ALL THINGS BUDGET KNIVES

I would bet that Kershaw does proper heat treating of their low-end steels.

I'm not sure if they have abysmal edge retention or not, however.

Would you? There’s a good chance that those cheap Kershaws are made in the same factory as the despised “Chinese folders with tin metal blade steel”.

Kershaw is known for doing proper heat treating with all of their knives.

I've never heard otherwise (from someone that knows what they're talking about.)

Just because something is made in China doesn't mean it has to be junk.

And some knife companies have good reputations, of which Kershaw is one of them.

If the HRC of a Kershaw blade is significantly lower than it should be, then proper heat treatment did not happen.

That would be proof that Kershaw does not properly heat treat their blades, and I've never seen that.

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.

Hey, you brought up "the despised Chinese folders with tin metal blade steel” - not me.

And since when is one simple sentence about Chinese made knives beating a subject to death?

Exaggerate much?

I just think that proper heat treatment is really important, and that's something Kershaw is known for.

Apparently you didn't know that, and I was trying to educate you.

Oh yeah, there's no "double standard and overheated patriotism here."

I would buy a quality budget assisted-opener from a Chinese company, but they don't happen to make them.

But I do buy plenty of stuff made by Chinese companies, and find most of what I buy to be great value for money.

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. :wink:
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.

I never said that Kershaw has "superior" heat treatment.

I only said that Kershaw is known for proper heat treatment.

Other knife manufacturers have proper heat treatment as well, and I never claimed otherwise.

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.

KB245 RAVEN 3.9” AUS-10 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000378344636.html usd 48
LEMIFSHE F76 VG10 — REMOVED LINK, POSSIBLE FAKE VG-10 — usd 55
TS248 14C28N https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001393577563.html usd 80
TC4 M390 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000689345120.html usd 98
CH MARSZALEK S35VN https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000470064179.html usd 158
KEVIN JOHN VENOM S35VN https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32991175693.html usd 175
LiBing Raptor S90V https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000227654623.html usd 258
VENOM NIGHTMARE Kevin John M390 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001474916977.html usd 319
DICORIA M390 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001252196992.html usd 328
DICORIA VENOM T M390 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001063151946.html usd 328

Other knives
Kizer S35VN https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000174340727.html usd 122
CH3538 S35VN https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001214767439.html usd 148
CH EMPEROR S35VN https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000274256147.html usd 168
TWOSUN TS264 M390 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001409573598.html usd 170
S35VN https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000687179738.html usd 170
VENOM HARPOON M390 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32983778738.html usd 310

I take it you don't collect assisted-openers.

It's hard to find a quality A/O for under $50 with better steel than 7CR17MOV, 8CR13MOV, 8CR14MOV, or 14C28N.

Quick question (advice) -

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!

Yes, that's fine.

Plenty of BLF members have sold knives on the forum.

Thank you!

sorry, I thought I should explain myself and edited my OP. thanks @ raccoon city

No problem.

By the way, there's a link in my signature on how to post pics.

Posting pics is pretty important for a sales thread.

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 :smiley: 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 bought four manual flippers, and only one of them opens one-handed very well, so now all I get are assisted-openers.

...

I'm going to quit getting 3Cr13/4Cr14 knives.

I think I only have one or two of those knives, and I don't need any more.

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.