I couldn't resist and bought a whittler off eBay for $10 plus shipping.
First off, they are not carbon steel. They are stainless. Sliced up an apple and a tomato just to be sure. No patina at all. Nothing in the box indicates what steel it actually is.
The Pros: Blades are very nice (the main blade particularly was as nice as you'll find) and came very sharp outta the box. No blade wobble. Walk and talk was good for the main blade, so-so for the smaller pen blades. They did a nice job hiding the pins, and the fit between the bone and the bolsters is very good. You can't tell this from the photos, and I was amazed to find that it is a "Y" split backspring model whittler like an old Case, and not a standard two or three spring model. Feels good in the hand. Came with a fairly nice zippered pouch to protect your vital Chinese investment, which seems a little strange. Oh well, I'll just use it to protect some Queens that need protecting.
The Cons: By trying to make a "Y" split model, they bit off more than they could chew, and the springs along the spine are rough and uneven. There is quite a bit of blade rub on the main blade from one of the pen blades. Also , there is some uneven finishing along one side of the bone along the blade side.
All in all not a bad deal for $14 bucks. Wished like hell it was truly carbon. I would go with one of the Steel Warrior models before I went with one of these, if a Chinese made beater is in your future.