Made in the USA

[singularity35]

Made in USA holds even more water here because of colonial mentality. There is a perceived superiority whether real or not. For instance, one guy I showed my Tenacious to, was all praises for the F&F and the quality because he was thinking it was Golden manufactured, as soon as I showed him it was made in China, he was a little embarrassed and mumbled something about Chinese quality getting better.

 

[Bastid]

I simply pointed out that saying Thomas W has no reason to lie is false.

Actually Schecky that statement is flawed.

Thomas has a perfectly valid reason not to lie. His reputation and integrity.


To some of us that is actually important and above anything else even money and success. Someday I hope the rest of us understand.

 

[kershawguy]

Actually Schecky that statement is flawed.

Thomas has a perfectly valid reason not to lie. His reputation and integrity.


To some of us that is actually important and above anything else even money and success. Someday I hope the rest of us understand.

very well stated :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[Buffalohump]

You'd be wrong there.

I get the feeling that country of origin is an american sales argument that doesn't hold a lot of water outside of the states.

 

[Ankerson]

Personally I would love to see who is really working in some of these places these days knowing how the USA Corps are.

Just to see if they are Born in the USA Americans....... I would bet money that most are not.

Not talking about Kershaw here though..

Through the years I have personally seen more shall we say Non Americans working in Businesses etc than Americans.

As an Example just the other day I went to get some stuff and the only American I saw working there was the one behind the counter, all of the others were not Americans...... I am not talking about Fast Food either.

 

[Niagara]

The motorcycle (production not custom) with highest USA parts content is a Honda Goldwing made in Marysville, OH.

That’s why Harley got shot down in court for the “Made in the USA” label they tried to put on, as the foreign parts content was too high.

Therefore the perception is that a Harley is Made in America is incorrect when reality is that Honda's are more a made in America bike then Harleys!

I too work for a large company that assembles in Canada but has majority of sub assemblies are made world wide and manufacturers here only for tax reasons for duty and such.

I imagine whether its the scale or something from any bigger knife maker is probably Chinese.

I like that Benchmade no longer puts there logo on redline foreign made knives.

 

[2brothers]

Personally I would love to see who is really working in some of these places these days knowing how the USA Corps are.

Just to see if they are Born in the USA Americans....... I would bet money that most are not.

Not talking about Kershaw here though..

Through the years I have personally seen more shall we say Non Americans working in Businesses etc than Americans.

As an Example just the other day I went to get some stuff and the only American I saw working there was the one behind the counter, all of the others were not Americans...... I am not talking about Fast Food either.

Did you ask to see their papers or what? Where they not white or what?
How do YOU know they were not Americans?

 

[Ankerson]

Did you ask to see their papers or what? Where they not white or what?
How do YOU know they were not Americans?

You can tell believe me...

When they don't even understand English or speak it...

It doesn't take a rocket Scientist to figure that out....

 

[LX_Emergency]

You'd be wrong there.

Really? Please tell me more. By that statement I'd expect that you personally seem to care more. But one person is hardly disproving what I think.

I know that at least most dutch collectors don't give a damn about where it's made. As long as it's made well.

 

[Ankerson]

Really? Please tell me more. By that statement I'd expect that you personally seem to care more. But one person is hardly disproving what I think.

I know that at least most dutch collectors don't give a damn about where it's made. As long as it's made well.

Exactly.

Most Consumers are pretty much the same as in it's all about price and as long as it's cheap they don't care about anything else.

People are their own worst enemies in general when it comes to goods.

 

[Alfred12]

Exactly.

Most Consumers are pretty much the same as in it's all about price and as long as it's cheap they don't care about anything else.

People are their own worst enemies in general when it comes to goods.

That's not what he said.
You are reading something into it that isn't there.
There is no mention in his statement about price or cheap.

 

[LX_Emergency]

I never said anything about cheap.

 

[richard j]

shecky, quit trolling and saying thomas is lying.

 

[johnu2]

If you make the "Made in the USA" label too restrictive to obtain, it might have an opposite effect to what you want. Many companies wouldn't bother to partially produce it here and just have it manufactured overseas completely

 

[Codger_64]

Personally I would love to see who is really working in some of these places these days knowing how the USA Corps are.

Just to see if they are Born in the USA Americans....... I would bet money that most are not.

Not talking about Kershaw here though..

Through the years I have personally seen more shall we say Non Americans working in Businesses etc than Americans.

As an Example just the other day I went to get some stuff and the only American I saw working there was the one behind the counter, all of the others were not Americans...... I am not talking about Fast Food either.

I don't think I would be very wrong if I assumed that you don't know very much about the history of cutlery manufacturing here in the United States.

