my mini review of the ganzo fh41 (cliff notes: it's astounding for the $$)

[greyling22]

Ganzo fh41. made in china. D2 steel, G10 handles, skeletonized liners, runs on bearings, $25-30 bucks.
https://www.powercutlery.com/produc...g10-handle-scales?_pos=3&_sid=09fd0e5b7&_ss=r

Here is my take: great ergos, wonderful blade shape, possibly the best flipping action I have ever handled. certainly better than my zero tolerance, my kizer, and my real steel. I love the feel of the contoured G10. They added a very subtle texture to it. And if you don't like the handle color backspacer, you can remove it to reveal 2 stainless barrel standoffs. There is a guy on youtube who is sending of lot of these ganzo knives off to be tested to see if the steel is what they are claiming, and the ganzo knives that claim d2 are coming back as d2. And a really well heat treated, exceptionally hard d2 at that.

But I don't trust any review that doesn't have any negatives, so here is my rather extensive list: The deep carry pocket clip protrudes kind of far from the handle and is not overly strong. The nested liners are skeletonized, but the knife is still a little handle heavy. Too much branding on the blade. The gimping on the flipper tab is kind of sharp. The gimping on the spine could run out another 1/4 inch. One of the screws on the pivot screw should have been D shaped to fit in the liner and not spin, that way you wouldn't need 2 torx drivers to take it apart. And the knife was sharp, but not spectacularly so. I'm not 100% sold on the color options for the G10. Last, but the biggest problem: they removed material from the G10 scale on the presentation side to make the liner easier to access, that's good, but they ALSO did it to the clip side (see the picture), which I don't understand and creates a little bit of a hot spot.

But those are mostly me picking nits, and I am super picky. This is a great knife, a joy to flip, useful shape, and an unreal value. You should buy one. Honestly, I don't know how any of the american companies can justify the prices they charge for what they are delivering when this is on the market. You can find a lot of cheap stuff made in china, but this is not one of those things.

some other stuff I have that I compared this to: benchmade 940, zt 0450, spyderco sage 5, shirogorov f95, real steel megalodon 2017 version.

 

[bikerdoc]

Good write up. Thank you.
I have been reluctant to buy anything from PRC, but seems like they got this one right.

 

[jmr40]

I picked up a couple of Ganzo's a year or so ago. Mine have 440C steel which isn't a bad steel and for under $20 is a bargain. I have no issue with the quality, especially for the price. Both were bigger than I anticipated and as a result don't get used as much as I thought I would. In fact I gave one away to someone needing a decent knock around knife. The other I use some when in need of a good bigger knife and I don't want to worry about breaking or losing a more expensive knife.

I haven't seen this exact one, but I'm thinking I'd like this design and D2 steel is a nice upgrade. I see this is now out of stock, but I may get one eventually.

 

[greyling22]

Heck, you can buy them at amazon. But as far as buying china goes, you cannot get away from it. Dishwashers, phones, car parts, you name it, china made it. The fact is that America ceeded being a manufacturing powerhouse 60 years ago to focus on buying fancy coffee and increasing the size of the fed.

 

[Speedo66]

Last, but the biggest problem: they removed material from the G10 scale on the presentation side to make the liner easier to access, that's good, but they ALSO did it to the clip side (see the picture), which I don't understand and creates a little bit of a hot spot.

Left handed people? Are there holes for the clip on the other side?

 

[greyling22]

There are not Alsoany holes to move the clip, it's a liner lock it only goes one way, no matter how you hold it. And I'm left handed, I should know.

 

[Tilos]

Thanks for the review
I'm kind of stuck on Kershaw flippers and have had good experiences with everyone I have bought to date.

Here's a link to some reviews of this model Ginzo on amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Arrival-Fire...94567&s=gateway&sprefix=Ganzo+,aps,246&sr=8-4

 

[jmr40]

I was looking at the options for this on amazon earlier too. I see they have one with carbon fiber scales. Should reduce weight some. If I order one I'm leaning toward this.

https://www.amazon.com/Arrival-Fire...=B07RGJYRFC&psc=1&refRID=EEQZFAT60TTABMHSD6H9

 

[ugaarguy]

I was looking at the options for this on amazon earlier too. I see they have one with carbon fiber scales. Should reduce weight some. If I order one I'm leaning toward this.

https://www.amazon.com/Arrival-Fire...=B07RGJYRFC&psc=1&refRID=EEQZFAT60TTABMHSD6H9

Unfortunately, Ganzo uses a thin layer of CF laminated over a piece G10, on many (most?, all?) of their claimed CF models. It's basically a thick CF sticker. Spyderco does it on several models as well, to my great annoyance.

