QSP Worker: Review

[Yomagn'tho]

Just got my QSP Worker in the mail today and I have to say I am quite pleased. From what I read QSP is a Chinese company that makes knives for itself as opposed to making knives for some other (typically foreign) company. I was definitely interested in the Worker model as I like the sheepsfoot design but never have seen it in a frame that I wanted. I am not a fan of liner or frame locks so when I saw a sheepsfoot in a lockback using a good quality steel I jumped at the chance.

This was Brand New and after tax and shipping cost me around $65. I got it off eBay which was cheaper than BladeHQ and Knifecenter.

Right off the bat this Brand and Knife exuded quality by having a sturdy well made cardboard box along with a sticker. I am a Spyderco fan through and through but I have spent much more money on Spydies and have always been unimpressed with the flimsy and cheap boxes they come in. Of course I don't buy knives for the boxes they come in, but there is a definite difference between this box for the QSP and the boxes of other "quality" companies.

The knife comes with a high quality sheath and the knife fits snuggly in it. I don't see a need for a sheath on a pocket knife that has a clip, but still it is a nice addition none the less and I will repurpose the sheath for other knives I have that have no clip. This is a thick leather and the stitching feels and appears to be great, and there is some embellishment on it.

Every aspect of the knife is well made, the blade sits in the center of its blade well and the edge does not make contact with the bottom of the well. There are no gaps between the scales and the frame, everything is tight and as perfect as one would expect out of much more expensive folders. Knife came hair-shaving sharp (not that that is a concern for me as I have multiple sharpening systems) and N690 is a quality steel that is almost identical to VG-10 save for about 2% more Chromium in the N690. No it isn't 20CV or S110V or ZDP189, but at this price point I have seen lesser steels than N690 used, so I am happy with it.

The knife is not slim, small, or lite, so not the best knife if you are going out jogging and need something lite and unobtrusive, but it certainly isn't gigantic or overly heavy for daily usage. My phone in the picture has a 6.5in screen plus a protective case so total length is about 7in.

I did use the knife today to break down a couple cardboard boxes and it did it without issue as expected. I won't truly know the total quality of the heat treat for some time, but given the top quality nature of the rest of the knife I suspect I won't be disappointed in that area. I will do a simple corrosion test this weekend to see if there are any surprises (eg. misrepresented steel or poor heat treat). If that test comes back with a bad surprise I will come back here and mention it.

My Rating = 5 out of 5 Stars, don't hesitate on the Worker series if it looks like a knife you like. I had some negative preconceptions on Chinese made knives going in, but with QSP at least, those negative preconceptions were proven utterly wrong. This is a high quality knife at a good price

[kootenay joe]

Y't, thanks for posting your impressions of this knife. It will be helpful for anyone considering buying this brand. There are so many different brands of knives made in China and not all are well made. Quality cannot be determined from the info posted on a retail site, hence posts like yours are important.
kj

[Yomagn'tho]

Y't, thanks for posting your impressions of this knife. It will be helpful for anyone considering buying this brand. There are so many different brands of knives made in China and not all are well made. Quality cannot be determined from the info posted on a retail site, hence posts like yours are important.
kj

Thanks KJ, I don't normally do reviews but I really was impressed with this knife at this price point so I felt I had to let others know that not all Chinese knives are bad.

[Madmarco]

Y't, thanks for posting your impressions of this knife. It will be helpful for anyone considering buying this brand. There are so many different brands of knives made in China and not all are well made. Quality cannot be determined from the info posted on a retail site, hence posts like yours are important.
kj

Thanks KJ, I don't normally do reviews but I really was impressed with this knife at this price point so I felt I had to let others know that not all Chinese knives are bad.

Very nice Yo! I've been eye-balling these for sometime now, but have yet to pull the trigger, and after reading your review I feel much more confident in ordering one. I like the model with the really shiny hardware, whereas yours has a satin finish, but the over $200. price tag stopped me in my tracks. For the sake of shiny I can certainly live with this much less expensive model. I think most would agree with the fact that some Chinese knives are well-built, but it's the Chinese politics that turns them away from their products. Great review, thanks!