Where to purchase what?

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rust collector

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I have dealt with BladeHQ and Smoky Mtn Knife Works with no complaint, and have seen the cautions against Amazin due to counterfeits and clones. Seems like Tomar's Ka-bars would be the place to buy that brand, but what other sources do you like? Who has best Ontario prices? Does someone sell ESEE at a lower price than others? Who has impressed you for price and/or service?
 
rust collector said:
I have dealt with BladeHQ and Smoky Mtn Knife Works with no complaint, and have seen the cautions against Amazin due to counterfeits and clones. Seems like Tomar's Ka-bars would be the place to buy that brand, but what other sources do you like? Who has best Ontario prices? Does someone sell ESEE at a lower price than others? Who has impressed you for price and/or service?
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I can't give you positive direction beyond what you have noted but I can whole-heartedly agree with the rampant fakes on scamazon.

I should think that I'd go straight to ESEE for their knife. Often times a manufacturer is ironically not the least expensive option for their product but with some products - I simply won't chance it.

Case in point; a VERY premium optics manufacturer once had a primary distributor for their line. Within that distributor, Chicom garbage fakes were also reaching the market. By the time the product got to the consumer it may have passed through 3-4 entities after the distributor. Everyone pointed at someone else for the corruption but it was in fact the *exclusive* national-distributor causing the ruckus.

Todd.
 
Grand Prairie Knives is a good place. I've purchased both online and in the store (worth stopping if you're ever passing through Troy, Illinois). Great selection and pretty good prices, for the most part. Excellent customer service as well.
 
I've never bought anything off Amazon that was a problem. The only caution I'd advise is that if the price seems too good to be true it probably isn't legit. The only small issue was the attempted purchase of a Mora Garberg at a price about 1/2 everyone else was asking. I got a notice from Amazon a few days later indicating that the seller may not be legit. If I didn't receive my order within a few days to contact them. I did and they reimbursed my money.

Ebay, I don't deal with.

I've found prices to be pretty comparable between all of the major online sellers. Sometimes you catch something on sale or find a special run made for only one retailer. The best deals are usually on discontinued products. Often the replacement is only slightly different than the discontinued model but the price can be significantly lower.

One company that I'll give high praise for are these guys.

KnivesShipFree | Premium Knives - All in Stock

They send me regular E-mail about special pricing on their products. Anyone in or passing through Chattanooga can go inside their showroom. It isn't all that big, but worth the stop.
 
Bud K has a reputation for "knife-like objects", but has a niche for decor, fantasy implements and objet d' arte. I used to buy kukris and knife making materials from Atlanta Cutlery, but I am not sure what their specialty is these days.
 
BUT, AG now seems to carry mostly Chinese crap for not-so-cheap prices. When AG was alive, they carried high quality stuff at fair pricing. I have a nice ATS-34 small pocket knife that was made in Japan at a place that also made Samurai swords
 
George P said:
BUT, AG now seems to carry mostly Chinese crap for not-so-cheap prices. When AG was alive, they carried high quality stuff at fair pricing. I have a nice ATS-34 small pocket knife that was made in Japan at a place that also made Samurai swords
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That's incorrect. Your dislike for Chinese manufacturers has to be tempered by the quality that can and is produced now. The company is still family run by A.G.'s wife and Goldie's commitment to quality is every bit the same as A.G.'s. While she and I don't get along, I can't slander her and the company for their commitment to quality and customers.
 
The other stuff they carry made elsewhere IS good stuff. I have been happy with several I purchased over the years. I got a catalog recently and after a quick perusal, it went in the trash. Personally, I try to not by Chinese anything if at all possible (which is harder and harder to do)
 
ApacheCoTodd said:
I should think that I'd go straight to ESEE for their knife. Often times a manufacturer is ironically not the least expensive option for their product but with some products - I simply won't chance it.
Todd.
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I looked at the CRKT CEO on BladeHQ, they said $49 reduced to $39, but when I looked at the actual CRKT site, their MSRP was only $39.
 
George P said:
The other stuff they carry made elsewhere IS good stuff. I have been happy with several I purchased over the years. I got a catalog recently and after a quick perusal, it went in the trash. Personally, I try to not by Chinese anything if at all possible (which is harder and harder to do)
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I'll gladly pay more to not buy Chinese made goods.
 
George P said:
Personally, I try to not by Chinese anything if at all possible (which is harder and harder to do)
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And therefore a personal issue instead of a reflection on the quality that they work to maintain. I knew AG and knew his pursuit for quality manufacturing partners regardless of where they were. I know Goldie, but in spite of the fact I do not like her personally (long story), I know her and that she works hard to maintain the quality that AG's reputation was based on.

There is nothing that comes from AG Russell that isn't of the best quality for the price.
 
hso said:
And therefore a personal issue instead of a reflection on the quality that they work to maintain. I knew AG and knew his pursuit for quality manufacturing partners regardless of where they were. I know Goldie, but in spite of the fact I do not like her personally (long story), I know her and that she works hard to maintain the quality that AG's reputation was based on.

There is nothing that comes from AG Russell that isn't of the best quality for the price.
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I understand that some Chinese knives are very good. All - or nearly all - knife retailers sell knives that are from China. So long as they are upfront about it - as most of them are, no problem here. For someone like me who considers country of origin as part of a buying decision, I appreciate it. A.G. always includes that information. My recommendation for A.G. Russell comes from many buying experiences there and receiving exactly what was ordered in short order for what I consider to be a fair price. That's all I ask for from any retailer - honesty and good service.
 
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