Ridiculous budget blade-4 dollar Ozark Trails folders, good blade-pic heavy

Yes via Walmart and their source merchandise being sold by minimum wage people..... Most retail jobs are low pay. That's why you have lots of kids working in these places. Walmart hires older people and I think it's a great thing. Try working at Victoria Secret at age 65.
 
RX-79G said:
If I buy one knife with decent steel directly from China, I end up with a knife made of good steel that I can use for decades.

Or I can do the same thing - send money to China - encourage Walmart to sell junk and end up with a knife that I will likely replace anyway.


I fail to see why the second one is in any way superior, because we aren't talking about the same product but paying more to get it from a US company. Instead we're paying less for garbage. The only one who comes out ahead are Walmart stock holders.
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What's best for America that's what the argument was based on. The more expensive knife from Sanremu purchased from a Chinese site would leave 100% of that money in China except for some small shipping portion going to USPS.
Purchasing the cheaper and of course less good knife from Walmart would leave a huge chunk of that money within the USA, even if it was made in China too.
Either
A: $6 completely to China
Or
B: $1 to China for material and labor and $3 to Walmart and it's American workforce and contractors who also spend their money in America?

What is better (for America)?
 
Agreed, and understood.
craytab said:
Don't agree too much, it'll go to his head even if he is correct, which he is.

But this isn't the political forum either like Rolf has pointed out.

It is just a cheap $4 knife sold by walmart. I'd save up a bit more. Maybe don't hit up the Mcdonalds on the way out of walmart and buy a better knife.
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Jens Schuetz said:
What's best for America that's what the argument was based on. The more expensive knife from Sanremu purchased from a Chinese site would leave 100% of that money in China except for some small shipping portion going to USPS.
Purchasing the cheaper and of course less good knife from Walmart would leave a huge chunk of that money within the USA, even if it was made in China too.
Either
A: $6 completely to China
Or
B: $1 to China for material and labor and $3 to Walmart and it's American workforce and contractors who also spend their money in America?

What is better (for America)?
Click to expand...

As I said earlier, if you actually believe that consumers vote with their dollars, voting $4 of those dollars in favor of lower quality Walmart goods tells Walmart consumers want low quality goods.

In terms of Americans, sending $6 to China and receiving a useful tool is better for those Americans than buying multiple $4 tools because they are poor tools made of poor materials.


In either case, none of the money spent is "good for America", because the profitability of a corporation doesn't stimulate the economy overall. In the case of Walmart, it just removes more free cash from the economy that would normally circulate in the hands of consumers and concentrates it in an entity that doesn't do anything with it externally. If Walmart were also a "bank" that loaned money back out to stimulate other industries, that would be good, but it does not. If Walmart purchased US made goods, that would stimulate the economy by paying skilled labor good wages, but it does not.

Walmart's business practices of demanding that manufacturers meet Walmart's wholesale pricing expectations or else has been a large driver in US companies moving production overseas in the first place. That displaced manufacturing jobs, freeing up a formerly skilled workforce that now needs to take lower wage McJobs that give them less money to spend in the economy.

So B isn't good for anything. At least with A the consumer gets something useful for his money without encouraging Walmart to eat more of our country.
 
Walmart employs 1.2 million people in the US alone.
We should do everything we can to reduce their ability to run as a business.
Now THAT'S helping America stay strong!

And I'm sure their drive for lower cost goods is not fueled by any desire from the consumer to pay less.
God knows I'm happy to pay someone $40 an hour to attach some scales to a pocketknife.

Instead of blaming industry, maybe we should take a long hard look at ourselves and stop with the whole "everyone's a winner" mentality.
You want $40 an hour? Do a $40 an hour job. You want to do a minimum wage job? Expect to get paid minimum wage.

Walmart didn't succeed by bullying the consumer into buying; they succeeded by giving the consumer what it wants. In this case, they're selling a $4 knife that is more than acceptable to 99.9% of the people who buy one, and that a portion of the remaining .1% are having a fair amount of fun with, as evidenced by the participation in this thread.

In deference to the OP, feel free to go start a thread about big bad business, then go buy one of these knives and try it out so you can make some informed statements here that actually have to do with the knife we're talking about.
Walk the walk.
 
surprised this one is still open......knife talked stopped and political and economic talk took over.

in the end walmart sells what the consumers, aka the american buyers who shop there, want. if the buyers wanted to pay more for better products they would. walmart would have to change their supply chain. it really is that simple. carry on.......
 
Back on track.
How many users yanked the thumb studs off their blade?
Mine came off almost immediately. It might have stayed if it was single-sided, but as it is, the "outside" stud would catch the edge of my pocket on the way in/out.
I've done this on most of my folding knives; it's not a slam on this one (so what if it WAS, at $4 :-)
 
If the thread title is about the low cost of the knife, the thread started as a discussion of economics. Just sayin'.
 
Walmart also sells American made knives that cost more than $4.

All $4 knives prove is that some people only want to pay $4 for a knife.
Dollarama proves that some people only want to pay $1.50 for a knife.

Some apartments I have visited prove that certain folks don't want a knife at all! :eek:
(or feel it should be plastic, and come free with a take-out meal)
 
Jens Schuetz said:
What's best for America that's what the argument was based on. The more expensive knife from Sanremu purchased from a Chinese site would leave 100% of that money in China except for some small shipping portion going to USPS.
Purchasing the cheaper and of course less good knife from Walmart would leave a huge chunk of that money within the USA, even if it was made in China too.
Either
A: $6 completely to China
Or
B: $1 to China for material and labor and $3 to Walmart and it's American workforce and contractors who also spend their money in America?

