Knife sales on TV

[PATH]

I keep seeing knife sales all night on the television. They are selling sets of knives for low prices. I am of the opinion that you get what you pay for. Does anyone here have any experience with buying knives this way? Any opinions on this matter? I am quite curious.

 

[sm]

PATH

Former neighbor bought a set-junk. I think they prey on people.IMO

"If it sounds too good-probably is".

 

[PATH]

I had a gut feeling it was.

 

[gino]

If the knife is less than $40, it's prob not too good. I personally prefer Spyderco for "inexpensive" knives.

 

[Jim March]

They aren't knives. They are knife-shaped objects. Generally from Pakistan, China or if you're lucky, Taiwan.

The TV stuff tends to be the worst of the worst.

If you're on a budget, there are some genuinely good deals out there. Ask us what it is you need, such as a folder or fixed blade of a given blade length range for purpose "X" and we can probably give you pointers.

In many cases, careful shopping can get you useful stuff as low as the $30 to $40 range for a "main knife", less for smaller backups and keychain-size goods.

Less than the $30 - $40 range, esp. for a folder, just ain't worth it. You have to be able to trust the lockwork and steel on a folder.

 

[ruger357]

Not even worth watching.

 

[Don Gwinn]

Not only are they truly horrible excuses for knives, but many are knock-offs of established brands and even custom makers, which means you take money from the pockets of the people making good products if you give it to those snakes.

On the knife forums, like BFC, some people even trade around tapes of that stupid show--it's funny if you know what to look for.

Things to remember:

"Surgical Stainless Steel"
Cheap "steel" with waaay too much chromium in it. This stuff is actually as advertised in one way--it's hard to make it rust. However, it's also hard to make a decent knife out of it, and these aren't exactly master smiths we're dealing with here. Mostly it's just cheap. Generally it's 440J or 420J stainless. The "surgical" part doesn't make sense to me, but maybe they do use it for surgical instruments. Of course, most surgical instruments are not cutting devices and rust resistance and price would matter more than edge-holding, toughness, or other qualities needed for a good knife.

Nobody sells quality items in "grab bags" of 30 for $1.00 apiece. That's the mark of crap in any industry.

When these idiots talk about any historical significance to any of the "swords" they sell, they are lying. They'll tell you that ninja used Ninja-Toh just like theirs--with straight blades, square handles, and bright red tassels hanging from the pommel. They'll tell you that the "Dragon Head Katana" is the traditional sword of the Shogun, when in actuality it's part of the overrun they have left over from their knockoff of the sword from Highlander.

 

[Tamara]

Wow, Don, now you've made me all bitter.

I feel like I've missed out on some good, popcorn-munchin' TeeeVeee entertainment.

(I have, however, bought one of those cheesy chicom MT HALO knockoffs. It'll keep me from wearing out the spring on my Exodus so fast, and I honestly think I can get $20 worth of amusement out of it before it launches the blade across the room or something... )

 

[Don Gwinn]

No, Tamara, you don't understand. The people he's talking about aren't knocking off Microtechs--they're knocking off UNITED CUTLERY! They sell their knives in grab bags with, say, 35 knives for $25.00. It's disgusting.

You know you're too into knives when. . . .

 

[sm]

Now THAT would be entertainment...

Watching Tamara on late night/wee am TV refuting the hawkers spiel.
She with the real deal and history versus Joe TV hawker

 

[Tamara]

re1973,

Jeez, man, I'm just an armchair enthusiast. Don's probably forgotten more about steels & such than I know.

 

[sm]

No discredit to Mr. Gwinn intended--but you --"just an armchair enthusiast" ? Nada, No way. You are too modest.

 

[5ptdeerhunter]

I personally like watching the guys selling knives on tv. Don't get me wrong I would never buy one, but I for some reason I find it funny to watch the guys get excited over the knives.

 

[Soap]

5ptdeerhunter- I totally agree! I love watching them act like their Knife-Like Objects and Sword-Like objects changed the course of Japanese history or that you could use the knife to wipe out a Russian tank column. They get so fired up that sometimes I think they believe themselves.

 

[triggertime]

Watching Tom O'dell and his band of hawkers selling Frost Cutlery knock-offs made in Pakistan at 2am is quality entertainment.

