Ka Bar " Next gen fighter "

[knarfeng]

What?

Even for well-established brands like Boker? They do a lot of fixed blades in 440C MADE IN CHINA.

You telling me that it might be a dud (in terms of not as advertised)?

I think you have to differentiate between Taiwan and China. My comments are regarding knives made in China.

The Chinese have an alloy that they consider to be the equivalent of 440C. To them, they are not mis-labeling it. My company has done business in China and our experience has been that if a material is spec'ed out, and the Chinese have what they consider to be an equivalent, they are likely to provide their equivalent without revealing the change. To them, it is not an untruth. It's a different paradigm than is found in the West.

I am told by people I trust that both Spyderco and Benchmade had issues of mis-identified steels when they first explored making knives in China. Notice that they both currently identify their knives with the Chinese alloy name, not the western "equivalent". For example, Benchmade currently makes the Pika II in 9Cr13MoV. That is the alloy that the Chinese consider equivalent to 440C. Some lots have the carbon content of Western 440C. Some lots have a lower carbon content, and, therefore, decreased edge retention.

ADD: I do not "know" that Boker is not importing 440C from the West for its Chinese knives. I consider it unlikely that they are. And if they are not importing it, then it is not 440C.

Whether 440C is used by Boker or not, 440A is better for a large chopper or rough use knife than 440C.

 

[cabala]

Weapon and tool made of bronze worked very well. Every steel, no matter how low quality is, must be better. What is in my experience really important is good structure and most of all proper hardness. I had one solid quality knife witch was holding edge incredibly and very easy to resharpen. My friend trow it in a wood few times till finally didn't crack like a glass. He sayed to me: " What a peace of shit is this?! I'll buy you 10 like these, don't worry!". Is this means that was poor quality knife?