Made In Usa?????

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openblade

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So, how long have I have been involved with knives? Obviously not long enough. I ordered a Kershaw knife, thinking they are made in the USA. I believe this knife is made in Japan, (not Oregon like I thought) and I find that Kershaw is Japanese owned. OK, the knife I ordered is a Splinter, ($49.95) a Ken Onion design with an AUS8A blade. Actually, seems to be a GREAT knife, super sharp. And from what little I have read about AUS8A, it is not a bad steel to carry. (I believe this is a Japanese steel.) So that's my Kershaw. :o
About two months prior, I ordered a Queen, small stockman, (with the amber stag bone scales) which IS made in the USA. I may be wrong about this, but I believe Queen is Canadian owned. This knife, is the best stockman I have ever owned, :) and has D-2 tool steel blades. Now a bunch of guys are probably going to :thumbdn: these knives. They are definitely not custom, but coming from Schrade, (Old Timer, carbon steel blade) both seem to be extraordinary knives. (If you drop a Schrade and don't find it till after it rains, it's WAY to late :(.)
SO, bottom line. I know there are USA knife companies. I bought a Bear and Sons Heritage Series knife, and this is the only company that I know of (at least I think I know :confused:) that is USA owned and the knives produced in the USA. Don't get me wrong, the Japanese as well as other Asian, and European countries make great knives. (I have a bunch of straight razors made in Germany, among them a 1927 Boker) I was in at Lowes and saw some great looking Chinese knives. But really, I want to carry a knife made here. (The stockman is my EDC.)
Does anyone out there have a list of real USA owned knife companies.... where the knives are also made in the USA? (Custom would be great, but a little out of my range.. I think.)
Openblade, aka........... just another "Bill"
 
There are a lot of good Spyderco knives made here and while they also have some produced oversears, you will not find a more honest company with great service and purely awesome knives.

Most of their knives are made in different places based on blade steel. VG-10 is a Japanese steel and therefore those knives are made there. 8cr13mov(I think that's right) is a Chinese steel and made there.

S30V is an awesome American steel and I believe all S30V spyderco's are made here. Take a gander. If you want American made from an ethical company, Spyderco is the best choice IMO. At a higher price point, you can't go wrong with a Chris Reeve Sebenza either.

http://spyderco.com/catalog/list.php?blade=CPM-S30V
 
If you like traditional knife styles, I believe that Great Eastern Cutlery and Case are US owned and manufactured here. I could be wrong though.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums! :)

There are many companies owned and operated in the US, who do have some overseas production: Spyderco, Buck, Benchmade, Emerson. There are other US companies whose production is all overseas. You have to check on each company and each knife model to be sure.

For example, Kershaw is a division of Kai, which is Japanese, but most Kershaw-branded knives are US-made. Their Chinese-made knives are not contracted out but made in a Kai-owned and operated factory in China.
 
Kershaw makes some good knives, so does Queen. My take on overseas knives goes like this:
- a U.S. company that farms out overseas (for profit, at the expense of countrymen) doesn;t get my business, if at all possible;
- a foreign company that sells over here I'll buy from, if their design, materials, and workmanship are what I'm looking for.
See the difference?

There are plenty of U.S. companies making knives here. Some of them make most of their line here, and sub-out overseas on a part of their line - Benchmade, Spyderco, Kabar, Ontario, Buck - just to name a few.

Some make their entire line here in the U.S. - Busse, Bark river, TOPS, Blind Horse Knives - again, just to name a few.

It isn;t that knives made overseas are necessarily cheap, some are super-fine - especially the Japanese, the Scandi and some Slav countries, etc. BUT, U.S. manufacturers who have their line made in China or Taiwan are, generally speaking, not going to be able to compete as far as quality and workmanship as do the U.S. manufacturers. They sub-out over there for profit only (i.e. Benchmade's "Red Class").

Now, if a Chinese company, for example, came up with a anicely designed line of knives and sold them over here, I would have no problem with that and would certainly consider them.
 
What in the world is wrong with a knife company making a profit?

American companies with discount lines made overseas are doing it at least as much to keep the low-cost buyer familiar with them, against the day they can sell him a better class of knife.

To wrap purity around themselves like a flag would be to abandon that buyer to complete garbage -- or to those companies with no US workforce at all.
 
What is wrong with buying a good product from an American company even if it is made in Seki city Japan. I really don't understand. The Japanese have a much longer history with the making and producing and using of bladed tools as opposed to us so why not learn from it. Yes I think many of the Seki city models are better made than ones here in the states.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
What in the world is wrong with a knife company making a profit?

American companies with discount lines made overseas are doing it at least as much to keep the low-cost buyer familiar with them, against the day they can sell him a better class of knife.

To wrap purity around themselves like a flag would be to abandon that buyer to complete garbage -- or to those companies with no US workforce at all.
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Did you miss the point sir?

Nothing is wrong with making a profit. Reread.....please.
 
Oh, well, excuse me, I'm new at this ... my reading skills are weak, I'll go find a website with pictures ...
 
It perpetuates itself. More and more things are made over seas. There are great knives that are made here in the US. If you pick an import over one made in the US how long do you think that you will still have that choice?
 
No Esav. I didn;t mean that. My point was, simply: When I buy a product, I try to support the country in which I live. The dynamics are important - business, manufacuring, emplyment, purchasing, and life in general is inter-related.

A U.S. based manufacutring company that is making goods in the U.S., using U.S. labor and, to the extent possible, U.S. materials, helps every single aspect of the U.S. economy. If this U.S. company sells foreign, it continues to help every aspect of the U.S. economy.

A foreign company, making goods foreign, using foreign labor and, to the extent possible, foreign materials, is doing well for their country. If it sells foreign (i.e. here in the U.S.), it continues to help every aspect of its own economy.

