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

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Depends on the knife. I somehow don't think a "Made in USA" Puukko is really going to cut it in the Puukko collectors world.
I'd also be loath to collect American Higonokami or Opinel. Not that they'd necessarily be of a lesser quality but the market is such that "authenticity" far outweighs quality when it comes to desirability.
For us in the UK, you also have to consider the markup and duty on importing USA made can shift a knife into a higher price bracket.
You can pick up a Cold Steel Trailmaster in SK5 for around $180. It's around £200 ($300) in the UK (£197 is the cheapest I've found). Likewise TOPS knives seem to get priced out of the market by the time they get here. A Benchmade Mini Grip Blue in 154CM is £70 (Over $100).
 
James Y said:
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.
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I own European knives. They're not from commie countries. Own Japanese too. Same reason. Won't buy a Chinese knife.
 
First, I prefer US knives (especially knives made in the Pacific Northwest) because I value supporting the local economy and work force.

Secondly, I prefer knives made in countries with humane labor practices (Europe, Japan, and Taiwan come to mind).

I refuse to buy knives made in countries with substandard, inhumane labor practices (China and Mexico).
 
Moving slightly more overseas. Doesnt matter to me that much. Long as the blade is from a good company. I do prefer american or Japanese made to be honest. Just have had good experiences with knives from the two countries. Nothing agaisnt certain cou tries though.
 
sodak said:
This is a common misconception. While abuses can and do happen - in the US as well - the vast majority of evidence shows how commerce greatly raises the standard of living in underdeveloped countries. The whole "a rising tide lifts all boats" kind of thing.

When the Roman empire fell, one of the principal evils that came out of it's fall was that the roads fell into disrepair and became dangerous to travel on, and commerce was reduced to a trickle. That entire part of the world suffered greatly for the next several hundred years. Commerce is very, very important. It benefits everyone.
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Amen. I couldn't have said it better. :thumbup:
 
stabman said:
I thought the "commie" thing went out of style around 1989...
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You're kidding, right?

People's Republic of China
Republic of Cuba
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Socialist Republic of Vietnam

I'll not knowingly let any of my money support the above.

Then consider Angola, Cyprus, Moldova, Nepal, and Nicaragua with majority commie parties in government. Commies are alive and well and still in control of populations.

Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Mali, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Venezuela all have commie parties as part of coalition rule.

Communism is far from dead.
 
And again we slip into politics. There's already been a warning. Let's not get this thread locked. There's been some good discussion here, and it would be nice if we could continue. :thumbup:
 
I prefer to buy US-made pocket knives (mostly Spydies) but I have not qualms buying quality tools from other countries, especially if those countries are known for said tools. Condor machetes are fantastic and they should be; El Salvadorans have a lot more use for jungle tools than Americans do. A Nepalese kukri is still on my short list. A Japanese-made katana would be nice but not nicer than a new car.

I really do sympathize with the anti-China crowd, but China's labor is starting to get more expensive. Unfortunately, due to the massive inefficiencies built into the chinese economy, those laborers will also be feeling the pain when it finally "corrects." But our enemy is not Chinese labor or companies that have quality products manufactured in China: it is the purveyors of junk and the idiot Wal-Mart consumers who think that lowest price=best value. As my Bulgarian friend once told me, "we are too poor to buy crappy equipment." So with that in mind, I do buy quality tools from all over the world, but I do have a special place in my heart for innovative and competitive products made in the US. Fortunately there are plenty of opportunities for me to buy quality American-made knives, tools, firearms and vehicles.
 
I am a one man shop custom knife maker,production knife retailer and service provider.
I personally only buy USA made steels & hardware for my custom knives along with buy domestically grown and produced woods and acylics for my handle materials for several reasons. I love my country and I wish to do what I can to do to support jobs right here in the USA.

Now in the retail side of my biz i sell production made knife brands Mostly culinary in design made in the USA, Japan a few from Tawaiin and as little as possible from china. I and more & more of my customers seem to be realizing that paying a few more dollars for a quality domestic made product benefits us in many ways. If there are decent paying jobs here in the USA, Those people can afford to buy our goods and that helps keep our money here.

At the same time trade with other countries is good to a large extent and I choose to buy foreign made products for resale and personal use from countries that have the best labor and most even monetary programs with our trade.

Over the past decade or so I have seen mass recall of foodstuffs and other products along with friends that have travel extensive though out china for business tell me of nets on the higher floors of buildings to keep people from jumping to theirs death at factorys they have visited for work along with locked doors , child labor and people sleeping under their work stations while another person does his shift and many other reports of "bad" working conditions.

Is this everywhere in china? Of course not, along with such nightmarish conditions also exist in many other countries.

Also as a sharpener one of the biggest problems I do see with chinese knives is a lack of consistence in heat treatment of the steel. Now is this every knife factory in china? Of course not.
I am sure things will keep improving there but my main focus is buying american to help build our not so so good employement rate and economy.

When Henry Ford was asked why he raised his employees pay to a unheard of $5.00 aday at the time? His reply was, So my workers can afford to buy one of the cars they make.
 
LadyEarth said:
So you're ok with a product made by enslaving children that works 18 hours days for 7 days a week, eating only rice and sleeping on concrete floors only as long as the quality of the product is top notch? Guess it's a case of "the end (product) justifies the mean".
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Thank you, I have not laughed so hard for weeks
 
I very seldom enjoy a thread so much, I am sorry that it seems to have come to an end. I have found a half dozen people here that I hope will be my friends all that I asked had few or no friends so far. clear thinkers and supporters of free markets.

I most enjoyed LadyEarth. she speaks of other Chinese students as if she is Chinese and a student,. if she is then her instructors must live in the clouds and not in the real world
 
We aren't going to start making other members the topic of discussion so it's probably best to shut this one down.
 
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