVES: These things are heaven to all knifenuts! The makers can discuss with you on how the knife is made and you get to pick all sort of materials..... Some famous makers are: Mayo, elishewitz, Dozier, Obenauf, .....
CHRIS REEVE: Not customs, but the're the best productions knives made! Premium materials like titanium handles and S30V-steel are used and fit&finish is just incredible. Lockup is like a vault with the integral lock.
WILLIAM HENRY: Fit&finish are excellent, but not as tough as the Reeve's. Very beautifull knives with exotic handle materials or carbon fibre. True Gents knives .
STRIDER AND EXTREMA RATIO: These knives are in a league of their own, they are designed to be 'indestructable'. Both are very good, with the edge going to Strider since they look a little better (personal opinion though) and their material are also a touch higher grade (G10 and titanium..)
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Best (large) production company's:
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BENCHMADE: Famous for their AXIS-lock, one of the best lock-systems ever made and makes opening and closing just soooo smouth! Steels used are good (154CM, D2, M2, 440C). Fit&finish are top notch, Handle materials are mostly G10 and Aluminium...very good! Also mentioning theirt warranty department and 'Angie'...awesome is the word for it!!
SPYDERCO: Known for their unique designs and the spidyhole-opening. They use the best bladesteels out there!(S30V and VG10). Handles on most of their models are just zytel.... extremely durable, but nothing fancy. The chapes of the handles are really ergonomic. Fit and finish is great to say the least.
EMERSON: Not suited for utility knives.....more made for combat and 'hard use'. High end materials and excellent ergonomics make them special. Fit&finish is considered a little less then BM and Spyderco by some people.....Their 'Wave' feature is cool too, makes them the fastets opening folder out there!
AL MAR: Japanese maufacturer, materials used are VG10steel and G10 handles...Fit&finish are excellent and the're one of the best linerlocks made today. Lockup is very positive thanks to quite a beefy liner.
KLOTZI: European maufacturer, designs are unique. Materials used are on par with BM and spyderco and the others..... just not as popular as a brand.
MICROTECH: Very close tolerances...high end materials....good looking designs...what more to ask for? Also famous for their auto's, best of the world people say...
MOD: kind of similar to Microtech, a little less good it seems....some love'em and other don't care about them. Materials and everything are also excellent though!
Moki: Japanese brand, maker of gentlemans knives made of natural materials and VG10 steel mostly. Are more hand-made then the American company's I read somewhere....not sure about it though.
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middle class manufacturers:
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CRKT: Their knives are made in Taiwan I believe....doesn't mean the're bad at all!Materials (aus 8 steel) and fit&finish are not on such high levels as the companies mentioned above but they are well made to say the least! They make decent work knives at a decent price level.
BUCK: Old American maker...famous is their 110 folding hunter, problably the most sold folder in the US. Their Strider collaborations and the Buck-Mayo are top-class!! I put them in this category cause Buck still uses 420HC in many of their models and while that isn't a bad steel...it's not comparable to modern steels though. Fit&finish are OK and their warranty is superb.
BOKER: An old and large german maker. Makes knives in all kinds of styles and a variaty of materials....(even ceramic blades and stuff) Their traditional models (lockbacks) are quite good with 400C as bladesteel and horn and stag handles.....their tacticals are knows to be rather poorly constructed though
KERSHAW: Comparable to CRKT.....they have their knives made in Asia for them. Collaboration with custom maker Ken Onion got them some popular models like the leek, bump,..... Decent knives at a decent price! Their speed-safe-opening is cool!!
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lower class, still ok though:
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SCHRADE: Unfortunately they had to close their doors a couple weeks ago...but I'm still gonna mentionethem here! They made great traditional knives for everyday use. Nothing fancy...but they work! These knives were and are definately worth their hoenst price. Fit & finish are good but not great...what does one expect at this price-point??
CASE: comparable to Schrade....only they seem to survive cause they use a variaty of natural handle materials that make 'em more collectable
FOX: Italian knifebrand. Fit&finish are getting better but are definately not on par with the big american makers....Their new Elishewitz collaborations loock nice...unfortunately the're made with 420 steel again...
GERBER: They aren't what they used to be either. They however do have some good models like the LST, Gathor and the AR to name a few. Good knives at a lower pricepoint.
COLD STEEL: Used to belong to the prvious category...but they just didn't make the right decisions lately it seems. They spend much time and effort in creating a 'hype' and bashing on other knives seem to be their hobby....At the same time they changed their blade steel to 420.......that combined with their linerless zytel handles put's them in this category. Besides.....they are way overpriced too IMO... (except for the voyagers...they are decent!)
VICTORINOX: The maker of the "SAK" a.k.a. "Swiss Army Knife". Fit&finish are exemplary....but materials used (440A steel and plastic handles) are just soso... all in all: a good buy for the money!.
OPINEL: honest, hard working knives at a ridiculous price-point. Carbon steel blades keep and hold a scary edge....the wooden handles are known to sweel when wet..so you just have to keep 'em dry guys. No high-tech material here....
for 10$: buy them, abuse them adn buy a new one!!
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Crap cathegory:
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Here belong the knives that are made in Asia and Pakistan at sooooo low prices and sold here for a few $...names as Rough Rider and Maxam and Magnum come to mind. These manufacturers seem to have never heared of the word 'patent' cause they just copy other peoples designs... :barf:
I know that not all these manufacturers are making the same type of knife but my aim is to grade them at things all knives have in common: like fit&finish, sharpness out of the box and the materials used.....
