Kershaw's 2011 Chinese products, Spyderco's Taiwan products?

[Flashpoint]

I'm starting to think the more Spyderco throws complex builds at them, the more they excel. The Gayle Bradley could not have been an easy folder to crank out. But oh my God, I've owned a total of 4 and they were all identicle in quality, perfect bevels, everything. :thumbup:

That is my experience with the PPT.

 

[A.P.F.]

I'm in no way a spokesperson for any manufacturer, but I can't see that any cutlery company can produce the range of knives they do in any one factory while still achieving the required quality or price constraints.

In other words I don't think Spyderco making Byrd knives in China is putting anybody in the US out of a potential job because those knives only exist because they can be made at their low cost. Likewise, the maker in Taiwan is by all accounts a very low-volume manufacturer essentially producing a large run of 'custom' (in terms of quality) knives. I doubt the quality level they can achieve could be done in the US without costing silly money, and so those designs probably wouldn't be made either.

I think that the above is a very astute observation. We are too quick to defend jobs that don't and couldn't exist in most Western economies.

I have a Byrd Cara Cara that was made in China. The blade action is a washerless precision fit as found on the Caly3 and it is just as smooth as the Caly3. The steel is 8Cr13MoV, which takes an incredibly fine polished edge and is just as good at edge holding as AUS8. Throw in a stainless steel, ventilated frame under G10 slabs and price it at $21 and you have a deal that can't be beat. Truly a 'working man's' knife.