You are supplying an invaluable service to the knife community sir, and I for one commend you. You care enough about us crazy knife collectors and it's a sign that not all is lost in this society we find ourselves in. Thanks again LTK.
Man, I haven't seen that many fakes in one vid yet! Yikes! CH needs to disassociate itself from Eafengrow. It's a shame that Eafengrow feels it has to lie, because some of their knives ainty bad. That's the second Turin fixed blade that has tested well. Nice lil knives! Excellent vid LTK! 👍
I’m eafengrow knife ! I’m very sorry! Because china D2 and USA D2 is different! Before I not know! So I will use USA D2 made knife! And I produce any new knife will free send him test!
You're doing good work here LTK. There's nothing wrong with 8cr13mov for the $20-30 price range. Just ask Kershaw. There's plenty wrong when a company is dishonest. They'll never get my money.
Batch 28 1) Petrified Fish - D2 - yes (HRC 62) 2) Turen Flying Fish fixed M390 - yes (HRC 61) 3) PMP User M390 - yes (HRC 59) 4) Harnds Assassin 14C28N - yes (HRC 61) 5) Harnds Warrior D2 - yes (HRC 60.3) 6) Eafengrow EF913 - D2 - No - 8cr13mov (HRC 59.2) 7) Eafengrow EF912 - D2 - No - 8cr13mov (HRC 57.3) 8) Doom DB-SQ-0003 D2- No - 5cr15mov (HRC 56.3 & 54.9) 9) Eafengrow EF6 - 9cr18mov - No - 5cr15mov (HRC 56.5) 10) TAC NWO - S35VN - No - 5 or 7cr15mov (HRC 57.8) 11) Fat Dragon/ Nimo - 440c - No - 8cr13mov due to the low Cr. (HRC 59) 12) Bear Ops Rancor II S30V - no - somewhere between 5cr15mov and 8cr13mov (HRC 57.5) 13) Bear Ops Rancor II S30V - no - somewhere between 5cr15mov and 8cr13mov (HRC 56.7) How an XRF Analyzer works: www.bruker.com/products/x-ray-diffraction-and-elemental-analysis/handheld-xrf/how-xrf-works.html Why carbon and other light elements are not detected with the XRF Analyzer: www.pxrfs.com.au/light-elements-difficult-measure-portable-xrf/ Spreadsheet of knife testing results to date: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OepNr_D4lqbdTFqdqWl1rmAd4bOzPzJe6J0iEWrdJGU/edit?usp=drivesdk Knife Cutting Performance Test Results:docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PzXZEuyMtOMoSDhyFUfDNV9MNbztMEvZ3OgRa6yT7QU/edit?usp=drivesdk 10% Discount Code on WMK is: LTK Link to White Mountain Knives Website:whitemountainknives.com Join my Patreon: www.patreon.com/LuvThemKnives?fan_landing=true LuvThemKnives strops are available $48 (includes USA shipping) contact me at LuvThemKnives@gmail.com Knife sharpening service Kevin Lewis JR Email: bevelknifesharpening@gmail.com Bevel Knife Sharpening Facebook: m.facebook.com/BevelKnifeSharpening/ My email address : luvthemknives@gmail.com My instagram instagram.com/luvthemknives
I'm glad you got these knives tested. I was actually thinking about buying the F'n U knives on Amazon. Hell, if I want another 8crMov13 knife I'll go to Big5 stores. Enjoyed your videos as always.
OMG you just blew my mind. This is EXACTLY what i wanted to know. Thanks so much for going to all that effort. It is great to see that some of the Chinese brands do really supply the advertised steels.I would never have guessed it.
Such a great, informative video! Excellent job and really interesting. Love seeing truths revealed and shared and think it will help educate knife makers that the consumer is only asking for honesty! Cause trust is critical and we LuvThemKnives!
8cr13 with an hcr of nearly 60? You basically got stainless steel d2. All this video did is reinforce something I already suspected. With few exceptions, steel is relatively affordable and prices are negligible. Knife prices are largely artificial and dependent on hype.
