While the buyer trusts the brand - I trust you all best when it comes to knives. I know we have some enthusiasts out there who can compare them to a lot of our favorites, including the Kershaw. Don't be shy, take a stab.

Since I don't see it in the item descriptions, where are these made?

I carried a S&W pocket knife with me in the field for years and loved it.

Not overly impressed with the price; similarly priced items popped up on the first website I searched.

I would like to know where they are producing these now. By comparison, I own a Kershaw that I received for Christmas last year and was impressed enough w/ it to order another one during the woot-off. However, on further inspection I noticed that they are made in China.

EDIT: Just found a site where these are listed as "Made in Taiwan"; disappointing because I'm almost positive my original S&W knife was USA. I guess, at least, its not Communist China.

The S&W name is attached but they are not made by S&W. China made and exagerated MSRP. I saw these at the local gun show this weekend for $10-15.
Junk in my book

I believe these are made by Taylor Brands (who also make Shrade knives).

http://www.schradeknives.com/

sgtgreeneusmc wrote:

I own a Kershaw that I received for Christmas last year and was impressed enough w/ it to order another one during the woot-off. However, on further inspection I noticed that they are made in China.

Some of the lower end knives made by Kershaw are made in the PRC (and when i say lower end, they are still decent, like the one that just sold out on Sport.woot) but a good amount are still made Stateside.

Kershaw notes if any of their products are made in the USA. They also say that they monitor their production facilities in China, but i dont know what all that means.

As for S&W to not be completely off topic (Sry inky) I am wondering how the knives are branded S&W if they arent Made by S&W. Mr. Sausage may be onto something...
Taylor Brands Website

Taylor Brands wrote:Taylor Brands, LLC is the official manufacturer and wholesale distributor of Smith & Wesson and Schrade Knives.

Looks like S&W outsources their knife line to them. I couldnt find where they were made on the website though.

I am kicking myself for missing the Kershaw on sellout woot since I have been looking for an assisted opening knife. Is it better to wait for another Kershaw deal or get one of these? These are more expensive but are they any better? Also, what's the difference between spring assisted, assisted, and speed assisted?

sgtgreeneusmc wrote:I carried a S&W pocket knife with me in the field for years and loved it.

Not overly impressed with the price; similarly priced items popped up on the first website I searched.

I would like to know where they are producing these now. By comparison, I own a Kershaw that I received for Christmas last year and was impressed enough w/ it to order another one during the woot-off. However, on further inspection I noticed that they are made in China.

EDIT: Just found a site where these are listed as "Made in Taiwan"; disappointing because I'm almost positive my original S&W knife was USA. I guess, at least, its not Communist China.

Sorry, but some of them are indeed made in China. The model, CK2CMS is. However, for the price it is a well made knife. I have sold quite a few of these on a gun/knife site. But, the price they have here while discounted can be beat if you do a little web search. But then there is shipping so it may come out about even. I would have to see another $5 across the board on these before I would say it is a heck of a deal. JMHO

DayWalkerSC400 wrote:I am kicking myself for missing the Kershaw on sellout woot since I have been looking for an assisted opening knife. Is it better to wait for another Kershaw deal or get one of these? These are more expensive but are they any better? Also, what's the difference between spring assisted, assisted, and speed assisted?

I bought 3 of the Kerahaw knives last week on woot and they aren't assisted opening knives.

These are junk compared to Kershaw, cheap gimmicks made for the 13 year olds that don't know any better.

^^Doesn't know jack about knives. (get it?)

These are extremely inexpensive knives for what they are. You get what you pay for. You want to spend $10 on a Kershaw? It ain't going to made here in the USA. Many knife companies have budget lines that are made in China, Taiwan, Indonesia, etc. Kershaw, Boker, Cold Steel, Spyderco and many others... all have lines that are manufactured or licensed by overseas companies. That doesn't mean the quality is bad. Not by a long shot.

