Kershaw using Chinese steel on USA made models

Sorry for the diversion.

My BM Vex (sorry Thomas) is a good EDC in this steel. I would expect the Kershaws to be equally good in cutting, etc. It makes a lot of sense to source a steel from the country of origin just because of the costs and logistics. Kershaw has picked a good steel, it even keeps the Spyderco Tenacious owners happy.

Building a knife with this steel and using G10 raises the bar of what is acceptable in an inexpensive knife. It also creates a foundation of what to expect from a US made knife. Most buyers here are knowledgeable enough to understand the cost differences in country of origin. A similar US made knife - including our standard of living - is acceptably higher.

In anything, I hope that knives like these will provide options to new buyers who will be able to enjoy better materials for the money. My concern has been that for the price point of about $45, many popular US made knives use 420h and FRN.

If the buyer can look at value - bang for the buck - he'll choose the better materials if all other things are equal.

Country of origin is sometime controversial, but only in the first decades of it's introduction. Having grown up during the Made in Japan era, I've seen the transition from products imported to exploit price, to a dominant high quality image. Much of that was not due to a plan by the makers, but by the American owned marketing and merchandising importers.

Kershaw, BM, or Spyderco isn't importing stuff for the local flea market, far from it. It's time to accept that Chinese goods are a significant part of our consumption because of the quality, not in spite of it.

Anybody who starts a post with, "sorry for the diversion," isn't!:rolleyes:

This thread was never about knives made in China, so spare the lecture!:grumpy:

3G
 
The thread wasn't even what YOU thought it was about, so why jump his arse over a relevant tangent, which he admitted was a tangent AND apologized for in advance?
 
Read the thread, it is possible! :)

Glad the irony wasn't lost on the crowd HH!
 
Was this about you trying to cause a mass scare by constantly repeating knives with Chinese's steel were being made in the US by Kershaw?

Ummm.......No. What thread are you reading? "Constantly repeating," where?:confused: "Cause a mass scare," where?:confused:

Kershaw made a goof on their website, stating that some of their new knives, which use 8Cr13MoV, a Chinese made blade steel, were made in the USA. I got concerned that Kershaw might be getting ready to drop 14C28N in its domestic, ecconomy line of knives, instead choosing to import Chinese steel. I started a thread asking about it. Several members came forward, you being one of them, and explained it was a goof up. I accepted that explanation, even before Thomas came and confirmed it. This thread was about knives I thought (because Kershaw's website stated) were made in the USA, and that is why I told Tirod3 that this thread was never about knives made in China! Do you get it now, or do you want to ask more accusatory questions?

3G

P.S. Reading comprehension is a good thing!:thumbup:
 
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I just figured repeating, Made in the USA, 6 times in your first post (counting thread title) was a bit much and was leaning towards another mass scare of expansionism, sorry if I did not fully comprehend your first post.
 
IIRC ATS34 is a Japanese steel. I don't remember anyone complaining about it at the time. Or the use of Sandvik steels imported for AG Russel.

But the Chinese get a concerned review for potentially importing? There's the intent of the post.

It's a bit late in the game to worry about one maker using a Chinese steel, with the glut of Chinese goods on the American marketplace. Including the server motherboards for this forum, I imagine. Certainly more than one will be used on the way, possibly even the source.

You can't post on the internet without using Chinese products. It's what competition is all about, the lowest possible price. If transportation costs are low enough to import it vs. 420, I'd expect 18Mo to be used.

ATS34 was. "It's just business."
 
I think the OP did a good job of bringing up an issue while trying to avoid the political talk that the thread has devolved into.
Some of us care about the principles our dollars support.
 
IIRC ATS34 is a Japanese steel. I don't remember anyone complaining about it at the time. Or the use of Sandvik steels imported for AG Russel.

But the Chinese get a concerned review for potentially importing? There's the intent of the post.

Wrong! The intent of my post/thread, as I've now had to repeat several times, was concern that, as it appeared from their website, Kershaw was going to ditch their new Sandvik steel (a superior steel in my opinion) in favor of using Chinese steel (an inferior steel in my opinion) on their USA made pieces. That is it, plain and simple!! It turned out not to be the case. After that, some people seemed to want to turn this into a made in USA vs. made in China debate, something I cautioned against and a Moderator cautioned against as well!

I think the OP did a good job of bringing up an issue while trying to avoid the political talk that the thread has devolved into.
Some of us care about the principles our dollars support.

Thanks, Joshua.

Regards,
3G
 
I would add that all the knives on that list were designed (Rj Martin, Lee Williams, G&G Hawk, and KAI USA internal) , prototyped, and tested here in USA
 
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