Completed Clasp Knife

[Tom Hudson]

I added Rough Rider Knives & Marbles Knives to my line of engraved knives. They have really gone over well. Sales at Gun Shows & off my site has been excellent. For an imported knife the quality of these knives are great - Much better than the Case knives i have been getting - tom

 

[Piraticalbob]

I'm a collector of Boy Scout-pattern pocketknives and have purchased Chinese-manufactured Rough Rider and Kissing Crane samples recently. While I agree with you that fit and finish of these knives are excellent - - especially given the low price - - both knives have noticeable flaws. The Rough Rider's bottle opener has a hook edge that was ground too far down and thus slips off the bottle cap when you try to use it; the Kissing Crane's bottle opener/screwdriver spring is far too stiff, thus making it difficult to open without breaking your thumbnail.

So, although the Chinese-made knives are competitive in fit and finish to US-made knives, quality control appears to be lacking, at least based on my two samples.

 

[TimboKhan]

Oddly, I just bought one of each of those brands. I favor mini-trappers, and while I generally find the Kissing Crane model to be my favorite of the two, the reality is that I was happily surprised with both in terms of fit and finish. Better than either of my Case mini-trappers? Well... no. Good, but not as good. The Rough Rider has some small gaps between the bolsters and the handles. Nothing unsightly or particuarly damning, but they are there. The Kissing Crane has excellent fit in that regard, but again, there are some minor imperfections here and there that are not present of either of my Cases.

Overall, in my very limited experience with both of these, I am happy with my purchases. I like trappers, and at the prices they were being sold at, I saw no reason not to give them a try. Still, at the end of the day, I like my Case knives better, and while I obviously don't beat the drum of "US Only", in this case I would prefer to buy from an American company.

As an aside, another Chinese knife I own is the Spyderco Persistance, and it is excellent in all regards and has become my second most carried EDC knife after my Endura.

 

[451 Detonics]

That is a good looking engraving job!

I have a few RRs in the collection but the Chinese slipjoints that really surprised my with their quality is the Colt brown bone stag. They are heads and shoulders above the RR's and I would say on par with the Case knives being made today. I have been told after much research The Colt's are using a better grade steel, 420J2. This is a little light on the carbon but has a healthy amount of chromium and vanadium. It is typically hardened to about 53rc. Takes a wicked edge but does require a bit more touching up on long jobs. They to have found favor with customizers.

 

[Tom Hudson]

I was told by people that should now that colt, winchester ,Rough Rider, Marbles maybe more all come out of the same plant. They write the spec they want & the boys over there build it to their spec - Don't know this for a fact but it wouldn't surprise me - Also Buck has it's "International " line - how about all those Yellow Horse bucks & Painted Pony knives that has been on the market with a retail of 3,4 5 hundred bucks - You think their not imported - Yellow horse has sold a pile of them. sure look like imported to me! but what do i know - I'm just an old knife maker & scratcher - I'm selling knives with hand engraving for 55 bucks! thats why i'm poor & yellow Horse is wealthy - tom

 

[451 Detonics]

My understanding is there are a couple large manufacturers that are handling the bulk of the mass market knives and then a handful of smaller manufacturers doing knives in limited numbers such as the AG Russell Ranger series. As you say the built to spec and evidently do so very well. The AG Russell knives are of extremely high quality and would easily be in the $200 to $250 range if made here.