FILE №.001 / FORGED
EST. 2008 · TANGFORGE
Yangjiang, Zhejiang · OEM & ODM Knife Factory

Custom knife manufacturer in China

We make pocket, kitchen, chef, outdoor and Damascus knives for global brands — OEM and ODM, under your label. Cutting, heat treatment, CNC grinding, laser engraving and packaging all run in-house. MOQ from 300 units. First delivery in 35–50 days.

17+ Years In-house
40+ Export Markets
12K ISO 9001 Facility
62HRC Max Hardness
N 21°51′ · E 111°58′
YANGJIANG / CN
TANGFORGE custom knife manufacturer Zhejiang China — premium hand-finished blades on workshop bench
In-house Workshop · 2026
MOQ 300 UNITS / SKU

200 for Damascus, 100 for sets. 100-unit trial run for first orders.

Lead time 35–50 DAYS

Sampling 12–18 days. ODM with new tooling adds 2–3 weeks.

Hardness range 56–62 HRC

Rockwell-tested every batch, logged per blade. ±0.5 HRC variance.

Final inspection AQL 2.5

100% dimensional QC in-line. Inspection report per shipment.

What we make

Six knife categories. One factory.

Every blade is cut, ground, heat-treated, finished and packed in our own workshop. Steel grades, MOQ and lead time per category below.

Category Steel options MOQ Lead time
Pocket & folding knives
Liner / frame lock, slip joint
D2, 8Cr13MoV, VG-10, S35VN 300 40–50 days View
Kitchen knives
Santoku, nakiri, paring, cleaver
4Cr14, 9Cr18MoV, VG-10 core 500 35–50 days View
Chef knives
8″/10″ chef, gyuto, santoku
VG-10, 9Cr18MoV, Damascus 300 40–50 days View
Outdoor & hunting knives
Fixed blade, bushcraft, skinner
D2, 440C, S35VN, full tang 300 40–55 days View
Damascus knives
Real 67-layer forged, not etched
VG-10 / AUS-10 / 10Cr15CoMoV core 200 50–60 days View
Gift & block sets
Block sets, magnetic boards, gift boxes
Mixed per set spec 100 30–45 days View
In-house capabilities

Every production step is in-house.

Cutting, forging, CNC grinding, heat treatment, polishing, laser engraving, assembly, QC, packaging — no outsourced stages, no quality drift between subcontractors.

CNC knife blade machining — precision blade grinding factory

Precision blade machining

CNC-controlled blade cutting and profiling on 6 production lines. Tolerance held to ±0.05 mm on blade thickness, ±0.1° on edge bevel angle. Every blade traceable to operator, batch and date.

  • Laser-cut blanks for repeatable geometry
  • 5-axis grinding for compound bevels and tantos
  • In-line dimensional QC at 100% sampling

Heat treatment that hits target HRC

Vacuum and salt-bath furnaces with cryogenic post-treatment. We hit and hold target hardness — 58 HRC for kitchen, 60-62 HRC for premium tactical — with under ±0.5 HRC batch variance.

  • Vacuum hardening for stainless grades
  • Sub-zero treatment for retained austenite
  • Rockwell tested every batch, logged per blade
Knife blade grinding heat treatment hardness control
Laser engraving knife logo OEM private label service

Branding that survives the dishwasher

Fiber laser engraving on blade and bolster, chemical etching for darker contrast, pad printing for handle graphics. Logos hold up through years of restaurant or field use — not just unboxing photos.

  • Vector logo work — AI / EPS / SVG accepted
  • Single-pass or contrast-fill engraving
  • Sample approval before mass production
From sketch to shipment

How an order runs, step by step.

A typical OEM project lands in your warehouse 50-65 days after we lock the spec. ODM with new tooling adds 2-3 weeks for sample iteration.

01 / DESIGN

Spec & Sample

You send sketch, photo or sample. We confirm geometry, steel, handle, MOQ and target FOB.

02 / TOOLING

Prototyping

3D model, laser-cut blank, hand-ground prototype. Photos and HRC report within 12-18 days.

03 / FORGE

Blade Production

Cut → grind → harden → temper → polish. Every blade Rockwell-tested before assembly.

04 / ASSEMBLY

Handle & Fit

Scales pinned or screwed, edge sharpened to BESS spec, blade-handle alignment QC'd.

05 / FINISH

Engrave & Pack

Logo laser engraving, sheath fit, gift box assembly, hangtag insertion.

06 / SHIP

QC & Export

AQL 2.5 final inspection, export docs, FOB Ningbo or DDP door-to-door.

Steel selection

Blade steels we run.

Pick by price point, target customer and warranty exposure — not by "best steel." Working subset below; full chart on the materials page.

Steel Type HRC Edge Retention Corrosion Best For
3Cr13 / 4Cr14 Stainless 52-55 Low Excellent Promotional, entry kitchen
8Cr13MoV Stainless 56-58 Medium Very Good Mid EDC, value kitchen
9Cr18MoV / 440C Stainless 58-60 Good Very Good Premium kitchen, mid tactical
D2 Tool steel 59-61 Excellent Good Hunting, tactical EDC
VG-10 Stainless 60-62 Excellent Very Good Premium chef, gift tier
Damascus (VG-10 core) Layered 60-62 Excellent Very Good Showcase & gift
Inside the workshop

The factory you'd be auditing.

Real production floor in Yangjiang, Zhejiang. Click any image to view full size. Factory visits welcomed — we'll arrange transport from Guangzhou or Shenzhen airport.

We've used TANGFORGE for three product launches now — what kept us coming back is that the second order looks identical to the first. — Procurement Director, EU Kitchenware Brand
Frequently asked

Questions buyers ask first.

Standard MOQ is 300 units per SKU for OEM logo work on our existing molds, and 500 units for ODM with custom blade geometry or new handle tooling. For first-time partners we can structure a 100-unit trial run at sample-tier pricing so you can validate the market.

Steels: 3Cr13, 4Cr14, 8Cr13MoV, 9Cr18MoV, 440C, D2, VG-10, AUS-8, plus 67-layer Damascus with VG-10 / AUS-10 / 10Cr15CoMoV cores. Hardness tunable 56-62 HRC.

Handles: G10, micarta, pakkawood, stabilized wood, ABS, POM, aluminum, titanium, stag bone. Custom dyeing and stabilization available.

Sampling: 12-18 days from spec lock.
Mass production: 35-50 days depending on quantity, blade complexity, finish level, and packaging. Damascus and forged blades add 7-10 days.

We confirm a binding production schedule when the PO and deposit clear.

Yes. Logo laser engraving on blade or bolster, blade etching, custom blade shape, scale material selection, sheath or gift box, hangtag, insert card — everything is done in-house. We ship retail-ready, Amazon-ready or distributor-ready depending on your channel.

We export to 40+ countries. FOB Ningbo or Shenzhen is standard. DDP and door-to-door options available with our forwarder network. We provide Certificate of Origin, CE declaration, FDA disclosure, REACH and RoHS statements where applicable. For US fixed-blade and assisted-opening shipments, we coordinate with your customs broker on HTSUS classification.

Get a quote

Tell us what you need.
We'll cost it within 24h.

Send us a sketch, sample photo, or just describe what you want to build. You'll get a real engineering response — not a templated catalog dump.

  • Email   [email protected]
  • WhatsApp   +86 133 8459 0853
  • Location   Yangjiang, Zhejiang, China
  • Hours   Mon-Sat, 8:30-18:00 (UTC+8)

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