Kershaw: How can you tell which models are made in USA?

B

BOR

Joined
Sep 16, 2010
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Hi, new member here.

I was shopping for an Outcast today, and stumbled upon the fact that it's made in China. Were they ever made in USA?

One thing I always liked about Kershaw is their made in USA quality at a good price. Now days, it seems that much of their stuff is being made in China. :mad:

The part that really pisses me off, is that when shopping online, you can't easily find out Where a particular model is made (without looking at the box, or product)


Can somebody show me a foolproof, online way to find out country of origin?

-thanks in advance, Bill
 
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On kershaws website, all the models made in the US say at the bottom "Made in the USA" the ones made elsewhere say nothing.
 
All of mine, a Skyline, two Junkyards, and a Storm all say Made In USA on them. I think that mostly the lower priced knives are made in China. To compete at the price point, they almost HAVE to be.

The way I see it, it doesn't really matter to me that much. I'm supporting a great knife company by purchasing their products. It's a good product and they stand behind it. That's enough for me.

As a side comment, I've always thought it's kind of pointless to complain about something made in China (or not in the USA) while you're typing on something made in China.
 
BOR said:
Hi, new member here.

I was shopping for an Outcast today, and stumbled upon the fact that it's made in China. Were they ever made in USA?

One thing I always liked about Kershaw is their made in USA quality at a good price. Now days, it seems that much of their stuff is being made in China. :mad:

The part that really pisses me off, is that you can't easily find out Where a particular model is made (without looking at the box, or product)

I even downloaded the PDF catalog, and couldn't find out anything.

Can somebody show me a foolproof, online way to find out country of origin?

-thanks in advance, Bill
Click to expand...

If you have the catalog, you must be missing the "Made in the USA" images next to the US made knives.
 
cramsey3006 said:
As a side comment, I've always thought it's kind of pointless to complain about something made in China (or not in the USA) while you're typing on something made in China.
Click to expand...


Like people really have a choice these days....
 
cramsey3006 said:
All of mine, a Skyline, two Junkyards, and a Storm all say Made In USA on them. I think that mostly the lower priced knives are made in China. To compete at the price point, they almost HAVE to be.

The way I see it, it doesn't really matter to me that much. I'm supporting a great knife company by purchasing their products. It's a good product and they stand behind it. That's enough for me.

As a side comment, I've always thought it's kind of pointless to complain about something made in China (or not in the USA) while you're typing on something made in China.
Click to expand...


What started my quest, was reading a post from someone who sent their Outcast back, because the blade was crooked. Kershaw said they couldn't repair it, because it's made in China.

The price point of an Outcast is between $65.00 to $95.00 it's not a "cheap" knife. So, no, they don't have to make them in China to be competitive.

Your last point doesn't make any sense. China makes good computers, but doesn't make top notch knives (yet). Different products, different issues.
 
morrowj_98 said:
If you have the catalog, you must be missing the "Made in the USA" images next to the US made knives.
Click to expand...


Thanks, I see what you mean. I guess I was hoping there might be model number for a Made in USA Outcast.

(I thought I saw one once, but maybe not)
 
BOR said:
What started my quest, was reading a post from someone who sent their Outcast back, because the blade was crooked. Kershaw said they couldn't repair it, because it's made in China.

The price point of an Outcast is between $65.00 to $95.00 it's not a "cheap" knife. So, no, they don't have to make them in China to be competitive.

Your last point doesn't make any sense. China makes good computers, but doesn't make top notch knives (yet). Different products, different issues.
Click to expand...

I agree, $95 is not cheap, and plenty of knives are made in the usa for that price, for example the becker bk9, made by kabar.
 
Rather than condemn all PRC products, I'll suggest that the Chinese are quite capable of manufacturing fairly simple items like knives to any quality level the customer is willing to pay for.

Ummm, providing the customer maintains close supervision over the output.

Might remember, that their leading scientists and engineers (as well as other disciplines) have been educated in the best U.S Colleges and Universities for well over 20 years now. Upon graduation they work here for a few years to gain some experience and then eventually go back to china.

Regards,
:) ...
 
BOR said:
What started my quest, was reading a post from someone who sent their Outcast back, because the blade was crooked. Kershaw said they couldn't repair it, because it's made in China.

The price point of an Outcast is between $65.00 to $95.00 it's not a "cheap" knife. So, no, they don't have to make them in China to be competitive.

Your last point doesn't make any sense. China makes good computers, but doesn't make top notch knives (yet). Different products, different issues.
Click to expand...

My bad. I so totally overlooked the Outcast part, I thought it was just Kershaw in general. :o

As for the price, I consider that range to be about average for a factory knife that size, really.

