Knives made in China??

GQchris · 04-08-2006, 01:22 PM

I like this Karambit made by Smith and Wesson, and it's only 26 bucks at knifecenter.com, but it's made in China but supposedly "high quality"??

Knife enthusiasts, what do you think?

BoarSpear · 04-08-2006, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GQchris

I like this Karambit made by Smith and Wesson, and it's only 26 bucks at knifecenter.com, but it's made in China but supposedly "high quality"??

Knife enthusiasts, what do you think?

CRAP...oh wait that was too harsh, Sold out and Worthless, CRAP.

GQchris · 04-08-2006, 01:53 PM

That's what I thought too, I mean 26 dollars...

danjuandesiga · 04-08-2006, 02:06 PM

would you have settled for a much cheaper version from Pakistan?

BoarSpear · 04-08-2006, 02:20 PM

I would rather have a cheap Pakistan blade than that SW crap....hell a stick would be a better weapon...that crap rattles in the handle and doesnt lock properly when its new

26 dollars!!! thats 25 more than its worth...

Guro Dave Gould · 04-08-2006, 06:57 PM

Hi guys,

I hope that everyone is doing well. Let me first say that for $26 you get what you pay for. Now having said that, if all that you will be doing is slashing with it you may be alright. If you intend to thrust with it you may end up losing a few digits on impact due to inferior material used, its design and a weak locking mechanism. Most Karambits are designed to be utilized as slashing instruments with little if any thrusting capability so this design favors slashing over thrusting.

As an alternative in that price range I would go with the CRKT BearClaw (Karambit), it is a fixed blade so there are no concerns of integral failure on impact, and you can get them everywhare for about $30 U.S. I carry the BearClaw as my close quarter and ground blade, and I feel that it is reliable (at any price).

Just because the SW Karambit is cheap and as BoarSpear mentioned "it rattles in your hand new" it can still be a danger to those around you. It reminds me of the Czech made Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK-47) it also rattles in your hand and is made of inferior materials but it will still lodge a 7.62mm round through your head leaving you just as dead as a more expensive better made model would.

In South Africa the #1 street knife used by thugs is the Okapi. It is basically a ripoff of the Spanish Navaja design and readily available all across South Africa for $3 U.S. dollars. They are cheap and fairly durable and because of this thugs kling to them and use them quite often to rob and kill the unexpected. A piece of steel is not biased or prejudiced, it can be slammed through your head regardless of wether it is attached to a $26 chinese made SW Karambit or a $500 Custom Polkowski Handmade.

It all comes down to the value that you place on your life first and your hands second. I value both which is why I only carry the best or at least the most reliable. My primary carry is a Custom Polkowski, my back-up is a bench made Axis-lock design and my CQ blade is the Bearclaw. All three have my utmost confidence should I be forced to present them in combat.

Go well guys, ciao.

Guro Dave Gould.

Tom Yum · 04-08-2006, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoarSpear

I would rather have a cheap Pakistan blade than that SW crap....hell a stick would be a better weapon...that crap rattles in the handle and doesnt lock properly when its new

26 dollars!!! thats 25 more than its worth...

Yeah, but S&W are better than Gerber....

Tant01 · 04-08-2006, 07:33 PM

[quote=GQchris]I like this Karambit made by Smith and Wesson, and it's only 26 bucks at knifecenter.com, but it's made in China but supposedly "high quality"??

Knife enthusiasts, what do you think?

You get what you pay for.... I would say it's probably a little better than the kind you can get for 5.00 down at the flea market. (Maybe not) I think it would make a good letter opener or rip the paper around the lid of you can of Copenhagen Snuff. It might even be good for cutting the knots out of your monofilament fishing line or digging out a sliver from your paw.

