Knives Made in China thoughts?

My kids & grandkids - they think all this stuff going on is normal - sad - so very sad.
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Isn't that the truth!

I am not sure Case CAN compete with a Chinese pocket knife. I would not be surprised that Case goes the way of Schrade, Camillus, and others. The American companies that are winning are making specialized higher end knives (low production volumes) or importing stuff from overseas like Gerber, SOG, Cold Steel, and others. The whole economic system is essentially "dumbing down" the product due to competition.
 
Tom Hudson said:
I don't blame China for beating us. They are are very smart business people. You say they don't pay their people - that might be true in some cases but I believe the US had slave labor at one time - Those folks got a shack to live in & some food. Don't recall that they were paid a wage for working 14 hours a day in the fields.

Buy a new Chevy Volt for only $43,000.00 - Oh my bad - you get a $7,000.00 re-bate paid for with tax dollars :( Go Green:rolleyes:

I was a Case Dealer for a long time. No longer - I haven't bought a Case knife for re-sale in 6 or 7 years - maybe longer - I still get one in now & then to engrave but nothing like I use to.

The world is changing & it's ugly, very ugly - I'm just happy I was born when I was - I won't be around but maybe another 10 years if I'm lucky & thats OK -I have had a great ride. My kids & grandkids - they think all this stuff going on is normal - sad - so very sad.
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That was the pre Union days, factories were really nothing more than sweat shops...

They were paid, but in reality it was slave labor due to the low pay and horrible working conditions..

Workers had no rights or protection at all back then, it got better, but now things are slipping back the other way again fast.

In general the working conditions aren't what they used to be 15 or 20 years ago...
 
My two A.G. Russell knives are pretty freaking nice. No copies and excellent quality. Any country can create quality stuff, country of origin means nothing.

What DOES mean something is good quality contol, good design, and who ordered the knife to be made.

A knife made in china to me is no different from a knife made in any other country.
 
Ontario Knife Company as well, though perhaps to a lesser extent.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Aren't you actually geographically closer to China? :D
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yeah but ...

I got a few svords from the US , hell of a long way from NZ , they cost me about $15 each plus shipping .. roughly $22 ish when they landed each knife .. compared to $35 local retail price and I have to drive a couple hundred km to the guys who sell them .. but hell NZ is not that far from here , you can hear their sheep protesting on a quiet day ...

I bought a RAT1 , cost me $26 + shipping , roughly $35 landed at my door , compared to $55+ locally , what I saved has gone into buying more knives ...

I know Im meant to be all patriotic and be shoveling cash toward the money hungry baskets who are ripping us off .. but I am a selfish person and want more knife for my dollar
 
Oh I get where you're coming from! I was pointing out that you were complaining about how it takes longer for stuff to get to you from the US than it does from China. Which makes sense because China is closer to you. :D
 
Sanrenmu781.jpg



I like Chinese. Sanrenmu 781.
 
Personally I don't buy the whole debate over China VS Usa blades. As a chinese worked from a factory in Shinzen said "You guys want to buy cheap, you get cheap. You buy expensive you get expensive."
China is very capable of turning out some fine knives tanto's and even swords.
You guys forget China has been making swords/knives/tools long, long before USA was ever born, long before the world democracy existed.
Just as USA can manufacture some of the crappiest knives, tanto's, and even swords and sell them expensive.

I am not saying China is better or this or that I am simply saying China also can produce some wonderful products, just as USA can produce crappy products (look at the car industry lol)
This a china made tanto.
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Luis G. said:
Personally I don't buy the whole debate over China VS Usa blades. As a chinese worked from a factory in Shinzen said "You guys want to buy cheap, you get cheap. You buy expensive you get expensive."
China is very capable of turning out some fine knives tanto's and even swords.
You guys forget China has been making swords/knives/tools long, long before USA was ever born, long before the world democracy existed.
Just as USA can manufacture some of the crappiest knives, tanto's, and even swords and sell them expensive.

I am not saying China is better or this or that I am simply saying China also can produce some wonderful products, just as USA can produce crappy products (look at the car industry lol)
This a china made tanto.
hw278_01.jpg

hw278_04.jpg

hw278_03.jpg
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Yeah they have been making knives and swords for thousands of years before North America was even found...
 
Lets not forget Bugei gets their swords from Hanwei as a premium line and they are probably the best katana you are going to get for under $5k...the tanto and wakizashi are all amazing.