Mix one without the other and you have..... a problem.

I made clear in my post that I buy foreign goods. I also made clear that I will not buy, to the extent possible, U.S. based goods made foreign.

I cannot explain it any further. It is my choice which products to buy. It was my opinion of circumstances that I was stating in the original post that leads to my choice of purchases.
 
If you pick an import over one made in the US how long do you think that you will still have that choice?
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I just look at quality, no matter where it's made. In my opinion, good products deserve to do well in the market. So I have knives from several countries.
Several other examples exist. For example try driving a German car.
 
Just so you know, the majority of Kershaw knives are made in the USA, regardless of being owned by Kai.
 
I have some American branded knives made here in Japan.
I have no idea whether they are once shipped to U.S. and then shipped back.
Makes me feel something strange.
 
metaxasm said:
It perpetuates itself. More and more things are made over seas. There are great knives that are made here in the US. If you pick an import over one made in the US how long do you think that you will still have that choice?
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More knives than ever are being imported into the US, and still there are more choices than ever. Not only that, the market for custom and low production American made knives, a boutique industry, has only gotten bigger. This is really a good trend. It means that the American standard of living and skill is high enough that it makes less sense to manufacture low end knives in the US. American workers are increasingly employed in more profitable sectors, and boutique knife makers can flourish with Americans increasingly able to afford their wares. All while the knife market at all levels is strong, with more choices and better quality.
 
Many companies use foreign materials and put the nuts and bolts in the knives here in the US and call them "US-made."

Spyderco and Benchmade knives, the ones that are US-made, are made in the US with US materials. Sal has spoken so for Spyderco, and Benchmade I'm assuming (since they use American steels in their US-made knives). I'd rather stick with those ones. With the economy the way it is right now... I'm gonna try to keep my money in my country.
 
Buy a Benchmade "blue" class knife... USA all the way baby! A Spyderco made in Golden, CO... Either of these first class companies knives start around $40-60 for a usa made product. I'd buy from them before I'd buy from Kershaw...mainly because I just don't care for Kershaw's designs. Going by your examples, I would recommend a Benchmade 940... I have one I've been carrying "clipless" for a week now, and I really like the ergos sans clip. Form meets function in the perfect way with this one IMO. I do like my Spyderco Military better though. Honestly, BM & Spydie have caused me to sell my higher end knives. IMO they have finally caught up with some companies you might call "semi custom." YMMV
 
Kershaw: Most knives are made in the USA
Benchmade: I do believe that every knife that isn't Red Class is made in America
Spyderco: It all depends on the steel - VG-10 and ZDP-189 are Japanese, and 18CRMoV9 or whatever it is is made in China/Taiwan
Queen: Made in the USA, and I think they're all made with D2


In situations where a company is making particularly Japanese knives, I think they're just being fair to the Japanese. They're using Japanese steel, so they keep it in Japan. The way you use the word foreign, it almost seems like you mean it with negative connotation? While I won't argue with your personal beliefs and choices as to your preferences of manufacturing location, I must say that any product is only as good as it is intended to be. The Chinese are not magically inferior at making things, they're just cheaper, and companies have stuff made in China with the purpose of it being inexpensive. In order to be cheaper, stuff is usually inferior in materials and construction. But a knife from Japan for example, is generally intended to be as good, if not better than a knife from America, and it shows in price.


And just remember: Anything you ever buy in your life, America is gonna get some of that money. That's my poor joke about taxes.
 
shecky said:
More knives than ever are being imported into the US, and still there are more choices than ever. Not only that, the market for custom and low production American made knives, a boutique industry, has only gotten bigger. This is really a good trend. It means that the American standard of living and skill is high enough that it makes less sense to manufacture low end knives in the US. American workers are increasingly employed in more profitable sectors, and boutique knife makers can flourish with Americans increasingly able to afford their wares. All while the knife market at all levels is strong, with more choices and better quality.
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I don't care that a executive, a pencil pusher or a salesman can make a bunch of money. That is part of the problem... this means less equality, and is likely the reason for our present state. If the country works like we're told, there is a set amount of funds, and in fact, we're losing money as a country, not gaining. So, when "American workers are employed in more profitable sectors" who ends up losing in the equation?? I'll tell you who... 95% of the population. You may think that you're getting more, but this is an illusion of inflation. If you're not getting more, you are definitely losing. How can you possibly see that as a good thing? I support more hands on manufacturing. If for nothing else reasonable to you, it is a simple matter of gratification. It feels good. If you don't feel that I certainly pity you. What you are saying is that you support companies like Walmart, who push costs down, and manufacture overseas... You are saying that money/savings is more important than fair trade. Personally, I'd rather make nails or clock radios than work in the Walmart hardware or electronics department for twice the wages. Your "boutique" theory is also nonsense. Why push away AFFORDABLE USA made knives? It seems pretty clear that you are unaware of the fact that EVERYONE is losing their tuchus right now, and if they aren't, they will. ...unless you want to work in the Walmart electronics dept. Walmart will be ok, thanks to us. You think that there is "sense" in making knives in China??? ..yea there's sense alright, it's COST EFFECTIVE. Some companies want to make more, and some probably are just struggling to stay in business. The American "standard of living" is abuse of technology, is totally ridiculous and is destroying our planet.

Your post is a self perpetuating black hole of unreason that too many people embrace in this country. You see your comfort in jeopardy, and will, all but literally, cut throats to keep it. ...and people wonder why so many are on Prozac? We are murderers and thieves. Even worse, 99% never even get their hands dirty. Most of us simply reap the benefits. It is out of sight, and mostly out of mind. The healthy are either ignorant or evil.
 
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