Well obviously it can be sharpened, because they come from the factory very sharp.
What do Spyderco use?
My instinct is that they use a belt grinder, followed by a polish on a leather belt (also on a grinder), as that seems to be the most production oriented form of knife sharpening for a small volume manufacturer.
From the sounds of things ZDP doesnāt let go of the burr easily.
Fasttech has my favorite EDC back in stock at a great delivered price. The Enlan/Bee EL-01A Stainless Steel Folding Knife. Click the pull-down window for all the different versions and prices.
Iāve had my Sanrenmu folders for about six months now and they seem to still be good. The 710 has got a bit loose.
I am interested to see how these Chinese knives fare after using them for a couple of years. I donāt think they sharpen as well as the SAK or 12C27 knives I have.
You mean the crocodile one?
Edit: Just realized my mistake- Iāve read āironā sry
If so, got one, love it. Itās great to play around with. Takes a sharp edge so that is good. And opens good with a little swing from your hand/fingers.
Well, i say you some things about the inron:
I love the blade design, one of my favorites, and its steel are in theory better than most of enlans and sanrenmus but it has a weaker blade too, it is concave (in english maybe hollow ground?) and not flat ground like all my enlans and ganzos. The tip is thin and it is not for heavy use but it cuts very well, i sharpen it and it shaves. The handle do not like me, it is too thin for me and the framelock is very thin for being a framelock. I read that this inron had faults of fit and finish but mine has one of the better fit and finish of all time including srm, enlan, ganzoā¦ Centered blade, without scratches, good lock upā¦ But anothers can be worst.
I think for cutting things is a good knife but not for heavy use and the el01 is stronger with a fat tip and even a fatter liner lock, better handle too but with worst steel (in theory again). For the price it is the biggest knife in size you can get, for me it is a plus that. I get it in a deal for half price but for its full price if you see its steel and size is not a bad knife.
I think Inron basically spend all the money making the blade, and then spend just enough on the handle to give you something to hold onto. Harnds Blazer is, I think, the best big folder from a Chinese manufacturer (it may well be the biggest folder currently available).
Yes, i agree with the inron. And i havenāt got the blazer but i have the viper, i saw photos of the blazer and i saw that the liner lock was a little thin, even thinner that the linerās viper. Iām sure it must be a very good knife the blazer but itās one of the most expensive budget knife too, like the enlan el08 that i have too and itās one of the best in my opnion but it isnāt very popular for some reasons that i donāt know.
Can anyone share their impressions of the Vallotton clone? Ive been eying the ones on Ali and not sure if they are worth the change. The pics look like the real deal, which has me suspicious, and I couldnt find a review anywhere. My favorite EDC has been the trusty EL-01. Is the Vallotton clone as factory sharp and well made as a good SRM or Bee/Enlan?
IMO, the real Spyderco Vallotton is a classy looker.
Unfortunately many clone manufacturers are getting exceedingly good at replicating models by Western manufacturers. I have no doubt that the clone youāre looking at will be almost the same as an original with two provisios. The steel will not match (of course) and the heat treatment may or may not be any good. The finish might not be as good as an original. If you expect it to be roughly equivalent to a Enlan or Sanrenmu, but in the shape of a known knife, then youāll get about what you expect.
Nicely made clone, the store where I bought mine - DIY Knives - has stopped selling them but there are plenty of them about. Worth the money but easy to spot the fakes - at least on mine - the pivot screw isnāt as well recessed as on the genuine and the same goes for the scale screws, just very slightly proud of the surface, not enough to cause any discomfort and Iāve not tried to tighten them down.
A heavy knife and up to Enlan standards of fit/finish with just a couple of minor faults, the screws arenāt a big deal. The liners are a bit sharp edged, easily fixed. The blade is perfectly centred and sharp, plunge lines equal but the tip grind is minutely off, not much and you have to be looking for it. G10 ācontour linesā less pronounced and the scales less glossy than the genuine one but micromesh might solve this.
Iād buy another one any time.
The DIY Knives has some very interesting thumbstuds, pivots, stand offs etc. not easily available, I will be buying a few to see what the quality is like when I recover financially from Yule excesses.
There is so much good information in your reply that I encouraged you to copy/paste your PM so that others may benefit. We can all learn from your attention to details and commentary.
When I first saw the Vallotton, I was immediately taken by its good looks and functional purpose. I actually had no idea that it was a Spyderco till I looked it up. I seriously considering the $165-ish price for the real McCoy, but then it would probably sit in a drawer most of its life and not get abused as harshly as my EL-01 collection.
I had no idea that the G620 was an AO. While I kept my early and later versions of the Ganzo G704 (later version has a thicker blade), I have noted that the steel doesnt hold an edge as well as the EL-01. Not sure if this is due to a lesser steel or a lack if attention in the hardening process. This seems to be true of all Ganzoās when compared to the typical SRM or Enlan/Bee, at least from my limited experience.
With so many great bargain knives, Id be put off in spending this amount if the Vallotton required a lot of time and effort to bring it up to an acceptable standard. This one looks like a great buy straight out of the box. And thanks to you, I just ordered one.
Im looking forward to reading of how your future hardware upgrades work out.
Itās a good solid knife, very smooth on the nylon bearings, opens easily with the Spydie hole, it should be even better with phosphor bronze or it might have enough room to fit ball bearings. It is nicely set up as it is so I might just leave it - until Iām feeling bored and want to āimproveā things, it doesnāt always end well.
You wonāt be disappointed.
Is it morally a good idea to be purchasing blatant counterfeits and rip-offs? I donāt think so. Enlan, Bee, SRM, sure. Fake Spydercos? I donāt think it is right.
I can see your point of view but donāt agree with it. If no-body discussed these fakes then no-body would realise they existed and more people would get ripped off thinking they were real Spydercoās - just discounted a lot.
I did explain the differences didnāt I ? Just not the Ā£18 instead of the Ā£185 for a real one.