High end chinese producers in the market

Gravy

Gravy

Joined
Dec 16, 2014
Messages
528
With the recent advent of chinese brands such as Reate, Kizer, and Stedemon, where do you see this taking the high end production market?
 
The more manufacturers making quality knives based on designs licensed from top U.S. designers, the better as far as I'm concerned. But it's not just the knives. It's also the service and support. Stateside service with live telephone support is what I'm waiting for now. When I see that, I'll know they're really in it for the long haul.
 
Last edited:
While I see US companies introducing more expensive blades, Companies like the ones you mentioned will make just as good knives(some even better) than the American competitors in a more inexpensive price range.
Reate and Stedemon like to produce knives in the $250+ range, although they have options in lower prices, I feel like that is where their products are at right now.
Kizer knives are about $230 max and are giving similar companies like Spyderco, Benchmade, Fox, and ZT a run for their money.

Overall I think it is great for the knife market and is producing a healthy competitive mindset in the blade industry.
 
bld522 said:
The more manufacturers making quality knives based on designs licensed from top U.S. designers, the better as far as I'm concerned. But it's not just the knives. It's also the service and support. Stateside service with live telephone support is what I'm waiting for now. When I see that, I'll know they're really in it for the long haul.
Click to expand...

Yup. Until then they will need to compete using drastic price differences rather than design, material, or quality elements. That will ultimately always keep them second tier though.
 
I think as long as they produce quality knives at reasonable prices and back that with solid warranty and customer support then everyone can benefit. I like American made as much as the next guy and will buy that way if I can. However just because it says those 3 words does not always mean it's quality and usually if it is you are gonna pay for that quality. Those things are most important to me and not so much as where it's produced. IMO anyways
 
craytab said:
Yup. Until then they will need to compete using drastic price differences rather than design, material, or quality elements. That will ultimately always keep them second tier though.
Click to expand...
That's definitely true for the greater knife community. But trust me, these guys are producing knives as good as anything on the market. For those in the know and are willing to lower their expectations a little when it comes to obtaining the kind of service and support they're used to expecting from domestic knife companies, the value will be there.
 
I think it's great to have options. Sure if you can buy US made that's a good thing, but I know plenty of people who can't afford a US made knife. I personally don't have any predjudaces against a country of origin, if a chinese company makes a good product I'll give them credit for it.
 
Well there's that. But where do you go when a Chinese manufacturer buys products from the US to make their knives, licenses US designers to create them, and then sells them through US dealers? I can't speak for anyone else, but it sure seems to me we've gotten to the point where it's time to bury the hatchet.
 
bld522 said:
The more manufacturers making quality knives based on designs licensed from top U.S. designers, the better as far as I'm concerned. But it's not just the knives. It's also the service and support. Stateside service with live telephone support is what I'm waiting for now. When I see that, I'll know they're really in it for the long haul.
Click to expand...

This sounds good except that openning and running such a service center would cost perhaps just as much as running that knife factory in China. would you be willing to pay nearly double of current price?
 
A few years ago, Chinese and high end wouldn't be found in the same sentence, but slowly they're getting there.
Still, they'd be hidden amongst the many cheap stuff.
 
sharp_edge said:
This sounds good except that openning and running such a service center would cost perhaps just as much as running that knife factory in China. would you be willing to pay nearly double of current price?
Click to expand...
That's the big question, all right. We won't know what it costs until we know what it costs. Until then, you might consider doing what I do and apply a discount in your head when you're considering the purchase of a Chinese manufactured knife. So, for example, if I'm looking at a Chinese-manufactured knife that sells for $100, I might compare it to domestic knives selling for $125 or $150. Just depends on how much value I decide to place on the manufacturer's warranty. I also set an upward limit of how much I'm willing to spend on a Chinese-manufactured knife. In my case it's about $150 although I'll make an exception if I really like the designer of the knife.
 
Last edited:
bld522 said:
Well there's that. But where do you go when a Chinese manufacturer buys products from the US to make their knives, licenses US designers to create them, and then sells them through US dealers? I can't speak for anyone else, but it sure seems to me we've gotten to the point where it's time to bury the hatchet.
Click to expand...
Why should we bury the hatchet?I don't understand what you are referring to....Please elaborate.
 
Nope. If you can't figure it out for yourself, I'm not going to help you.
 
bld522 said:
That's the big question, all right. We won't know what it costs until we know what it costs. Until then, you might consider doing what I do and apply a discount in your head when you're considering the purchase of a Chinese manufactured knife. So, for example, if I'm looking at a Chinese-manufactured knife that sells for $100, I might compare it to domestic knives selling for $125 or $150. Just depends on how much value I decide to place on the manufacturer's warranty. I also set an upward limit of how much I'm willing to spend on a Chinese-manufactured knife. In my case it's about $150 although I'll make an exception if I really like the designer of the knife.
Click to expand...

I think I can guess a bit of the cost. But I definitely agree with your thinking of purchasing knives that do not have US-based warranty support. Thx for sharing.
 
I have been buying knives for 45 years and I have only contacted one manufacturer for a different pocket clip. They didn't make a different clip for that model so that was that. That being said I am more of a knife carrier than user and just buy high end knives because I can.
 
There's no doubt that establishing Stateside support will be costly. But to my way of thinking, it's the price Chinese manufacturers have to pay if they really want to join the big leagues. Nobody is going to be willing to fix their own knives or send them offshore for service indefinitely.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top