I have a Spyderco Resilience (China) that is equal in quality and fit and finish to my Spyderco Manix and Manix 2 (Colorado) at one-third the price (for the same-ish amount of kife). I can say the same thing about several Cold Steels I own. My Espadas (the carbon fiber versions) are some of the tightest and highest quality knives I own and they are made in Taiwan.

My god, you people cry if they aren't made in the USA and cry if they are too expensive. You can't have it both ways.

The Resilience is one of the first knives I recommend to people who are looking for a high-quality knife that won't break the bank. You can find them on Amazon for 35-40 bucks. It's got a 4.25" blade, which may be too big for some, but the other Spyderco knives in the same line, the Tenacious (3.5ish" blade) and the Ambitious (2.25" blade) are less expensive and likewise high quality for the price. LINKY!

EDIT: Yeah, I bought one. Have to see for myself.

Compare:

BladeHq

Willy Fogg

888KnivesRUs

NotJustKnives

Ebay

WildBillWholesale

Bladeplay

BladeOps

Also:

Knifeforums thread about the 4034 Stainless

Look it up for yourself


YouTube!!

Does anyone else despise the assisted open? That's a deal breaker on any of these knife deals for me.

comma wrote:^^Doesn't know jack about knives. (get it?)

These are extremely inexpensive knives for what they are. You get what you pay for. You want to spend $10 on a Kershaw? It ain't going to made here in the USA. Many knife companies have budget lines that are made in China, Taiwan, Indonesia, etc. Kershaw, Boker, Cold Steel, Spyderco and many others... all have lines that are manufactured or licensed by overseas companies. That doesn't mean the quality is bad. Not by a long shot.

I have a Spyderco Resilience (China) that is equal in quality and fit and finish to my Spyderco Manix and Manix 2 (Colorado) at one-third the price (for the same-ish amount of kife). I can say the same thing about several Cold Steels I own. My Espadas (the carbon fiber versions) are some of the tightest and highest quality knives I own and they are made in Taiwan.

My god, you people cry if they aren't made in the USA and cry if they are too expensive. You can't have it both ways.

The Resilience is one of the first knives I recommend to people who are looking for a high-quality knife that won't break the bank. You can find them on Amazon for 35-40 bucks. It's got a 4.25" blade, which may be too big for some, but the other Spyderco knives in the same line, the Tenacious (3.5ish" blade) and the Ambitious (2.25" blade) are less expensive and likewise high quality for the price. LINKY!

EDIT: Yeah, I bought one. Have to see for myself.

Seconded. Spyderco makes nice stuff, though personally I've usually preferred Kershaw or Cold Steel (mostly based on looks) for good quality in similar price ranges. One of my personal favorites is the Kershaw Blur, assisted opening, should be about $40-50. Great knife.

DayWalkerSC400 wrote:I am kicking myself for missing the Kershaw on sellout woot since I have been looking for an assisted opening knife. Is it better to wait for another Kershaw deal or get one of these? These are more expensive but are they any better? Also, what's the difference between spring assisted, assisted, and speed assisted?

S&W tends to offer decent knives, but it was already mentioned that they don't actually make them, which I think inflates the price a bit. I bought 3 of the Kershaws previously for gifting (not assisted opening), but skipped these. I believe that "spring-" "speed-" and "assisted" are all just different names for the same function, although the mechanism could vary slightly.

edit: I also got one of these several months ago, the Compound. Nice knife for the price, no thumb stud but the flipper on the backside works well with the assisted-opening.

Too bad they won't ship to my zip! If you're going to sell more and more knives you may want to consider a verification process for buyers. Some of us are allowed to carry knives that others aren't (spring, gravity, switch blades, etc...).

If Gerber can send them to me, you can too! :-)

Also, can anyone think of a good reason for the serrations to be near the tip of the blade on the remaining models? Aside from looking cool, all I can come up with is cutting steaks. Sawing works much better with the belly of the blade, I think.

itoaseik wrote:Also, can anyone think of a good reason for the serrations to be near the tip of the blade on the remaining models? Aside from looking cool, all I can come up with is cutting steaks. Sawing works much better with the belly of the blade, I think.

