# Chinese buying Sandvik 14c28n for making budget pocket knives?



## Bert2368 (Sep 26, 2020)

Robot Check



Or Cronidur 30?

The Chinese makers were all hot on advertising D2 RHC 60 blades for a while, even occasionally putting out knives which were verified as having D2 or Chinese equivalent alloy blades & testing around the claimed hardness.

In the margins, a few of the Chinese factories had been offering "boutique" EDC knives in ZDP189 or whatever alloy Spyderco was doing sprint runs in that week. Some of those were pretty good values (relatively) for fit, finish and function, even at the $100 US + asking prices (aside from the whole issue of clones, intellectual property, design plagiarism and outright counterfeiting).


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## applepieforbreakfast (Sep 26, 2020)

At that price point, I'd add $15 and grab a Kershaw Skyline instead. 14C28N and USA made.


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## inferno (Sep 26, 2020)

i'd just get a mora in 12c27 for 3€. thats how i roll.


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## Bert2368 (Sep 26, 2020)

inferno said:


> i'd just get a mora in 12c27 for 3€. thats how i roll.


I've got several fixed blade Mora knives including a Companion in 12C27, starting to prefer the Carbon steel Moras (3 Carbon vs. 1 stainless are in my shop and hunting equipment). Does Mora even MAKE a folder?


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## Bert2368 (Sep 26, 2020)

applepieforbreakfast said:


> At that price point, I'd add $15 and grab a Kershaw Skyline instead. 14C28N and USA made.



Thanks for the suggestion- However, on first review I pull off of Google, Nick Shabazz says he had 3 Skylines before finding one that worked properly. QC issues?




EVERY Ganzo/Firebird, Eafengrow and Free Tiger I've got my hands on has flipped perfectly 
right out of the box and been 0 defects asside from needing to touch up factory edge on some plus1 Eafengrow had loose pocket clip screws. (I've checked out an embarrassing quantity of such Chinesium, at this point I'd need to dig 'em out and count)


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## applepieforbreakfast (Sep 26, 2020)

Bert2368 said:


> Thanks for the suggestion- However, on first review I pull off of Google, Nick Shabazz says he had 3 Skylines before finding one that worked properly. QC issues?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Hadn't seen that before, mine worked great out of the box. Guess I was lucky or Shabazz was unlucky. I do agree that it shouldn't have taken him 3 tries to get one that was decent.


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## Bert2368 (Sep 26, 2020)

Larin of Knife Steel Nerds keeps reviewing, experimenting with and publishing specs on all the bleeding edge alloys... And every so often, I see him quietly observe that 14C28N heat treated as per Sandvik's spec might be considered an optimally balanced stainless blade steel as far as the relationship between corrosion resistance, toughness, ease of sharpening and edge holding capability- and quite cost effective too...

I have a Ken Onion Leek and a Mora Companion in 14C28N. Both get QUITE sharp enough for my standards reasonably fast and with relatively little fuss, not as fast and easy as white #2 but not annoyingly slow as some of the super alloys (I loved S35VN until I tried to sharpen it free hand on a synthetic blue aoto after doing similar sized blades in shirogami #2 and aogami). Tactile feedback of the Sandvik stainless isn't bad (for stainless) either.

The Chinesium alleged 14C28N folder is in the mail. I will take it to my favorite scrap yard for an XRF analysis if/when it shows up to verify blade is the alloy advertised. I don't yet have access to lab grade RHC hardness testing.


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## inferno (Sep 26, 2020)

do a shootout vs the SS mora. i think they are [email protected] 12c27 is similar to 14c28n


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## ma_sha1 (Sep 27, 2020)

The Chinese manufactures have been importing 14c28n & working with it for a while, & their folder knife reputation is far far better than those making kitchen knives, I don’t doubt that the steel real.

Spyderco has made in China knives too. If certain models are being “copied” quickly, it might be that they are the actual maker & certain models were OEMed to Spyderco?


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## Eziemniak (Sep 27, 2020)

inferno said:


> i'd just get a mora in 12c27 for 3€. thats how i roll.


Can you recommend some particular models for shipment in EU?


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## Bert2368 (Sep 27, 2020)

Eziemniak said:


> Can you recommend some particular models for shipment in EU?



Are you asking about models "for shipment in EU" due to local weapon laws, restrictions on blade length and the possibility of one's order getting confiscated as a banned weapon?

Mora makes this little fellow just for such situations:



https://www.amazon.com/Morakniv-Fixed-Blade-Pocket-Sized-Sandvik-Stainless/dp/B01J7MM5M2?ref_=ast_sto_dp



Regrettably, in USA at least, this little knife costs 2X as much as several of Moras 4" fixed blades.