A big knife like that in D2 made in the U.S.A. is going to cost much more than $65-$95. Hell, a bar of D2 from a supply catalog that's big enough to make that knife is $24. It's a great steel but a pain in the butt to work and time consuming to do it. By the time you do all of the machining, the handle, packaging, shipping, etc...

What did Kershaw do for the crooked blade? Honestly, if it was made in the U.S., they probably wouldn't have fixed it either. Easier for them to just replace it than go to the trouble of straightening it.

PRC can produce as high a quality product as you're willing to pay for. In our ever increasing search for the cheapest we can get something, outsourcing to China is the only way to get it.

About the China rant, it's just that I see it all the time on the web. People gripe about stuff made in overseas (knives, scopes, cars) yet they have no problem with the fact that just about EVERY electronic item that they use daily is made there.

I'm just in a grumpy mood I guess. No offense intended to anyone.
 
BOR said:
I was shopping for an Outcast today, and stumbled upon the fact that it's made in China. Were they ever made in USA?
Click to expand...
No, the Outcast was never made here.

One thing I always liked about Kershaw is their made in USA quality at a good price. Now days, it seems that much of their stuff is being made in China. :mad:
Click to expand...
We produce knives domestically, and have an import side of the business. You need to keep a better eye out it seems, as the Speedform, Volt, Speedform II, Turbulence, Rake, and Talon (all USA products) were just released.


BOR said:
What started my quest, was reading a post from someone who sent their Outcast back, because the blade was crooked. Kershaw said they couldn't repair it, because it's made in China.
Click to expand...
If a piece of steel is warped, it really can't be fixed, where its made has nothing to do with it.

The price point of an Outcast is between $65.00 to $95.00 it's not a "cheap" knife. So, no, they don't have to make them in China to be competitive.
Click to expand...
We're unable to make a US made D2 Outcast anywhere close to that price, sorry.
 
You can always call or e-mail a question to an internet vendor, or to Kershaw, or to any other maker.
 
All of my Kershaw products are CLEARLY marked with country of origin. I have a few other brands that don't have any marking at all.

I have been more than satisfied with all of my Kershaw purchases.
 
nc527 said:
I agree, $95 is not cheap, and plenty of knives are made in the usa for that price, for example the becker bk9, made by kabar.
Click to expand...

Go price D2 steel and then go price 1095 steel. That Becker is made with a $10 piece of steel that is considerably easier to machine. So for the same $$ you're getting a cheaper piece of steel (don't get me wrong, 1095 is great and I like it very much, might be my favorite) that's easier (cheaper) to machine with an, IMO, inferior handle, since there seems to be quite the after market for replacement scales for Becker's. Yes, it's made in the U.S., but are you really getting more for the $$ vs the Outcast? YMMV.
 
Might remember, that their leading scientists and engineers (as well as other disciplines) have been educated in the best U.S Colleges and Universities for well over 20 years now. Upon graduation they work here for a few years to gain some experience and then eventually go back to china.

Regards,
:) ...[/QUOTE]


wishfull thinking

fried
 
cramsey3006 said:
As a side comment, I've always thought it's kind of pointless to complain about something made in China (or not in the USA) while you're typing on something made in China.
Click to expand...

I've always thought it's kind of funny that someone always interjects with this comment whenever someone says they're disappointed that a knife is made in china - as if there exists an alternative to a made-in-china computer :rolleyes:...

Sure, I use made-in-china electronics all the time, and I have to replace them all the time because they're poorly made and wear out or malfunction like crazy. Take from that what you will.

I am a bit surprised that the Outcast is made in China, but I guess that does explain why they can sell a huge chunk of D2 like that for a low price.
 
I've always had good luck with Kershaw. I have a Storm in my "bug out" bag for a reason. I trust it to work.
 
cramsey3006 said:
Go price D2 steel and then go price 1095 steel. That Becker is made with a $10 piece of steel that is considerably easier to machine. So for the same $$ you're getting a cheaper piece of steel (don't get me wrong, 1095 is great and I like it very much, might be my favorite) that's easier (cheaper) to machine with an, IMO, inferior handle, since there seems to be quite the after market for replacement scales for Becker's. Yes, it's made in the U.S., but are you really getting more for the $$ vs the Outcast? YMMV.
Click to expand...

Honestly I think the Outcast is a blister machine. :foot: :D The handle shape is fine...it just needs to loose the deep texturing and the rubber. Do it up in orange peel-textured frn, polyamide, or polypropylene and you'd be golden. It'd probably be cheaper too (minus the expense of retooling of course!)
 
Thomas W said:
We produce knives domestically, and have an import side of the business. You need to keep a better eye out it seems, as the Speedform, Volt, Speedform II, Turbulence, Rake, and Talon (all USA products) were just released.
Click to expand...

man, you must get tired having to go over this with people on a daily basis :(
 
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