What is better (for America)?
Click to expand...

You should really look in to how Walmart runs their business. We'd be better off just sending our money directly to china.

Is this thread even about knives anymore?
 
The billions of dollars doesn't go to the low paid shelf stockers. I'd wager the CEO and upper echelon of the company rake in 90%+ of the money and pay the employees peanuts. Yea the thread has drifted.
 
robgmn said:
Let's get it back on track.
How many users yanked the thumb studs off their blade?
Mine came off almost immediately. It might have stayed if it was single-sided, but as it is, the "outside" stud would catch the edge of my pocket on the way in/out.
I've done this on most of my folding knives; it's not a slam on this one (so what if it WAS, at $4 :-)
Click to expand...

.bump
 
I prefer a larger fixed-blade knife. WalMart has some in the kitchen section for 88 cents. :)

I got some of these folders to scatter about the place, car, etc. Never know when you need to peel an apple or cut off a slice of pepperoni.
 
The Kona Walmart has some of the Ozark Trail knives at $3.87 (like the Sheffield IronRail (fine edge liner w/ fake carbon fiber scales)), and some (like the tan G10 model) at $4.44. Think I got ripped off. :eek: :p Just the price you pay for living in or visiting paradise, I guess. The two knives I mentioned were the only ones I saw with a fine edge so I bought one of each, for giggles. Like most, I suspect, I EDC multiple knives in the same way I EDC multiple LED lights and combustion sources. My good EDC are on lanyards (with quick releases) to prevent loss and/or tucked away in a pouch/backpack where they won't fall out and get lost. With my knives and combustion sources, I also EDC "disposable" items, typically a cheap knife, a book/box of matches and/or a disposable butane lighter.

I do not typically use my EDC items for survival. I'm not making feather sticks, bow drills, batoning logs or otherwise processing fire wood, etc.. I have the knowledge and I do practice those tasks so that I am proficient, should the need arise, but they are not normally part of my typical day. More often than not, my knives are used to open boxes, cut up cardboard, open envelopes, peel fruit, cut cordage and other mundane tasks. Oh, and arm hair shaving. ;) For giggles, I did make a feather stick and bow drill set with the G10 model. Then, for good measure, I cut up several cardboard boxes. The knife held up admirably and still removes arm AND leg hair. :thumbup:

Some of the reasons I buy cheap knives are:

  1. I don't like getting tape goo on my good knives
  2. I don't like to loan good knives as they are often mistreated.
  3. I don't need to lanyard cheap knives. This makes them easier to access and if I lose them, no bigs.
  4. I've opened boxes before which had hidden staples in them which damaged my blade. If that happens with a beater, no bigs.
  5. I don't always travel with luggage so can't always bring knives. It's convenient to be able to pick up a cheap knife when I land to use while on my trip. Sometimes, if I find a good deal while travelling, I'll pick up the knife, then drop it in the mail as my trip nears it's end.
For those of you who don't see any value in these knives, I totally respect your opinions/choices. For me, it's just a tool. I also don't use a straight razor, but opt instead for disposables because they are more convenient. Then again, I do carry a hand towel, which I use instead of paper towels, and reusable grocery bags. Just my choice. I may not agree with everyone else's choices, but I do appreciate hearing the other side of the discussion. Might still drink the kool-aid, though. :)

Perhaps a bit off topic, but Walmart also has a 3 pack of metal folding/locking box cutters for under $12. They have pocket clips and a quick release mechanism for the blade. I've placed this in my EDC. Replaceable blade means a new, keen edge is just moments away. Also, on the day of a trip, I pack away my good knives and only carry this one. If I forget to put it away and get in the TSA line, I remove the blade and duct tape it into a piece of folded cardboard which I present to TSA for disposal. When I land in my destination, I can pick up new blades at a local hardware store or use the knives in my luggage. I also like this option for when I travel without checked luggage. Also, when travelling in the states without luggage, I usually have a Leatherman Style PS and a NiteIze Doohickey, both of which are TSA approved in the states (not necessarily over seas, though).

Walmart also had a plastic box cutter for $2 (I think), but I opted out of that one. :D

Mahalo
 
Yanked mine using two vice grips. Thought it would be screwed on but it's press-fit. Much better now. :D

robgmn said:
Back on track.
How many users yanked the thumb studs off their blade?
Mine came off almost immediately. It might have stayed if it was single-sided, but as it is, the "outside" stud would catch the edge of my pocket on the way in/out.
I've done this on most of my folding knives; it's not a slam on this one (so what if it WAS, at $4 :-)
Click to expand...
 
I almost bought another but went for the Burnley Obake at an INSANELY good price.
 
craytab said:
You should really look in to how Walmart runs their business. We'd be better off just sending our money directly to china.
Click to expand...

Walmart has a very good business model and I applaud them for it. In my area, if you want expensive groceries, you shop at a regular grocery store like Publix, Kroger, and so forth. But Walmart carries the same stuff and it is usually priced less. They also will price match any advertised sale price any other (brick & mortar) business does. They get my dollars,

Some people like $4 knives or think that is what a knife should cost. I have no problem with anyone selling junkie knives and it is up to the consumer to be able to tell the difference. I would rather have a $4 knife than no knife at all.
 
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Saw this today..
 
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