High end chinese producers in the market

[AreBeeBee]

You are forgetting a main component. Customer service. No company or maker is going to have perfect anything. Especially factory made products. Problems will arise. The Chinese brands we are talking about don't have customer service anywhere near the level of their competitors here in the US. It has nothing to do with the fact they are Chinese companies. They can make they proper investment to compete in this aspect with US or other companies. The question is will the price after such an investment remain competitive.

For whatever it's worth — and that's not much — I have never, ever, not even once sent something back to manufacturer for a fixit.

Too lazy? Insufficiently critical? Too accepting? Too meek? All of these? Whatever.

I check things over before buying them. And if I can't do that, either I don't buy or I accept that it's in the lap of the gods. In which case, the price is factored in, too.

That said, the most I've ever paid for a new knife was about $90, a puukko from Finland — and it's every bit as good as I hoped. But that was pushing the upper limit to the max.

I guess I don't believe any knife is worth more than $50 to $100. In any case, I'm allergic to paying more. Your mileage may vary, and probably does. Mine is what it is.

 

[bld522]

In my case, knowing that I really don't have a warranty to fall back on when I buy a Chinese-manufactured knife, I ask my dealer to inspect the knife before they ship it to me. They haven't refused to do that yet and I've never gotten a bad one.

 

[ChrisLee]

What about Taiwan? Spyderco has been making some nice knives in Taiwan. These knives look great but I know if they were made in the US then they would cost a lot more.

 

[Wheeler80]

In my case, knowing that I really don't have a warranty to fall back on when I buy a Chinese-manufactured knife, I ask my dealer to inspect the knife before they ship it to me. They haven't refused to do that yet and I've never gotten a bad one.

I do that with every online knife purchase regardless of manufacturer. I can't believe there are people that don't do that. Online knife buying 101.

 

[bld522]

Good point!

 

[sharp_edge]

What about Taiwan? Spyderco has been making some nice knives in Taiwan. These knives look great but I know if they were made in the US then they would cost a lot more.

no this is completely different from whats being discussed here. japanese made, chinese made, or taiwan made, every syderco has warranty service available in the usa.

 

[craytab]

What about Taiwan? Spyderco has been making some nice knives in Taiwan. These knives look great but I know if they were made in the US then they would cost a lot more.

It is not country specific. It is manufacturer specific. A manufacturer that lets crap come out with their name on it allows it. Spyderco's Taichung knives are a perfect example. They generally come out perfect. Spyderco demands that. They have great customer service and a waranty that is explicitly stated. And the price reflects it.

 

[brancron]

Even the new Reate Torrent looks unfinished to me. They left it with machining marks all over the handle, and I've heard people call these "traction grooves"! They aren't for "traction", they are for cutting corners!!!

Machining titanium leaves a perfect groove pattern in it?

 

[The Aflac Duck]

Machining titanium leaves a perfect groove pattern in it?

Yes, those lineal lines are marks from machining, just like these marks pictured here.

 

[bld522]

Just so I'm clear, you're saying the lines on the surface of the Titanium handle are the result of machining that was left unfinished and NOT the result of machining that was subsequently applied to the handle after it was finished to give it the look it has. Is that correct? If it is, I don't really know what to say. The lines aren't unattractive to me and they may (I use the word "may" because I've never handled that knife) provide some extra grip. And if a knife manufacturer can produce a pleasing pattern and keep costs down by reducing finishing time, I'm all for it. :thumbup:

 

[The Aflac Duck]

It's not only on titanium, it's on anything that is machined. This ZT 0454 shows the same marks, and to me, they are unappealing. They add no traction and ruin the aesthetics for me.

Look closely, they're there.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

 

[Wheeler80]

I just looked at my 0452cf and it doesn't have those marks. It's strange that the more expensive version does have tool marks.

 

[The Aflac Duck]

I just looked at my 0452cf and it doesn't have those marks. It's strange that the more expensive version does have tool marks.

That's because the 0454 is contoured CF, whereas the 0452 has a flat scale. The flat scales requires no machining on the surface, just chamfered edges.

 

[bld522]

Yes, I see what you're talking about. It's funny that a manufacturer would refer to machining marks as a "feature", but as Andre Agassi once famously said, "image is everything".

 

[DAVE_M]

Yes, I see what you're talking about. It's funny that a manufacturer would refer to machining marks as a "feature", but as Andre Agassi once famously said, "image is everything".

Even when the 0888 was released, it was very expensive. Of course, the price rose tremendously on the secondary market, but it's a perfect example of a "machine marked" knife. ZT said it was supposed to be like that, when really it was just unfinished.

I agree with everything about knifemakers calling a blade "satin." It's comical. Some custom makers had to dub their blades "hand rubbed satin" just because there are so many yo-yo's calling a tumbled blade "satin."

 

[Wheeler80]

That's because the 0454 is contoured CF, whereas the 0452 has a flat scale. The flat scales requires no machining on the surface, just chamfered edges.

Ah, gotcha. I've never handled a 0454. I agree with you though about the tooling marks. I'm not a big fan and its a cost/time saving measure by the maker.

 

[Danke42]

I"m not adverse to NC marks, unfinished looks, raw or flamed blades hammered surfaces, and so on.

They can't be too hipster overdone to start; so that chucks a few out at the start.

They can't be sharp, or impair function, or conflict with the lines of the knife. That ZT in the link above looks perfectly good to me.

In fact for me "too nice" is a turn off since it's more of a pain to maintain and if and when I scuff it then it'll look a lot worse.

Now I do like looking at the nice customs and exotic handle materials so I won't ask for all the knives to be made my way.

As for "satin", to me that denotes an absence of gloss (or for steel mirror polish) so I can't really split hairs on if that's what every knife company reads it as.

 

[clearkevin]

I'm looking at my liong mah remedy now and it is machined and does have the groves on the parts that aren't further contoured. I will say I really like the look and feel of them. It is bad form to pretend like it's an added feature.
I like others here would like to think that production cost has some impact on price but that's not really the case. Setting the price of anything is more about marketing than anything else. Consider the cost of a Casio vs a Rolex does it really cost thousands more to make one over the other? No, the price of the Rolex is designed to add allure to the watch. (BTW I'm not saying a Rolex is a bad watch or that if you want one you shouldn't buy one) So if Chinese knife makers want to convince the knife buying North Americans that their knives are as good as say a Sebenza Hinderer or some midtech they have to price it the same. The opposite is also true, the price of a Blur is not based on production cost but on Marketing they are designed to sell to a certain demographic and are priced accordingly.
I know I am oversimplifying here a bit and obviously a company has to make a prophet so cost is considered but to imagine that it is the only or even the most significant factor in pricing is wrongheaded.

 

[bld522]

So if Chinese knife makers want to convince the knife buying North Americans that their knives are as good as say a Sebenza Hinderer or some midtech they have to price it the same.

Hmmmm. I suspect that pricing their knives the same would be a REALLY hard sell for Chinese knife manufacturers to make and nigh onto impossible to make to someone like me. See I don't care if Chinese-manufactured knives are as good as Sebenzas, Hinderers or some midtechs. I already know how good they are. I care if Chinese manufacturers are willing to make a real commitment to North American knife buyers like me by parking Stateside service and support here. Until they do that, I intend to limit my exposure. $200 is the most I'll spend on any Chinese-manufactured knife regardless of how good it is . . . period. YMMV.