They're going to hate me for this one! Ganzo G745 Reviewed 

Ganzo is the biggest part of my knife collection because it is in my cost bracket sorry if it offends your richer subs.great knife thank you.atb paddy

Axis lock patent ran out over a year ago. It's fair game now. And I'm pretty sure that the company that makes Ganzo also manufactured Benchmade's old Chinese/budget line and had a vague agreement to utilize their designs for their own line.

Do you boys in the good ol USA know how much import tax plus custom handling charges are put on your knives here in Europe? A $100 knife ends up nearly $150 plus, it is no wonder that beaters like Ganzo at £17 to £20 sell so well here. 440c well treated is more than sufficient for EDC , and the carbon fibre is laminated with g10. I even got to have my GECs shipped over to me by a friend as Mike Latham does not ship overseas.

I think it's great that Gearbest will send out a product to review and want an honest opinion. It's great you have full disclosure. I would buy it after seeing it reviewed here like this, even though I agree 100% on the issue of cloning and that it is theft of someone else's idea and design. It's a great knife and I'm glad you mentioned the actual knife it was copied from

People who actually think "copies" take away money from the makers should really think about it, will someone who wants to buy a real chris reeve think, wow that fake one is only 50$, i'll take that instead? Doubt it... I don't like them stealing the design though, i think a lot of chinese makers go enough talent and skill to do their own designs, look at certain brands The argument that people sell fakes as real, welk blame the people who sell them like that, if those knives didn't exist that kind of people would rip others off in another way

I use this knife in coal mine everyday for year. Bought to mimic my 940 I edc. Everything I cut is surrounded by rock and steel. I’m am telling you I have used this knife beyond reason and it is still fantastic.

Props for keeping your word and being honest

Randy I give you lots of props for telling the truth and showing the knife. And well handled by you.

Respect for the honest review!

Bought a mini-mini griptillian clone (2.7 in blade). Loved it, and bought the real mini-grip a couple years later. Ganzo also released these new blue anodized pivots and screws, and the knife looks like it might be almost an original design.

Weird! I got the exact same knife 2 weeks ago and it's the black blade and instead of the carbon fiber, it has a "lego" kind of pattern milled into the G10. I find the knife kind of stiff, but I have not tried loosening it yet. But it's sharp and mine came with a whistle in the lanyard

this is my fav ganzo knife, and I have over 20 now. Sleep looking user blade that's < $20, super great value

I own and like Ganzos and I think your review was fair and honest. Thanks.

Thanks for the review which was most interesting. I'm not interested in the knife but it has nothing to do with the clone issue discussed in the video. All the best to you and your fine family.

Damn nice. I have no problem buying Ganzo knives. This one looks amazing.

wow the fit and finish is better than 940-1. benchmade is quality control really sucks. blade centering doesnt exist, amd grind lines look like poo

i have benchmade contego and i like it but blade is not really dead centered. i have 1 ganzo and i like it, no issue so far.

Great knife and great company.

How do you feel about clones?

Ganzo knives are my guilty pleasure. I've got a pile of them and I find I carry them more often than my Spydercos and Benchmades. I do wish they would put more effort into original designs but at least they aren't cloning knives. That I wouldn't condone. They have started milling out their liners and introducing bearing washers in some of their newer designs so it seems like they are committed to improving their line. Maybe we can look forward to some higher end blade steels in the future.

I've had a couple ganzos. They are fine working knives for the price, but the very close imitation aspect feels kinda seedy... I prefer real steel and especially Ruike (by Fenix Flashlights) as they have more original designs in 14c28n for often lower prices again.

I've got the Ganzo Firebird branded 745 version. Love it. Couldn't care less about it being a "clone". 440C is under-rated by most people. A "clone" is one thing. A "counterfeit" is something else entirely.

I've got several hand spinners but patiently waiting on your diy munsen

Gotta love this vid just for the comments it will inspire. Knockoffs are morally questionable but not illegal like counterfeits.I like them for beater knives and learning to sharpen/disassemble. You gotta try the G720 (Lionsteel knockoff w/ axis lock) best $20 knife I've ever seen. Like the real thing better but ain't made o'money!

Thumbs up for the honest review. Folks have strong feelings on this subject. It's not for me but some dudes can't afford 65 bucks so maybe there is a place for this item. Thanks for the vid

You made great points all the way around that I had never considered. I wouldn't recommend buying the clones but it would be funny if trade policies change with the new administration making these type knives hard to get driving the existing ones value up. You never know.

