True, I also tend to avoid Chinese steel or knives as much as I can. The only Chinese knife I have right now is the Spyderco Resilience. I don’t think I’ll get more in the future.
But I gotta tell you bud, Taiwanese Cold Steel knives are winners in my book.
I have no problem with the Taiwanese products or steels. I very much have problems with Chinese steel. First, there is zero quality control, and second I consider it immoral to do business with China. Other people feel differently, and I understand that, but to me -- based on their ongoing and historic human rights abuses -- doing business with China is one step worse than doing business with Nazi Germany.
Maybe someone could look past all that if the price was fantastic, but in the case of these new Cold Steel Chineseum products the price is (in my opinion) absurd. Which is likely the reason they made the switch.
Profit is great, I am a business owner myself, but but is an unfortunate reality that when a company is racing to zero, desperately competing for the lowest possible price point, they inevitably devalue the legitimately good products they make.
Mr Thompson (a man I have nothing but respect for) has produced multiple videos highlighting the objective competitive advantages of his products, often seemingly puzzled that people are not snapping them up. Sadly, Cold Steel is no longer widely known for making exceptional and revolutionary combat weapons at reasonable prices (though they still do this, and better than anyone), they are instead known as the guys who make blister pack trash machetes and ninja gear for big box chains. When it comes to maintaining a reputation for quality, or more importantly, tactical legitimacy, that is precisely the last thing you should do.
But it might pay very well.
That's great for the company and Mr Thompson, but not so good for the fans of what they used to be.
Could be a shortlist for your next knife or a list that you absolutely have to complete. Here’s mine:
