so what are we really talking about here? Knife performance and Spyderco disclaimers or the fact that other countries can produce a knife that surpasses Golden CO Spydies in fit and finish because of what exactly? I ask this because I see these threads again and again and they never seem to get beyond a bunch of guys bullying the thread originator into shutting up.
Why can Tawian or China or Seki city continue to produce great knives with fantastic fit anf finish for the money and Golden Co USA Earth seems to be hit or miss cathc as you can . in all seriousness we need to ask ourselves why we here in America are continuously getting our asses handed to us in manufacturing these days. I understand Americans have a "standard of living" that far exceeds other countries that use virtual slave labor. I understand you are paying for an American workers health insurance and pension when you buy American. But if we still cant produce a consistant quality product even at twice the cost then we have a big problem here.
and onec again please understand I am not bashing Spyderco but asking why are we making macho excuses here instead of really looking at ourselves here in the US and how to solve this and get back ontop in the world arena.
and i will pay 2-3 times as much for made in America but i expect said product to be on par with the rest of the world at a minimum.
go ahead a rip me a new one now but it wont stop me from asking what the hell is going on in America not just Spyderco .
Listen, I do not try to "rip" anyone a new one. What I've posted is addressing what I believe to be unrealistic expectations. If you disagree with what I have said, that's fine. But I am not being rude or "bullying" anyone within this thread. Now, I want to address some of the points you have made.
You ask how is it that Golden, CO cannot produce as high quality knives as other knife makers in other countries. I think you answered your question in large part by bringing up labor cost in conjunction with the high standard of living in the U.S. I think your comment hits something that is often overlooked. We like to believe that as Americans, we are the best. I mean, we have the best technology at our fingertips and the best and brightest, right? Often, that is not completely true. We have talented, hard-working, intelligent people but so do a LOT of other countries. And it is very likely that they can outperform us. The Moki and Taichung makers may just have more talented people who are far more critical and skilled along more steps of the production process than what is at Golden. There is no way to know for sure, unless you actually visit and observe all the makers.
The comment you made about producing a good product at twice the cost is another important thing to consider. The rate of inflation, currency exchange, labor cost and so on, are major factors in determining quality, price and quantity. I am no business/economic expert and respect Sal for taking the time to try and explain those major considerations to us from time to time. In the end, I think Americans are slightly delusional as to what the cost of making an incredibly superior product totally in the U.S. would be. We are so spoiled by the low prices of a globablized market, which enables our high standard of living, that we get severe sticker shock and scoff in annoyance when a Sebenza sells for $300 to $400. But that's the reality of truly buying "American."
I think where you are coming from is that since the Para costs so much more than a Tenacious, then it should be as good quality as the latter. This is a common-sense and reasonable expectation. However, it does not take into account all the complaints that some Tenacious owners have laid forth over the years of blemished specimens. It also does not take into account Spyderco's constant innovation and expansion of its Golden manufacturing plant. When things are constantly in flux, and new materials and processes are introduced, it is incredibly difficult to avoid small mistakes (which aesthetic blemishes are). If Spyderco had been producing the Para 2 for several years and there was a major problem with the knife, then I could completely understand the OP's complaints. But that's not the reality. The OP bought a knife that has a TINY blemish that in NO way hinders performance nor mars the overall clean appearance. To spot that issue with the nested liners, you need to flip it over and examine it closely. I'm sorry but for the Para 2's price point and intended use, that is ridiculous.
