Does Knife Origin Matter to You?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Most things I purchase in day to day life I have no choice where it’s manufactured, however when I do I choose USA made. Things like knives, guns, some hand tools and to a lesser amount bicycle parts USA first.

Cheers, Mac
 
I just got two hand made knives from Croatia by two different makers and their fantastic knives. I prefer American hand made but will buy any hand made knives from around the world. Any country. No limits. Same with factory knives. America, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, China and Nepal are the only countries I have experience with factory knives.
 
I’m a USA first but will consider other Countries of origin. However I find most blade shapes and styles that interest me are USA made.
I absolutely will not buy any blades, parts or accessories made in China for reasons already mentioned, not to mention I would have zero pride of ownership.
 
Eh, doesn't matter to me as long as I like the design and the manufacturing is good to go. If they have a reputation for quality I'll buy from them.

Same goes for the websites I buy knives from. Living out in the sticks I don't have a brick and mortar store to shop at so it's all online for me.

Some sites and some manufacturers I don't trust, but it's got nothing to do with the country they're located in. There's shady companies everywhere.
 
Yes it matters to me....I only have one china made blade and its only because I didn't know it when I bought it..
Ignorance is truly bliss......I definitely like the knife alot too so I won't be selling it but I wouldn't have got it in the first place if I knew...
 
I have one rough rider pattern I collect. So I can’t say I never buy Chinese, but I have a very strong preference to buy American.
 
I do not care where it is made, I care more about the brand at the time. I care about quality, fitment, usability, design, aesthetic, durability, precision machining, consistency etc.

China just so happens to be excelling in all of these areas lately, with certain brands.

I’d put the best of my WE knives up against the best of my Hinderers for a lot of the above, any day. What I’ve noticed is a lack of quality consistency among some of the more expensive US made brands. From lock-stick, to fit/finish, blade grind etc. $600 US knives with quality/QC that would never have been allowed to leave the “$50” CIVIVI factory.
China’s consistency can be unbeatable. Their machining precision can be unbeatable. Again, mainly talking about WE and CIVIVI. When WE or CIVIVI drop the ball, it’s almost always on a specific model, which points to a particular design flaw in that particular model.
China also makes some garbage stuff for Kershaw lately. I’m a huge Kershaw/ZT fan, but a lot of Kershaw’s newer stuff is horrible. Just take them apart and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Most $40 CIVIVIs are better built, designed, QC’d and use better materials than anything Kershaw’s been putting out lately, certainly sub-$100.
You cannot blanket judge all Chinese products because you bought one of Kershaw’s crappier, newer designs, or even one of their older crappier designs.
Higher-end US made knives will have a different feel to them and some people just love that heavier, more solid feel. Some may even chalk up some slight unique manufacturing inconsistencies to the knife having more character. I get that, and do the same, to a point. When I buy a WE knife for $200-$325 I know EXACTLY what kind of quality and consistency I’m going to get - near perfection, every time. When I buy a $450-$600 Hinderer, I have NO idea what to expect as it’s different EVERY time. Part of that I like, part of it I don’t. US-made ZTs, are much more consistent and QC is very high. Again, brand, not place of manufacture. ZT’s better designs and choice of better materials and higher QC could have all been accomplished in China, too. WE is doing it. Kershaw drops the ball here a lot.
Brands I care about, not so much country of origin/manufacture. Although you can’t fully separate the two.
There are some things China can’t do - no Magnacut, for now. If that’s a must-have in every knife you buy, no China for you, for now.

I like Italian knives too, but there have been plenty of bad design choices there too, by certain brands.
 
The 'origin' as in which manufacturer made it, is extremely important to me, and I will not just buy a knife from some manufacturer I have no personal experience with until I've done my research.
The 'origin' as in do I think the country of origin is a meaningful and important detail? No I don't care about that, I am not a nationalist and I have a stake in not participating in nationalist political conflicts. Life is hard enough without adopting the rivals of our rulers as my personal antagonists.
 
I still won't buy any Canadian knife after their atrocious behavior during the Pig War of 1859. Unforgivable!

Zieg
 
Inappropriate Content
K.O.D. said:
Agreed. Same with Sharp By Design.

Part of the problem is so many of these designs are farmed out, there just aren't many (any?) US companies producing knives for other companies like WE and Reate.
Click to expand...

So you fellas won't buy a Sharp By Design because the designer uses the best available manufacturer, which happens to be located outside of your patriotic umbrella, despite the fact that said situation is caused entirely by decades of US policy and corporate actions?
Talk about putting the cart before the horse, you guys are jailing a guy for their grandfather's bank robbery
 
Do you care where your knives are made? Does it matter if a knife comes from the USA, China, Japan, Taiwan, Pakistan, or any other country? Are you more inclined to support local manufacturing, or are you open to exploring knives from various countries?-Yes I care where my knives come from. I only buy knives made in America.

I'd also like to delve into a couple of related discussion topics. Firstly, imagine you found a knife with all the features you desire, but it comes from a country you don't particularly like. Would you still buy it because it meets your requirements, or would you prefer to skip it based on your personal preferences?-There are no knives I desire from another country. A knife from another country cannot meet my requirements as I require my knives be made in the United States of America

Conversely, let's say you found a knife made in a country you have a strong affinity for, but it comes with a higher price tag compared to a similar knife made elsewhere. Would you be willing to pay the extra money to support your preferred country's manufacturing, or would you prioritize the features and opt for a more affordable option?- There are no ” similar “ knives as the only knives I am interested in are made in the United States of America. Price is of no matter, Its either made in the USA or I am not interested in owning it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top