I also don't own knives of all these brands so my overview problably isnt100% correct.....feel free to correct me!!
Here's my attempt:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highest quality:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
CUSTOM KNIVES: These things are heaven to all knifenuts! The makers can discuss with you on how the knife is made and you get to pick all sort of materials..... Some famous makers are: Mayo, elishewitz, Dozier, Obenauf, .....
CHRIS REEVE: Not customs, but the're the best productions knives made! Premium materials like titanium handles and S30V-steel are used and fit&finish is just incredible. Lockup is like a vault with the integral lock.
WILLIAM HENRY: Fit&finish are excellent, but not as tough as the Reeve's. Very beautifull knives with exotic handle materials or carbon fibre. True Gents knives .
STRIDER AND EXTREMA RATIO: These knives are in a league of their own, they are designed to be 'indestructable'. Both are very good, with the edge going to Strider since they look a little better (personal opinion though) and their material are also a touch higher grade (G10 and titanium..)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best (large) production company's:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
BENCHMADE: Famous for their AXIS-lock, one of the best lock-systems ever made and makes opening and closing just soooo smouth! Steels used are good (154CM, D2, M2, 440C). Fit&finish are top notch, Handle materials are mostly G10 and Aluminium...very good! Also mentioning theirt warranty department and 'Angie'...awesome is the word for it!!
SPYDERCO: Known for their unique designs and the spidyhole-opening. They use the best bladesteels out there!(S30V and VG10). Handles on most of their models are just zytel.... extremely durable, but nothing fancy. The chapes of the handles are really ergonomic. Fit and finish is great to say the least.
EMERSON: Not suited for utility knives.....more made for combat and 'hard use'. High end materials and excellent ergonomics make them special. Fit&finish is considered a little less then BM and Spyderco by some people.....Their 'Wave' feature is cool too, makes them the fastets opening folder out there!
AL MAR: Japanese maufacturer, materials used are VG10steel and G10 handles...Fit&finish are excellent and the're one of the best linerlocks made today. Lockup is very positive thanks to quite a beefy liner.
KLOTZI: European maufacturer, designs are unique. Materials used are on par with BM and spyderco and the others..... just not as popular as a brand.
MICROTECH: Very close tolerances...high end materials....good looking designs...what more to ask for? Also famous for their auto's, best of the world people say...
MOD: kind of similar to Microtech, a little less good it seems....some love'em and other don't care about them. Materials and everything are also excellent though!
Moki: Japanese brand, maker of gentlemans knives made of natural materials and VG10 steel mostly. Are more hand-made then the American company's I read somewhere....not sure about it though.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
middle class manufacturers:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
CRKT: Their knives are made in Taiwan I believe....doesn't mean the're bad at all!Materials (aus 8 steel) and fit&finish are not on such high levels as the companies mentioned above but they are well made to say the least! They make decent work knives at a decent price level.
BUCK: Old American maker...famous is their 110 folding hunter, problably the most sold folder in the US. Their Strider collaborations and the Buck-Mayo are top-class!! I put them in this category cause Buck still uses 420HC in many of their models and while that isn't a bad steel...it's not comparable to modern steels though. Fit&finish are OK and their warranty is superb.
BOKER: An old and large german maker. Makes knives in all kinds of styles and a variaty of materials....(even ceramic blades and stuff) Their traditional models (lockbacks) are quite good with 400C as bladesteel and horn and stag handles.....their tacticals are knows to be rather poorly constructed though
KERSHAW: Comparable to CRKT.....they have their knives made in Asia for them. Collaboration with custom maker Ken Onion got them some popular models like the leek, bump,..... Decent knives at a decent price! Their speed-safe-opening is cool!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
lower class, still ok though:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCHRADE: Unfortunately they had to close their doors a couple weeks ago...but I'm still gonna mentionethem here! They made great traditional knives for everyday use. Nothing fancy...but they work! These knives were and are definately worth their hoenst price. Fit & finish are good but not great...what does one expect at this price-point??
CASE: comparable to Schrade....only they seem to survive cause they use a variaty of natural handle materials that make 'em more collectable
FOX: Italian knifebrand. Fit&finish are getting better but are definately not on par with the big american makers....Their new Elishewitz collaborations loock nice...unfortunately the're made with 420 steel again...
GERBER: They aren't what they used to be either. They however do have some good models like the LST, Gathor and the AR to name a few. Good knives at a lower pricepoint.
COLD STEEL: Used to belong to the prvious category...but they just didn't make the right decisions lately it seems. They spend much time and effort in creating a 'hype' and bashing on other knives seem to be their hobby....At the same time they changed their blade steel to 420.......that combined with their linerless zytel handles put's them in this category. Besides.....they are way overpriced too IMO... (except for the voyagers...they are decent!)
VICTORINOX: The maker of the "SAK" a.k.a. "Swiss Army Knife". Fit&finish are exemplary....but materials used (440A steel and plastic handles) are just soso... all in all: a good buy for the money!.
OPINEL: honest, hard working knives at a ridiculous price-point. Carbon steel blades keep and hold a scary edge....the wooden handles are known to sweel when wet..so you just have to keep 'em dry guys. No high-tech material here....
for 10$: buy them, abuse them adn buy a new one!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crap cathegory:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here belong the knives that are made in Asia and Pakistan at sooooo low prices and sold here for a few $...names as Rough Rider and Maxam and Magnum come to mind. These manufacturers seem to have never heared of the word 'patent' cause they just copy other peoples designs... :barf:
are not worth a dime.
