High quality, reasonable cost knives from Russia, China, etc.

bodog

bodog

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Not looking for the latest fad like Shirogorov or other over priced, under supplied knives. I'm looking for high quality knives made with high quality materials that haven't made it mainstream yet. By mainstream, I mean knives that haven't been latched onto with absurd markups, even if you have to order from overseas. Think Reate or CKF before reate or CKF were accepted here in the US.
 
WE Knives are every bit as good as Reate and can be still found for about half the price of a Reate.
 
bodog said:
Not looking for the latest fad like Shirogorov or other over priced, under supplied knives. I'm looking for high quality knives made with high quality materials that haven't made it mainstream yet. By mainstream, I mean knives that haven't been latched onto with absurd markups, even if you have to order from overseas. Think Reate or CKF before reate or CKF were accepted here in the US.
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There's WE, Kizer and Stedemon for the high-end, higher priced ones. Real Steel is mostly mid-end productions, but they have a few high-end offerings as well.
 
If you are into Chinese made knives, now may be a good time to get them. Our President Elect has promised to raise
tariffs on Imports from China 45%. Don't know if it'll ever happen but you never know.
 
Hackenslash said:
WE Knives are every bit as good as Reate and can be still found for about half the price of a Reate.
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Nearly all WE knives listed on bladehq are close to $300, which are more expensive than all ZT regular production folders. I don't think it falls into the category of what the OP is looking for. Plus, ~$280 is not half of even the most expensive Reate if I am not mistaken. It is about the price of Reate District 9 plus and certainly more expensive than the likes of Horizon C and Hills.
 
I have a place I buy WEs for an average price of $229 and if you're patient you can get them for $199 on sale. By comparison, I'm not really talking about the older Reate models. The new Reates are all up around $400-450; the Epoch, the Future, the Liong Mah CF versions of Warrior and Tempest, the Fallout 2 and the Begg Steelcraft knives. Some of the older Reates are still great bargains IF you can find them. One of the best values in the knife world is the Reate Hills at around $170.

WE knives is right on the cusp of being a "high-value". They've had a lot of buzz and that buzz has driven the price up. When I bought my first WE, a 601, it was $189. The deals have gotten harder to find since they've landed at the big retailers like BHQ and KC. If you search, new models can be found for about half the price of a new Reate.

In terms of comparing to ZT, that's another issue. I love ZT but I think both Reate and WE make a little better knife. At the same time, the ZT comes with the best service and support in the industry. That kind of service has a tangible value to me, hence why I'm in with WE knives at $200 but not in with Reates at $450.
 
I've bought several knives from Kizer ranging in price from $100 - $150 and all have been excellent knives for the price.
 
Kaizer for the cheaper but acceptable, sometimes a few slip through QC process, but over all a very decent tool.

for high quality, addition milling and features then we go into WE knives, Reate, and Rike. these are comparable or surpass the ZT line of knives in quality. each one of these manufactures makes other brand knives, for example todd begg and Lion mauh both are made by Reate. We knives makes some of the Quartermaster knives.

These cost more than the Kizers but they are worth the cost for what you are getting from the additional 3D milling, anodization blade designs, and ceramic bearings and detents etc. while Kizer is a great brand, you still get some with so so quality and you see it in the reviews, not to mention they are not on the same level as the other three manufactures. The kizer knives will be cheaper because of all of this. again they are not a bad tool.

ZT's are some of my fav's but of all the ZT's i have, the reate, rike and we are better.

also want to add CKF, custom knife factory. they use materials from the USA and manufacturing in china with Russian design. these are up there with the high end Chinese manufacturers, tho i dont recall which manufacturer makes them for them.

steadmond is decent but some of there knives are iffy, overall a decent brand, but id rather get one of the others noted above (including zt, but not over kizer)

if you are just looking at price, go with kizer.
 
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695694576cd7f76ff8d664a3eeaf81bf.jpg

This is my WE 602a
Very well built knife.
Got it here on the exchange nib for about 2 Benjamins.
Smooth flipper.
Good luck
Andy
 
Hackenslash said:
I have a place I buy WEs for an average price of $229 and if you're patient you can get them for $199 on sale. By comparison, I'm not really talking about the older Reate models. The new Reates are all up around $400-450; the Epoch, the Future, the Liong Mah CF versions of Warrior and Tempest, the Fallout 2 and the Begg Steelcraft knives. Some of the older Reates are still great bargains IF you can find them. One of the best values in the knife world is the Reate Hills at around $170.

WE knives is right on the cusp of being a "high-value". They've had a lot of buzz and that buzz has driven the price up. When I bought my first WE, a 601, it was $189. The deals have gotten harder to find since they've landed at the big retailers like BHQ and KC. If you search, new models can be found for about half the price of a new Reate.

In terms of comparing to ZT, that's another issue. I love ZT but I think both Reate and WE make a little better knife. At the same time, the ZT comes with the best service and support in the industry. That kind of service has a tangible value to me, hence why I'm in with WE knives at $200 but not in with Reates at $450.
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Hi
Can you pm me or post here the place where you get the WE for less
Thanks
Andy
 
Hackenslash said:
WE knives is right on the cusp of being a "high-value". They've had a lot of buzz and that buzz has driven the price up. When I bought my first WE, a 601, it was $189. The deals have gotten harder to find since they've landed at the big retailers like BHQ and KC. If you search, new models can be found for about half the price of a new Reate.

