Out of Curiosity, What's the Big Deal?

[gofastalot]

I would rather keep Americans working and if there is a product made here that is of similar quality and it fits my needs, I will buy it even if it costs more. When I looked for a small pocket-knife with all of the features I wanted, I couldn't find one made in the USA so I bought a Victorinox SAK. I tried and tried to find something made here but I couldn't. Point is - my first choice was to keep my "neighbors" employed but I also have to be realistic and know that I will have to buy from outside the border occasionally.

I've got my whole family looking at labels now and its actually saving money because the kids will rarely ask me to buy something made outside the US. But it is getting more and more challenging to find American items since most products in most stores seem to be Made In China now. I looked at about 50 pairs of gym shoes before I found a shoe made in the US, New Balance, and even some of their shoes are not made here.

 

[Ankerson]

I would rather keep Americans working and if there is a product made here that is of similar quality and it fits my needs, I will buy it even if it costs more. When I looked for a small pocket-knife with all of the features I wanted, I couldn't find one made in the USA so I bought a Victorinox SAK. I tried and tried to find something made here but I couldn't. Point is - my first choice was to keep my "neighbors" employed but I also have to be realistic and know that I will have to buy from outside the border occasionally.

I've got my whole family looking at labels now and its actually saving money because the kids will rarely ask me to buy something made outside the US. But it is getting more and more challenging to find American items since most products in most stores seem to be Made In China now. I looked at about 50 pairs of gym shoes before I found a shoe made in the US, New Balance, and even some of their shoes are not made here.

Sadly made in the USA is getting harder to find.

The main problem for me is quality of the products, most of the USA products I have tried in the past 5 years or so have fallen apart.

Quailty is NOT Number 1 for most Corps, profit is Number 1 so quality will suffer with USA goods as the USA Corps will cut every corner they can to keep the Big Corp bonuses coming in and work their people like slaves. They cut their payroll to the bone and expect people to do the job of 3 or 4 people, quality will suffer believe me when that happens. All they care about is the Bottom line and meeting production numbers anyway they can. I have seen and lived this 1st hand both as a worker and in Management and I can tell you I have no love for USA Corps I can tell you. The crap that they do is just sick and it turns my stomach how badly they treat their people these days from what I have seen.

Sure made in the USA with foreign labor after they get rid of all or most of the the American workers and hire the Immigrants at half the pay.

I have seen things like Corps Hiring Immigrants because the Gov pays half their salaries with kickbacks etc so they kick most of the Americans to the street.

 

[Stainz]

I prefer 'Made in U.S.A.', but I have German-made Bokers & Puma's and Swiss-made SAKs - and a pair made in Japan (Myerchin sailing knife and a Kershaw Gentleman's Folder.). I usually avoid Taiwan due to their offering what I want and made in the PRC because the balance of trade is so skewed towards them.

I prefer USA whenever possible, and not just due to patriotism and national pride - many are very well made and represent a great value, especially those from Bark River, Benchmade, Buck, ESEE, some Gerber, Kershaw, Spyderco, etc.

Stainz

 

[Buffalohump]

You are making a very important choice. Buying locally produced food and goods is the smart way to go. :thumbup:

I would rather keep Americans working and if there is a product made here that is of similar quality and it fits my needs, I will buy it even if it costs more. When I looked for a small pocket-knife with all of the features I wanted, I couldn't find one made in the USA so I bought a Victorinox SAK. I tried and tried to find something made here but I couldn't. Point is - my first choice was to keep my "neighbors" employed but I also have to be realistic and know that I will have to buy from outside the border occasionally.

I've got my whole family looking at labels now and its actually saving money because the kids will rarely ask me to buy something made outside the US. But it is getting more and more challenging to find American items since most products in most stores seem to be Made In China now. I looked at about 50 pairs of gym shoes before I found a shoe made in the US, New Balance, and even some of their shoes are not made here.

 

[Badhammer]

Food for thought. When an American company produces a product both here and overseas, buying the knife made overseas is still putting dollars into the U.S. economy as the profit stays here and helps keep the U.S factory running and it's U.S. workers working.

 

[Ankerson]

Food for thought. When an American company produces a product both here and overseas, buying the knife made overseas is still putting dollars into the U.S. economy as the profit stays here and helps keep the U.S factory running and it's U.S. workers working.

True, but they could be employing a lot more Americans than they are if the products were made here.