I guess I’m the exception to the rule when it comes to blade steel. If it takes a good edge and gives you good service then it’s fine. I can sharpen the blade if it gets dull. So I agree with your point. Lots of hype around knife steels.
Andrew Haley We’ve tested 6 Kubey knives S35VN & D2. They’re good and the HRC’s were in the acceptable range but I haven’t tested the AUS10. So I will soon.
More people should be subscribing to your channel. You're one of the few if any knife youtube channels who actually test the knife steel and hardness to confirm what they are advertising is true. You are doing us a very huge service.
Very good news about Harnds, just grabbed a Harnds Beak, love the shape and seeing their authenticity and an a better look at their functionality and look is relieving and intriguing for future investments. I have been hoping to purchase a flipper or assisted a sweet M390 design at a decent price before I go broke. There is a seller on eBay who sells a lot of awesome blades between $7 and $11 and at most $20 or so and the majority are unbranded, but a couple have been labeled Doom Blade, and in the description saying they're a brand just getting off the ground, so it seems like this eBay acct might be the originator. Claims of their blade compositions in their eBay listings are not overblown as I see the exact same unbranded knives they sell being stamped and branded and sold by new companies on Amazon who make bolder, different claims. The store or seller's listings' have compositions listed all over the charts from 3CrMoV, 5r, 7, 8, and 9CrXXMoV to D2 and I have been using a lot of them to verify or dispell claims made by others selling the same knives I bought unbranded from them months later with a stamp, company attachment, different steel claim from new stores popping up or more recent stores selling the same on Amazon. I bought a DB/Doom Blade marked flipper knife for under $10 with a hell of a 4" blade with a steel frame and wood grips cut out in a shape reminiscent of the CRKT Fossil that was listed as 9Cr1XMoV or something I believe; and at least this one has blown my mind. Definitely q favorite of mine amidst all of my various big brand and random knives, its blade retention and performance is insane. This eBay sellers knives which are all save a few unbranded or labeled ship from the US and China, and maybe even the NL which varies with their listings, but most I have bought were very quickly shipped and from the US. I have been using their listings as a pretty reliable gauge in comparing and determining the veracity of claims and general honesty of companies or brands who wins up selling the identical blades. Your channel is a godsend, love and appreciate you work, bro!
Really appreciate you doing these tests! I just got my first Eafengrow knife a few weeks ago and was ready to get a few more. The thing is, I wouldn't even be upset if they just told the truth about 8crmov13 and not lied about it being D2, like, wtf?
The Chinese steels are literally made, to be able to simulate any steel out there. Why do you think they run from 3 to 10+ They make a ton of them cheaply because they are All.. All... made with the same steels and cross branded by whoever wants to buy them in bulk. It is also why you will see three brands using the same knife in different colors and models. These brands don't exist. They just buy the knives and the Chinese companies brand them there in the factory. That is how it is done. And lastly many American or European brands say they Make the knife somewhere but they only have to assemble a percent of them to say that. They buy the blades often overseas and guess what they get. They get ripped off and sold 8cr13. I think you are a guy Desperately trying to justify your Massive many hundreds of Chinese knives collection. It's cool man. Also your finger nails are weird. Still.
That knife on which Eafengrow put their logo on (ef913) is actually sold as 9cr18mov on Ali. I just bought 65$ version of that knife, that one is in d2, I tested that one. And it's real d2 (you know how Chinese say "imported" when they wanna express quality). But I think both are awesome. I think Eafengrow is just one guy with vinyl stencils, and even if you found him and asked him about d2 and 8cr he wouldn't know "who's that"... Lying and lack of trade culture aside, Yangjiang makes some of the world's best knives, and the prices are redicilous. I have 700 knives collection, so I'd say I know. I had authentic Marfione, Strider, even Fischer's Archangel, and man, I sold them all and I got a bunch of Alibaba knives in 50 - 150 $ range, and I will never look back. I buy steel, craftsmanship, fit and finish, I buy titanium and aluminum and even g10, but I will never again pay an extra 1k for a brand. Chinese won. Just like in everything. Man. I live in Serbia, and I'm also a knifemaker, I make customs similar to "Zlatoust" knives, and even making something like this became simply STUPID. Whatever I make, Chinese will make better at 10% of a price. I don't have problem admiting that. Even I'm selling brand right now, so I'm selling smtn I'd never buy. Maybe it's time I try knitting. Hey, maybe I'm gonna make lanyards... or move to Yangjiang lol :D
Milan Djuricic Eafengrow has some nice designs and their quality can be decent. I know that they’re just rebranding knives but they need to state the correct steel. Otherwise.....they lack credibility.