I have one...carry it a lot....luv it..... They do it right!

I don't personally mind the clones that aren't trying to be counterfeits. Ive bought several Ganzos. Given many away. $20 or less; and all the pocket knife 99% of people would ever need. Ganzo's PM2 clone helped convince me to plunk down the $120 for a real one. Still love and carry both, at different times for different reasons. It's nice to have a 'PM2' you can beat without mercy. Had both the Ontario and Ganzo Rat 1's. Gave the Ontario away and kept the wood scaled Ganzo version. Better looking and the axis lock is more fun. Side note, Ganzo's 440C has always performed well for me.

I should of looked at the date of this video because ganzo is huge now there not knock offs butt they do resemble lots of spyderco and benchmade knives but there huge in the market bought a few but i still like the real deal knives

Its not a knockoff because it doesn't use the logos of HK.

it looks good

I love axis lock Ganzo knives I'm not sorry they are great I'm buying everyone I can so when they quit making them I'll be stocked up ! I love them !

I've found Ganzo's 440C to be pretty good. I agree that it's better than AUS8. If clones bother you Ganzo/Firebird makes plenty of original designs.

If you have not seen one of their new firebird models you should try one out. It's even a better quality with better action.

i believe thats a carbon fiber laminate , like Spyderco uses .. its not solid CF like say ZT uses ..

I agree with you about knockoffs, however, if someone can produce a knife like that for $20, then Benchmade should hang they're head in shame for the half liner, plastic handled stuff they put out at $150.

I think they are great knives for the price. I bought a bunch of them ,including the push button knives. They are well made, buy some before there is a heavy import tax on them !

Great knife at a low price. Kudos, Ganzo! My only complaint: as much as I like the sexy look of CF laminate, I prefer the grippiness of G10, when using the knife as an EDC. 👍

Cool vid bro

Interesting review and honest. I sympathise from both sides of the fence (i have both the small and large HK axis models) but as others have commented i have my own gripes with benchmades quality control and what they are willing to package and sell as a quality product. In honesty my HK's are the best fit and finished benchmades in my collection, my 940's were shocking in comparison. In all i cant hate on Ganzo if they produce a high quality product for a good price albiet a stolen design however i would feel differently if the genuine product stood head and shoulders above its clone but it simply dosent and therein lies the problem until these bigger companies sort their acts out and start to offer real value for money instead of inflated overhyped and over marketed folding knives the trend will continue and people will buy these clones/knock offs.

Not into the knockoffs but thx for keeping it honest man.

It puzzles me why a knife made in China for a US company, and branded as such, sells for so much more than a Chinese branded knife of similar quality.

I held my nose I tried out two Ganzo knives.....The whole clone/copy thing didn't really sit well with me, but they are not bad knives at all, but I would prefer a Byrd from Spydeco, HK/HD from Benchmade, or an inexpensive Kershaw for about the same money.

pretty sure that's a cf laminate over g10

Patents usually run for 10-20 years. After that it can be renewed with some annoying little tricks but usually that doesn't happen. That's why you see a lot of these now. Just like suddenly last year a lot of Gerber LMFII clones dropped - because the patent ran out and a lot of manufacturers wanted to imitate the design. You'll see that for every big brand

Ganzo knives like this one create quite the conundrum for many people that will never spend the money it takes to get the real thing. I have this knife, and I've been very happy with it. But... I do feel a bit guilty every time I carry it. I'm very torn on whether or not to buy any more of their products.

the real Benchmade produced, HK branded 14715 (8 5/16 OAL, 3 11/16 coated plain edge D2 blade & G10 scales) was less than $120 when it was first released..i bought one early on and was very impressed with the overall quality regardless of the price, which places it just above a large Griptillian... but the fit and operation of my particular model was far above it's price point..perfect centering, zero blade play, and SMOOTH as silk....the best operating/smoothest/most solid Benchmade i own is a Limited Ed. Red/Blk G10 Griptillian with an CPM-M4 blade..if not for the spring in the axis mechanism, it would be even better....my HK has that kind of feel for less than 1/2 the price...grab one...it's not the most well known model BM makes, but it has an understated purposeful style on top of awesome build quality

once they update to d2 im in...