 

[daggerman99]

Let me preface this by saying that I mean no offense in the question nor do I have any sort of intent in discrediting those who deserve it but...

What's the big deal about knives being made in the U.S.A?

Here's the main point that seems to be readily apparent:

1. In comparison to many knives made in Asia, knives made in the U.S.A do, often times, seem to be of a higher quality though there are quite a few exceptions to this that I've witnessed.

Beyond that though, I've seen people recommend a knife and literally throw on "Plus it's made in the U.S.A." as a selling point.

I'm just curious why it's considered such a big deal?

Ok, the majority of knives made in asia are of crap quality, and sometimes crap material. Most knives made in the U.S. are handmade/handcrafted, and last a lifetime. I've had my buck for over 20 years, used it a lot, and it is still working like its new. That's the difference, made in the usa knives last a lifetime IF they are made of good material, and by a good company.

 

[Joshua J.]

When purchasing things that are almost exclusively luxury items, who makes it is of utmost importance. If Ferrari started outsourcing to Germany people would go crazy.
So it's partially tradition. I also like to think that the people producing my knives are as passionate about them as I am. You don't get that from any ordinary factory worker.

 

[J.Davey]

I've heard three different reasons (with slight variations):
3) patriotism. either by supporting the US economy rather than someone elses, or just blind "anything made in the good ol'US of A must be better than that rubbish made by foreiners"

I truly think this is the biggest reason. People in the USA, more often than not, tend to be fiercely patriotic. I am patriotic, but not unreasonably so. I own knives made in the USA, China, Taiwan, Finland, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and New Zealand. I want quality for my hard earned money, plain and simple. Would I prefer to buy USA made products? Of course. But if I cannot find what I want by an American company, I will look elsewhere.

Also, I think people have a problem with some Asian countries because of their infamous reputation for cranking out multitudes of cheaply made 'rip-off' products. This business practice is something that really chaps my crack.

With that being said, I see nothing wrong with buying Asian made products from a reputable company (i.e. Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw, etc.).

 

[gazz98]

It's not about quality or fit n finish in my book, it's about pride. Once upon a time, this country actually made a good chunk of the "stuff" it used. That has been replaced by China, Taiwan, etc etc.

Sorry if Americans wanting American made products is lost you LX.

 

[LX_Emergency]

Unless you have been living under the rock for last decade or two... Don't take my word for it though. Just try searching on the net. Foxconn worker suicides and their will be a good start.

Ah, yes. That's always a good one isn't it. A number of companies have been found guilty....so naturally ALL companies must be guilty if they're from that region.

Guilty by association. So by that reasoning all american companies must be unethical as well...


@Gazz98

I don't have a problem with people liking products from the place they're from. Just don't dress it up behind some kind of excuse.

I think your reason is a very valid one. At least you're honest about it. Guess I've just never really seen the logic behind patriotism. Very often it's spouted as "It may be crap, it may be worthless....but it's OUR worthless crap so we must be proud of it."

There's nothing wrong with pride.....but pride for pride's sake makes no sense to me.

 

[gofastalot]

Sadly made in the USA is getting harder to find.

The main problem for me is quality of the products, most of the USA products I have tried in the past 5 years or so have fallen apart.

Quailty is NOT Number 1 for most Corps, profit is Number 1 so quality will suffer with USA goods as the USA Corps will cut every corner they can to keep the Big Corp bonuses coming in and work their people like slaves. They cut their payroll to the bone and expect people to do the job of 3 or 4 people, quality will suffer believe me when that happens. All they care about is the Bottom line and meeting production numbers anyway they can. I have seen and lived this 1st hand both as a worker and in Management and I can tell you I have no love for USA Corps I can tell you. The crap that they do is just sick and it turns my stomach how badly they treat their people these days from what I have seen.

Sure made in the USA with foreign labor after they get rid of all or most of the the American workers and hire the Immigrants at half the pay.

I have seen things like Corps Hiring Immigrants because the Gov pays half their salaries with kickbacks etc so they kick most of the Americans to the street.

There is no denying that many corporations are like that in the US, and likely the rest of the world too. But they are not ALL like that.

With regard to US-quality, you have very different experiences than me because the vast, vast majority of my made-in-US products are of high quality. My Weber grill is almost 20 years old and going strong, two of my Chevy's have >175,000 miles on them and are daily drivers, I've never had a problem with any of my US-made knives, and I could go on and on.