 

[greyling22]

also, the carbon fiber version has a flat handle instead of nicely contoured g10 like on the other models.

the kershaw atmos has a nice action, but this one is made of better materials. as an aside, I tweaked the liner lock just a tad to take some tension off the blade, and the action went from good to amazing. I also hear very good things about CH knife. I handled one of their g10 versions at house of blades in ft worth, and found it to be very impressive. In a whole store of knives from every manufacturer in america, benchmade spyderco, zt, chris reve, hinderer, etc, and the one I wanted to walk out with was a stupid $30 g10 and d2 steel chineese folder. It was a little larger than I wanted so I passed, but man was it nice.

 

[Tilos]

Unfortunately, Ganzo uses a thin layer of CF laminated over a piece G10, on many (most?, all?) of their claimed CF models. It's basically a thick CF sticker. Spyderco does it on several models as well, to my great annoyance.

After reading this review/pics, this guy seems to thinks the CF is thru and thru not just a laminate.
If it is a laminate it's laminated on the inside too.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-...ef=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07RGJYRFC
I'm sure you will analyze that pic differently, just know my view is my uneducated perspective,

 

[JohnKSa]

I'm not much of an expert on carbon fiber characteristics, but I'd have to say I don't think that particular review is really a solid argument for the scales being CF through and through. The reviewer seems to have a good handle on CF characteristics and spends a good portion of the review explaining how the handle material is not like "real"/regular CF.

"The handles feel a lot like stiff G10 than CF..."

"... they're both composite materials, but where 'real' carbon fiber is tightly packed together, Ganzo CF..."

"...regular CF is notoriously difficult to dye, Ganzo CF takes a nice shade fairly quickly."​

Also, the second picture (the one showing the inside of the scale vs. the outside of the scale) highlights that the outside appearance is very different from the inside appearance. The outside has the classic CF pattern while the inside looks pretty much exactly like G10.

The listed weight difference in the two knives (3.2oz vs 1.6oz) does strongly suggest that the handle material is much lighter on the "CF" knife as I can't see any other differences that could account for that difference. Unfortunately, that weight difference is only shown in the weight reported in ounces. The weight reported in grams is identical for both knives: 101grams. So still some ambiguity there.

By the way, there is another reviewer who does state that the scales are CF all the way through, although without providing any solid rationale for the assertion.

also, the carbon fiber version has a flat handle instead of nicely contoured g10 like on the other models.

Looks like the contouring is only on the non-clip side. The clip side of both knives look uncontoured although there is a bevel at the lock release point on the G10 knife but not the "CF" knife.

 

[ugaarguy]

After reading this review/pics, this guy seems to thinks the CF is thru and thru not just a laminate.
If it is a laminate it's laminated on the inside too.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-...ef=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07RGJYRFC
I'm sure you will analyze that pic differently, just know my view is my uneducated perspective,

Lol. Your guess may be correct. I've actually disassembled a "CF" scale Ganzo that had CF laminate on both the inside and outside of each scale. The review does note some interesting anomalies. Of course, Ganzo is now using real D2 and contoured G10 on this model and some others. So, I wouldn't be surprised if they've started phasing in real CF on some models. It'll be interesting to watch and see what happens.

 

[Tilos]

I'm not much of an expert on carbon fiber characteristics, but I'd have to say I don't think that particular review is really a solid argument for the scales being CF through and through. The reviewer seems to have a good handle on CF characteristics and spends a good portion of the review explaining how the handle material is not like "real"/regular CF.

"The handles feel a lot like stiff G10 than CF..."

"... they're both composite materials, but where 'real' carbon fiber is tightly packed together, Ganzo CF..."

"...regular CF is notoriously difficult to dye, Ganzo CF takes a nice shade fairly quickly."​

Also, the second picture (the one showing the inside of the scale vs. the outside of the scale) highlights that the outside appearance is very different from the inside appearance. The outside has the classic CF pattern while the inside looks pretty much exactly like G10.

