Spyderco's Chinese stuff is different than most manufacturer's in that they own the facility, provide all the tooling and materials, and directly control the production and QC, according to my sales rep, Lynnette. Essentially, the only thing "Chinese" about them is the labor. The Byrd knives are an amazing value, I have a couple for work knives, and they are 95% of a regular Spyderco at less than half the cost.