Most early cutleries were founded by either first or second generation immigrants. In the case of those founded by men who were born here, most of the workers were foriegn born and spoke either no, or very little English at first.

In the case of Camillus, it began with Adolph Kastor and his brothers Sigmund, Nathan and August, all immigrant sons of J. Koester, Wattenheim Germany. They began as importers of cutlery from England, Germany, Austria (Czechoslovakia), etc., but unable to import in sufficient quantities, they bought Sherwood's struggling factory in Camillus and staffed it with cutlery workers from England and Germany, mostly the latter. They built dormatories and houses for them. They brought their families over too. They did learn to speak English and became citizens, passing muster when a Federal agent was inserted during WWI and false rumors spread of sabotage by German speaking workers.

The history of Ulster, Imperial and Colonial, are not much different, nor many other turn of the century cutleries. With the melding of American inventiveness, the English and German (European including Italian) methods of cutlery production, the highly efficient American system was born. Henry Ford toured the cutleries to learn better ways to produce his cars and trucks.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

That's an interesting story, Codger.

My Russian grandfather was a machinist as far back as the 1930s, they were in New Jersey. Many of the men he worked with were Central and East European, like him. During WW II the factory made weapons.

They were all devoted union members, many of them socialists. But when the communists tried to organize there, they threw them out as agents of the governments they left Europe to escape.

 

[Stainz]

My first Buck 110 was bought, well, a long time ago - and was my favorite knife. Second place went to my SAK - which I still have. I have many 110's now - all USA made (I never have used the sheaths!) - and always delivered sharp and perfect. Years later, nearly two decades back, I bought a Buck 301 - great pocket knife - until I discovered Kershaw seven years ago - a 1620 green Scallion - then a red 1670 Blur. All USA made. I even bought my wife the rainbow Chive she still EDC's - and almost lost this week.

Several years ago, I had to dig up a leaking water service tube in my front yard. I trimmed the tubing for a splice with my Scallion... and promptly, in the fading light, buried it in the long trench with that patched tube. The next AM found me re-digging - even more carefully - that trench. Two hours later, knife found - hole refilled - shoulders hurting - I washed that knife - ultimately dissecting it to get the grit out. Tuesday AM past found my wife going into shock - her Chive was MIA. I checked everywhere - I mean everywhere. Started to order her another one when I recalled a hole in the dustcover under the seat cushions - knife found!

Would I have dissected my front yard or that sofa for a knife that wasn't Made in the USA?? Not likely - it is that important to me - thank you Thomas and Kershaw! Okay, one of my two 'Made in Japan' knives is a Kershaw, too - the 1993-2 Gentleman Folder in VG-10... I'd look a while for it. I don't own other Pacific Rim knives - a bunch of Swiss (SAKs) as well as German-made Puma's and Boker Tree Brands, however, which I might look for. Everything else is USA made - it is that important - to me. Bark River, Benchmade, Buck, Kershaw, among many others - all easy to determine their USA provenance. Buy American!

Stainz

PS I have to come clean - my other 'Made in Japan' knife is a Myerchin sailing knife. Whew!

 

[Loneriderz]

I'd be hard pressed to think of any American made product I own right now. American brands yes but other than my knives I seriously can't think of any. I used to buy Penn fishing reels but even some of those are now made offshore and I've converted almost exclusively to Daiwas since they're lighter and has smoother bearings. Can't afford an Accurate but I think those are American and I've heard really great things about them.

American cars here... Are Chevrolets still made in the US? Most of us drive Japanese made cars since they're the most affordable I guess.

Nothing wrong with wanting to support your local economy... One reason why I buy Creative instead of Apple.

 

[Codger_64]

Here is a 1902 photo from the Camillus archives of two grinders. Noting their wooden shoes, it is pretty apparent that they weren't native born Americans. Their children and grandchildren were though, and likely also worked at Camillus, speaking both German and English. Somewhere I have an early roster from Camillus that gives an accounting of national origin for the workers. I'll see if I can dig it up.

PS- Along with many American made knives in my collection are knives from England, Germany and the Austrian Empire imported by the Kastors. Many of those knives cutlers moved to the U.S. for social and religious freedom and economic opportunity.

I might add that we have at least one (probably more) distinguished cutlery designer here on this forum that was a first-generation immigrant from England and who, after working at Camillus for years, remains quite active in our American cutlery industry.

 

[Josh K]

How did we get so far off topic?

Kershaw makes the entire knife in the USA.

As far as I know, Spyderco makes their own G-10 and ships it out to other countries to use, even though those knives are still marked as made in that country. The exception is the China line (Persistence / Tenacious).

Buck still makes the vast majority of their knives in the USA.