American Made

Joe58 said:
I'm always curious why people draw their line in the sand at the knives they buy, and will only buy wholly Made in USA blades.
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Mmm, you pretty much never see people from other countries insisting on buying Made-in-[insert their country here]-only knives... but that's probably also because they have few manufacturers. But I've noticed on other forums that Europeans on the whole seem much more open to, for example, buying knives from China.
 
It's tough to find products "made in USA" these days, what's even more disturbing about that is 100% of the item does not have to be made or assembled in the USA to earn even that label, only "all or substantially all" of it, and the FTC has never defined what "substantially" means. Sadly it's getting harder and harder to support USA made goods, and as someone else said if that USA made company is owned by a larger foreign one, it's still creating US jobs, which is good, but the profits are all going overseas. I don't have any "issue" buying goods from other countries as long as the quality is there, I do wish we would rekindle our manufacturing domestically though, countries that don't have strong manufacturing always loose out when it comes to the import/export game.

I've often wondered how outsourcing is cheaper in some cases. The other day I heard that now processed chicken (think chicken nuggets etc.) the chickens are raised in the USA, then we kill them, ship them to china frozen, they get unfrozen, cut up, deboned, ground up, processed, refrozen and shipped back to us. There's also the additional savings of little to no requirements for food cleanliness/safety, and there is no requirement to have regular FDA inspections. The same has been done with a significant portion of domestic caught salmon that requires hand de-boning for years.
 
Silvanus said:
Joe58, here's how I look at it. I can't control where a lot of the products you mentioned are made. I can however control where some of my products are made. Knives being the thing I buy most, I like to support American knife manufacturers. It just bothers me to see so much being outsourced.

Does anybody know of Segeant First Class Leroy Petry? He was a US Soldier that received the Medal of Honor for throwing back an enemy grenade during a firefight, losing his hand in the process. He saved the lives of his fellow soldiers at great cost to himself. I live in his hometown, and a parade was given in his honor when he got home. The parade staff handed out small American flags to wave as he went by to show our support and patriotism. And what was written on the edge of those AMERICAN flags being waved for an AMERICAN soldier? Made in China. Then and there, I decided to support those companies that support my country when possible.
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Certainly Silvanus, and I agree completely with you. I just feel it's a bit naive to feel anything anymore is 100% USA made. That ship has long sailed.
 
Lycosa said:
I like to buy nice, well made, things. I dunt care who makes them. We peeps need to support each other. It's gone Global.
rolf
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This

Where it's made doesn't bother me as long as the quality control is good
 
Silvanus said:
I've owned many knives from many countries, and USA made has always been a step above the rest.
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Interesting. The knives I own that are US made are nice, but if you really look at the minutiae and build-quality, the nicest I have are from Taiwan, Canada (midtech, though, so maybe it shouldn't count), and Spain. There are some US companies, CRK springs to mind, that I think are authentically a cut above, but my Benchmades, Kershaws and Golden made Spydercos aren't noticeably better built than my Foxes, Cold Steels or Vipers.
 
If someone makes a product well and for a reasonable cost, they will get my money. I don't care where it's made. That's what competition is all about.
 
People get all patriotic about there consumerism with knives (and more so with guns). I think it's a crutch for USA manufacturers. No matter how bad a product Detroit puts out someone will buy it and stick a flag on it. You want me to buy American? Make something so compelling that I want to buy it instead of a Japanese, Tawainese, or Chinese competitor.

Some companies succeed at this. I don't own a Kershaw yet but that's only because they don't float my boat -- their materials, quality, and price are compelling.

Other companies, like Spyderco, stratify their products across many countries. I've got no problem with that. I actually wish they would ramp up more models in China and with a mid-grade steel.
 
I consider "Made in USA" to mean that the major components of the knife (blade,handle,scales,lock) were made in the United States and assembled in the USA. If the screws were made in china it's not a deal breaker as long as they look good and work. Foreign-sourced steels don't bother me either (M390, 14C26, D2).

Steel quality, fit and finish, and company honesty matter more to me than strictly buying "Made In USA" products. For example, I won't buy any Gerber knives because they are not honest about their materials, in addition to trying to mask the country of origin of their products (people still think all Gerbers are US Made).

