Kershaw Thistle 3812 vs 3812WMX - good buy or bait and switch?

rje58

rje58

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Dec 21, 2013
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The Kershaw Thistle 3812 is a liner lock knife with 8Cr13Mov steel. Kershaw lists the suggested retail as $39.99 on their website, and typical street price is around $20 - $25, depending on where you buy it. Presumably these come in the standard red Kershaw box.

The Kershaw Thistle 3812WMX is a liner lock knife which the packaging lists the blade steel only as "Stainless Steel" and it comes as a clam pack. These are sold at big box stores (more than one) starting at around $14-$15. The model 3812WMX is NOT listed on the Kershaw website.

My question is: is this the SAME exact knife, with 8Cr13Mov blade steel? Or is this a special "bait and switch" model with a cheaper blade steel, made only for the big box stores and not listed (stealth mode) by Kershaw?

Thanks in advance for your input!
 
It's hard to know for certain. Wal-Mart has been known to sell Kershaws (and other brands) that are made with lower grades of steel like 3Cr. It's even looked to me like sometimes the parts used in Wal-Mart knives are rejects or seconds; they frequently have ill-fitting clips, uneven liners and off-center blades. The fact that the model number has been changed to the "WMX" suffix says a lot too. If it doesn't confirm on the packaging that it's 8Cr13MoV steel, I'd stay away. I don't really blame Kershaw for this either, this is more on Wal-Mart. Wally World is so big in the retail world, they can literally dictate how much they'll pay for an item. Manufacturers have to make it fit the parameters, or they don't put their product into the largest retailer in the world.

I have a Thistle and actually bought a couple to give away as gifts. They're well worth the $25 price you'll pay getting it from an online retailer. It's one of the bargain Kershaws that never seems to get any love.

Knife nuts don't let knife nuts buy knives at Wal-Mart :p.
 
Thanks for the info and thoughtful reply.

I agree about Wal-Mart, but these are available at a few other big box stores as well. I was looking at possibly getting one at Dick's Sporting Goods. They had them on sale for $14.95. But not unless I can confirm it is the same knife... with 8Cr13Mov blade steel. Knife Country USA had them online as well, but they were sold out last I checked.

Hackenslash said:
Knife nuts don't let knife nuts buy knives at Wal-Mart :p.
Click to expand...
 
From past releases, when Walmart sells knives that are 8Cr13 they're marked as such, all the unmarked ones I'm aware of have turned out to be 3Cr13. I'd avoid the Walmart one if it doesn't say 8Cr13, and just get the Thistle online for the $20-25 you can get it for, it's a nice little knife.
 
WMX. ? Wal Mart extra? I've learned that if the steel isn't list its for a reason.
 
The "WM" on Kershaw serial numbers does stand for Wal-Mart. The "X" stands for clamshell packaging.

It's not the "X" designation that's the problem, it's the "WM". You can run into lots of Kershaw "X" knives at Bass Pro, Cabelas, Sports Authority, Dick's...any big box store really. The simple fact that Kershaw felt the need to stamp the blade with two extra letters should be a warning sign that the steel is not that found on the standard knife.
 
Wow, this is crazy. I think it is dishonest for walmart to sell a known product from a reputable company if they dont use the same materials. Of course, what does walmart care, i certainly wouldnt put it past them. I noticed they sell buck 119s for $45 and you cant find them anywhere else under $54. Cant be good for all the other places selling knives. I hate walmart.
 
BenchCo Spydermade said:
Wow, this is crazy. I think it is dishonest for walmart to sell a known product from a reputable company if they dont use the same materials. Of course, what does walmart care, i certainly wouldnt put it past them. I noticed they sell buck 119s for $45 and you cant find them anywhere else under $54. Cant be good for all the other places selling knives. I hate walmart.
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How is it dishonest? It doesn't say 8cr, like the original, it says Stainless Steel. 3cr qualifies as stainless.

Would it be dishonest for bladehq to do an exclusive run of a ZT model, for a discounted price, in D2 steel labeled as "Tool Steel"? D2 is a tool steel, it's a lesser steel than whatever the original was made from and the knife would cost less... it's the exact same MO and it would sell like hotcakes.

That knife's not for me, but I don't have any problem with it.
 
Hackenslash said:
Knife nuts don't let knife nuts buy knives at Wal-Mart :p.
Click to expand...

I got my Rat 1 at Walmart, and it's perfectly fine! Ugly, but fine. I think you just have to be smart. Kershaw can obviously afford to make special knives for Walmart, they are a big enough company, and when Walmart says they want a cheaper option Kershaw can fill the order.
Plus, most people don't care. They buy it cheap, use it, and lose it or throw it away and get another one.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
How is it dishonest? It doesn't say 8cr, like the original, it says Stainless Steel. 3cr qualifies as stainless.

Would it be dishonest for bladehq to do an exclusive run of a ZT model, for a discounted price, in D2 steel labeled as "Tool Steel"? D2 is a tool steel, it's a lesser steel than whatever the original was made from and the knife would cost less... it's the exact same MO and it would sell like hotcakes.

That knife's not for me, but I don't have any problem with it.
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If they didnt state that the ZT had a different, inferior steel people might think they are getting a great deal when they are not getting any better of a deal. Lets say i wamt a kershaw bareknuckle. They go for $60+ and have sandvik steel. If i saw one at walmart for $50 id say, "what a deal, let me buy that here!" I would assume it was just the same quality and materials as all the other bareknuckles. Did they lie? No. Were they honest? Not IMO, unless the package advertised the difference.
 
BenchCo Spydermade said:
If they didnt state that the ZT had a different, inferior steel people might think they are getting a great deal when they are not getting any better of a deal. Lets say i wamt a kershaw bareknuckle. They go for $60+ and have sandvik steel. If i saw one at walmart for $50 id say, "what a deal, let me buy that here!" I would assume it was just the same quality and materials as all the other bareknuckles. Did they lie? No. Were they honest? Not IMO, unless the package advertised the difference.
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If the Kershaw Bareknuckle in the same packging and labeling but in inferior steel was at WallyWorld, then you might have an argument for shenanigans.

But that is not the case here. Here is equivalent to a Kershaw Bareknuckle WMX in clamshell packaging and no steel labeling.
 
BenchCo Spydermade said:
...$50 id say, "what a deal, let me buy that here!" I would assume it was just the same quality and materials...
Click to expand...

Well, that's your problem. You would assume something without actually looking into it and then blame the issue on the manufacturer?

Honesty is the putting forth of accurate information, not the babysitting of lazy people. Kershaw should note that the steel isn't 8cr13mov like the other version and give it a unique model number. They've done that.

If YOU make the assumption that it's exactly the same and overlook the clear differences in the product descriptions, that's on you.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
Well, that's your problem. You would assume something without actually looking into it and then blame the issue on the manufacturer?

Honesty is the putting forth of accurate information, not the babysitting of lazy people. Kershaw should note that the steel isn't 8cr13mov like the other version and give it a unique model number. They've done that.

If YOU make the assumption that it's exactly the same and overlook the clear differences in the product descriptions, that's on you.
Click to expand...
Call me crazy, I think its a bait and switch. I like dealing with people and companies that DONT make me feel like I gotta read through the fine print. Of course, its also good to be a well researched consumer.
 
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