Knives You Wish Were Made in USA

G

GLDNDomer

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Apr 8, 2011
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I noticed on another thread that there are many BFers who, like me, try very hard to buy knives made in the USA only. While most of the knives that I like and want to purchase seem to be made in the US, there are a few that I wish were made here. I would like to ask those of you who prefer to buy US products if there are any knives that YOU wish were made in the United States, too.

Here's my small list, in most wished for order:
1. All Schrade knives (please come back!!)
2. Spyderco Delica/Endura and the Caly
3. Entire line of Buck traditional slipjoints
4. Kabar Dozier
5. Any Cold Steel TriAd-lock knife

I know this topic can sometimes be controversial, but this option is just my personal preference. With modern globalization (yes, greatly helped along by the US), I find it very hard to control where my purchases are made. Knife origins are one of the few things that I can control easily. This isn't necessarily about quality control (I don't know about you, but I always want quality knives anyway, regardless of origin). I appreciate made in the USA because it is my home, just like many people appreciate their country's history or climates, I am the same way about the USA and the products made here.

If you don't live in the US, I would like to hear if you wish a particular knife were made in your country? Or maybe you wish a USA knife were made somewhere else, because I've heard that, at the very least, the Buck 110 is quite a bit more expensive overseas, but the same is true for the US with European imports.
 
I agree with you about Cold Steel... it would be great if they manufactured in the USA. I am under the impression Buck is bringing all manufacturing stateside.

However, some knives belong overseas, like Victorinox, Opinel, Mora, Higonokami, etc.

I'm a huge fan of Buck for making the bulk of their knives in the U.S. with competitive prices. They are getting my money.
 
Kinda depends on the knife, but the one I wish was made here and not Taiwan is the current RAT-1 folder series. Really wanted to get several in different handle colors/blade configs, but just can't pull the trigger on that many Taiwanese made knives for some reason. Still have a couple, but not as many as I would like.
 
Every single Kershaw Speedsafe folder.
Since Kershaw only sends replacement torsion bars for their USA ones, you have to send in imported ones, I HATE sending in knives for warranty.
I even passed on that Woot deal some people bought because of this, otherwise I would've got em immediately.
 
jimw451 said:
Kinda depends on the knife, but the one I wish was made here and not Taiwan is the current RAT-1 folder series.
Click to expand...

That one slipped my mind. I don't understand why that Ontario makes all their RAT fixed blades here, but tries to sell oversea folders right next to them?? Oh right, money haha. I would also put the Spyderco Tenacious in this thread, but if I had to choose, I would rather have the Delica/Endura made here. Come on, Spydie, I would have bought all seventeen colors already if they just said "Golden, Colorado" on them!

I agree that some knives, especially the ones you proposed, should be made overseas. I consider the Schrade brand and the small number of Buck productions overseas is like Victorinox producing knives somewhere other than Switzerland.

I've seen that rumor about Buck switching all their knives to stateside production. But I'll have to see it to believe it, although I really want to believe it. I do know that they just started a Buck USA sharpener line, but I'm waiting for the Buck muskrat series to be made here again.
 
I limit my "Wish it was made here" to knives that were made here originally but current production has moved over seas. However I'm perfectly OK with knives like the Spyderco Endura, Delica and others in the FRN series being made in Japan. These knives have been made in Seki-City Japan for so long that I doubt they would ever be as good if Spyderco attempted to produce them here. Lets face it. Japan has PERFECTED the manufacturing of high quality FRN knives. The same goes for Victorinox and the SAK, etc etc.

Now on the other hand knives that were designed and originally produced here take on the American manufacturing traits. Knives like this would be Buck, and a great example and one of my favorites is the Ontario line. Ontario makes fantastic fixed blade knives that are simply unbeatable in value. Their specialty is of course genuine US military knives. Someone mentioned their folders are not made here and I believe there is a simple explanation and that is they don't have the experience and tooling to make folders efficiently. Folders are a completely different animal than fixed blades. The Ontario XM-1 and the rescue versions are made by FOX in Italy. So was the Hossom Retribution 1 and 2. All are of exceptional quality.

What I don't like is when a manufacturer moves production FROM the US to another country. This indicates a switch in priority from quality to bottom line and almost always results in lower quality and far less desirability.


dang that was wordy! sorry
 
precisionshootist said:
I limit my "Wish it was made here" to knives that were made here originally but current production has moved over seas. However I'm perfectly OK with knives like the Spyderco Endura, Delica and others in the FRN series being made in Japan. These knives have been made in Seki-City Japan for so long that I doubt they would ever be as good if Spyderco attempted to produce them here. Lets face it. Japan has PERFECTED the manufacturing of high quality FRN knives. The same goes for Victorinox and the SAK, etc etc.

Now on the other hand knives that were designed and originally produced here take on the American manufacturing traits. Knives like this would be Buck, and a great example and one of my favorites is the Ontario line. Ontario makes fantastic fixed blade knives that are simply unbeatable in value. Their specialty is of course genuine US military knives. Someone mentioned their folders are not made here and I believe there is a simple explanation and that is they don't have the experience and tooling to make folders efficiently. Folders are a completely different animal than fixed blades. The Ontario XM-1 and the rescue versions are made by FOX in Italy. So was the Hossom Retribution 1 and 2. All are of exceptional quality.

What I don't like is when a manufacturer moves production FROM the US to another country. This indicates a switch in priority from quality to bottom line and almost always results in lower quality and far less desirability.


dang that was wordy! sorry
Click to expand...


Pretty good summary of how I feel about overseas knives. My main exception would probably be (of knives I own right now) the CRKT Eros. Something about having "Taiwan" etched onto a quality gentleman's style knife bugs me. It doesn't really matter to me on more workmanlike knives (Cold Steels made in taiwan don't bother me at all).
 
+1 on Cold Steel's Triad-locking folders.

Any knife named the American Lawman should be made in America!

That said, I must admit that my recently-acquired XL Voyager with Triad lock is an impressive folder at its current price point.

Prof.
 
Camillus, Schrade, Marble's. Also I know it's not QUITE in the spirit of the question, but I wish that the Collins of their glory days was still alive and well rather than a half-dead sub-brand under the Cooper Tools name.
 
some of my knives are made in USA some from china and mostly switzerland since i'm a victorinox fan... to be honest, china,taiwan and japan has the capability of BETTER manufacturing than USA... and still put a more competitive price...

in my country, consumer goods that "made in USA" no longer means better quality... its just higher price tag... and sometime the quality control is just dissapointing... i dont mean all, but when i bought american product with higher expectation, sometime make me thinking why pay more expensive for something that aint better manufatured than asian products...

if USA can make better product in competitive price, apple wont be made in china, nor all those "used to be" made in USA goods..


google the conversation of obama with steve job about returning apple manufacturing to USA.
 
Id say the spyderco Gayle Bradley but sadly I think the quality wouldnt be as high if it were made in Golden
 
I agree with the Camillus,schrade,and Marbles statement.I would'nt spend my money on any of them unless the current manufacturing situation changes.
 
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