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## inferno (Sep 27, 2020)

Eziemniak said:


> Can you recommend some particular models for shipment in EU?



do you live in the eu??
you can order all models on www.morakniv.se basic 546 is the cheapest stainless one.
i prefer the orange companion in stainless myself. its hard to lose it. and the rubber grip is better.

this one is very good too. 
Bushcraft (S) - Hi-Vis Orange - Morakniv 
but more expensive. it has a thicker blade but sometimes you dont want that.

mora robust is also nice. its 1095/100c steel.

i buy my moras from hornbach.se or clasohlson.se its cheaper there, just search for morakniv.

the models/prices basically works like this:
the cheapest ones have plastic handles and thin blades. 1,5-2mm
then semi rubberized and thicker blades. 2-2,5mm
then full rubber handles and thick blades. 2,5-3,5mm
then coated blades and tactical looks...


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## inferno (Sep 27, 2020)

some of my moras.
i have about 20 more at work.


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## M1k3 (Sep 27, 2020)

inferno said:


> some of my moras.
> i have about 20 more at work.
> 
> View attachment 96349


Nice collection. Will you be buying mora?


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## Bert2368 (Oct 9, 2020)

Re: The Chinese folder with alleged 14C28N blade.

Arrived quickly via Amazon.

Blade well centered, open & close were easy, smooth and positive. Can't "shake" it open, will "drop" closed, very decent fit and finish for the price.

Free hand sharpened alongside a couple of verified D2 blades of similar dimensions it was markedly easier to sharpen and had a better "feel" on the stones.

BUT:

Arround 58- 60 RHC, this steel should have far higher toughness than D2, the manufacturer could have considered this and saved some money, putting thinner steel into a blade with improved cutting performance/decreased bulk & weight while still being strong enough vs. prying and similar abuse- My several verified D2 Chinese folders tend to have rather thick spines and not much taper, I assume this fairly constant design feature across models is due to toughness issues. They are all a bit heavy and several have noticable issues with slicing performance on anything at all thick and "wedging". The mid sized Honeybadger with FRN handles is the best of the lot in this regard and the one in my pocket right now.

This new blade has all the thickness issues of the Chinese D2 folders in SPADES. Heavy, thick bladed and overall a very thick knife for blade length. It's the pocket knife equivalent of trying to pocket carry a full sized high cap .45 Glock... It belongs in a holster on a reinforced gunbelt- or maybe better, in a truck.

If pocket carried, you would be unlikely to snap it prying on stuff. You would be unlikely NOT to notice it falling out of your pocket due to your spine straightening out and feeling lighter on your feet when it parted ways, plus the loud "clunk" sound of this brick landing near your feet. Carrying would have issues- Having your pants pulled down, need to see your chiropractor more often, etc.

It's going into the console of a 3/4 ton diesel pickup alongside the spare flashlight, a handful of emergency zip ties and spare hitch pins. The day I have to remove a deer hoof stuck inside a radiator grill, I will be happy it's there.


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## Bert2368 (Oct 12, 2020)

Forgot the pics.

Also forgot to mention a spare pocket clip was included, these are asymetrical, come in two versions for switching between right and left side carry.

I do like the tool, the maker was somewhat thoughtful and did a good job building it. It's just way too heavy for EDC in my opinion


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## tcmx3 (Oct 23, 2020)

Chinese heat treats are not always (ie infrequently) done in-house, but despite it being a HUGE operation there seems to be a lot of inconsistency in it.

That being said, 14C28N IS an excellent steel, and probably better for EDC than a lot of these high carbide steels. FWIW I have completely given up sharpening those on naturals and stick to synthetic stones as my life is too short to try and sharpen whatever is FOTM these days (so, lately, m390).

WE and Reate make decent products. But at that level of production, you're not saving any money. Reate has a REALLY high standard of production though. Really ridiculously high for the price they charge.


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## Bert2368 (Oct 23, 2020)

redisburning said:


> WE and Reate make decent products. But at that level of production, you're not saving any money. Reate has a REALLY high standard of production though. Really ridiculously high for the price they charge.



Found Reate via google, thanks. But who are "WE"?


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## tcmx3 (Oct 23, 2020)

Bert2368 said:


> Found Reate via google, thanks. But who are "WE"?



WE knife company. They also have a budget line called CIVIVI. 

really not bad knives. if they were made in the US they'd cost about the same as cheaper Spydercos/Benchmades.


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## applepieforbreakfast (Oct 23, 2020)

redisburning said:


> WE knife company. They also have a budget line called CIVIVI.
> 
> really not bad knives. if they were made in the US they'd cost about the same as cheaper Spydercos/Benchmades.



To be fair, they already pretty much cost what Spyderco and Benchmade knives do.


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