Rock Creek Knives

CAS Hanwei Announces its "Rock Creek" Knife Line. Capitalizing on the popularity of its Hanwei sword line, CAS Hanwei debuted the first elements of its new knife line at SHOT Show 2010. Initial offerings include ten models of fixed-blade hunting and utility knives with traditional stacked-leather handles and a series of lockback folder models with rosewood, stabilized leather and mother- of-pearl/abalone handles. Commenting on the quality of the knives, CAS Hanwei's president, Barry Ross, stated that the company's aim was to isolate its knives from the stereotypical conception of Chinese-made knives: "Although many major manufacturers are now sourcing knives in China," he said, "the image of low quality/low cost persists and we have taken major steps to set our line apart from this image. Hanwei, because of the scarcity of clean high- alloy cutlery steels from domestic suppliers, is melting its own steels and producing superior blade materials with excellent edge-holding and toughness characteristics. Additionally, trading on its swordmaking capabilities, Hanwei is able to forge knife blades, a quality feature now available only from custom makers and semi-custom manufacturers in the commercial sporting knife market."