Where else can see lemmings buying $5 worth of cheapie knives FOR $39.95!

 

[aikidoka-mks]

I watch that show occasionally just for laughs. Stainless steel for a sword? HA! Its bad enough that he brags about the stainless steel stamp on the blade but the gaudy plastic handles - probably hollow with rat tail tangs - are ridiculous to look at. This guy is a an expert?

Mark

 

[deputy tom]

LOOK AT THAT FINE PINNERY AND JOINTERY. This is as Shawn Leffler slices off the tip of His finger.

KRATON LIKE MATERIAL.As Tom O'Dell slices off His finger.

THE SWORD OF ODEN.As Shawn knocks the Pakistanni blade off the wall then knocks His wig half off.

OOPS!As Tom O'Dell knocks over "the stump of wood".

These Guys are funny to watch but the junk that They sell"CAN'T BE BOUGHT IN A STORE FOR $125.00" because they won't even sell for $3.00 at flea markets.tom.LOL.

 

[PATH]

ROFLMAO!

 

[Drjones]

Path: Would you buy a set of guns for a low price off the TV?




Didn't think so....


If you need a new blade, www.bladeforums.com


Drjones

 

[Don Gwinn]

Tamara is far too modest and gives me a little too much credit. I know a little about the steels I use, and a little about Pakistani Surgical Stainless because I bought a lot of that junk when I was a child (mom and dad decided when I was five that it was easier to buy me a pocketknife at the flea market or the antique mall than to listen to me ask "how much longer?")
But that's where my "expertise" comes to an abrupt halt. All I'm saying is that if you don't see the show with your own eyes you will not believe an accurate description. It's that goofy.

Deputy Tom may or may not know as much about knives as Tamara, but clearly he has seen the show. He's exaggerating, but not much. These goobers are constantly cutting themselves and shouting about the quality construction of their swords. I watched them no-foolin' break a cheap ripoff of one of the S&W licensed "tactical folders" one night. Kept opening it and sticking it into that chunk of tree stump to show how fast and sharp it was, and at some point the pivot pin just let go.

 

[NINEX19]

Getting a little more off topic, but...

These are the same people who sell the coins. You know, the "proof" and ceritified "MS69 and MS70" by the ton. I know my way around coins (not as well as many though), and I can tell you 99.99% of what they sell are extreamly overpriced junk. I have caught them in outright lies many times.

Never, I repeat NEVER buy coins from a shopping channel on T.V.

 

[PATH]

Well that tears it! I am not buying a blessed thing off that evil box! Well I still want to but that swell new slicer/dicer thingey that comes with all the accessories.

 

[Tamara]

What I've always wondered is how businesses that rely on infomercials, junk mail, email spamming, telemarketing, pop-ups, banners, or the Home Shopping Network and its clones manage to stay solvent.

I close popups, hang up on telemarketers, never click on banners, bulk-delete spam, have never watched an infomercial or home shopping channel, and use unsolicited mailings for kindling.

I was taught at a young age that A) If it sounds too good to be true, it is, and B) 99 times out of 100, you get what you pay for.


Now that I've gotten fairly seriously into knives, I've looked around and wondered what keeps these $4.99-$8.00 junk knife companies in business. CRKT, Kershaw, Spyderco, Gerber and many other companies make fine and serviceable knives in the $15-$35 range.

I'll discuss "S&W" and "Colt" knives in a later post...

 

[Betty]

I think kiddies like the cheapie knives so they can go show off. Dad has a $4.99 knife display in his store, and those knives sell and sell.

Watched a punk come in with a girlfriend on each arm - he buys the faux switchblade and opens and closes it, much to the gleeful delight of his girls. "Oooh, aaaaah!" they croon over their big bad studmuffin. Of course, the knife is so cheap and horrible that it squeaks opens with a grating sound and he really has to work his dainty girle-man fingers just to get it closed again. But man, is he One Bad Dude now!

 

[El Tejon]

The appearance of the Hardware Store Commando?

For the dealer, they are great. We used to get 600% markup on a Buck knockoff from Pakistan when I worked the gun counter at a sporting goods store during undergrad. We called them "popcorn" knives because they sold like fresh popcorn and lasted about as long.