If something is labeled "made in USA," does that convey a sense of workmanship?
I think it does. When something is made locally, the makers live or die based on their reputation. People pay extra money for quality. If the quality drops, they will not pay. In the U.S., Germany, France, and Sweden, they have the highest standards of quality. Workers are more educated, better trained, better paid, and better equipped. That usually means you get a better knife. They have to make a better knife, since they can't compete with the prices of Chinese knives.
Do they make good knives in Taiwan and China? Sure they do, but it is important to understand who is making those knives and why. For the most part, they are making them from contracts based in other countries. A factory owner agrees to make
X amount of knives, and he wins the contract by doing it as cheaply as possible. That means paying his workers less, which means hiring less-educated, less-trained people. To keep costs as low as possible, that also means trying to save money in the manufacturing process, materials procurement, and quality control. The goal of making a knife in China is to reduce costs, get the price as low as possible, and undercut the competition for cheap stuff.
Look at Boker, for example. They have their Boker line (made in Solingen, Germany). They have their Boker plus line (made in China). They have their Boker Arbelito line (made in Argentina). The Bokers from Solingen are more expensive. Are they better? Well... I'm sure if you visited their Solingen factory and walked around, inspected the equipment, and talked to the technicians, you would get a picture of the knowledge and skill in that factory. If you went to their contract factory in China (where they make Boker plus knives), and had the same experience, you would get a different picture. The question is, is the difference worth the price difference?
Spyderco fiercely defends their Taiwan and China contract factories. They publicly state that the knives made there are just as good as--if not better than--knives made in the USA. That said, they still proudly emblazon their USA knives with their signature "Golden, CO, USA, Earth" stamp and proudly advertise these knives as made in USA. Are they saying such knives are "better?" Who knows... The question is, is the difference worth the price difference? That's the debate.
I EDC a Case Mini Copperlock. It is a beautiful little knife. The blade is centered, the lock is smooth and clicks authoritatively. Everything is smooth and beautiful, and the lockbar sits flush with the scales in open or closed position. I know it was made with an immense deal of pride by American craftsmen who would never, ever compromise. It is a $50.00 knife. I could get something similar, made in Pakistan, for literally $5.00... 1/10 the cost. That is a huge difference. It might even be a good knife, but... can I be 100% confident about how they made that knife in Pakistan? Can I be 100% confident about how they chose or heat-treat their steel? Did they use a cheaper epoxy on the handles (which might even be toxic or come apart eventually)? Did they make sure the bone/horn they made the scales with was properly dried/treated (and won't crack in a few years)? Those questions would linger in my mind every day that I carried that $5.00 Pakistan knife. So the $50 Case is worth it to me.
:thumbup:
I will say that in generall a less expensive location means greater effort must be made to ensure careful quality control. Especially if you're building to the lowest possible price. But superb quality products can come from anywhere. The best inidicator is pride in manufacture, this will translate to high quality products.