Yeah, I thought that was strange too, especially when you consider the primary purpose of serrations, cutting fiberous rope. Some people have found they work well for other things, and prefer serrated blades, but I personally don't like them. I think you are right, though. It should make a good tactical folding steak knife.

DayWalkerSC400 wrote:I am kicking myself for missing the Kershaw on sellout woot since I have been looking for an assisted opening knife. Is it better to wait for another Kershaw deal or get one of these? These are more expensive but are they any better? Also, what's the difference between spring assisted, assisted, and speed assisted?

With regard to your last question, I believe that they all refer to the same thing. There is a torsion spring which pops the knife into the open & locked position once the user manually moves the blade past a certain threshold. Different manufacturers have coined different names for it (for marketing reasons).

More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted-opening_knife

The best assisted opening knife I have found is the Kershaw Blackout, made in the USA. Thumbstud activated, not the rear pointer finger flip. It's larger than some, a bit bulky but not heavy. The action is just awesome. Fits the hand nicely and a slight pressure from the thumb on the generous stud and "clack!" you're in business. They are towards $50, and I haven't seen them on Woot, but you won't be sorry.

DayWalkerSC400 wrote:I am kicking myself for missing the Kershaw on sellout woot since I have been looking for an assisted opening knife. Is it better to wait for another Kershaw deal or get one of these? These are more expensive but are they any better? Also, what's the difference between spring assisted, assisted, and speed assisted?

drummingcraig wrote:With regard to your last question, I believe that they all refer to the same thing. There is a torsion spring which pops the knife into the open & locked position once the user manually moves the blade past a certain threshold. Different manufacturers have coined different names for it (for marketing reasons).

More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted-opening_knife

Thanks for this!

bigfutz wrote:The best assisted opening knife I have found is the Kershaw Blackout, made in the USA. Thumbstud activated, not the rear pointer finger flip. It's larger than some, a bit bulky but not heavy. The action is just awesome. Fits the hand nicely and a slight pressure from the thumb on the generous stud and "clack!" you're in business. They are towards $50, and I haven't seen them on Woot, but you won't be sorry.

Thanks for the recommendation! I will consider this knife but I am also leaning towards the Kershaw Blur. They seem to be pretty similar except I think the blur is the newer version.

In general, knives made in Taiwan are much higher quality than knives made in Communist China. Modern mass produced Taiwanese knives are similar in quality to mass produced Japanese knives. Still, I prefer American knives.

For instance, I have bought CRKT knives from Communist China and from Taiwan. The Chinese knives vary enormously in fit and finish from one knife to the next, while every knife made in Taiwan has had very good fit and finish.

Since many knives made in China are designed in the US, it is a roll of the dice if you get a good knife.

Additionally, Chinese knives are often made with cheap Chinese steel like 8Cr13MoV. While some people compare this steel with Japanese AUS8A, 8Cr13MoV heat treatment and steel quality seems to vary much more.

I bought a Spyderco Resilience and it had quality issues. For instance, the blade was off-center and the tip would rub into the liner when I opened the knife.

While only costing half as much, the Kershaw Tremor, sometimes sold here on Woot for about $15, is a better Chinese knife of similar size.

To their credit, Kershaw maintains good quality control in China. The only problem I ever noticed from their Chinese wares was the somewhat unsightly blade finish on my Tremor.

However, American made Kershaws like the Ken Onion Leek are much higher quality and are still inexpensive. The Leek is an outstanding knife.

There are many inexpensive, good quality American made knives from Buck like the Vantage line, Omni Hunter and QuickFire.

None are ten dollars, but I often see American made knives around $20.

Of course, Taiwanese knives are often under $20. I have a Ka-Bar Fin and a Ka-Bar Dozier that both cost around $18 and both are excellent knives made in Taiwan with Japanese AUS-8 steel.

I bought the Smith & Wesson Extraction & Evasion Knife (SWEE2BS) with the black teflon blade coating. They reportedly have an effective assisted opening mechanism. Many people deride S&W knives, but I've never owned one and I want to evaluate the quality myself. 4034 is a pretty cheap steel, but the feature set of the knife otherwise looks good for this price point.

comma wrote:^^Doesn't know jack about knives. (get it?)

