Places to buy Sanrenmu Knives?

J_Curd

J_Curd

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Curious about these, people have told me about them, but I have no idea where to buy them...anyone have any ideas?
 
Joe; stay away. They're mostly knock-offs. From the website (www.srmknives.com) and from what I've heard from a buddy who eBayed 12 of them, they're garbage. They're in the same category as that company that makes Kershaw, Spyderco, and Emerson knock-offs and sells them for $10... with the Spyderco bug etched on it. Think of the nice, inexpensive Kershaw you could buy with that money instead of sending it to a business that copies Kershaw's (and many others') designs.
 
JNieporte said:
Joe; stay away. They're mostly knock-offs. From the website (www.srmknives.com) and from what I've heard from a buddy who eBayed 12 of them, they're garbage. They're in the same category as that company that makes Kershaw, Spyderco, and Emerson knock-offs and sells them for $10... with the Spyderco bug etched on it. Think of the nice, inexpensive Kershaw you could buy with that money instead of sending it to a business that copies Kershaw's (and many others') designs.
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+1

wow...

Hopefully you have seen the quality in the marketplace of today"s manufactured knives... even "bench made" knives. But, until you hold a knife from SRM and have experienced the level of perfection we have built into every knife, you have no idea just how good a knife can be for so little money. Our knives carry a lifetime warranty, which speaks well of the confidence we place in every knife that bears or name.

Are you ready to step up to a better knife? You"ll not be disappointed... your satisfaction is guaranteed, "we put our name on it."
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JNieporte said:
Joe; stay away. They're mostly knock-offs. From the website (www.srmknives.com) and from what I've heard from a buddy who eBayed 12 of them, they're garbage. They're in the same category as that company that makes Kershaw, Spyderco, and Emerson knock-offs and sells them for $10... with the Spyderco bug etched on it. Think of the nice, inexpensive Kershaw you could buy with that money instead of sending it to a business that copies Kershaw's (and many others') designs.
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I respectfully disagree that Sanrenmu knives are garbage, and I own two... this isn't secondhand "from a buddy." Yes, some appear to be copies, but some aren't, and they seem to be of generally good steel and construction, & reasonably well finished. For $12 shipped off ebay (the only source I can see), what's to lose?

FWIW, I won't buy Kershaw unless it's a one-hand-opener that isn't assisted-opening (seems to be asking for trouble with the law IMHO...many sheeple/cops see AO as a switchblade). But that's just me...if you're gonna go cheap and not buy Sanrenmu, at least go with a CRKT Rollock II, Aus6 steel for $7.99 last I checked from Smokey Mountain KW.
 
soupah said:
I won't buy Kershaw unless it's a one-hand-opener that isn't assisted-opening (seems to be asking for trouble with the law IMHO...many sheeple/cops see AO as a switchblade). But that's just me...if you're gonna go cheap and not buy Sanrenmu, at least go with a CRKT Rollock II, Aus6 steel for $7.99 last I checked from Smokey Mountain KW.
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Okay, so I asked for places to buy this brand, that was it fellas. JN, I will take your opinion based on alot of history. Everyone else, I just wanted some info on where to buy, I am smart enough to see crap or rip offs when I see them.

soupah - you will never ever never even remotely come close to trouble for a Kershaw AO as long as they sell them at Wally World, let alone the fact that you would have to do something really stupid to get unwarranted attention. Its not a switchblade, and if you cannot articulate that to the people who may question you, then I agree, you shouldnt carry them.

CRKT knives lately are the bottom of the barrel for me, AUS6 has only been made well by 2-3 makers in the last 20 years, and CRKT definitely isnt on the list. I am going to consider a folding Hissatsu.
 
To clarify, I mentioned Kershaw specifically because I live in Illinois and I have read that AO knives have been an issue with local LEOs from time to time (although I have no recollection of a source) and I AM worried about articulating that AO is not prohibited...but regardless, you said that you were interested in Sanrenmu vendors and as I wrote, only ebay seems to sell them, although the BritishBlades forum did do a group buy awhile go thru a Hong Kong vendor.
 
I agree with soupah that some discretion is a good idea with AO. There are jurisdictions where you could spend time as the guest of the local police station, if not worse. Like NYC. So it pays to think about, even though most of us are good to go, and as J_Curd says, you shouldn't be attracting attention anyway.

soupah said:
IYes, some appear to be copies, but some aren't, and they seem to be of generally good steel and construction, & reasonably well finished.
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The problem with that is, we can see the company as lacking integrity, even if a particular model might not demonstrate that.
 
I open my AO's in a controlled two handed manner if I am ever in doubt that the AO might be an issue.

Guess what fellas...no one knows it isnt a slippy without asking to handle it, to which I respectfully decline.
 
on SRM.
the ones i've seen weren't badly made at all.
the designs were mostly perculiar patterns..
meaning fashioned to domestic chinese preferences by design.
but the fit and finish was pretty good - cosmetically.
i didn't see flaws.
btw, isn't spyderco's bard knives made by this outfit?
 
I don't think they do copies. Some of the models look similar to othere knives, but then most do. I own a few of their knives. Very good at the price. Much better than most of the chinese imports, they are actually very usable. If you only have $10 to spend, you won't beat them anywhere.
 
They make very similar if not exact copies of higher brand name such as klotzi. I own 3. All with 8Cr13MoV and edge retention is decent. The fit and finish is quite good, although the level of consistency is not as good as SAK/Victorinox.

My respect to this company is rather higher than other Chinese manufacturer for 2 things:
* Decent Steel, Good fit & finish
* Carry their own brand rather than selling the knives as CRKT, Buck, etc.

I've seen other knock offs (CRKT branded, but the model is from Spyderco, etc.) that I don't get because if a company does that, they're after scam, and definitely the steel cannot be trusted.

SRM does it differently. Yes, their model often very similar, but being knives, how much close it should be to be considered copy? Size? Slight change on handle?
Anyway, my personal experience is : for an EDC, these will perform.
 
I probably own 10 Chinese brand knives -- mostly Sanrenmu, but a couple Navy and Ganzo. I paid from $10-$20 for each of them, and they are equivalent to knives from US brands that cost 3 times as much. I have bought from exduct.com (which sends registered mail), Alibaba (which sells a lot in wholesale lots) and from sanrenmu.knife on ebay (whose prices are a little higher but who often has stock the others don't).

On Alibaba, you will also see the counterfeits and cheap knockoffs people complain about. Those are not Sanrenmu, Navy or Ganzo brands. And bear in mind that Sanrenmu (at least) is an OEM maker for some US and European brands. So when you see "stolen" designs or "pirated" patents, we really have no idea about the contractual terms between the Chinese makers and the US companies. Their arrangement could include permission to use those designs or patents (e.g., AXIS locks) so long as they don't directly market them in the US -- which they don't.

But don't expect to get a $100 knife for $10. Plus, you need to like 8Cr13Mov steel, and you need to live with some occasional minor QC issues.
 
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