Opinions : Most under-rated production knife brand?

Well, I'd go with viper, Enzo and maserin. Of course they are a fair bit more common over here. And then there are the various smaller brands like le thiers for example. Always depends what you are looking for.
Also boker has been hit and miss for me as well.
 
As a few others have mentioned, EnZo makes spectacular knives. My FFG Birk 75 is one of my most frequently carried knives and my scandi-grind Birk in s30v is one of the sharpest blades in my collection without a doubt. They are solid, hard-working knives that can take serious punishment. The best part is that they don't break the bank (I got my FFG Birk for <$100 and they come up on the exchange for around the same price).

I'll also throw in a brand I haven't seen mentioned yet, Mcusta. They are a bit more expensive but you'll be hard pressed to find more dynamic designs and high quality hand finished knives. Some of my smoothest deploying knives are Mcustas and they really don't enough love around here.
 
ugaarguy said:
S35vn vs s30V is a 2 cent price difference on the same size strip from NJ Steel Baron, and S35vn is less expensive to machine. Yes, 154cm is much less expensive than either (approx. $19 on the same .094"x2"x36" sample strip size, or about $30 going to .188" thickness), but I also specifically stated that I thought the Marksman was a more direct competitor with the Vanguard VG-10 blade liner locks from Kizer.


I'm not completely ignorant of those facts despite your assumptions. However, you've demonstrated your ignorance of written English with your lack of proper capitalization and punctuation. Further, those same steel workers, material handlers, and transportation professionals would still be employed if the knives were made in the US. Only the longshoremen involved in loading and unloading the containers from the freighters would be cut out. Hence, several of your points are equally moot.


Likewise.


I did not write "hostile totalitarian". I wrote "hostile Chinese communists." Please refrain from using quotation marks when you aren't directly quoting. Also, once again, you're incorrect. If I purchase Chinese made Spydercos or Bucks I'm supporting their Chinese factories. In contrast, when I buy their US made products I'm supporting their American factories and workers. If enough consumers buy those companies' US made knives and refrain from buying their Chinese made knives that will cause them to supply more US made knives and less Chinese made knives to meet the market's shift in demand. The intermediary effect of a temporary increase in price on the US made knives until production can be shifted would be an example of demand pull inflation. Demand pull inflation is the type that's healthy for economic growth, while cost push inflation, in contrast, is unhealthy for an economy.

Now, do you want to keep attempting to lecture me on economics, or will you will respectfully accept that I'm economically patriotic? Also, you mentioned in another thread that you work for a hat manufacturer here in the US. Please send me a PM and tell me who you work for, or for whom your employer manufactures hats. If one of your products fits my wardrobe I'll make a purchase to help your work in the ever shrinking US clothing and textile manufacturing industry.
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There is much misunderstanding and many incorrect claims here, I don't even know where to begin. Rather than get into the weeds of errors, let's keep this about the knives. These Chinese knives in question are great values and often are more patriotic than the "American" knives you keep citing. Your decision to not buy them is emotional, and although an entirely valid reason, doesn't translate well to a logical discussion of the knives themselves. All that really matters is that you're satisfied with the value of the Buck knives et al you choose to buy.

I bet only one of us owns all three of the Spydie Manix 2 LWT, Buck Marksman and Ki4421 are are able to accurately judge the relative states of value. Here's my take:
Manix: Great design, great Spyderco construction, decent fit and finish, pinned construction and FRN handles (huge negative for me), decent warranty service: appropriately rated
Marksman: Decent materials but fit and finish far behind other knives at the price point, best warranty of the bunch: appropriately rated, but almost over rated due to fit and finish issues. Buck really has consistency issues with every sub-$100 knife I've ever owned from them.
Ki4421: Great materials, best fit and finish of the three, currently shaky warranty service, incredible price. under rated, but could quickly become over rated with price increases without Stateside support.

There's my take. How do you rate the three knives in comparison with each other?
 
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Bill_Brasky said:
As a few others have mentioned, EnZo makes spectacular knives. My FFG Birk 75 is one of my most frequently carried knives and my scandi-grind Birk in s30v is one of the sharpest blades in my collection without a doubt. They are solid, hard-working knives that can take serious punishment. The best part is that they don't break the bank (I got my FFG Birk for <$100 and they come up on the exchange for around the same price).

I'll also throw in a brand I haven't seen mentioned yet, Mcusta. They are a bit more expensive but you'll be hard pressed to find more dynamic designs and high quality hand finished knives. Some of my smoothest deploying knives are Mcustas and they really don't enough love around here.
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I have the same Enzo Birk 75, and I agree. For the price, it's an awesome knife. Tough as nails and beautiful with curly birch scales.

I have a Mcusta Tactility, and although the knife is a real looker, when you look too close you can see some fit and finish issues that might be pushing the acceptable limits of a >$100 knife.
 
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