I recently received my first four knives from exduct.com. It was my first time buying knives for about 14 years, and I was interested to see if the hype surrounding the first-tier Chinese knife-makers is justified. For those who don’t want to read to the end of this to find my conclusion, the answer is a resounding, unequivocal and absolute YES.

I decided to buy a selection of knives, all liner-lock, but different sizes, and makes and with various different scales. After quite a lot of research, I settled on the SanRenMu 603 and 738, the Bee L06-1 and the Enlan L01-1. I didn’t buy a Ganzo and now wish I had, and as exduct don’t sell Tekut, I couldn’t buy a sample of their products either. But I do intend to get hold of at least one from each of those manufacturers to compare the quality.

The four knives I bought were dispatched quickly and arrived in three weeks, surviving the Saudi Arabian customs inspection without a problem. On unboxing, my first impressions were overwhelmingly positive. The two SRM knives are small; the 603 is tiny, but exquisite, and the 738 isn’t much bigger; Crocodile Dundee could only dispatch a small lizard with either. The Bee and Enlan are both quite a bit larger; the Enlan is a monster. Overall, I was very pleased with the range of sizes and styles. My immediate favourite was the Enlan, a big bad beast of a knife, and an absolute bargain. I am wondering why I only bought one, superb quality at an almost ridiculously low price. (It's now available with rosewood scales and a carry pouch; guess who's going to buy a couple!)

On closer inspection, my initial euphoria was confirmed. Needless to say, all four of the knives are well designed and extremely well-made from A-grade materials. The quality is definitely far, far better than the average brand-name knock-off to be found at the local fishing tackle shops in countries where knock-offs abound. In fact, I would rate these knives on par with US or European knives of 3 to 5 times the price. There is no play in the blades, they all open and close properly and safely, they are all sharp out of the box, the scales all fit flush with the liners, and each knife’s liner is appropriately robust and well-sprung. The Enlan remains my firm favourite, although the tiny SRM 603 isn’t far behind.

I can say without question that these Chinese knives are superb, and that the best Chinese knife-makers are producing world-class products at bargain-basement prices. The world of manufacturing sure is changing. I remember my grandfather, many years ago, talking about, “cheap Japanese rubbish.” Even in the late eighties, he was way behind the times. By then, Japanese stuff wasn’t particularly cheap and not much of it was rubbish. Chinese manufacture now swings into the same cycle, but for now, at least, the quality is there without the high prices.

The best thing is that I can actually tell my wife what I paid for these beauties without having to cross my fingers behind my back. Thanks exduct.com, and thanks also to some Chinese companies that really know how to make a good product!