Kershaw

The great thing is, if you cross out China and write in any location no-one would be any the wiser!
^^^This

I've seen fit and finish come out of China (and elsewhere) that rivals anything made in the good ol' USA. It's all about quality control. Kershaw (and several other companies I could name) certainly has that going for them.
 
Vapor III 1655.
I am not disappointed in the product just thought it was made in USA.

Hi treerooster -

No worries - you still have a great knife and a great company will stand behind it if you have a problem.

I had the chance to handle a couple of Kershaw knives that were made offshore and both had very nice quality -

I don't think you were taken, I just think you bought a knife and thought it would be US made, and it was not.

Enjoy the Vapor, and if you want to get a USA made knife from Kershaw, look for a Skyline or Zing or one of the other lesser-priced but still USA made knives.

best regards -

mqqn
 
Believe it or not, the Chinese were NOT knife-less before American brands started sub-contracting their budget lineups. In fact, I would wager most knives made there in that time period were likely to be pretty good.

Yea, there are lots of cheap gas station knives made in china - not because that is all they can make, but rather because that is the majority of what WE as an importing community WANT to buy from them.

What hourly wage do you think an American factory would be able to pay an American worker to assemble $1 'Ozark Trail' folders for Walmart? I think we can afford to let the Chinese have that one. ;)

They certainly CAN make excellent knives if the contractor is willing to pay the money. You pay $60 - $75 for a Japanese made Spyderco ... Just imagine what $75 could buy you from a Chinese maker who was making a blade to that price point.

Besides, there are certainly US domestic makers that turn out some prrety mediocre (or worse) knives.
 
I used to worry a lot about where a knife was made. I wouldn't buy a German made knife, a Swedish knife, an Italian knife, or a knife made anywhere else than the USA for a long time (20 years?).

I still look to see where knives are made, and I am still concerned, but I want value for my dollars. I have bought too many bad USA made knives that I had to return in the last 6 - 8 years to make me loyal.

Kershaw got me over the hump of worrying too much about where the knife is made. Their knives are great. I have used the hell out of them on my construction job and they stand up well to every day use.

Their exemplary customer service is here, and you can actually talk to someone on the phone. Quality product and support is where I am at these days, and Kershaw has it in spades.

Congrats on your new Kershaw.

Robert
 
Kershaw's packaging has a US flag in a circle to indicate if it is US made. Their catalogs also indicate if a knife is US made and you can hop on their website and search just for US made knives. You should pick up another knife. You can never have too many Kershaws! :)
I recommend the Skyline if you are looking for something inexpensive and US made. The Blur and Leek are also quite nice and for sale pretty much everywhere. I think everyone should own a Skyline, a Blur (preferably S30v), and a Leek.
 
I still look to see where knives are made, and I am still concerned, but I want value for my dollars. I have bought too many bad USA made knives that I had to return in the last 6 - 8 years to make me loyal.

Kershaw got me over the hump of worrying too much about where the knife is made. Their knives are great. I have used the hell out of them on my construction job and they stand up well to every day use.

Their exemplary customer service is here, and you can actually talk to someone on the phone. Quality product and support is where I am at these days, and Kershaw has it in spades.
Well said.

Kershaw has gained a huge amount of trust and respect since I began to frequent this website and see the interaction between customer and producer.

:thumbup:
 
My next kershaw that I am interested in is the new Cryo. Its going to be made in china and it wont bother me one bit.

George

Orange Packrat
Red Rescue Blur
Needs Work 420HC
 
I bought a Clash (made in China) for $20 and it's held up really well. Easy to sharpen to shaving sharp and it keeps its edge relatively well. The only thing I really don't like about it is the handle. G10 feels better.
 
Kershaw and Buck are USA companies that have both produced and offered for sale well made China produced offerings. As Thomas stated Kershaw has had "off shore" production for years and many of those oleder models are very collectable. My favorite Kershaws for many years were the Japan made Liner Action series 2410, 2415 and 2420. I carried the 2420 for years as a edc. All the recent China made Kershaws ( and Bucks for the matter) that I have seen or held are very well made and a value for the price they are offered at.....
 
I have several of each of the Kershaws produced in China, Japan, and the USA, and I love them all, all fantastic quality. You can't go wrong with any Kershaw, and the affordability of the China built knives makes for the possibility of a MUCH larger collection! :-)
 
the only bad thing about a china made knife from kershaw is the steel will rust and it wont stay sharp as long as there sandvik steels. however i think the china made 8cr13mov (i think thats the name of it) is actually pretty decent. its better than 420hc i think. but other than that there is no difference in quality.
 
the only bad thing about a china made knife from kershaw is the steel will rust and it wont stay sharp as long as there sandvik steels. however i think the china made 8cr13mov (i think thats the name of it) is actually pretty decent. its better than 420hc i think. but other than that there is no difference in quality.
It's the bead blasting more than the steel. I have other knives in 8cr that don't rust as easily as my kershaw with bead blasted 8cr. Even the bead blasted 14c28n in my speed bump is prone to rust in the humid summer months.

I wish kershaw would do stonewashed instead.
 
Let's see... I have the Half Ton and the OSO Sweet, both of which were made in China, and I am very happy with them.
 
...and i'm quite satisfied with the combo edge Chill...i've stuck and used mine in all kinds of crap...and if/when it gets too ravaged, i'll buy another one...
 
the nemesis manx is a vg-10 ti framelock. for close to a hundred bucks, made in china. While it puts a smile on my face to buy something made in the usa, I dont care if its imported or not. as long as strict manufacturing tolerances are maintained. and we all know kershaw isnt going to pay anyone to make inferior product for them.

and i agree stonewashed is better than beadblasted. looks better too. Is it more expensive to put a stonewash finish on blades?
 
It's the bead blasting more than the steel. I have other knives in 8cr that don't rust as easily as my kershaw with bead blasted 8cr. Even the bead blasted 14c28n in my speed bump is prone to rust in the humid summer months.

I wish kershaw would do stonewashed instead.


the nemesis manx is a vg-10 ti framelock. for close to a hundred bucks, made in china. While it puts a smile on my face to buy something made in the usa, I dont care if its imported or not. as long as strict manufacturing tolerances are maintained. and we all know kershaw isnt going to pay anyone to make inferior product for them.

and i agree stonewashed is better than beadblasted. looks better too. Is it more expensive to put a stonewash finish on blades?


If you're looking for a stonewashed finish on a Kershaw from overseas, try the 1950 Tremor, 1960 Drone, or 1970 Burst. These all feature stonewashed blades. Stonewash isn't any more expensive to produce, people just often like the uniform look of a beadblasted knife. I prefer stonewash myself.
 
"Now you know, and knowing is half the battle." --GI Joe

Taonari FTW! All of my chinese kershaw have fantastic F&F even the crown, Which is about 10 bucks has Fantastic Fit and finish. I am thinking about getting either the drone, Assest or compound next.
 
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