This thread makes me consider What makes us quit a magazine? Stay with me. Anybody enjoy Grays Sporting Journal?
My interests are varied. I like knives. I like hunting and guns. I opened this months issue and saw a full page advertisement for Chris Williams Knives. Ugh. Then read their Best of 2017 and his singular folder (a production) was among their selection of only FOUR total accessories in the category. This handle-guy was found out on blade forums in many an opinion for misrepresenting as a real knife maker charging hi-custom prices for nicely custom-handled knives using what hasnt really been disputed as Chinese pregound blades bought from Jantz etc. and not being transparent. Playing a fake on the unwitting and unknowledgable some years ago, using $10 blades. And the site still mimics the same preground blades. The guy IMO has consistently been opaque and shifting the websites language or not disclosing whats material to play the margins...
So Grays writes so beautifully about this Williams Knives new folder costing $150 and its obviously IMO (and others) a near duplicate copy of the cheap Ganzo G704 folder, Chinese, which you can buy for as low as $13 on Amazon. Its only missing the keeper holes and w color switching, obviously the Chinese manufacture it and its been out on market a long time. Its got to be along the same Chinese knife from the same Chinese factory. The Chinese at Ganzo obviously copied a Benchmade/Snody-designed folder, produced it, and now etch his name on it. Which Williams had claimed he engineered and designed it over 3 years long...? Of course theres never proof to backup such stories...
I called the head name of Grays under Advertising to complain, in other words I asked him why did they disregard hundreds of reputable US custom and production knife makers implying decency)as selectees for their winner, much more declare a $13 Chinese made knife a Best of Anything from this handle assembler. And what about the people who will later find out its a Chinese cheapo w the Williams name etched on the blade, and it was Grays that assisted in moving that product for $150? A magazine looks the other way when its so easy for the internet search to prove of people slapping on handles yet creating grand fictions within their grand stories to pump through their hired Ad agency to get these glowing nonsense articles and awards into the mags. But hey, so-called us-made n manufactured n designed hipster articles and stories work so well w the newer generation, I guess.
His reply in short was We understand Chris Williams is a controversial figure... and That knife isn.t claimed to be custom made... and finally Well look into it. Sure. You already did or shouldve known. All you have to do is call USAKnifemakers in TX and ask how long the $18 Oyster knife blanks have been around (at least ten yrs) and see Williams $250 Edisto oyster knife uses the EXACT same design to look into the controversy of foisting someone foisting. And to think Garden&Gun in 2011made Chris Williams knives their Overall Winner in the sporting category for these Edisto oyster knives, claimed to be his design etc.. I never looked at that mag after that.
I came away from my conversation with Grays that Advertising was defending their choice. Sad. They took the money! I will cease subscribing to Grays only because of that. Advertising its necessary but youd wish there was a more solid ethos to it.
Last edited by rrrgcy; 01/02/18 01:29 AM.