In terms of comparing to ZT, that's another issue. I love ZT but I think both Reate and WE make a little better knife
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Thats the kind of knife I'm talking about. They're good quality and the price can still be reasonable. As soon as BHQ or whoever gets ahold of them the price increases by quite a bit. I'm looking for milled titanium, milled pocket clips, carbon fiber insets, M390, etc for around $200. I know they're out there buy as soon as Americans get ahold of them they jump up to 3 and 400 bucks or even more.

Like the Kevin john venom ii. I won't buy it because of who makes it but that's an example of what can be done.
 
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KenHash said:
If you are into Chinese made knives, now may be a good time to get them. Our President Elect has promised to raise
tariffs on Imports from China 45%. Don't know if it'll ever happen but you never know.
Click to expand...

This would be nice.

Maybe some of these "Companies" would actually make a knife in the same places they intend to profit from them.

Bodog, you sound like you want a Chinese made (or just cheap) mayo..
Not sure if that's gonna happen unless you go the route you don't want to, but that's your decision.
 
I have a couple Kizers, Nomad and a Corto. Both under $200 with great materials, excellent actions and are built extremely well!!
Definitely worth the cost!
Also have 2 WE knives......little more expensive, but excellent knives!!
Joe
 
I think Kizer and Stedemon represent a good value to quality ratio Chinese knife. Now with Reate, Rike, and WE knives fetching $300+ I am not really looking at them any more. They have the quality to command the $300 and up prices but lack the character of the brands I look at in that range like CRK, Hinderer, and Strider. For some reason the upper end Chinese knives leave me feeling cold and I don't carry them.
 
Mo2 said:
Kaizer for the cheaper but acceptable, sometimes a few slip through QC process, but over all a very decent tool.

for high quality, addition milling and features then we go into WE knives, Reate, and Rike. these are comparable or surpass the ZT line of knives in quality. each one of these manufactures makes other brand knives, for example todd begg and Lion mauh both are made by Reate. We knives makes some of the Quartermaster knives.

These cost more than the Kizers but they are worth the cost for what you are getting from the additional 3D milling, anodization blade designs, and ceramic bearings and detents etc. while Kizer is a great brand, you still get some with so so quality and you see it in the reviews, not to mention they are not on the same level as the other three manufactures. The kizer knives will be cheaper because of all of this. again they are not a bad tool.

ZT's are some of my fav's but of all the ZT's i have, the reate, rike and we are better.

also want to add CKF, custom knife factory. they use materials from the USA and manufacturing in china with Russian design. these are up there with the high end Chinese manufacturers, tho i dont recall which manufacturer makes them for them.

steadmond is decent but some of there knives are iffy, overall a decent brand, but id rather get one of the others noted above (including zt, but not over kizer)

if you are just looking at price, go with kizer.
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I think you may find ckf has ties to Reate.
Also, the one we knife I have is as well built as any of my Reate's, and was less money.


Russ
 
JR88FAN said:
This would be nice.

Maybe some of these "Companies" would actually make a knife in the same places they intend to profit from them.

Bodog, you sound like you want a Chinese made (or just cheap) mayo..
Not sure if that's gonna happen unless you go the route you don't want to, but that's your decision.
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Not necessarily Chinese. It could be from Somalia. It does seem that China is able and willing to make high end knives for cheaper than most other places, though. Too bad most of the companies making them got their start by cloning. I wonder if it's a necessary evil to put up with it once they transition away from counterfeiting. Olamic knives were once a tremendous value but then they became popular and received the credit and profit they deserve. I'm looking for that type of company. Relatively unknown company with morals, trying to get a foot in the door by offering better materials for cheaper prices regardless of country of origin.
 
mycough said:
I think you may find ckf has ties to Reate.
Also, the one we knife I have is as well built as any of my Reate's, and was less money.


Russ
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well, CKF has ties with Kevin John, not Reate. also you would have to do more than compare only a PAIR of knives to say which is better manufacture than the other, so thats not really any truth in what you say in that perspective, just those two models. if you were to put Reate's Todd begg bodega steel craft up against something else, it would be very hard to say the reate wasnt better. just saying.

also...

CKF (Custom Knife Factory) has been around for a while.
The Russian based company was established in 2012 by Mikhail Kulygin (Mike), a Russian Chinese knife dealer at the time. He was well known at the time by his nickname Kevin John on Guns.ru (one of the biggest Russian knife forum).
The nickname wasn't a coincidence - Mike was then one of the leading sellers (and some say even producers) of Kevin John made clones in Russia, mostly Sebenza, Strider and Hinderer knives, that had huge success. He learned to appreciate the level of craftsmanship, precision and QC that KJ provided, and wanted to bring it to the international knife market.
It all started with the Assymetric project, when a few forum members came together to make a production version of the awesome Alexey Konygin design. They turned to Kevin John to manufacture the knife and the project was very successful.
After that, he contacted with Russian designers - Alexey "Ratatuy" Konygin, Evg Muan and Anton "Tohus" Malyshev and they decided to collaborate with the new company - CKF.
The company's first knife was the amazing Decepticon 1, that was featured on the Knife Brand Maker (Jim Skelton's) channel, and the rest is history. They became so popular, that even nutnfancy agreed to show the knives on his channel.
CKF models are numbered limited production pieces, so they tend to sell out very quickly and usually keep their value over time. One of their latest creations is the Muscle (a collaboration with French knife designer Tashi Bharucha), my personal favorite knife from CKF so far.
Producing the knives in China also has it's drawbacks - some of their designs were "borrowed" even before they reached production and made by Chinese clonemakers. This happened with the Gnome, Assymetric fixed blade, T50 (later released as T90 by CKF) and the Medichi project (now known as Piston knife), that was cancelled because of the case.
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