That said, the weight differences in the two knives (3.2oz vs 1.6oz) does strongly suggest that the handle material is much lighter on the "CF" knife as I can't see any other differences that could account for that difference. Unfortunately, that weight difference is only shown in the weight reported in ounces. The weight reported in grams is identical for both knives: 101grams. So still some ambiguity there.

""The outside has the classic CF pattern""
That "look" is most often a sticker and does not represent what CF actually looks like.
Take a look at these pics of CF, some have that "classic look", most don't:
https://www.bing.com/shop?q=carbon+...&originIGUID=5DD53291FF434A35A2F7B692B2326A19
Like fiber glass, CF can be constructed of woven mats/sheets of fiber or shredded fibers, with the "classic look" representing the visual appearance of the sheet/layers version, even inter-woven with other stuff like Kevlar. (jmo).
What is often referred to as CF is actually a CF COMPOSIT that contains resin/polyester.

Do you see any CF in the vid that has that "classic look"...me either.
again, just my opinion not to be confused with actual fact

 

[JohnKSa]

The weight numbers (assuming that the oz figures and not the gram figures are correct) do support there being a significant difference in the scale composition between the two knives, so it's quite possible that it is CF through and through--or at least it's quite possible that it's not G10.

On the other hand, it certainly is true that the internal appearance of the scales is characteristic of G10 while the external appearance is quite different, and, if we believe the reviewer, the scales do not behave like "real"/regular CF in several different ways.

I think that, short of sawing one in half to see if it's homogenous and then doing some kind of material analysis to verify what that homogenous material is we're never really going to know for sure.

...just my opinion not to be confused with actual fact

Got it. You can put that in your signature line to save time if it's something you want to include in all your posts.

 

[jmr40]

OK, for $30 I'll have to order one just to find out. If completely unacceptable Amazon is usually pretty good about returns.

 

[Tilos]

The weight numbers (assuming that the oz figures and not the gram figures are correct) do support there being a significant difference in the scale composition between the two knives, so it's quite possible that it is CF through and through--or at least it's quite possible that it's not G10.

On the other hand, it certainly is true that the internal appearance of the scales is characteristic of G10 while the external appearance is quite different, and, if we believe the reviewer, the scales do not behave like "real"/regular CF in several different ways.

I think that, short of sawing one in half to see if it's homogenous and then doing some kind of material analysis to verify what that homogenous material is we're never really going to know for sure.Got it. You can put that in your signature line to save time if it's something you want to include in all your posts.

Thanks for the sig line tip but it seems I only need that in my posts here in the non firearms weapons forum.

I'll use jmo too

 

[JShirley]

I like Ganzo for inexpensive but tough knives, but I don't do liner locks. This 440c is probably the cheapest currently on Amazon, with a strong Axis lock.

 

[JShirley]

I wouldn't put much faith in any of the listed numbers. On one of the folders, it was listed as being 2 lb, 2 oz.

 

[jmr40]

I like Ganzo for inexpensive but tough knives, but I don't do liner locks. This 440c is probably the cheapest currently on Amazon, with a strong Axis lock.

I actually had that knife. It is the one I gave away referenced in an earlier post. It was a good knife, it was just bigger than I thought it would be after it came in and I already had a bigger knife for that role. It was more trouble to return than the $16 was worth to me so I gave it to someone else.

In theory I understand your distrust of liner locks and I do prefer the axis style lock. But in the real world I've had 2 knives locks fail. One was a Kershaw liner lock, the other a ZT frame lock. If you're beating the crap out of a folder I'd agree the liner lock should fail before others. But for a lighter duty knife I've found them to be acceptable. And if I need to beat the crap out of a knife I'll grab a full tang fixed blade.

 

[grter]

I have had more than one liner and frame lock fail. If these are not done right they can easily fail and personally I don't trust mass production to get it right. I gave away a US made Kershaw liner lock, the less expensive one with stainless liners and orange g10 scales as a gift only to have it come back with complaints that the lock failed in light use. He was right the lock was bad. Thank God he was not injured. That thing was razor sharp.