@@LuvThemKnives Actually, 8cr is awesome steel. I tried it out a few years ago, struggled a bit about treatment, but when I got used to it, I made some blades I will never sell. You can go above 60 hrc, and it won't be brittle, it's ok to work with, it's pretty much stainless, but there are many low quality knives who use it, but heat treat it poorly. But, you know, people still call it "Chinese steel", like it's shit because it is Chinese. I mean, come on, it's iron from Earth crust. And Chinese sellers are contributing to this stigmatization when lying like it's not 8cr, it's d2, I mean d2 is NOT better steal. You're never gonna see them lying about 14c28n (that's a good steel), they basically just tell you it's some similar steel you're familiar with. When you see a clone with s30v, they also say what it actually is, you can't say they are scamming because you don't read description, right? Man, if I only had all their infrastructure... well, put it simply, I wouldn't be selling Breitlings for 100$. I got a few Chinese clones of knives I actually have, and honestly I am not sure which one is real. So, got to ask myself - if I don't see a difference, does it matter then? And if I really use and abuse knives every day, and I make knives for over 20 years, who's gonna be so arrogant to tell me "well, you don't see the difference, but I do"... And why would I pay extra, and for what? For warranty? Yeah, right.
I'm sick of D2 steel also you're hardly can't find an aus-8 or vg10 anymore. yes knife makers get off the D2 kick. we are sick of we are the buying public!!!!!
Eafengrow...lol you made me laugh when you called them eafen liars. Ltk man look the Eafengrow ef913 is a cool looking knife. I saw a video of a knife identical to it it was a foreign speaking video the model was a high end version and the caption said The Black Shark!....so I dubbed this green version the Greenland Shark it's a species thats ancient slow and largely unknown ironic right? But what a huge cool looking knife something I search for and will buy asap. God bless brother.
Didn’t Eafengrow start using real D2 since they got called out on it? I actually bought the 2nd Eafengrow (with the D2 and “titanium”, lol). Several years ago so I guess I got screwed too. But it was pretty cheap if I remember right.
Do you have an update on the bear ops rancor ? Did they ever send you more samples to test? I’d really like to buy one but not if they’re lying about the steel. You should test the rancor IV which is supposed to come in 14c28n but that’s probably true since that’s a more common steel for them
Thank you for clarifying that the CH knives sold by Eafengrow are true to the steel stamped on the blade. Do be aware that Eafengrow has marketed a CH knife as being D2 that CH lists as AUS 8. Know you CH knife before shopping at Eafengrow. Thanks for another great video, Lee.
That bear ops really surprised me.. and honestly I’m not saying it was on purpose but I already kinda didn’t like bear ops because of fit and finish so now I might just stay clear for even longer! A lot of people would say coincidences don’t happen like that in manufacturing too often.
yeah the only thing that knife had going for it was the s30v. It was a bland cheap looking knife that youd expect to buy at a gas station for 10 to maybe 15 bucks. plus the heat treat even if it were s30v it would be horrible due to the softness of the steel. I mean really based on them claiming they bought directly from the manufacturer then trying to blame the supplier and later saying it could be a test knife for grinding purposes ect even though he has two with that issue... based on all of those lies and the heat treat thats more acceptable for a cheap crmov steel its obvious they knew what they were doing. they didnt heat treat this blade as if it were s30v they heat treated it as if it were the steel it actually was.