Patent's run out on the Axis lock so truly not an issue. Not even remotely dishonest. This is one of the few Ganzo knives that seems to be a dead on copy of another. Many have similar looks, with minor variations. I don't have any problem with that. I have about a dozen Ganzos and they're great. 440C better than 8cr13mov and Aus8, and enough quality for the relatively light EDC use I put on them. They look great and work fine. I've heard enough about Benchmades that I know I'm not spending that kind of money for such a diminishing return. If you're concerned, try Ruike knives. There own designs, inexpensive, and 14c28n, while not exactly high end, is pretty good.

440c is ok for 20$ knives..I'll take that over 8cr13mov or AUS8 any day of the week. I don't mind knockoffs, but counterfeits are another story. For the money..you can't beat a Ganzo, and they do also have some original designs. They make great beater knives.

Patents do run out from what I understand. I'm pretty sure that if a knife is made in a Chinese facility the company usually sells the right to their design (but not their logo) as long as the product is sold in their own country as to not not directly compete with them. And then we get them from dealers.

Thumbs up, just because. (A man who keeps his word when it might cost him something)

I had a Ganzo and it came with one nylon washer and one bronze phosphor washer. Can't recommend one of these Ganzos. You also got a review model, so they probably sent you the best model they had in stock, because mine wasn't centered or had as good fit and finish as this one.

I have a few Ganzo's. I only use them for construction. it's the only way I feel ok with any clones. I have no issues with them when I am beating the piss out of them. when I am not doing construction I only carry the name brands. but that's just me. btw H&K has discontinued there knife line. so this knife is going to be just about the only way you are going to get it now out side the secondary market.

The thing that I don't like about Ganzo is that the blade stock is fairly thick and the knife is thick behind the edge.

My bet is that it was made by Sanrenmu who had a deal with Benchmade to produce the H&K red line I read somewhere that the deal allowed Sanrenmu to produce similar knives just not for North America

every knife is in some way a copy of another

Yes anyone can use axis lock now BM’s paten is done that’s why every company is using them a lot

I like 440c. I love the real HK axis knives. Never handled one but its on my wishlist. I know they are discontinued. So i dont know how quickly i need to pick it up. I am not a clone fan at all, but it can be tempting. Gear best is going to hate you though. Lol. Go check out budget bugouts last vid where he breaks his flashlight in 10 seconds. His sponsors will hate him for sure. Lol

I have a channel where I specialize in Chinese brand knives and I do a lot of Ganzo reviews. 1. the handle is G10 with a carbon fiber laminate on top, and remarkably on the inside face too. 2. Ganzo is not breaking any laws that apply to them as a Chinese company regarding design and patents. I know that won't change your opinion of not liking it when companies use existing designs, - I am just providing more information. 3. You should have done more research into Ganzo before agreeing to review a knife of theirs and then you wouldn't have this quandary about doing this video or not. 4. Kudos to you for stating the simple FACTS about the fit and finish and quality of the knife even though you don't agree with the philosophy of the Ganzo company - You EARNED loads of respect from me for that. A lot of RU-vidrs let their emotions cloud the facts.

the h&k version is made in the us

It's not really a knockoff and the knife it's based on is no longer in production so it really doesn't matter. The "axis" lock they use is on most of their knives, not really just their "benchmade clones". You can still get the HK Axis and HK Mini Axis on ebay here and there but well overpriced for D2 steel. These are equal in size to the full HK Axis, and cost at least 5 times less. 100-145 for D2 is just plain dumb when you can get superior steels in knives of better quality and collector value for the price. The patent isn't the issue because it's an American patent. They would have to file a patent in every country to prevent any issues which isn't logical. Ganzo can use the technology in China and still be legal. Usually with companies like Ganzo who make Chinese knives for American companies the agreement is they can't sell directly to the US, which is why companies like Gearbest distribute them third party.

luckily the hk 14715 was made in the us

Hey Ganzo. Hire a good designer to create some original patterns. Upgrade your steel to D2. Maintain your existing QC and up your prices by 10 bucks and you have a winning formula.

I wonder how many closet Ganzo users there are among the knife elite. Are they really using their $200 Benchmade to cut up cardboard and zip ties or are they actually using their $20 Ganzo? Methinks the gentlemen protests too much.

I personally wouldn't call it a knockoff. Ganzo copies designs but they don't try to pass them off as the "real" knife.

