Reate productions on par with high-end mid-techs?

[Mrgauth]

Never had a Reate but want to someday once I see a design that speaks to me. So far none have. Everything I’ve heard about em has been nothing but positive. Wish I could say that about all the brands I have bought so far. : (

 

[MolokaiRider]

My experience with Reate's is decidedly limited, but I have owned one of their early and most competitively priced models, the Hills, and I think it would make a pretty good user, maybe better suited to your use than many of their other models (just basing that on your Hawaii Knife Life thread ).

Thanks Halden, I’ll take a look and see. I’m all for a quality user if it will hold up.

 

[miltmaldo]

View attachment 928140

ZT can make pocket jewlery if they want .

 

[b00n]

I don’t own any Reate, Kizers, or WE knives. I wouldn’t mind checking one out though. Any suggestions on a model that would be a good worker?

Get a Valhalla if the price doesn't turn you off. If it's a bit much check the K-2. I have both of them and feel like I can recommend them without hesitation. Big knives though.

/Edit: Sorry, I just checked and oddly enough the Valhalla is cheaper. So...get that. I recalled the K2 costing me less than the Valhalla

 

[NorthernSouthpaw]

Can't fault them for craftsmanship, but has anyone noticed that the prices have been skyrocketing?
Reate is starting to be more of a "High end" production company. I see very few of their recent offerings under $300. Nothing wrong with that, but it put's them on a different level than Spyderco, ZT & Benchmade. Who all primarily play in the $100-$300 range.

Strider & Hinderer are really just one trick ponies where they have been selling different iterations of the same knife for years. Hinderer has been breaking away from the XM's only within the last 2 years. There really is no american company that is doing what Reate is right now. That's because the cost would be extremely prohibitive for one to compete. Labor and real estate alone would force them to double their costs right off the bat. So no American company CAN compete with what they are doing. Reate's only competition is WE and to a lesser extent Kizer and Riuke. Notice something in common with all those brands?

I will still never buy one though. Not for xenophobic reasons mind you. They have released a bunch of great stuff, but ZERO leftys.

 

[RBid]

1. Hitchens’s Razor — it’s up to you to prove you’re right, rather than being up to us to prove you wrong.

2.

3. I’d ask where I go to claim my prize, but as you can see, I already have it.

 

[halden.doerge]

1. Hitchens’s Razor — it’s up to you to prove you’re right, rather than being up to us to prove you wrong.

2.

3. I’d ask where I go to claim my prize, but as you can see, I already have it.

Well done, sir.

 

[jstn]

I just say my one piece. Reate puts out consistent quality with nice packaging and decent materials. They aren't a bargain or particularly good value subjectively but they are a good purchase if you like their designs.
I still like them and will add some more to my collection. Putting them up against knives who cost the same the do hold their own with ease though. Better? Worse? Personal preference.

It seems Hinderer is doing so with the addition of steel inserts, better flipping action, and the upcoming Full Track with interchangeable bearings/washers. I suspect that trend will continue with them.

One thing that hasn't been brought up, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but with companies like Reate, WE, etc. does one have to send knives back to China if there is an issue, or are there liaisons in the U.S.?

 

[RBid]

Well done, sir.

Thank you, sir!

 

[halden.doerge]

It seems Hinderer is doing so with the addition of steel inserts, better flipping action, and the upcoming Full Track with interchangeable bearings/washers. I suspect that trend will continue with them.

One thing that hasn't been brought up, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but with companies like Reate, WE, etc. does one have to send knives back to China if there is an issue, or are there liaisons in the U.S.?

Yeah, the whole warranty issue is an important part of the equation. You're getting far, far more from ZT for your $$ than Reate on that front.

 

[jstn]

1. Hitchens’s Razor — it’s up to you to prove you’re right, rather than being up to us to prove you wrong.

2.

3. I’d ask where I go to claim my prize, but as you can see, I already have it.

I love the looks of that knife, but I'm so infuriated by the proprietary pivot hardware w/out a tool included that I can't bring myself to buy one.

