Kershaw Vapor: China or Japan??

[BOK]

I've noticed that on the blade of the bigger vapor it says China but on the smaller one it says Japan...

Why is one made in China and the other Japan? Does anyone have a clue about this?

 

[calyth]

I don't know why it's so, but I see no difference between the two when I tried them.
I didn't like the finish.. leaves too many fingerprints.

 

[Lurker]

My larger Vapor 2 that I bought about 3 or 4 months ago says Japan. I don't know if they started making them in Japan and then moved the production to China, or if they were always made in China. Ken Onion posted on this site about visiting the plant in China where they are made, so I'd have to believe they are made there. Both sizes are probably made at the same site.

My wild guess would be that they were always made in China. Since the corporation (KAI) is in Japan, they may have been importing them from China to Japan and then exporting them from Japan to the USA with the Japan stamp itendifying where they most recently came from. Maybe that was a way to make the knife look a little better to American consumers. That wouldn't explain why they changed the stamp to China, but maybe it was in violation of import regulations and they had to change it.

Just my speculation. Anybody know for sure?

 

[Ig]

My Vapor II (bigger) says Japan on the blade, and also "made in Japan" on the box.

 

[James Y]

From what it sounds like, production probably started in Japan and later was moved to China to reduce labor costs.

Jim

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

The first Vapors released by Kershaw were indeed made in Japan, however, current models are made in China. I have 2 models, one made in Japan and the other in China and the only differance between the two is that the Japan model reads: "Kershaw International" on the blade, but the China model only reads: "Kershaw." Other than that they are exactly the same.

Don't be fooled by the China stamp. The quality is superb for the price range.