I was referring to the 3Cr13 and 4Cr14 balde steel case and not to the beaten to death “made in China” dilemma.
I see some kind of double standard and overheated patriotism here. It’s similar to the “8Cr13MoV case”. When Sanrenmu started to sell their first models (SRM 710 etc.) for $10 shipped with that blade steel it was considered as pot metal on the prestigious knife forums. Then US companies like Spyderco and Cold Steel also started to use it and suddenly 8Cr13MoV was considered as a decent, appropriate blade steel for budget knives even in the $50 - $60 price range.
Anyway I keep avoiding 3Cr13 and 4Cr, 5Cr blade steels regardles it’s used by a no-name company or a prestigious one because I don’t think heat treatment could make any wonder to such a low-end steel like 3Cr13.
Yes, Kershaw uses these in their bottom-tier such as the otherwise nice Walmart-exclusive Hotwire. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it lets you buy a $10 knife with Kershaw quality and a Kershaw warranty. That can be good for bulk gifts and such. However, I have to consider the price difference before they could have just used 8Cr13Mov. For instance, some of the more recent 4Cr14 knives from Kershaw have street prices over $20. That seems insane to me.
It’s not just that the “curve of diminishing returns” is steep and fruitful at this level. It’s that I can find knives in 8Cr13Mov for around the same price or less, including other Kershaws. I can find knives in Acuto 440, Chinese D2, or Sandvik steels for a tiny bit more. Generally, I have a hard time justifying 8Cr13Mov when the price tag rises too far over $20. I have trouble justifying 3Cr, 4Cr, or 5Cr at all.
I’ve carried a lot of Kershaw knives over the years. I’d say they do an okay job in heat treating but I have to wonder how much performance can be eked out of a steel like 3Cr13. The edge retention on my Hotwire would certainly qualify as “abysmal”. Sure, it was easy to sharpen and could be quickly touched up on the bottom of a coffee cup. The problem is how often it had to be touched up. It’s not a big deal if someone just wants to use it as a classic “letter opener” but packages, cardboard, or anything tougher produces rapid wear.
Believe or not I also have a couple of Kershaw folders and I also feel the urge to educate you.
I can’t see any significant difference between the performance of my China made Kershaws and my China made CRKTs with 8Cr… blade steel. They’re just as good as my Sanrenmu folders with the same blade steel. That summs up my oppinion about the superior heat treatment.
Some non-D2 knives I like, and consider to buy 1-2 of them. Bold Are favorites.
EDIT: —— LEMIFSHE PUTS FAKE STAMP ON THEIR KNIVES, DO NOT BUY!! ——
Worlds cheapest M390 knife, LEMIFSHE, 22 usd, https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000904690024.html
Removed the F76 from my list, as it’s doubtful real VG-10.
Would it be OK for me to post a pocket knife in the WTS forum?
I recently joined Reddit’s knife_swap community, but I am very unfamiliar with reddit and the posting process seems very overwhelming (also, I don’t think I can use image shack to post pics like I can on here) and Ive had several very good experiences selling here on BLF. I really favor this community, no offense to the knife_swap community. I have reached out to one of their moderator’s but I just figured i’d ask you all.
Thanks. And, Absolutely! I learned how to post pics a couple weeks ago from your thread actually! It was very helpful, defintely helped me sell a light and show my knife of the day off thanks!
I used to really enjoy assisted knives. I remember making the jump from traditionals and SAKs sometime in the late 90s. Opening a knife with one hand and having it snap open reliably was a game-changer for me. I carried different brands but Kershaw was king. I had an assisted knife in my pocket most days until just a few years ago. What changed is that great manual actions drifted down in price and became widely available.
The only assisted knife I still ever carry is my M390 Dividend. That's mostly because it's a thin tip-down flipper that's perfect for shirt-pocket carry. I'd replace it if I saw a good manual alternative. I've really come to prefer the feel of a good manual action. They can snap open reliably and close more gently. They're simpler, easier to maintain, and I never have to worry about replacing a torsion bar.
I’m just curious, which manual flippers have you tried? I’ve had budget flippers down to about $30 that flipped extremely well. The now discontinued CRKT Ruger LCK is one, also the Ruike P801 (108?) is also a good budget flipper.
I bought 3 of the Limited Edition CRKT M-16FK (only 500 produced) and just wondering what would be the current market value of the M-16FK with CF handle and 3 7/8” AUS 8 blade?
Can’t seem to find anything of Ebay.