Prices of Knives from China

Status
Not open for further replies.
chevyrulez1

chevyrulez1

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2007
Messages
737
I started to post this as a reply to another post, but didn't want to hijack the other members thread. I also do not want this to turn into a political thread because it will surely be locked, and that is not my intent to stir that pot.
I also do not really want this to turn into an argument over the quality of knives from China either, as I know there are examples of really nice stuff from over there.
I do want to ask though, why have many of the knives made in China now gotten so expensive?
I can't get used to the current prices. They used to make mostly good quality budget folders that were generally less expensive than locally made competitors, but now a lot of the knives made over there are selling for premium prices. I understand that they are moving to more premium materials, etc. but I really just don't get it and I personally am not willing to spend $150-$300 (and more)
Previously the main appeal of knives from Asian countries was value, because they had cheaper labor rates, etc. but why are they charging so much now? When I look at some of these, they are selling for the same price I could buy GEC, Buck, Case, ZT, etc.

Has there been some sort of tariffs kicked in, have their labor costs gone up significantly, or are the companies that having them built over there just marking them up WAY too much? Maybe it is just the normal forces of supply and demand?
I know everything has gone up, but it looks like some of the stuff from that country have increased exponentially more.
I am really curious as to the root cause of the increased prices, any thoughts?
 
China is developing a Middle class that gets paid better than they used to. They are also using better materials than their previous mystery meat equivalent steels. Finally, the US has printed so much money in the past few years so our currency is devalued, making everything more expensive.
 
chevyrulez1 said:
I started to post this as a reply to another post, but didn't want to hijack the other members thread. I also do not want this to turn into a political thread because it will surely be locked, and that is not my intent to stir that pot.
I also do not really want this to turn into an argument over the quality of knives from China either, as I know there are examples of really nice stuff from over there.
I do want to ask though, why have many of the knives made in China now gotten so expensive?
I can't get used to the current prices. They used to make mostly good quality budget folders that were generally less expensive than locally made competitors, but now a lot of the knives made over there are selling for premium prices. I understand that they are moving to more premium materials, etc. but I really just don't get it and I personally am not willing to spend $150-$300 (and more)
Previously the main appeal of knives from Asian countries was value, because they had cheaper labor rates, etc. but why are they charging so much now? When I look at some of these, they are selling for the same price I could buy GEC, Buck, Case, ZT, etc.

Has there been some sort of tariffs kicked in, have their labor costs gone up significantly, or are the companies that having them built over there just marking them up WAY too much? Maybe it is just the normal forces of supply and demand?
I know everything has gone up, but it looks like some of the stuff from that country have increased exponentially more.
I am really curious as to the root cause of the increased prices, any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Inflation effects everyone when the US has rising prices.
 
I personally like TWO SUN knives - they are well-made of quality material. The centering on the 10 that I have is spot-on centered. They come super sharp too. I recently purchased a DEMKO assuming it would be made in the USA ... not ... unless Taiwan has recently become a new territory of the US that I am not aware of. All of my TWO SUN were purchased on eBay, ranging in price from $18 to $125. They give allot of bang for the buck and you don't have to worry about scratching up a $600 and up show piece, since most of us aren't in the TOP 1% that wipes their hiney with $100 bills.

I have a dozen mid-level traditional folders that are more for admiration than use.
 
Last edited:
DennisM said:
I personally like TWO SUN knives - they are well-made of quality material. The centering on the 10 that I have is spot-on centered. They come super sharp too. I recently purchased a DEMKO assuming it would be made in the USA ... not ... unless Taiwan has recently become a new territory of the US that I am aware of. All of my TWO SUN were purchased on eBay, ranging in price from $18 to $125. They give allot of bang for the buck and you don't have to worry about scratching up a $600 and up show piece, since most of us aren't in the TOP 1% that wipes their hiney with $100 bills.

I have a dozen mid-level traditional folders that are more for admiration than use.
Click to expand...
Taiwan is not China both in terms of politics and knifemaking. Taiwan stuff has been great for decades.
 
I have faith t
DMG said:
China is developing a Middle class that gets paid better than they used to. They are also using better materials than their previous mystery meat equivalent steels. Finally, the US has printed so much money in the past few years so our currency is devalued, making everything more expensive.
Click to expand...
Yes, I suppose the devaluation of US Dollar is probably one of the driving factors. That certainly makes sense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DMG
Inflation, increased labor costs, higher quality manufacturers like We and Reate raising the bar, increased demand. It's not surprising. Why did you expect China to remain solely for cheap knives?
 
chevyrulez1 said:
I am really curious as to the root cause of the increased prices, any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Well, for one the people who are importing them may have caught on to the growing popularity and are making a fortune buying Chinese knives cheap then selling them for a huge profit, or maybe capitalism is actually alive and well in China. Maybe a bit of both.....
 
Chinese knives have been getting really froufrou lately. I'm slowly becoming of the mind to just save up for a large sebenza and be done with it. The few simple chinese "less is more" designs I like always seem to spec out too small (3" blade).

I've been edcing budget chinese knives for years for the exact reason you mention, they're affordable enough I don't have to worry about abusing them like the cheap prostitutes they are... paying $150+ for a chinese made knife never made sense to me personally, but to each his own. Even on the higher end chinese knives, I still can't help but wonder about their steel and heat treat.
 
DMG said:
Taiwan is not China both in terms of politics and knifemaking. Taiwan stuff has been great for decades.
Click to expand...
I'd take either of the top four knives over the bottom.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3525.jpeg
    IMG_3525.jpeg
    291.4 KB · Views: 6
Gentlemen, we've been down this road in the past and lately.

Do your homework. Only you can decide what is worth your hard earned money. If you feel that you can't trust the stats or specs they provide, either seek proof or walk away.

If you wish to discuss the merits of a particular knife, or a particular maker, please open a new discussion. We're not here to have a discussion about the pros or cons of Chinese products or their prices relative to domestic products, or those from other realms.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top