This is HERESY!!! Knife Opinions

[Slice-and-dice]

- some interesting comments and observations here.

Perhaps one thing to sit back and consider, is the knife industry is a most highly competitive market - worldwide - and highly evolving. Have a long article written by Emerson, the US designer/maker, and it dates from around 2011 - he makes some clear and succinct points about the making of tactical folders, and already some aspects of what he's stated are now not quite correct due to evolution of steels and manufacturing bases. Same for many things.

There are guys out there buying all sorts o' utter crap (to me) which they obviously love..........and there is an ever increasing, it appears, large section of younger guys than ever before buying expensive stuff too. Very expensive.

Whatever you say, whatever your thoughts, there's a far, far wider choice of knives than ever before.

The car market is evolving, the computer, the cellphone market - they're all evolving. So too are knives, but in many countries as well now, shaped by some degree, through political pressures.

Steels (powdered technology) and mechanisation (CNC and the like) is getting more sophisticated, and in many cases as the hype decreases, so does the price.

Personally, I abhor many 'tactical' knives being produced, see them as commercial evolution within our sharp world, not an evolution of knives per se. Yeah, I know, I'll get shouted down...

Many, many more than we realise, designers and manufacturers, are having their products made in China. Harley Davidsons are also made in the Far East (and they're blimmin' excellent). The people in the factories making these goods are people - sure, we may not like the governments that ultimately control them. That's life. I was born/brought up in Africa........I still go on safari to SA, cos I love it - but any idea what my thoughts are about the government there......? I utterly despise what BenchMade did to Lone Wolf knives.............good n bad everywhere.

Are Case knives that bad..? Well, there's some that are not so good, but very, very many happy guys n gals out there that sport one, or two, or very many with great pride and joy. I've had a Fallkniven or two that was not so good too. It happens.

One thing's for sure........we're all spoilt for choice, basically very much a win-win. Overall, we should be wholly grateful.

Thanks for adding your thoughtful comments to the discussion Chui - appreciate it!

 

[ebrandwein]

For quite a while, I was a solid fan of Chinese made knives. Their quality was, and remains, excellent (I don’t care what anyone else says, the Rough Ryder Reserve line is as good as anything else I’ve seen). Their prices were consistently lower than anyone else’s too which made for a hard to refuse deal.

No more, at least for now. I still have my Chinese knives and still carry a few of them whose pattens I find useful and hard to find elsewhere. The problem is not the knives but the leadership of the nation that makes them. As China continues its transition from competitor (which is fine) to adversary (which is not), it’s hard for me to look at these things that I collect for the fun of it and still feel like I’m having fun.

I don’t use most other things I have to buy from China as a hobby. My phone being a good example. But for something I’m doing to enjoy my time, patronizing the products of a nation that seems to be heading towards a confrontation with us and our friends is a problem. This could all change in a flash if China’s leaders have a change of heart but that doesn’t seem to be happening right now unfortunately.

 

[Slice-and-dice]

For quite a while, I was a solid fan of Chinese made knives. Their quality was, and remains, excellent (I don’t care what anyone else says, the Rough Ryder Reserve line is as good as anything else I’ve seen). Their prices were consistently lower than anyone else’s too which made for a hard to refuse deal.

No more, at least for now. I still have my Chinese knives and still carry a few of them whose pattens I find useful and hard to find elsewhere. The problem is not the knives but the leadership of the nation that makes them. As China continues its transition from competitor (which is fine) to adversary (which is not), it’s hard for me to look at these things that I collect for the fun of it and still feel like I’m having fun.

I don’t use most other things I have to buy from China as a hobby. My phone being a good example. But for something I’m doing to enjoy my time, patronizing the products of a nation that seems to be heading towards a confrontation with us and our friends is a problem. This could all change in a flash if China’s leaders have a change of heart but that doesn’t seem to be happening right now unfortunately.

Trivia: Who remembers this? (sorry to digress)
---------------------------------------
Estelle: You're not Chinese?!

Donna Chang: No.

Estelle: I thought you were Chinese!

Donna Chang: I'm from Long Island.

Estelle: Long Island?! I thought I was getting advice from a Chinese woman?!

Donna Chang: I'm sorry.

Estelle: Well, then...that changes everything!

George: What?!

Estelle: She's not Chinese, I was duped!

George: So what?! She still gave you great advice! What's the difference if she's not Chinese?!

Estelle: I'm not taking advice from some girl from Long Island!

 

[Blues]

I think this has run its course, but if knarfeng or Peregrin feel otherwise, they should reopen.