''Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity.'' ―Albert Einstein
Full disclosure per the Pistol-Forum CoC: I am the author of Quantitative Ammunition Selection.
https://shivworkspg.com/
The non-Ban versions are Chinese made. But Southnarc took considerable effort to ensure they are not only well made, but made in a factory with high wage and labor standards. In other words if you buy a "China Pick" you can be confident it wasn't made with slave labor.
Not to say you shouldn't buy a Ban Tang. Which conveniently are also available on the Shivworks Product Group website.
I wanted to chime in, for anyone else thinking about a CP, who isn't looking to drop the moolah for a Ban Tang one: the production ones are still great knives and worth getting. More than serviceable. I'm perfectly happy with mine, debating getting one with with a 2.0 handle, just 'cause (I think I'll prefer the slimmer handle a little for concealment, and then will feel free to mod the handle on my 1.0).
It's the rage that gets forged into the blade when made by the oppressed.
I'm not an expert in knife witchcraft or voodoo, but I think there is probably some way to make the non-oppression made knives stab harder. Blessing ritual by a Voodoo Priestess? Probably involves taint stabbing and bleeding foreheads...
”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB
I have use for a general purpose knife and a defensive knife. If I could only carry one it would be the CP. But I am not limited in that way. My make or break point on the Matriarch, or Civilian for that matter, as "the blade" is a sheath that carries the blade open. I cut wrist bands off of a lot of hospital patients and prisoners, and I have a gut hook in my blow out kit for that. I have done ECQC with several members here, and will have my kids go through it while they are college age. I do love the Spydies though.
And before all the other cops join in on the whole seatbelt cutting issue I have done it twice in 23 years. Both times was on a crushed roll over with an obese occupant, and we couldn't reach the release. Cut the shoulder belt up by the "B" pillar. Not a statistically significant undertaking, despite my beliefs 20 years ago.
pat