I have seen what looked like solid lock ups fail REALLY EASY without any significant force. I have had crappy knives (liner locks) with thin steel liners that held a solid lockup and would not budge no matter what was tried (with a cheap beater you can experiment.)

I do not like "early lockup" and "easy one hand closing" I like my locks to hold reliably so my precious fingers are protected from injury. If they require a little more effort to close then so be it. If it opens quickly when I need it then as far as I am concerned it's good. I have no desire to play the super cool slick assassin who can both open and close his knife in the blink of an eye.

I hate it when I hear people say that a lock does not need to be strong and if it fails it's the users fault for not treating his or her thick heavy advertised as tough use "heavy duty" "tac" folder like a big giant slip joint with a huge thick blade.

There are plenty of youtube videos out there of liner and frame locks failing without getting anywhere close to getting "the crap" beat out of them.

I have quite a few liner locks and frame locks myself ranging from high quality (a couple of old school Sebenzas included without stupid early lock up.) to moderate. I do like them but I am still very cautious about using them even though they seem to be fine. I even have a couple of crappy liner locks laying around.

The lock back is one lock I have had a lot of experience thrashing. When I was a kid I used to buy a lot of cheap "cool looking" lock backs some with barely a teeny stub of a lock ratchet on the blade and could never beat the temptations to deliberately thrash them by stabbing things and trying to get the lock to fail while wearing thick gloves. Back in the day cheap knives had cheap stainless steel blades that were as dull and sometimes even duller than butter knives like the 007. I have to say the lock backs rarely failed. It was one strong lock that could take a lot of abuse. The Italian stiletto locks (the post that goes in a hole) held strong also but they had a tendency to flex backwards before springing forward again into locking position but the blade would not unlock forward towards the fingers.

Liner and frame locks when I was a kid were not common in low end knives at least not where I was. I used to love their simplicity and thought they were the strongest locks out there. Boy was I wrong. I knew nothing of how precise the geometry of those locks needed to be if you wanted your fingers to be safe.


I think in general more than a fair amount of knife manufacturers do not take lock safety seriously. As a consumer I am speaking with my money and I generally don't buy stuff with questionable lock quality these days. If enough people share my views then maybe they better start taking it seriously.

 

[jmr40]

The Carbon fiber version came in today. I like it. It is the size I like, carries in my pocket well, is smooth operating and shaving sharp. It weighs 3.5 oz on my postal scales, don't really know how that compares with the G10 version. I could be wrong, but it certainly appears to be CF through and through. It compares in size and weight very closely to this.

https://www.amazon.com/Benchmade-94...4&s=gateway&sprefix=beenchmade,aps,154&sr=8-4

But at almost 1/6 the cost.

Yea, it would be a better knife with the Benchmade axis type lock but I can live with the liner lock. Based on my experience build quality is a bigger factor than the design. And if I'm worried about lock failure I'll use a fixed blade.

 

[JohnKSa]

It weighs 3.5 oz on my postal scales, don't really know how that compares with the G10 version.

The specs from the Power Cutlery website says that the G10 version is 3.56oz and the amazon listings have the the "Carbon Fiber" version as being 1.6oz. However, the metric weight for both versions of the knife on amazon is listed as being the same (101g) which works out to about 3.56 oz.

This review provides a weight for the G10 knife of 3.57oz (101.3g) and the reviewer claims that he weighed it himself.



I think, at this point, it's safe to say that whatever the handle scales are made of on the two variations, the resulting knives weigh pretty much the same.

...I don't do liner locks.

I have a couple of knives with liner locks, but I won't buy them any more and I don't use the ones I do have for anything other than for really light duty work like opening envelopes, etc. I've never met a liner lock that wouldn't close when spine of the blade is tapped on something hard. The only thing that differs is how hard the tap has to be and none of them require really smacking them vigorously to get them to unlock.

 

[JShirley]

I gave Sam Owens one of the big Spyderco Resilience liner locks some years back. AFAIK, he still carries and uses it daily.

HOWEVER, I don't plan on buying any more liner locks. Knives with stronger locks are just too available.

John

 

[greyling22]

yeah, I'm just not concerned about lock strength. I've just never had a lock fail. I use my knives as knives. not hatchets, or machetes, spikes, or picks.

neat videos about lock strengths here:

and part 2