Made In China...

[Moondrop]

I don't understand the fascination with the 'Made In' discussion any more. If you are on this site, you own Chinese made items. Your appliances are all at least partially made with parts from all over the world.

And my last laptop lasted 2.5 whole years before quitting and has a sticker on the bottom that says, "Made in China". Not a hard drive crash; the computer just quit. My laptop before that lasted a few years longer and, yep, said Made In China on the bottom. Meanwhile, my sister's old laptop, which is older than both of those laptops and which I used until I got my current one says, "Made in Malaysia" on the bottom and it's still chugging along. Has had the hard drive replaced exactly once. All three laptops are from the same manufacturer, btw. Electronics might not be a great example.

Knives are clearly a different story. IMO, of course.

 

[Moondrop]

The Epicenter is the only "Made in China" knife I own and its got Japanese steel strangely enough. It's a hell of a knife and a great bargain.

Personally, I've got no problem buying a knife from china, as long as they're not trying to pass it off as a knife from a more popular knife maker.

View attachment 365116

LOL I've got one Made in China knife that has Japanese steel and another made with Swedish steel.

There was a joke a hundred years ago on an episode of One Day at a Time about a (wanna say Japanese- or Arab-owned; this was late 70s) company making Mexican Volkswagens, but I can't remember the exact wording and can't find any trace of it online.

 

[ChrisB507]

I didn't expect to like my Buck 735 as much as I do. It's the only Made-in-China Buck I have.

 

[southernknives]

I don't understand the fascination with the 'Made In' discussion any more. If you are on this site, you own Chinese made items. Your appliances are all at least partially made with parts from all over the world. We obsess with China, but revere Japan, Scandinavia, Italy, Germany, etc. All foreign made knives have the same potential to make outstanding products in the hands of individuals properly trained, and companies with high quality control standards. The country where the products come from is not the factor. American companies are just as capable of turning out crap these days...

True, I really like my Italian Zamberlans. It's hard to find a better boot though.

 

[Raylas]

Think less "Where's it made?" And more "Who made it?".

 

[tatfiend]

My China made Kershaws and Benchmade Lone Wolf are decent knives IMO. Presumably made to contracted quality standards set and enforced by distributors here. Chinese no name balisongs and other cheap knives I have handled, junk.

 

[chambelona59]

I received two "free promo" knives recently that before receiving them, I felt sure they would turn out to be cheap crappy knifes.
While not knives I would ever purchase, unexpectedly they both turned out to be pleasant surprises.

One came as a free promo with a 5.11 Rush Multicam 12 backpack I purchased last month on sale.
It's a Chinese made knife, with nicely textured glass/nylon scales, with a very comfortable ergonomically designed handle shape and a scalloped spine which is great for digging into wood.
A 3 inch plain edge blade.
I wrote to 5.11 to ask what the steel is, but lost the email reply back to me and I forgot what it is.
The knife does not appear in their catalog or on their web site.
Of the two knifes, I like it best.

The second knife I received also as a free promo last week that came with a pair of Vertx multcam pants on sale.
It's a CRKT Made of 8Cr14MoV steel, a 3¼ inch partially serrated blade with an aluminum handle, overall 7 3/8 long.
The knife does not appear in their catalog or on their web site.
Either made in Taiwan or China though it does not say, it has '7012N' on the blade.
With what looks like white colored *nylon (*?) washers.
The 5.11 has bronze washers.

Both knifes are extremely shaving sharp, both open very fast and very smoothly with just an easy flick of the thumb stud.
The 5.11's blade is perfectly centered compared to the CRKT's blade being off center.

Over all, for being promo freebies... I'm surprised at the quality of both knifes which will probably be great around the house beaters.

 

[Egnar T Seinnhoj]

I received two "free promo" knives recently that before receiving them, I felt sure they would turn out to be cheap crappy knifes.
While not knives I would ever purchase, unexpectedly they both turned out to be pleasant surprises.