These are extremely inexpensive knives for what they are. You get what you pay for. You want to spend $10 on a Kershaw? It ain't going to made here in the USA. Many knife companies have budget lines that are made in China, Taiwan, Indonesia, etc. Kershaw, Boker, Cold Steel, Spyderco and many others... all have lines that are manufactured or licensed by overseas companies. That doesn't mean the quality is bad. Not by a long shot.

I have a Spyderco Resilience (China) that is equal in quality and fit and finish to my Spyderco Manix and Manix 2 (Colorado) at one-third the price (for the same-ish amount of kife). I can say the same thing about several Cold Steels I own. My Espadas (the carbon fiber versions) are some of the tightest and highest quality knives I own and they are made in Taiwan.

My god, you people cry if they aren't made in the USA and cry if they are too expensive. You can't have it both ways.

The Resilience is one of the first knives I recommend to people who are looking for a high-quality knife that won't break the bank. You can find them on Amazon for 35-40 bucks. It's got a 4.25" blade, which may be too big for some, but the other Spyderco knives in the same line, the Tenacious (3.5ish" blade) and the Ambitious (2.25" blade) are less expensive and likewise high quality for the price. LINKY!

EDIT: Yeah, I bought one. Have to see for myself.

DayWalkerSC400 wrote:Thanks for the recommendation! I will consider this knife but I am also leaning towards the Kershaw Blur. They seem to be pretty similar except I think the blur is the newer version.

I have a Blur and I love it. I grabbed one on Amazon for $29.65 about a year ago. Don't know if I just got very lucky, but I rarely see them less than $50 nowadays. Excellent knife. Thin and perfect for EDC, imho. The assist is FAST. Just keep in mind the belly has a slight recurve if you dislike those. I also have a Kershaw Cryo that is also great EDC blade. A little smaller than the Blur, but less expensive, and built like a tank.

inkycatz wrote:While the buyer trusts the brand - I trust you all best when it comes to knives. I know we have some enthusiasts out there who can compare them to a lot of our favorites, including the Kershaw. Don't be shy, take a stab.

I have sold cutlery from some of the worst junk that you can find (and yes sadly there is a market for that crap) to top of the line Henkels and further up this line, custom worked and custom made knives that retailed close to $1K so I know a little about knives. I don't know how many S&W knives I have sold but it would number in the hundreds. For the money, they are well made knives. I am sure a lemon gets through now and then but I have yet to have on that had any obvious issues. They are equal to any other brand in the same price range and as good as many that go for a little more. Are they equal to a Gerber? No, not in fit, finish and overall quality or PRICE! If comparisons are going to be made here then let the comparisons be apples to apples or the comparison is bogus to begin with. If you are looking for a lower priced but workable knife, these will do it. The exception I would be say is the models with serrations on the front of the blade. I can think of no good reason for that at all. As I stated in here already, you may be able to find a better deal on a sale elsewhere on the web but the price here is fair and reasonable for the models being sold. Again, I would stay away from the models with serrated blade tips. Otherwise, the brand is not bad at all for the money spent.

AS an addendum, someone correctly remarked that many brands also farm out to China, Japan, Taiwan etc., and make a lower end product they can put their name to. This is a fact of marketing and since I remarked about High end Henkels I can give an example with that brand. Henkel made their reputation on top grade and professional cutlery from Germany with products made through forged Solingen German Steel. In these tiers for full sets expect to see retail prices (depending on size of set) from $600 -$900. Next step down is knives made in Spain, still forged from Solingen steel and still a high end product but due to labor cost and a few other minor changes, expect to see these knives around 15% to 20% less. Then there are the knives Henkel has made in China. You can easily find a 7 piece set with block for about $125. They are not bad but frankly, you can get better quality in other brands than this low end China made stuff and for the same amount of money. Point is, do you homework. Just because it has a 'brand name' alone, does not always equate to quality in the very least.

avansmith wrote:For instance, I have bought CRKT knives from Communist China and from Taiwan. The Chinese knives vary enormously in fit and finish from one knife to the next, while every knife made in Taiwan has had very good fit and finish.

