Recommend the best Chinese-made or budget knives/tools you have come across!

Thanks! It’s definitely got the marmite effect, doesn’t it? I didn’t mind the scales, but I was put off by the swedgy-thing! :stuck_out_tongue:

Whats is a hollow ground?

A very good source of everything knifey.
Copyright 1996-2013 by The Jay Fisher

Not just the geometry but loads of information.

All About Pocket Knives

More information.

Here are my all time favourite budget Chinese folding knives:


as you can see they’re all Sanrenmu except for the 2 Enlan

The smaller ones:

  • SRM 604
    SRM 605
    These two are very handy small knives, use them a lot around the house…
  • SRM H03
    This one is on my key chain, probably my favourite small UK legal EDC… I have a H02 and never liked it, it doesn’t feel good when holding it. The H03 has the curve for your finger at the beginning of the blade that makes it extremely versatile
  • SRM 728
    Beutifull looking gentleman hunting knife
  • SRM GB763
    No need for introductions
  • SRM 785 with custom scales
    I love the look and feel of this one.
  • EL-M08
    Great blade shape and very nice to hold

The longher ones:

  • SRM M1
    UK legal (after shortening the blade a few mm) for EDC
  • SRM 913p
    Work horse
  • EL01
    We all know this one…

8slSteve88 iam pursuing it now.

I have the M1 too, I forgot to mention that one. Apparently it got discontinued weeks after being produced. It was $10 on FastTech a while ago, definitely worth the money. I have been nervous about carrying the M1, do you think the police would be okay with it? I’ve been nervous because it’s such a huge knife in terms of the handle size. I would have to shorten the blade a bit though. It is a beautiful knife though, isn’t it? The quality is simply astounding, rounded spine, super comfortable handle, beautiful blade, gotta love it.

Glad another bloke loves the H03 as much as I do. I think it can’t be beat for a great UK EDC knife. It’s just so darn comfortable for it’s compact size. So versatile too.

I recently came across this website I’ve never seen before called www.oneknifestand.com and what caught my eye was the fact that there are a lot of knives I’ve never seen before there, a lot of hand made knives that look really cheap too, but most of those were sold out. I came across these knives which were listed as “hand made Case knives”, but I don’t recognize them, I don’t know if they’re copies of case knives or if they’re original hand made Chinese slipjoints, they seem to have some kind of filework on the back and claim to be made out of 8cr17mov which is a really good steel:

http://www.oneknifestand.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=Case&x=0&y=0

That said they don’t seem to deliver to the UK. |(

I’ve also seen this knife on FastTech which seems like a very unusual knife, it looks kind of like a balisong only it opens I’m guessing more like a multi-tool? It interested me purely because of how strange it seems. Any ideas anyone?

http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10006652/1520501-rimei-5975-stainless-steel-wilderness-survival

Finally I’ve also seen this knife on Aliexpress that interested me:

It’s $15 and looks quite nice, the only info I could find is that it’s listed as a “typical large Russian folding knife” though, it’s also MASSIVE:

SPECIFICATIONS:

NEW Typical Russian Large Wood Handle FOLDING KNIFE B77
Blade length: 4 1/2”
Closed length: 5 3/4”
Steel: 440C Stainless
Liner lock

I guess it really is like a multi-tool then, only instead of opening into pliers they open into a blade. I might pick one up just because it seems like a unique knife.

With a 70mm blade, and no locking mechanism, it should actually be UK legal.

I’m not too convinced…
Taken from here

“Knives that are illegal

butterfly knives - where the blade is hidden inside a handle that splits in two around it, like wings; the handles swing around the blade to open or close it
…”

:frowning:

It’s interesting, isn’t it? I mean, it must surely take two hands to open, and be just as safe as any normal UK legal knife. But because it “looks” like a balisong it could still get you in trouble with the law, I’m sure. I ordered one anyway, I just like that it’s a little bit different. Even if the design was used by Cold Steel first.

I’m glad that people are recommending some knives. I think I’m addicted to buying Chinese knives, haha. I started buying them because I had no money, but with all of the Chinese knives I have I could have gotten some really high end knives instead, but I don’t regret buying them. :slight_smile:

I have a Black Rock Hunter with that mechanism. It’s much slower to open than any of my OHO knives.

I’d say a Swiss Army Knife would be more dangerous.

It can be slow but once opened it is moooore dangerous than a victorinox.
It is almost a fixed knife.

So is my Voyager XL clip point. :slight_smile:

Xaru, I’d just bookmarked the OneKnifeStand website and was checking the shipping, like ya do, :bigsmile: then noticed that they don’t ship to the U.K. ah well the Russian folder on AliExpress looks good. :slight_smile:
By the way, did you notice how many fakes there were on the OneNightStand, it looked like AliExpress without the genuine stuff, not saying I wouldn’t have ordered a few though. 8)

I know! That’s what confused me about that site, it has a lot of knives that aren’t on aliexpress. All of the supposedly hand made knives they have seem to be sold out and I can’t find them anywhere else which sucks. I remember seeing this and really wanting to buy it, it looks like it’s hand made and has a convex/saber grind so I thought it would make a pretty decent bowie for the price.


http://www.oneknifestand.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_2&products_id=618

They sell some pretty crazy shit, too. I saw this the other day, $20 wolverine claws. Haha!


It’s too bad they don’t ship to the UK though, I was also interested in these knives, they’re listed as being “case” knives, but I think they’re hand made Chinese slip-joints, they seem to have some filework on the back of the spine, if anyone knows if they are copies of Case knives then I’d like to know, but I couldn’t find them on any other website.

http://www.oneknifestand.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=Case&x=0&y=0

I was browsing ebay and I saw these Sanrenmus that looked like the 763, but they were liner locks and they came in different colours. Sanrenmu 7063LUC

I don’t like the pattern on the scales; seems they could have left it smooth like the LB763; or put some other pattern and filled it in a bit more throughout the scales.

Not sure why they even made a liner lock version. I think most people get the 763 because of the axis-lock.

I do not know that sanrenmus… Perhaps fakes?.

If i must recommend my favorite budget knife… it’s impossible. I like each one in differents ways.
The Enaln el01 is a must have sure. The sanrenmu 733 i like becasuse it is anatomically perfect. The el03 for me has one of the more beautiful blade of all, enlan el04mct has a angle blade i like and the micarta handle… The el08 is a beast, the ganzo g704 is smooth, strong and with beautiful blade, the g712 has a unique design on handle and blade, the inron my803 has a incredible blade (but bad slim handle and other problems in reviews but mine come perfect in all ways except sharpness, but i fix it with my diamond stones), the ganzo g710 has a beautiful and “original” (benchmade) blade and super super smooth but poor lock engage, even i can recommend the new harnds viper if you don’t like the tactical looking. Perhaps the enlan l05 is my least favorite of i own.

All like me in different ways. Budget chinese knives = Addiction!

I don’t trust very much on that JinLang Columbia Knife SA28 because Columbia is a very poor brand that make fakes and very low quality knives but that looks impressive. 440C steel? i don’t think that for the price but xaru, is really so good that knife?

SRM 913P about a week ago and I love it,absolutely perfect lock up and zero play anywhere I
play anywhere. Adjustable deep carry clips from left or right a,smooth no sharp edges anywhere fits really well in pocket fit a great in my hand whether opened or closed .Ive already put it too work cutting 5/16 fuel line and twine on bales of straw for dog house’s I feel confident bearing my weight on blade and keeping control .