One came as a free promo with a 5.11 Rush Multicam 12 backpack I purchased last month on sale.
It's a Chinese made knife, with nicely textured glass/nylon scales, with a very comfortable ergonomically designed handle shape and a scalloped spine which is great for digging into wood.
A 3 inch plain edge blade.
I wrote to 5.11 to ask what the steel is, but lost the email reply back to me and I forgot what it is.
The knife does not appear in their catalog or on their web site.
Of the two knifes, I like it best.

The second knife I received also as a free promo last week that came with a pair of Vertx multcam pants on sale.
It's a CRKT Made of 8Cr14MoV steel, a 3¼ inch partially serrated blade with an aluminum handle, overall 7 3/8 long.
The knife does not appear in their catalog or on their web site.
Either made in Taiwan or China though it does not say, it has '7012N' on the blade.
With what looks like white colored *nylon (*?) washers.
The 5.11 has bronze washers.

Both knifes are extremely shaving sharp, both open very fast and very smoothly with just an easy flick of the thumb stud.
The 5.11's blade is perfectly centered compared to the CRKT's blade being off center.

Over all, for being promo freebies... I'm surprised at the quality of both knifes which will probably be great around the house beaters.

That CRKT is an Apache II but what is weird is the blade steel. If I remember correctly, they were made out of ATS-34 which is like Hitachi's version of 154CM. 8cr14mov isn't bad but it's a chinese budget steel so it's likely that knife was made in China instead of Taiwan where the originals were made. Cool knife to have!

 

[chambelona59]

That CRKT is an Apache II but what is weird is the blade steel. If I remember correctly, they were made out of ATS-34 which is like Hitachi's version of 154CM. 8cr14mov isn't bad but it's a chinese budget steel so it's likely that knife was made in China instead of Taiwan where the originals were made. Cool knife to have!

Thanks for that info Egnar.
I did a search on 'CRKT Apache II' it definitely appears to be that knife.
When I asked CRKT what the steel was, someone replied in an email back to me stating: " The last information I had for that stated it was a 8Cr14MoV".
So I would think they would not be giving away free ATS-34 Apache II's.
I wonder what the "7012N" on the blade means.
I think I'll write and ask them.
Thanks again, I had no idea about it being an Apache II.

 

[LX_Emergency]

Think less "Where's it made?" And more "Who made it?".

yup. That's the ticket all the way.

 

[WVAnonymous]

Apple builds most of their computers in China and they run for many many years...

 

[JPD1998]

Back in the 60's / 70's companies started to import knives that were made in Japan and the reaction was very similar to today's MIC comments.

Back then If you had a MIJ knife on your belt or in your pocket , your friends would tell you that you bought a junk knife.

And nothing was worse than ordering a knife from a picture in a magazine only to get a MIJ knife.

Like today some of the knives were "no name" junk knives , but others were contract knives for well known brands.

A decade or more later it started to get too expensive to have knives produced in Japan , companies began switching to Taiwan and to a lesser extent China .
By that time the quality of what Japan was producing was so high that I would actually check to see if a knife was made in Japan, rather than Taiwan or ML China.

 

[richard thurman]

a very long time ago I use to sale at a Flemarket. I had the cheap china junk crap but I also had some of the hand made swords that are made over there plus some of there good knifes too. you get what you pay for.

 

[cards94]

Spycerco has many decent knives that are made in China...

let me know which ones so i can avoid them.

 

[Oakengroves]

I've only owned three Chinese made knives: Spyderco Tenacious, Spyderco Ambitious, and CRKT Drifter. I gave them away to friends.

Those knives were sharp, cut objects well, and have not failed. My friends still enjoy using them.

However, the answers to the four questions below explain why I will probably never purchase another Chinese knife:

1. Are knives manufactured in China produced in facilities that utilize sub-human labor standards and treat laborers, who are likely good, decent human beings like myself, like absolute garbage and animals? Probably.