I also am wary of supporting any "rebranded" company such as Camillus or Schrade, regardless of what country their stuff comes from. Just because the corporate guys are here does not mean the soul of the company is.
 
It's important to me. I try very hard to get American made items and I am always on the lookout for items from American owned companies. It makes me feel good to participate with a company that pays a living wage to an employee, an employee that will take that money and use it on this soil is a bonus.
 
Per the FTC: http://www.business.ftc.gov/documents/bus03-complying-made-usa-standard

What is the standard for a product to be called Made in USA without qualification?

For a product to be called Made in USA, or claimed to be of domestic origin without qualifications or limits on the claim, the product must be "all or virtually all" made in the U.S. The term "United States," as referred to in the Enforcement Policy Statement, includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories and possessions.

What does "all or virtually all" mean?

"All or virtually all" means that all significant parts and processing that go into the product must be of U.S. origin. That is, the product should contain no — or negligible — foreign content.

What is a qualified Made in USA claim?

A qualified Made in USA claim describes the extent, amount or type of a product’s domestic content or processing; it indicates that the product isn’t entirely of domestic origin.

Example: "60% U.S. content." "Made in USA of U.S. and imported parts." "Couch assembled in USA from Italian Leather and Mexican Frame."

Does the FTC pre-approve Made in USA claims?

The Commission does not pre-approve advertising or labeling claims. A company doesn’t need approval from the Commission before making a Made in USA claim. As with most other advertising claims, a manufacturer or marketer may make any claim as long as it is truthful and substantiated.
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Sonnydaze said:
Have you bought a car lately that is entirely American-made?
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Nope, because you can't. :o ;) The closest you can come is "assembled in the U.S. from domestic and foreign components." Even there, the percentage of foreign components might be surprising in some cases.

In the same vein, you can't post here with an entirely American-made computer... ;)
 
I do not buy any knives made in China, and until the Mexican government releases the US marine being held in prison there, I will not buy anything made in Mexico.
 
I can't help think that many knife nuts care little about knives and more about display of personal identity. Which is why so many are so well invested in ideas like "Made in America". The piece of dirt a factory sits on has nothing to do with anything about the quality of tool that comes out of the factory. But it is a badge one can wear and display in places like Bladeforums, where the issue comes up all the time. Forum member pinnah put it this way: "People buy dreams or hopes. They buy a story, or a ticket to participate in a story."

I find the "Made in America" thing peculiar for a whole lot of reasons. One, it's not a signifier of anything in particular that matters as far as knives go. But more odious, it sometimes seems to be a proxy for, "I want to support American English-speaking White males of European descent. [who are probably a whole lot] Like me". It's rare someone comes out and says that, however.
 
I buy based on quality and personal taste from any country except North Korea.
 
I prefer USA made, next would be Western Europe then Japan. China/Taiwan is way down on my list.
 
Not an issue for me. The brands I buy are American companies (KAI, sorta, and Boker and Vic and Opinel, and Mora aside..:) ), or at least sold or distributed here. Every step of the way once it's here, and even before, Americans make money. From the Company, to the stores, and the sales person, and usually someone who makes sheaths, paracord, or Tek Loks, or whatever I buy to go with the knives. Americans benefit from my knife buying. I will not stop buying Vics, Opinels, Moras, and any brand with high quality standards no matter where it's made.
Great knives come from all over the world. Just that simple.
 
shecky said:
I can't help think that many knife nuts care little about knives and more about display of personal identity. Which is why so many are so well invested in ideas like "Made in America". The piece of dirt a factory sits on has nothing to do with anything about the quality of tool that comes out of the factory. But it is a badge one can wear and display in places like Bladeforums, where the issue comes up all the time. Forum member pinnah put it this way: "People buy dreams or hopes. They buy a story, or a ticket to participate in a story."

I find the "Made in America" thing peculiar for a whole lot of reasons. One, it's not a signifier of anything in particular that matters as far as knives go. But more odious, it sometimes seems to be a proxy for, "I want to support American English-speaking White males of European descent. [who are probably a whole lot] Like me". It's rare someone comes out and says that, however.
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What's odious is your demonstration of a complete lack of understanding of why people living in America would want to buy American. Also, excellent race baiting. :rolleyes:
 
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