440C knives made in China, Boker Plus, Magnum

[Torrin]

The 440C in the Boker Plus line is my benchmark for a good working blade, they have all been consistently outstanding for me considering the price point. I have nice blades in S30, S35, VG10, CPM154, CPM 3VN, D2 and N690.
The Boker Plus 440C is one of my favorites overall. It gets razor sharp fairly easily without the use of diamonds and will strop back to razor sharp quickly. It doesn't hold up as long as the super steels as would be expected but being able to get it back to razor sharp quickly with some stropping, even just off my jeans if need be is a huge plus. The edge will stay working sharp quite awhile without a need for touching up, but I like to keep my blades razor sharp so I reach for my Boker 440C knives over more expensive harder to sharpen knives more often than not.

 

[Inazone]

Why all the hate for things Chinese? Per Wiki, in 2013, 1/2 the worlds steel was made in China.

This is where personal politics can get involved. Some people think that Chinese products are poorly made or use shoddy materials or deliberately copy existing designs, but if all those factors were equal from country to country, the fact remains that many people remember a time when the US produced far more of the global steel supply. From the steel industry to design to manufacturing, jobs that used to be based here no longer are, and that doesn't sit well with some folks. Of course, people like low prices too, so there's definitely a trade-off.

Myself, I am carrying a Kershaw One Ton folder today, made in China with an 8Cr13MoV blade. This knife has cut things that, to hear some critics tell it, would have rendered the blade unusable, but it is still sharp with the factory edge. Gerber's imports, in my unfortunate experience, go dull if you look at them funny. The only Chinese Boker in my EDC rotation is a Magnum that I have only used a couple of times, so I couldn't say how the steel holds up on it just yet.

Overall, my experience with Chinese knives has been a mixed bag, but I am reminded that there was a time when brands like United Cutlery made some pretty horrible knives in the US with mystery steel. As such, country of origin isn't the deciding factor for me, but it is a factor, mostly on the basis of trusting that the materials and manufacturing are appropriate for the price point and intended use. If a knife made with properly heat-treated Chinese 440C (or equivalent) steel is right for the job, I'll consider it.