All knives “made in china” are crap !

I used to be like that too. (And I still favoring “Made In Usa”, as I love american cutlery in spirit, design and quality.)
Since the day I have received a box full of Laguiole knockoff made in Pakistan. (Ten years ago, those knives manufacturers in Pakistan wanted us to test their 1 dollar knives and they have sent us a bunch in all sizes !!! 50 knives ! All smelling petrol and with very strange colours on the handles…)
But as we found out with Fred Perrin, their steel was much better than the official “440A” 100 euros french made laguiole (we kept that in silent…), their constructions was very solid and the knives were great tools (and eventually made excellent gifts!)… Since that time I don’t mind of what is written on a blade.

Also we know heat treating and geometry are perharps even more important than the steel anyway. I’ve been surprised by the quality of some 440A blades in a long and hard use cycle and been disappointed by S90V and BG42 blades which were impossible to get sharp… Gosh even som 01 and 52100 blades handmades can be a bear to get really sharp. Or is it me ?

Good craftmanship is international, also is good manufacturing.
No stamp on the blade will change anything or ever be a label of quality.

Time can change things also. Taiwan (and soon China) is the new Japan.
After WWII my grand parents would not buy anything “Made In Japan”.
Nowadays, it’s almost a quality label. (and Japan can thank a guy named Jack Welch (General Electrics C.E.O. !!! ) who has implemented “SIX SIGMA” policy (99,9% perfection goal in quality) in the 80’s for their quality control in car manufacturing…. eventually it was like shooting in his own foot… as we know Hell is paved with good intentions! )

So that 8Cr1MoV steel Byrd blades were supposed to be “440C” stamped.
But Sal Glesser wanted to check the quality and the composition of his Byrd blades, only to discover it was NOT “440C” and he could not honestly stamp it.
Quality control is everything, don’t you think ?

cheers
Nemo