Great review on EDC knives and you're wonderfully passionate on this subject . I'm kind of new to buying knives and on a really tight budget and can't afford the expensive variety of edc knives. Thanks to your review, I have stir clear from Eafengrow knives and purchase a Ganzo FH61 along with a Kubey KU074. Keep up the good work in Arizona. Drove up to Sedona from Sacramento, Calif. last years, beautiful and dry country out there.
This is so good, and so important, and nobody else has done this type of watchdog testing to my knowledge! Really wish you could continue with this process. The fakers need to be outed!! I think you said the testers can't do it anymore for some reason, but personally, I wonder if you were threatened or coerced by some big companies to "shut the hell up"...🤔🚫😏
Actually genuinely surprised by the TAC NWO, I figured it was something much higher grade than 5Cr due to it going toe to toe in edge retention with an S30V Manix 2 in my own usage and testing, crazy!
I have known for a while now that EF has a bunch of poorly made knives, and not just the steel, but poorly designed, at least the couple I've bought and sent back. I hated to see CH associate their name with them, because CH has been great. Do you know what their association is all about? Sometimes on Amazon knives will say Eafengrow-CH??? Maybe EF does the distro???
I have that green Skif Knife on the bottom-LOOK- I just want a low price budget knife for work as a daily-don't care about this or that-does it work, can it take a beating, and is it low priced!
Thanks for all your work you do for the edc community!! Great info! Been enjoying your content for a year:-) you da man!! I follow you on IG also (bearcat5000) thanks again
Screw Bear Ops. Was considering spending Australian $150 on their Rancor to try a "super" steel for the first time. I looked deeper than I usually would for a "US" made knife because the price seemed wrong. I'd be surprised if they put more than the pocket clip on in the US. Good bye 👋
I bought the bear ops, but in black g10 awhile back and I returned it because the detent was to weak. Thank God I did, what a rip off. It went from the cheapest s30v made in USA to the most expensive 8cr13mov knife.
zero 4U Yes. I do buy these knives but I usually sell 95% of them off to generate funds to continue to buy more knives. So I’m more of a catch and release guy than a true collector. Unfortunately !
You’re the man for this. I wait for these videos LTK. These are some of the most important videos out there. Steel testing lets us know where to put our money, and who is being honest with us from the get-go. I understand a human error but this is far more telling than that - this lets us know who’s frontin and who’s for real, esp in the budget market.
thanks for doing this! not only entertaining to watch "and the test results show.... you.... are NOT the father!" but this is a flat out public service to us. i couldn't agree with you more, why bother lying? at that price point, it's perfectly acceptable to give us 8cr!
wow lol I read the comment wrong I was about to go off.... I thought you were talking strictly about the bear ops knife for some reason. I was about to say 60 bucks for that cheap looking knife in 8cr is not worth it. then thankfully I reread and realized you were talking about those 25 dollar knives with decent designs.
Alex Eski Amazon has a real mix of knives. Some good.....some not. So it’s a bit of a gamble. I’ll keep looking for the odd and unusual but I’ll also test and report.
I have a Rancor 2 and the handle is a little different but anyway I am pissed that they are pawning off C- steel as premium. The knife I have seems to hold a edge significantly longer than 8cr14mov or equiv. I have, but at the same time it sharpens a lot easier than it should. I wish I knew for sure if I got a fraud blade or not, but regardless I view Bear anything like a truck stop Mtec from now on. Even if they clean up their act, they're done. Thanx 4 the info
When new to knives I got suckered by the TACNWO “s35vn”, they have been absent from amazon for a month or two. Well at least I have a practice sharpening knife or two oh wait I have eafengrows too, lots of practice... Thanks for doing these knife tests.
You convinced me to order three of those Petrified Fish PF818 knives; I hope that I get 'em. I have a different AliExpress store order that still shows as "Shipment dispatched" from late April -- I'm a bit concerned about that one.
Greet test. That is what I was looking for. Plenty Chinese brands doing good looking knives but the steel is questionable. Now it's black on white! Thank you!
