Ganzo's are a shot in the dark. Some are good and some are crap It's kind of like playing craps, sometimes you win and sometimes you loose. I don't suggest getting one . The guys in this thread are correct it doesn't pay and it is supporting thieves. There are many companies to choose from, Kershaw, Boker plus and Boker Magnum. Go to YouTube you will find a plethora of reviews on knives under $20.00 . you can also buy used on those other sites just make sure to look at their feedback. If the have any negatives see what they were for. You will have no trouble finding knives you just have to do a little legwork.
You are absolutely correct. I’ve handled a lot of Ganzos and the quality is highly variable. Sorry, this may run long but it’s time to share some real-world experience with these knives.
I’ve handled two different G704s (a rip-off of the Benchmade Snody 14705). One was actually fairly well done but the other had poorly fitting scales and liners, a very uneven blade grind and an Axis lock that stuck badly.
A G710 (a rip-off of the Benchmade 950 Rift) that I actually had a chance to use had poorly milled G10 scales, to the point of being sharp to the hand. The blade was so soft it couldn’t possibly have been 440C. It dulled so thoroughly after cutting rope and cardboard, I could never get an edge back onto it with my Sharpmaker. It would have needed a full re-profile. The blade even developed a bit of a recurve! I was able to tune out most of the blade play after hard use by tightening the pivot, but then the deployment was nil. Another G710 that I know of (but never used first-hand) has seemed to perform as expected for 440C.
The Ganzo G711 that I played with (a copy of the Benchmade 746 Mini Onslaught) seemed impressive at first blush, although I never had opportunity to really use it. It had probably the best manifestation of an Axis lock copy of any other Ganzo. It did have a slight bend or warp in the blade. For some reason it couldn't get centered without scraping on the liners. If you could live with poor centering, the action was smooth.
I was actually fairly impressed with a G712 that I handled (a scaled down rip-off of the Benchmade 860 Bedlam). The fit and finish was fairly well done and the blade was sharp and well ground for a $25 knife…until the Omega spring broke after less than 100 Axis flips. I’ve never had a spring break on a Benchmade, although I’m sure it can happen. I wonder if Ganzo sends out replacements from China?…
I kind of liked the Ganzo F714 which to my knowledge might be an original design? Who knows with these guys. After getting it wet, it developed rust spots on the blade and liners far more quickly than I’d have suspected for 440C but I keep expectations low for a cheap knife. I still have that knife somewhere…
I played with a G719 which is their first take on an auto knife and it committed the unpardonable sin…inconsistent deployment. Sometimes it snapped out sharply and locked securely, sometimes it bounced off and failed to lock. I think it’s a similar problem as people have had with the Launch series; it depends on how hold the knife when you release the button. You want nothing to do with an auto that doesn’t lock up EVERY time. It was a borrowed knife but I disassembled and destroyed it and bought a Boker Kalashnikov to replace it.
The worst Axis lock I’ve ever experienced was on a Ganzo G720 (a rip-off of the LionsSteel SR series). Gritty, sticking and almost impossible to pull. Yuck.
If you don’t care about theft, there is a chance you can get a good knife from these guys. I freely admit it. But there is also a good chance you’ll get a knife with an “issue”. I can’t really speak about their more recent releases because I don’t even want to handle or test a clone knife anymore. Maybe their quality/consistency has improved on their more recent clones of the Griptillian, 940 Osborne and PM2. Maybe not.
Bear in mind that most of those crowing about “Ganzo quality” have ZERO experience with well-made knives. Their only point of reference is a similar priced gas station knife. Low expectations combined with limited scope of experience can yield some highly wonky opinions.
At the end of the day there are far too many choices of great knives from companies that engineer, develop, and test their own knives. There are options from companies who actually offer a usable network of service and support. There are options from companies who support knife designers and the knife community. For a discerning, principled knife buyer there’s never any need to turn to Ganzo and their ilk. The good crowd here at BF can help suggest a lot of valid options.