I Can’t Believe How Good Cheap, Chinese Knives Are Getting!

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Olumin said:
Chinese prices are getting up there too. I was surprised to see that even some years ago, some European makers offered better deals then Chinese manufacturers, all while using the same materials & same or better quality. Lionsteel comes to mind. I was able to get my Ti Thrill for $190 back then. Show me a similar Chinese knife that can compete with that price.

The Chinese are doing excellent work & have been for years. These are not sweat shops, but modern factories filled with skilled professionals. They can give any US or EU brand a run for their money if they want to, and often do. But with the economy changing, they aren't the bargains they used to be.

This is partially because just like everywhere else, materials & labour is getting more expensive in China, but also because these brands realized that they didn't have to sell their knives are bargain basement prices any more to compete internationally. Many Chinese makers are household names these days & the brand recognition is definitely there, so they raise prices just like US or European companies did before them.
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"he Chinese are doing excellent work & have been for years. These are not sweat shops, but modern factories filled with skilled professionals." I might agree with you here, don't hear about knife factory employees jumping to their deaths. Maybe iPhone factory managers need to pay a visit to the We factory.
 
Gene said:
I’m not a butt boy for Chinese made knives
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Hackenslash said:
I’ll probably offer more commentary later, but this doesn’t get things off to a good start…
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Maybe he means like that time everyone was storing their knives in Planterz Planterz outside the courthouse?


To the OPs point- sure, knives can be made of high quality anywhere in the world. The issue I have is that I believe the old adage "there's no free lunch" applies universally. It's costly to make a high quality knife. If a knife appears high quality I'm suspect of either the materials or I suspect some 8 year old somewhere is making 2 cents an hour to put it together.

I'll say it again, only because it warrants it- great knives can be made anywhere, but it's going to cost someone something.
 
nickycat said:
i wouldn't spend a dime on a chinese knife if someone held a GUN to my head. To quote a great song, "we've all got a line, and you've just crossed mine!"
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I'm curious, if you look around you there will be a significant proportion, if not the majority, of the stuff you own that come from China. Why draw your line in the sand at knives?
 
Floatingby said:
I'm curious, if you look around you there will be a significant proportion, if not the majority, of the stuff you own that come from China. Why draw your line in the sand at knives?
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You've probably been around enough years to know that anytime someone brings up Chinese-made knives, there's going to be dozens of responses that ignore the topic at hand just so they can share with everyone how they feel about purchasing Chinese-made knives. It doesn't do much good to argue.

Why knives and not towel rods? well you should see the outrage on the towel rod forums.
 
as a musical instrument retailer, I can tell you that many manufactures are looking at decreasing/eliminating China made skus because of the stigma. I have noticed a substantial change in the perception of Chinese products from our customers since Covid. I have found that I can replace the China skus easily in most cases and I have informed my distributors that that is entirely my plan, do what you will. Consumer electronics, not so much. Hence my typing on tis IPhone 🫤

Also, our industry has been flooded with counterfeit from China. All the way down two packs of strings believe it or not. Elixir strings and Ernie ball strings are both being counterfeited through China. Not to mention Martin guitars fender guitars Taylor guitars etc. etc. China could stop this if they so desired.
 
Looks and feel ??? Since when did those attributes become a performance factor for a cutting tool ? I’m interested in the durability, cutting ability, edge retention, sharpening ease, outside of those attributes Im also interested in customer service and the factory warranty .
 
Surprised this thread managed to run three pages before being locked. Someone said there are two things going on here: one political discussion and the other knife discussion. It is and it has always been like this as long as the word China or Chinese is included in the title.
 
Lesknife said:
Looks and feel ??? Since when did those attributes become a performance factor for a cutting tool ? I’m interested in the durability, cutting ability, edge retention, sharpening ease, outside of those attributes Im also interested in customer service and the factory warranty .
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I'm not sure who you're talking to, but I don't think anyone's claiming that aesthetics makes a knife perform better in it's cutting duties. You are, however, on a knife forum full of people who are so fond of knives that a merely functional knife isn't interesting and aesthetics matter.
 
sharp_edge said:
Surprised this thread managed to run three pages before being locked. Someone said there are two things going on here: one political discussion and the other knife discussion. It is and it has always been like this as long as the word China or Chinese is included in the title.
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Let me help:

I can't believe how good and cheap Chinese kidneys are !
 
sharp_edge said:
Surprised this thread managed to run three pages before being locked. Someone said there are two things going on here: one political discussion and the other knife discussion. It is and it has always been like this as long as the word China or Chinese is included in the title.
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I was thinking this, myself. Maybe because it hasn't completely devolved yet, but I suspect that's coming.
 
And while I am sure the OP will find fault with its closure, we are going to close this thread as there is little further information or benefit to be gained and it has gone well beyond knives into the political and social spheres.

To sum up:

The Chinese are capable of manufacturing products of high quality...including goods (and knives) of their own design, and the designs of others, both licensed and unlicensed. (Anyone who thinks they can't build a good knife should check their naval vessels and spacecraft.)

Their politics and policies vis-a-vis their citizens, the world at large, and the question of human rights is a discussion worth having, but not in this sub-forum.

Feel free to have legitimate discussions on specific knives and their qualities in other threads and / or applicable sub-forums.

As to this thread, we're done for now.
 
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