Didn't want to side track another conversation in a GD thread. I'm searching for an OTF to EDC and in the past I have owned HK, 2 microtechs, and now carry a protech. I see that alliExpress (Chinese amazon?) seems to have an interesting mix of knives at a lower than expected prices. I have mixed feelings about copy/heritage knives, but it's also making me significantly more hesitant to pick something up off a facebook trader page or IG, since how do I know this stranger didn't buy a fake and is now selling it to me as real?

I have also heard that some of these knives are made in the same factory out of the same materials, so realistically identical products.

so i'm wondering if anyone has experience with ordering directly from AliExpress or similar. I'm not going to war or anything, but I expect an auto knife to fire when needed and cut well enough. Is this a good way to get a decent product or am I going to end up wasting $60 on garbage?

I doubt they are made in the same facility as real Benchmades and Microtechs.

I have seen them on DHgate and they are super cheap. I would not consider them anywhere near the same level of quality.

If you want a cheap OTF the lighting is pretty nice for the money. Bought one for my BIL who is not a knife guy. He now carries it everyday and uses it at work.

They're going to be knock-offs and will perform like knock-offs.

Schrade Viper OTF is in that price range and decent.

I have not gotten anything from aliexpress but have been impressed by Ganzo knives and many are copies or close to it.

If you want a cheap knife, go get a Rat 1 in D2 steel.  It will out-perform & outlast anything off of aliexpress and uses a known steel.

Would you carry a gas station knife? Same thing. Random pot metal using a stolen design.

They are absolutely not made on the same production line of any quality brand.

Would you carry a gas station knife? Same thing. Random pot metal using a stolen design.

They are absolutely not made on the same production line of any quality brand.

you know how I know you didn't read the op

I think there is definitely a difference between flea market knives & some of the high end bootlegs on AliExpress, but you are rolling the dice in terms of materials & craftsmanship.



From my own experience, I bought 3x of these bootlegs for less than $75 shipped. They are $295 each for the original Curtiss ODT. are the scales titanium? is the blade m390, cts-xhp, or cheap 8cr13mov? You really don't know what you're getting. The blade has stayed shave sharp over a year without sharpening, that being said the blue version arrived with a polished anodized look instead of a matte finish like the others. I am satisfied with the action of the pivot but I'm sure it doesn't perform like the Curtiss original. Overall, it's a great cheap knife for my change pocket, but I do not believe I got a $295 knife for $25.

Or maybe I just don't think with well made, known quantity blades on the market that turning to knock-offs is worth it?

or maybe you could just admit the truth, you didn't read the OP was looking for an out the front auto

Gun Pro has Vipertec OTF knives $99. Love mine.

Have to be right, don't ya?

As far as the blade itself, tool steels are cheaper in China.
I have molds built in china for a portion of the cost of US-built tools, using higher-grade Uddeholm steel.

China has come a long way, and you can get what you spec.
The problem comes when you don't spec something and leave it up to interpretation.

I agree with you.

Which is my issue with aliexpress.  You didn't spec it yourself, and you don't know what you are getting and unless you are buying a lot of it, and are willing to QC them hard.... it's an unknown if what you get is what you thought you'd get.

I've been impressed by China products where the us company specs products out and has tight QC on them.  China can do a great job, and they can do a shit job, just like anyone else.  But imho, if I'm only buying one thing for $25-50, I'll buy China made from a US company that has a reputation to protect because they are making sure the product delivered is up to par with the quality their customers expect.

Kershaw, Buck, and others sell quality US made knives in the $25-50 range. If you're buying a knockoff, I wouldn't go over $5, because that's probably more than it's worth.

Plenty of Buck knives are made in China. You'd have to know how to ID the origin, if you care.

well I figured for $40 it was worth the gamble. Got a "microtech Halo" delivered over the weekend. so far it's been fired about 100 times, used to open mail, and amuse my friends. I like it. I know it's not legit, but a few people (who are into knives) were unable to tell it wasn't the real deal.

The blade says Elmax, which I doubt it is. but it's doing a decent job of being a fun knife. Not sure I'll EDC it, but it may eventually live in a drawer as a back up or something. Of gag gift.

Wow, fake logos and everything. You're supporting theft of intellectual property, and should feel bad.

The OP didn't ask for sermons or lectures.

Most of the people saying that the Chinese knives are junk have apparently never owned one.

Come on people, this is a tech forum, not GD.

logos weren't on the pictures on the website, they are just on there when the product shows up. oh well

I don't care if this is a tech forum.  Its disgusting that someone is willing to support theft of American intellectual property and openly show it.

This shouldn't be what this tech forum is about.

@mini14jac

If you want to actively steal from Americans and support those who hate America I would suggest you stay in GD.

If you think this forum should openly support theft of American property you should make a bear pit thread and see who agrees with you.

It's not a sermon or a lecture to express an opinion, politely, that chinese knock-offs are inferior to the real thing....and why.

He can do whatever he wants, but he solicited opinions.  I gave mine.  If he ignores it, fine.  Been doing the knife thing for a while and I've learned a few things over the years.  I could be wrong, I could be right.  But my experience could help, it could not.  Up to the reader to decide.

Chinese manufactured knives are sold under the Spyderco, Boker, Benchmade, CRKT, Schrade, and other Brand names. Fact. Buck I hadn't heard of yet - but I think I bought one labeled Buck/Strider in the day. Piece of JUNK. It's nothing like the SnG I own.

Boker bought one design which had been privately labeled and then posters called the Chinese branded ones knockoffs, when they had been selling for a few years previously. You have to keep up to know.

I have no truck with knives using fake labels or stolen markings - but the concept that Chinese = garbage is invalid. Case in point, in the day Japanese knives were considered junk,  but Gerber was having the blades for the MkII made there and only casting the handles on them here.

If you aren't keeping up with Chinese makers it's a loss on where items are actually being sourced.

Did you know the non Berry Compliant red dots with American and Swedish origins are made in the same Chinese plant as Lucid?
Apple phones?
Most TV's and laptops?
What cell phones aren't made in China are made in India?
65% of cars sold in America are offshore brands? I sell auto parts - most of them are not made in the USA. Even the American brands.

Let's not automatically assume that just because the knife is sourced from China that it cannot be any good. In point of fact there are Chinese made knives on the market now hauling down prices over $200 and Americans are lined up to buy them. They are selling out. Not copies - original designs.

I purchased  a Ganzo shipped direct and it's got solid stainless bolsters, G10 grips, is their steel with a designation, and is a great quality knife. I would put it up against an American knife in 420 any day. Especially the FRN versions. If I could source an OTF with G10 handles and NO markings, I would have hazarded the money years ago. The smaller makers don't see they can stand on their own two feet doing it. But, it won't take long now.

I can’t remember where the source is, but there was a study shown that knock off knives of higher end ones don’t hurt the original manufacturer because in general the person spending the $30 on the knock off would likely have never bought the real $300 knife regardless.

So that would be like saying that the shitty M-tech karambit knives are stealing sales from fox or Emerson knives, when in reality people who are buying the knock offs would never justify buying the real deal.

@LeadRX weird, I must be in the minority. I bought a few of the clones, and liked them and realized I could get away with the size comfortably. so I ordered a real one that's my new EDC.

There are lots of ways to talk yourself into being okay with intellectual property theft.  Yet none of them make it right.

I never said it was right, only that there was a study that I saw that said as much.

That said the knock offs could also provide a gateway to the real thing, I bought a “copy” from Ali that is similar to the benchmade 940-1 but is actually different with a different brand, now I have a real 940 on the way to me.

I wouldn’t have bought the real thing if I didn’t think I would like t so much.