I have several CRKT knives and the fit and finish varies GREATLY among them. I don't think they make any of their knives here (could be wrong). Total crapshoot, in my experience.

Additionally, Chinese knives are often made with cheap Chinese steel like 8Cr13MoV. While some people compare this steel with Japanese AUS8A, 8Cr13MoV heat treatment and steel quality seems to vary much more.

8Cr13MoV has advantages and disadvantages (heat treat notwithstanding), just like ALL knife steels. Inexpensive is one advantage. I haven't had any issues with it, and it was probably considered a more-than-adequate steel before all these "exotic" alloys and powdered steels started showing up.

I bought a Spyderco Resilience and it had quality issues. For instance, the blade was off-center and the tip would rub into the liner when I opened the knife.

Luck of the draw, I guess. None of my Resilience-line (?) knives I own or have purchased for others have had any quality issues.

However, American made Kershaws like the Ken Onion Leek are much higher quality and are still inexpensive. The Leek is an outstanding knife.

Yes, it is. I disagree that it is "much higher quality", but that's kinda subjective. Depends on what you are looking for in a knife, I suppose.

These knives just look gimikey and hoakey. Toys.
What I really hate is the "partially serrated" blade knife makers are trying to convince us is "better". It all comes from them trying to sell their rejects and flaws.
The serration is designed to hide manufacturing flaws... and they all do this now!

Michael1185 wrote:These knives just look gimikey and hoakey. Toys.
What I really hate is the "partially serrated" blade knife makers are trying to convince us is "better". It all comes from them trying to sell their rejects and flaws.
The serration is designed to hide manufacturing flaws... and they all do this now!

Patently ignorant, ridiculous, paranoid, and WRONG.

Not available to ship in my area (NY)

Michael1185 wrote:These knives just look gimikey and hoakey. Toys.
What I really hate is the "partially serrated" blade knife makers are trying to convince us is "better". It all comes from them trying to sell their rejects and flaws.
The serration is designed to hide manufacturing flaws... and they all do this now!

There are practical uses for knives with a partial serrated blade. However, over the past several days I can not conceive of a practical use for a knife with the serrated edge on the tip of the blade.

Many LEO's EMT's and Fire Techs carry them. A serrated edge is much better at cutting through some objects than a flat edge. The very tough weaved fabric of a standard seat belt for example. In an emergency extraction from an automobile accident (fire for example) where the seat belt is stuck or just plain difficult to unbuckle the serrated edged knife will go through that seat belt much, much, faster. At the same time the flat edge has huge advantages on other surfaces so the two in one has a multi use advantage. Campers find these blades useful as the serrated edge is better for cutting rope or sawing through harder objects like wood kindling but again, the smooth cut from the straight edge is needed for when a clean cut is desired on other objects. Food, for an example. So, there is no gimmick here and if you go to Brands like Gerber or Sog (naming just two of the many high end knife makers) you will find these blade stiles being sold in knives that cost well over $100. As you may would expect, they are carried as a staple by survivalist. These style knives are commonly found and sold on police/fire/emergancy supply web pages, as well as spourting and other outlets. The very last thing that could be said about the design is that it is 'hoaky' or a 'toy'.

A good example of this style knife at better than $120 (MSRP) with a nice video can be found here,

http://sogknives.com/store/AE-07.html

I don't remember the last time it took over a week for Woot to ship something -_-

lostwithoutabeat wrote:I don't remember the last time it took over a week for Woot to ship something -_-

Oh dear, we'll pass this along - and you may want to drop a note to service@woot.com if it goes much longer, but be sure to keep an eye on "your account" for the most up to minute information.

inkycatz wrote:Oh dear, we'll pass this along - and you may want to drop a note to service@woot.com if it goes much longer, but be sure to keep an eye on "your account" for the most up to minute information.

thanks, will do!