Knives Made in the U.S. Where do we stand?

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I personally only buy USA made knives. That is not to say that there are not quality products made over seas this is just MY CHOICE.
 
stabman said:
Someone missed out on history class.
Slaves don't get paid.
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:thumbup::thumbup: well said stabman!

hyperboles like the one above are only weakening your point.

I buy knives freely because I believe in free trade. I have a preference for "Made in the USA" when all other things are equal, just as I have a preference for "made in california", or getting a book from my favorite local bookstore instead of Amazon.

There are many social issues in China, but AFAIK chinese people do have freedom in choosing their jobs. Yes, they are struggling with widening income gap but last IIRC we're too with these occupy wallstreet protests.
 
Lennyo3034 said:
I try to buy "Made in USA" as often as I can not because of perceived quality (ahem, cars) but because I'd like to do what I can do support our failing economy. With knives I feel USA made knives are competitive in both a performance and price standpoint, so every knife I own is USA made. With other items its not necessarily the case. A USA made bench vise costs easily 10X as much as a made in China one. I ended up buying a well used one off the bay.
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done that. 2 WILTONS and a KURT. My kids will be getting those.
 
I have no issue buying something marked China or whatever, so long as it's a good knife. And in the end, US made doesn't always mean quality. I'd rather have a Spydie made in Taiwan than one of those few United Cutlery blades made here...
 
Kansas Mike said:
I too work in the US aviation industry and agree with this 100%. Because I am a US factory worker (United Steelworkers) I also buy mostly US manufactured goods (Chevrolet, Filson, Danner boots, Spyderco, Benchmade, Case, Queen, etc.). Alot of the clothing I buy is also US made. Alot of brands (i.e. Carhart, Ely Cattleman, Duluth) have a portion of their goods made here.
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I just looked inside both pairs of my Danner's.... it says "made in Vietnam".

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Planterz said:
The markets for both USA made and overseas made knives both seem strong to me. I can't speak for specifics, but it's definitely obvious that companies like Spyderco and Kershaw/ZT have more demand than supply for many of their USA made knives. I think there will always be a demand for USA made tools, regardless of what they are. Most Americans don't care if their cell phone was made in Korea, their laptop was made in Japan, their shoes made in Mexico, or their T-shirt made in Cambodia. But when it comes to their tools, many want theirs USA made, be it a chainsaw, wrench, flashlight, or knife.
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Of course. Your life doesn't ever depend on what shirt you wear or where your shoes were made. On the other hand, a proper tool can be (and often is) a lifesaver.
 
LadyEarth said:
What is it with people putting words in my mouth when I never said anything close to what they assumed. They're neither rich nor poor, they're just lucky and got a scholarship from hard work, as if that's important to the OP's post.

Woe be to a person like me to challenge a set way of justified thinking when it comes to buying knives made in China or alas they will assume me to death.
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Never mind the fact that you were doing the exact same thing.

You might want to look up who Phil Gibbs is before you continue arguing with him about producing in China. .... he's got a little bit more inside information.

Besides people forget. ... there's over a Billion people in China. .... they're not all cut from the same cloth.
 
chambelona59 said:
I just looked inside both pairs of my Danner's.... it says "made in Vietnam".
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Most shoes, boots, and clothing in the USA are made outside of the USA. CHEAP labor. Carhartt, Filson, and others (many think only manufacture in the USA) outsource, including to China, the manufacture of many of their products. No one should assume anything they buy in the USA is USA made. Likely it is not. Look at labels.

Firstly, if at all possible, I will not buy products manufactured in communist countries (they may hate open markets and capitalism operating in the borders, but they certainly love to manipulate markets, and they certainly love capital). I'm just diametrical opposed to all they stand for and do, and I'll not support them with my hard earned money. I'll buy from products made in other nations. That's me. To each his own.
 
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Yes, as opposed to expensive labor. Needlessly expensive labor, given the bajillion labor laws, taxation and related absurdities that on-shore producers are made to pay for.

The "Made in America" debate is the perfect example of ideology trumping economics.
 
I try to buy USA products when I can and only own one folder made abroad. It's tough to go completely home grown and for those that are bashing others for supporting foreign made/assembled products, I sure hope you have the only iphone made in the USA.
 
RetiredGuns said:
I try to buy USA products when I can and only own one folder made abroad. It's tough to go completely home grown and for those that are bashing others for supporting foreign made/assembled products, I sure hope you have the only iphone made in the USA.
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my flip up phone, yes there are still some of us who like them, is a samsung. south korean company = non-communist :D
 
I find it amusing that this thread immediately pointed at China when the OP never mentioned a specific country...
 
They are here, just need to look for them, since the big box stores and the hardware stores are packing the oversees cheap stuff for profit. There are good quality and good price ones from overseas, but I would really look at Queen Cutlery, Great Eastern Cutlery, and Case. There are more American comnpanies, but they are are not as well advertised as much outside the knife communtiy. Let us know what you go with. Best of luck. :D
 
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I don't have a choice with many things I buy, but when it comes to knives thankfully I do.
Unlike with many products it is very easy to find USA made knives. With the amount of quality custom makers and manufacturers we have I will only buy USA made knives.
I did buy a Spyderco made in Japan in the early 90's, and a Spyderco made in Tawain a few years ago. Good knives, but I will never do that again.

I would never tell anyone why they should only buy US made knives though, and I don't want others telling me why I should buy knives not made here. Its the buyers business where they buy from, and no one else's.
 
I look for quality of product combined with value received. If I had a choice between two identical knives, from the same company with the same warranty and customer care, and one cost $40 and the other $80, I really don't care where it was made. I'd buy the $40 one.

All of my traditional folders are US made because as it happens the US manufacturers have what I am looking for. For my modern folders, which I have fewer of, I don't think any were US made.
 
I have only about 3 knives made in China; my most-used being a Henckels International Santoku, which serves me well in the kitchen. Someday I plan to get a Victorinox Santoku, though. The knives I already own from China, while good, are probably the only ones I'll have.

I wonder why it is, when these made in USA threads come up, that people rarely mention European-made knives. It's as if many who are USA-made-only would have fewer or no issues with knives made in Europe. I'm curious why that seems to be.

I probably own more Swiss-made knives (Victorinox, plus a few Wengers) than from anywhere else. Followed by Japanese (Spyderco), and US (Chris Reeve, Benchmade, Spyderco, Buck, Case, old Schrades, old Camilluses, old Ka-Bar pocketknives, etc.). So I suppose my personal preference are knives made in Switzerland, Japan and U.S., in no particular order.

Jim
 
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I own knives made all over the world. US, China, Taiwan, Japan, Italy, Germany, Lithuania just to name a few. My main criteria for buying a knife has nothing to do with where it was made but rather if I like it enough to pay for it. That's it. I won't get into the politics of it. One thing I do see bandied about is that USA made knives are inherently of superior quality just because they're made here and that is just not the case. Quality knives can be produced anywhere, just like poor quality knives.
 
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