The axis lock patent expired in 2016. It was a utility patent which has a 20 year lifespan. That being said ganzo really should have come up with their own design for the rest of the knife. Even if it looked similar and was functionally identical to the hk it would have been a different story.

Is it a knockoff if they put Ganzo instead of Benchmade on it? I think knockocc is a bit harsh, clone is a better word. I think that Ganzo and other chinese makers are doing the knife world a service, knife manufacturers have been over-charging their products for way too long. No problems from me if its quality made and doesnt try to fool you on who made it or where it comes from.

Patent on axis lock is over. Much like the Flintstone's patented the "wheel", there is a time to move over and let others have a go with old, existing designs. If HK "discontinued" their design, they why the hell not let Ganzo have it at?It's a good knife, that's the end of the story here. If they made a turd, well, it would be different.

I remember when 440 was a high end steel . Boker still uses it . They do copy designs and they,ll mix and match ideas from many companies into one design . The G753 CF is a prime example . I'm going to buy one and see what its like .

that ganzo made in the same factory as many overpriced knives

they're turn around time is better then mine !!! HaHa

Stolen intellectual property should never be condoned. You did right to call them out.

niccceeee

You know It really tickles my funny bone how everybody so much feels for the Benchmade designs & their god given right to keep their designs , but everything else in society that is always copied from time immemorial goes as unremarkable rights for everybody to do as they please .The damn automobile was invented by the French , the caveman invented the wheel in some cave probably eating Dinosaur steak.every pair of pants has two legs and zippers , Everybody has got to stop being so sanctimonious about a sliver of steel with a handle .Even the watch on our wrist and you smarty phone is copy of someones design . The language we speak the pens we write with or keystrokes we push . Damn even the toilet paper we wipe our asses with . Copies are what society is built on convenient or not .

I much rather them not trying to pass it off as the real thing that's something that I really don't agree with

Design copies aren't anything new. Who knows how many buck 110 style knives exist. Now counterfeits I have an issue with.

My understanding is that the Benchmade patent ran out late last year.

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you keep saying "clone" or knockoff" but I thought the clone knifes and knockoffs were the knives complete copies LABELING AND ALL ganzo may steal the design but atleast they don't put benchmade or HK on the knife like the other clones those I def disagree with but ganzo is ganzo there not good enough for anything but a user you can't say there not sharp out the box !!!!! screaming ass sharp!!!

HK knife is no longer available. If it was a true copy it would have the HK branding on it. Not everyone can afford the semi custom US made knives. I believe company that made this also made axis lock models for Benchmade and was thus authorized to use the lock. Don't like snobs.

Nice video! Gearbest gave up on me after my reviews. The knives they sent me had horrible actions and way off center. I also called out the design was completely a clone of the PM2 and Rat 1 just with an axis lock.

A high value knife is a high value knife no matter who you want make out with.these people that call themselves reviewers aren't so unbias as we are led to believe .i think your bias twards a maker or company should be stated up front so that if you don't want to waist time listening to their bias you can go on to something else . Some reviewers are taking unfounded shots at ganzo because of some feature they think the disigner or company they worship invented has been used . You get patents for 20 years then anyone can use it you don't get the rights forever.crk sabenza 21 that stands for 21 years that means he no longer has the rights .Ibet they don't know that this is the reason for changing one thing or another .so they can keep the patent . Hero worship isn't an honest review .like some people that can't see a sabenza for what it really is .because of their personal bias ( hero worship) that makes me wonder about what they say about anything.

Benchmade is highly over rated ! Over priced ! I have both crooked rivers and both springs in the mini broke ( fixed with vanzo springs ) and the large waa tatol shit in a box ( un- finished ) and one spring broke ( replaced both spring with ganzo 704 i bought just for the springs ) also have a 940 and a 904 clone ! I wouldn't have bought the 940 but after using the clone i had to have the 940 ! The crooked river is built like some of the other ganzo's and the ganzo's did it first so who's copying who

style looks bleh. very generic. ganzo needs a designer.

It looks like a Benchmade Griptilian

no I gave you a big big thumbs down on this one. no knock off Bullshit no no no sorry. that's not even a knife it's junk

In the beginning of this video did you actually ask if HK makes there knives where Ganzo makes there's?* Around 3:55 You did! Im out. I do like Ganzo/Firebird but cmon man. My HK Axis is made in the USA.. My Ganzos' and everyone knows; Made in China. How Dare You Sir. Just sayin