2. When given a choice, is it morally and economically preferable to support the local and/or national economy, business entities, and laborers? Probably.

3. Does the quality of any Chinese knife compare to high-end, American-made knives, such as CRK Sebenza, BM , Golden Spyderco, and ZT? No.

4. Does the warranty service for any Chinese knife compare to those offered by American manufacturers? No.

 

[Gadfly22]

1. Are knives manufactured in China produced in facilities that utilize sub-human labor standards and treat laborers, who are likely good, decent human beings like myself, like absolute garbage and animals? Probably.

2. When given a choice, is it morally and economically preferable to support the local and/or national economy, business entities, and laborers? Probably.

3. Does the quality of any Chinese knife compare to high-end, American-made knives, such as CRK Sebenza, BM , Golden Spyderco, and ZT? No.

4. Does the warranty service for any Chinese knife compare to those offered by American manufacturers? No.

My view:

1. In truth, the answer is unknown. What is probably true is that many imported products are being made in the kind of poor labor standards described. If you wear Nikes, you may be demonstrably guilty of supporting child labor and inhuman conditions in Indonesian and Pakistani factories.

2. Again, unknown. Protectionism is more likely to impede trade and drive up prices artificially than free trade. Certainly the US-based makers who use foreign factories wouldn't like you boycotting their products. And not permitting foreign competition just rewards the protected brands producing sub-par products. Competition is supposed to be a good thing.

3. Agree absolutely. You can find plenty of good Chinese-made knives. You will have a hard time finding a great one.

4. Again, agree absolutely. If you buy a Chinese-brand - even a good brand like Sanrenmu or Bee - you won't be sending it back for service or in case you got a lemon.

 

[Freshly Cut Cheese]

I choose to feed the eagle rather than the serpent.

 

[Seilu]

I choose to feed the eagle rather than the serpent.

You don't like feeding Panda bears :0

Lol

 

[Dan57]

1. Are knives manufactured in China produced in facilities that utilize sub-human labor standards and treat laborers, who are likely good, decent human beings like myself, like absolute garbage and animals? Probably.

2. When given a choice, is it morally and economically preferable to support the local and/or national economy, business entities, and laborers? Probably.

3. Does the quality of any Chinese knife compare to high-end, American-made knives, such as CRK Sebenza, BM , Golden Spyderco, and ZT? No.

4. Does the warranty service for any Chinese knife compare to those offered by American manufacturers? No.

I don't agree with #3. There are Chinese companies producing high end knives. Carson Lab has experienced some small amount of publicity here in the past, and from what I could tell, their knives were equal in quality and materials to those from ZT or Spyderco. (Maybe not Chris Reeve.) And there are probably other companies that I don't know about. With China's huge population and growing upper and middle classes, it's just not necessary for them to advertise outside the country.
Also, companies that used to only make fakes and copies, (Kevin John and the like,) now also make some original designs. Which are, again, comparable in quality to high end American production knives. (And so are the fakes, from what the people who actually own them say.)
#1 is also, I think, a bit of an exaggeration.

 

[22-rimfire]

Some of you may recall that for years, anything made in Japan was junk. (Now, they're great.) Then manufacturing started in Taiwan and they were "junk" for a while. China is steadily improving their knives and I feel sure that it is primarily the result of the insistance of quality control by the branded knife manufacturers. Great knives are often US or Japanese made unless you are referring to Mora.

My first Chinese knife was a CRKT Razel (Ringed and Stubby). Both aren't bad knives and not bad for the price at all. Next I purchased some Frost Cutlery folders just to get a feel of where they are quality wise about a year ago. They seem to be improving on the fit and finish, but still essentially the same quality. I hear good things about Rough Rider knives. Will eventually buy a couple and see how they are.

I don't think you can make broad sweeping judgements any more simply because it was made in China.