I use a 20.00 fixed blade for all kinds of stuff but it won't snap closed on my fingers if I hammer it into something. (I don't like folders much)

If you like it what do you care what anyone else thinks? Buy it, test it out and tell us what you think... It's only what? 25.00$$ What do you have to lose? (Besides your fingers)

BoarSpear · 04-08-2006, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Yum

Yeah, but S&W are better than Gerber....

Bah

Id rather use the box from a case of gerber baby food than a SW knife for SD...Gerber blades aint the best, but even the worst ones are better than the best 10 SW's combined. After all Al Mar helped Gerber out...many blade patterns today are copies of old gerber blades...even the flea market people dont bother making copies of the SW crap

Tom Yum · 04-10-2006, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoarSpear

Bah

Id rather use the box from a case of gerber baby food than a SW knife for SD...Gerber blades aint the best, but even the worst ones are better than the best 10 SW's combined. After all Al Mar helped Gerber out...many blade patterns today are copies of old gerber blades...even the flea market people dont bother making copies of the SW crap

hehe. but the flea markets and gas stations have plenty of gerber blades

.

well, you've got a helluva lot more experience than myself so I'll start looking into other brands.

BoarSpear · 04-10-2006, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Yum

hehe. but the flea markets and gas stations have plenty of gerber blades

.

well, you've got a helluva lot more experience than myself so I'll start looking into other brands.

Gerber blades aint what they used to be, thats for sure!

But they are still WAY better than SW crap.

Dim Wit Moc · 04-10-2006, 06:55 PM

I have a few folders made in China along with my American made ones. My biggest complaint about them is that you can have five knives of the identical model side by side. Three or four of them will be very well made and one or two of them will have some sort of defect. If you check out the functionality first, you can get some quality knives made in China.

danjuandesiga · 04-10-2006, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GQchris

I like this Karambit made by Smith and Wesson, and it's only 26 bucks at knifecenter.com, but it's made in China but supposedly "high quality"??

Knife enthusiasts, what do you think?

If this knife was given to me, hell yeah I would use it! Did you armchair warriors suppose that because you think this knife was "crap" due to marred specifications in design that you can't make it work? Screw where it came from and what company manufactured it. This knife still has an edge and a point and is made of steel and remember, it is the wielder that makes it work and I don't even have to tell any of you "experts" that!

remember the K.I.S.S. principle

danjuandesiga · 04-10-2006, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GQchris

I like this Karambit made by Smith and Wesson, and it's only 26 bucks at knifecenter.com, but it's made in China but supposedly "high quality"??

Knife enthusiasts, what do you think?

If this knife was given to me, hell yeah I would use it! Did you armchair warriors suppose that because you think this knife was "crap" due to marred specifications in design that you can't make it work? Screw where it came from and what company manufactured it. This knife still has an edge and a point and is made of steel and remember, it is the wielder that makes it work and I don't even have to tell any of you "experts" that!

remember the K.I.S.S. principle

Dim Wit Moc · 04-10-2006, 10:22 PM

Dang, it didn't take a double post for us to "get the point." LOL

04-08-2006, 01:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
GQchris Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Alameda County, California Posts: 757	Knives made in China?? I like this Karambit made by Smith and Wesson, and it's only 26 bucks at knifecenter.com, but it's made in China but supposedly "high quality"?? Knife enthusiasts, what do you think? __________________ Owner of a lonely heart.. much better than a owner of a broken heart...

04-08-2006, 01:53 PM	#3 (permalink)
GQchris Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Alameda County, California Posts: 757	That's what I thought too, I mean 26 dollars... __________________ Owner of a lonely heart.. much better than a owner of a broken heart...

