2013 Kershaws

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bj264

Joined
Mar 10, 2012
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Which of the new Kershaws are U.S. made. Other than the ZT's it looks like all the new ones are China produced. Am I missing something?
 
I believe that they are making some different color options for some current models, otherwise I believe the rest are not USA made. Don't let that scare you off though, I got my girl a cryo 3 or 4 months ago and it is a great knife. She loves it and works on a farm, so it gets a lot of use. That 8cr13mov takes an INSANE edge too.
 
After watching the bladeHQ Shot show video, I think it is pretty clear. The only US made options will be the three small ZTs and tell new color options for the Leek and Blur. I think that the Chinese made designs look great though, but I will not be buying any of them. I will hope for more domestically produced offerings next year, but I think the good news is that Kershaw is on the right track design-wise.
 
Don't be discouraged by the lack of U.S. Produced knives. Like BrentD86 stated, 8Cr13MoV does take a wicked edge. All of the cuts I've received on my hands have come from that steel. Kershaw makes some of the best budget knives.
 
I believe Kershaw has good quality control. I have no problem with the 8cr13mov. But I stay away from China products whenever possible. If theres a U.S. produced option thats the way I go. That being said its probably for the best. Now I can concentrate on the Piston, Knockout and Echelon and a ZT. However I havnt held a Cryo 2 yet. I love the looks of the Cryo. The origional was just a bit small for me. I may not be able to pass up the cryo 2 even if it is a China knife.
 
And we get an orange and purple Leek!!! I think i may just have to try out one of the Chinese models, i do love the Cryo, i dont have one but i have handled one and they are amazing, and the dimension looks sick!
 
bj264 said:
I believe Kershaw has good quality control.
Click to expand...

^^ This. Unlike some other manufacturers that job out the work, KAI owns the companies in China that produce the knives. They are KAI employees using KAI equipment, just as in the US plant. And they have production in countries other than the US and China.

Don't be afraid...there's still the best backed warranty in the business...
 
This Kershaw new product release was mainly products form overseas. We will continue to offer some USA made high-end Kershaws, but many new products will be made overseas.

I understand that some people will have politcal issues with buying products for m China, and I won't argue that point. However, I do have a few ideas for you to consider when you think about this.

1. KAI wants to offer quality knives to customers at all price points - We want to make a good affordable knife for the customer who is only willing to spend $30 and we also want to make knives for the high end customer who wants to spend $300+ There are some price points that we just can't make in the USA anymore - the costs are just too high. These products get manufactured overseas. Keep in mind that these products also contribute to the success of our company, which helps us to continue employing workers in the USA. We are a business, and a business has to be profitable to continue operating.

2. Quality - Our products from overseas are inspected at the factory where they are produced. Then, when they arrive in the US, they are inspected again by our own in-house QC staff. We are not afraid to send back bad product. Our goal is to offer a quality product, regardless of where it is manufactured. We work with some very talented people over in China, and I have great respect for their hard work and dedication. Their hard work means you get a better product, a product that I can stand behind. I take a lot of pride in the quality and value that our imported products represent. Knife snob that I am, I still carry our imports as often as a I carry our US products.

3. We are dedicated to USA production - Our ZT brand is strong, and we will continue to support and grow this brand. We add new equipment every year, and these last few years have been no exception. We are adding more machines, streamlining our processes, and working to design smarter products to maximize our capabilities. There will also still be some new Kershaw USA products, though they may not be as many as we would like. The new ZT 0566 / 0801 / and 0770 are three great new products that will be made right here in Tualatin, Oregon.

As always, I hope this adds a little insight in to why things are the way they are.

- Jim
 
Thanks for that jimmer, cleared a lot of thing up for me. Question in the Tualatin made knives are all the screws and hardware made there to?

I keep my collection USA made stuff. I love checking out and gifting the imported ones, all quality.
 
I'll very likely be purchasing all of the '13 ZTs, can't say I have much interest in the Chinese made Kershaws, unfortunately.
 
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