I want to see more traditional Jian and double edged daggers being made with the works, folded steel, differential temper, traditional weights etc.
 
Ankerson said:
Yeah they have been making knives and swords for thousands of years before North America was even found...
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Found by who ? ( or is that whom ? )

Musta sucked for them living there all the time it was lost :)
 
I agree with several of the people above. Sanrenmu and Enlan have some very nice modern knives and I have purchased a few. Most of them are extremely well made from these companies and are just as good as most of the the name-brand Chinese knives such as Kershaw, G, Kershaw, CRKT for example. I also have found that some of the Tekut knives are pretty good for the money. I don't think I've ever paid over $20 for one and I've purchased many for less than $10. They're great EDC's that you won't worry about losing or messing up. Some of the blogs indicate these companies are the same ones that are putting out knives for the well-known companies such as Gerber tjat are very nice. There are several really good axis lock knives in this category. Thanks Roger
 
Myal said:
Found by who ? ( or is that whom ? )

Musta sucked for them living there all the time it was lost :)
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They were before the Norse found North America, Chinese taught smithing techniques that the Japanese still use today.
 
More made in China please. I will take the exact same quality knife for half the price. Thank you.

Cases in point. Recently acquired a Kershaw Asset for under $20 shipped and a Kershaw Tremor for $28 shipped. Both very nice blades with 8CR13MOV steel (very quality steel). I think it is fair to say that these knives would have each been about 2x as much if USA produced with the same steel equivalents (AUS 8 is my understanding).

I buy USA made too but will save $ where I can.
 
adotc said:
Hey guys,

I was wondering what opinions or thoughts you guys may have on knives that are made in China? The reason why I ask this, I am curious what knife enthusisast think about this issue.
I know there are great knife companies out that make a usa line, then there is a overseas line. For example kershaw has a new usa line for 2011, which I must say looks outstanding and they have a overseas line that looks great as well. Materials for the overseas line is obviously a lower end steel, not to say the steel is poor either or quality.
I just feel kind of weird buying a knife that is made in China when you can buy a great usa made knife for 10 dollars more, plus the quality is going to be right on and the money stays in country. Now, I'm not saying that is the case for every usa made knife company, there are good and bad ones I'm just saying in general. Another example of a great knife company that has good quality and design is CRKT but almost all of there knives are made overseas. So let me know your guys' thoughts on this issue. If a knife is just a knife to you and you don't care were it comes from then post that. I would live to here some opinions. Take it easy
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china knifes are great as long as quality control is high. labor is cheaper so that means things are cheaper but it doesnt mean quality has to suffer.
 
There is more undercurrent than what my seeming simplistic surface viewpoint may convey. But simply this, I live in America, I collect my paycheck in America from fellow Americans. I personally feel a sense of obligation (not to mention PRIDE) to be able to reciprocate when I can! Thankfully we still have that option in the knife industry today, to support our nieghbors and fellow countrymen(wimen) and their family. There may be some "okay" stuff out there from China, but I cannot in good concious support their country, government, economy and workers at the expense of ours. It is ever harder to "buy american" these days, I am not perfect (nor rich) but I try be socially responsible where I can (you can still find made in USA socks, don't even have to look hard) In summation, this is just one posters nostalgic based partial view on things. My thoughts on knives made in China is simply say no, there are plenty of homegrown alternatives, and in the end the job you save may just trickle down to be your own! Just a thought........

In short, I can get a quality knife at a reasonable price built in the USA, personally I have no use for a knife from China....but that's just me. :D
 
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screag01 said:
There is more undercurrent than what my seeming simplistic surface viewpoint may convey. But simply this, I live in America, I collect my paycheck in America from fellow Americans. I personally feel a sense of obligation (not to mention PRIDE) to be able to reciprocate when I can! Thankfully we still have that option in the knife industry today, to support our nieghbors and fellow countrymen(wimen) and their family. There may be some "okay" stuff out there from China, but I cannot in good concious support their country, government, economy and workers at the expense of ours. It is ever harder to "buy american" these days, I am not perfect (nor rich) but I try be socially responsible where I can (you can still find made in USA socks, don't even have to look hard) In summation, this is just one posters nostalgic based partial view on things. My thoughts on knives made in China is simply say no, there are plenty of homegrown alternatives, and in the end the job you save may just trickle down to be your own! Just a thought........
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We live in a global economy, grandpa. Pride in your country has nothing to do with where the things you buy are made.
 
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