04-08-2006, 02:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
danjuandesiga Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 337	would you have settled for a much cheaper version from Pakistan? __________________ Daniel Arola DAMAG-INC [Daniel Arola Martial Arts Group-Inc.] e-mail: houstonkaligroup@yahoo.com http://www.damag-inc.zoomshare.com

04-08-2006, 07:33 PM	#8 (permalink)
Tant01 Humble Moderator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Northern Ca. USA Posts: 4,816	Save your money... [quote=GQchris]I like this Karambit made by Smith and Wesson, and it's only 26 bucks at knifecenter.com, but it's made in China but supposedly "high quality"?? Knife enthusiasts, what do you think? You get what you pay for.... I would say it's probably a little better than the kind you can get for 5.00 down at the flea market. (Maybe not) I think it would make a good letter opener or rip the paper around the lid of you can of Copenhagen Snuff. It might even be good for cutting the knots out of your monofilament fishing line or digging out a sliver from your paw. I use a 20.00 fixed blade for all kinds of stuff but it won't snap closed on my fingers if I hammer it into something. (I don't like folders much) If you like it what do you care what anyone else thinks? Buy it, test it out and tell us what you think... It's only what? 25.00$$ What do you have to lose? (Besides your fingers) __________________ "In all countries where personal freedom is valued, however much each individual may rely on legal redress, the right of each to carry arms - and these the best and the sharpest - for his own protection in case of extremity, is a right of nature indelible and irrepressible, and the more it is sought to be repressed the more it will recur." James Paterson

04-10-2006, 06:55 PM	#12 (permalink)
Dim Wit Moc Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: California Posts: 233	I have a few folders made in China along with my American made ones. My biggest complaint about them is that you can have five knives of the identical model side by side. Three or four of them will be very well made and one or two of them will have some sort of defect. If you check out the functionality first, you can get some quality knives made in China. __________________ Figure Eight

04-08-2006, 02:20 PM	#5 (permalink)
BoarSpear Registered User Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 5,729	I would rather have a cheap Pakistan blade than that SW crap....hell a stick would be a better weapon...that crap rattles in the handle and doesnt lock properly when its new 26 dollars!!! thats 25 more than its worth...

04-08-2006, 06:57 PM	#6 (permalink)
Guro Dave Gould Registered User Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA. U.S.A. Posts: 91	Hi guys, I hope that everyone is doing well. Let me first say that for $26 you get what you pay for. Now having said that, if all that you will be doing is slashing with it you may be alright. If you intend to thrust with it you may end up losing a few digits on impact due to inferior material used, its design and a weak locking mechanism. Most Karambits are designed to be utilized as slashing instruments with little if any thrusting capability so this design favors slashing over thrusting. As an alternative in that price range I would go with the CRKT BearClaw (Karambit), it is a fixed blade so there are no concerns of integral failure on impact, and you can get them everywhare for about $30 U.S. I carry the BearClaw as my close quarter and ground blade, and I feel that it is reliable (at any price). Just because the SW Karambit is cheap and as BoarSpear mentioned "it rattles in your hand new" it can still be a danger to those around you. It reminds me of the Czech made Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK-47) it also rattles in your hand and is made of inferior materials but it will still lodge a 7.62mm round through your head leaving you just as dead as a more expensive better made model would. In South Africa the #1 street knife used by thugs is the Okapi. It is basically a ripoff of the Spanish Navaja design and readily available all across South Africa for $3 U.S. dollars. They are cheap and fairly durable and because of this thugs kling to them and use them quite often to rob and kill the unexpected. A piece of steel is not biased or prejudiced, it can be slammed through your head regardless of wether it is attached to a $26 chinese made SW Karambit or a $500 Custom Polkowski Handmade. It all comes down to the value that you place on your life first and your hands second. I value both which is why I only carry the best or at least the most reliable. My primary carry is a Custom Polkowski, my back-up is a bench made Axis-lock design and my CQ blade is the Bearclaw. All three have my utmost confidence should I be forced to present them in combat. Go well guys, ciao. Guro Dave Gould.

04-10-2006, 10:22 PM	#15 (permalink)
Dim Wit Moc Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: California Posts: 233	Dang, it didn't take a double post for us to "get the point." LOL __________________ Figure Eight

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