 

[Qbert_72]

Have or had several crk’s, Hinderer, strider, and Reate and agree that reate’s quality/fit and finish is on par with or in some cases better than the “Big 3” but at the end of the day with Reate I’m left with zero pride in ownership. As someone who loves our country and proudly served it, I find pride in buying my blades that are 100% American made and when I’m ready to trade or sell, I’ve learned that there’s a broader interest in US companies within this awesome community of knife collectors.

 

[GermanyChris]

I’ll never buy a We, Reate, or Kizer....there I said it

 

[jstn]

Again, I think Reate is sexier than ZT but I won't disparage ZT in any way as I believe they make some seriously bad ass knives. I still own my ZT0560 and have customized the hell out of it. It's still a member of my EDC rotation. I just think, for the most part, Reates are a bit sexier.

I will agree that the frame-lock is not the best locking mechanism available and would love to see more diversity in the mid-tech community in this area. For sure.

I am enjoying this thread, probably much more than I should, and I have to agree with the OP on some points. I was just discussing with my father yesterday the exceptional quality of knives coming out of China, and we were conjecturing as to how they achieve it.

These companies surely have the capability to create new locks, etc., with incredible tolerances. The TAD/G&G Hawk collab comes to mind a one with a unique lock that would be great if manufactured by Reate or WE. For me though, I always feel like there is just something missing with the China-made knives I have owned that has caused me to sell them off, and I suspect it is that for all their quality, the Ti framelock with steel inserts and bearings just oozes a lack or originality, even if many of the designs are. They know what sells in America and they are selling just that. Nothing wrong with that, just not my cup of tea.

 

[gazz98]

Reate products > Strider nail?
https://www.knifecenter.com/item/STRLN/strider-knives-ln-nail-fixed-s30v-black-blade-kydex-sheath

 

[marcus52AR]

Ford is better than Chevy... There, I said it.

I disagree.

 

[Comeuppance]

Emerson, Strider, Hinderer - heck, even Chris Reeve all have prices that are well out of proportion with their build quality and/or materials. It's nothing new. They've been outgunned by other companies well before the influx of Chinese manufacturers putting out unique designs and collaborations.

What they have, though, is reputation, style, and, most importantly, niche markets (within the already niche market that is quality folding knives). You can get a mechanically superior knife for less, and you can get a knife with better materials for less, but you can't get their knives for less. Their knives are iconic and have avid fans - you won't find many (if any) people that will tell you that a XM-24 is a more practical choice than a Reate, but arguing for practicality goes out the window once you break the $250 mark on folding knives and hit that point of notably diminishing returns. Once you step out of a certain price range, you're paying for the style, reputation, and/or perception of the knife.

Materials and build quality can be had for cheap. I have a S35VN-bladed knife with a titanium framelock (+ steel insert) that runs on ceramic bearings with a ceramic detent ball. I paid $60 for it on the exchange. It's smoother than any Emerson, Strider, Hinderer, or Chris Reeve that I've ever owned. It's perfectly centered, has flawless lockup, and flips like a dream. That said, I still pine for a double-thumb-lug Large Insingo with snakewood inlays because the feel and design of the knife speaks to me in such a way that I would toss the aforementioned flipper in the garbage without a second thought if I had the disposable income to justify buying that Sebenza. If my tastes were different, that same sentiment would apply to some certain Hinderer/Strider/Emerson/etc.

TLDR: They persist because people want them. Nobody is arguing that their knives are an objectively superior value - they would instead argue that value is subjective.

 

[`br4dz-]

I'll agree. Havent read many posts, but I assume its a bunch or fanboy flame. Every reate I have touched has been damn near perfect. I wish they made lighter knives with thinner blade grinds, but as far as quality, fit and finish, they are top notch, above pretty much anyone.

 

[RBid]

I love the looks of that knife, but I'm so infuriated by the proprietary pivot hardware w/out a tool included that I can't bring myself to buy one.

I get that. This may or may not help shift your perspective, but I consider it to be similar to a strop, sharpening kit, case, etc. It’s just another support tool, to me.

I don’t even mind that they didn’t include it, because the collectors who’ll never take it down for a price break this way.

 

[cashville]

5-6 knives is an incredibly small sample size. Especially to make “conclusive” statements that one brand is better than others.