A US-company can certainly make junk and treat their people poorly, but I think on average, you are likely to get good quality from most US companies.

 

[Gator97]

Ah, yes. That's always a good one isn't it. A number of companies have been found guilty....so naturally ALL companies must be guilty if they're from that region.

No, and you know that perfectly well. It is the overall philosophy and the system in that region which prompts the treatment of the workers in such way.
It's just that - you pretend to play innocent until proven thingy.

Guilty by association. So by that reasoning all american companies must be unethical as well...

Again, no, it's not by association but circumstances/situation.
Simply put, it is you who has NO basis to assume workers are treated well, contrary to all the evidence. Yet, by pure "disassociation" you choose to assume(or pretend) all is well, and suggest that in the system where neither human life, nor human rights are any priority average worker is ok.

 

[flying hippo]

A handful of Americans boycotting the relatively foreign made knives isn't going to affect the unemployment rate one way or the other.

It sounds very patriotic for a few knife people to say, "I will only buy American knives." Putting aside the fact that their business is just a fraction of a relatively small industry, the reality is that "buying only American" it is not just impractical but is almost impossible.

As stated before most products, not just knives, are made from materials from overseas. USA Kersaw uses Sanvic steels from Sweden. A lot of other stainless steels are Japanese. Many knife handles have woods from all over the world. Many plastic materials like G10 are manufactured in China. The card board for the packaging is also made in China. The oils used to quench and finish the blades could be from Venezuela or the middle east. There's just no way to tell. Whenever you buy something, some of that money goes overseas. Buying "American" doesn't ever mean, buying 100% American.

Heck my disabled veterans "Feedom is not Free" T-shirt has a made in Mexico tag. I can post a picture if you like.

But you also need to look at the bigger picture. Here in Tokyo I see a lot of American made knives. People buy them and that money also stays in Japan, and some goes to China but some also goes back to the States. The US isn't just affected by the US market. The US is also affected by the international market as well.

When the sub prime mess hit the states it affected Asia and Europe. Now that Asia and Europe are having problems that in turn is slowing the US recovery.

Everything is connected. It is in everyones interest for everyone to do well. The US needs a healthy Asian market, which needs a strong European market which also is dependent on the US. It isn't a zero sum game. A strong economy overseas provides opportunities and jobs back in the US.

You can't stop business from going overseas. But you also can't stop it from coming back to the states.

 

[Ankerson]

There is no denying that many corporations are like that in the US, and likely the rest of the world too. But they are not ALL like that.

With regard to US-quality, you have very different experiences than me because the vast, vast majority of my made-in-US products are of high quality. My Weber grill is almost 20 years old and going strong, two of my Chevy's have >175,000 miles on them and are daily drivers, I've never had a problem with any of my US-made knives, and I could go on and on.

A US-company can certainly make junk and treat their people poorly, but I think on average, you are likely to get good quality from most US companies.

I had 2 Chevy's and both of them fell apart before they reached 100,000 miles.

My Ford Taurus nickeled and dimed me to death to get it to 175K.

I also had a Nissian Sentra that had 150K on it and still ran like new and the engine ran so clean that at 3,000 miles the oil looked like I just poured it in.

I do have a Dodge Ram that has been great sofar. :thumbup:



I have had very good luck with Busse, ZT and Strider. :thumbup:

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

The healthiest economies in the world are those that are more or less self-sufficient. Our economy in the U.S. is in such a mess now, because we've exported SO MUCH of our engineering & manufacturing expertise, and many of the jobs that are left in that void just don't measure up. China's economy, in particular, is so relatively strong now because they've acquired much of that engineering & manufacturing expertise. They now have local production of many of the goods that everyone wants to buy, and they also have the CASH that flows in from everywhere else, in order that the rest of the world can also buy their goods. A robust, self-sufficient economy puts a nation in a position of real strength (economically, politically, militarily). A dependant, debt-ridden economy puts a nation in a position of weakness. I'd even heard it mentioned in the news recently (yesterday, in fact), that our own economic weakness is now being regarded in Washington as a legitimate national security threat.

I don't have any issues with buying quality products from whomever or wherever they come. But, there's got to be some balance. Every time I buy a product that I know has been produced locally, it at least gives me some hope that we're still OK. Otherwise, it's just a reminder of how much we've given up. I don't like to spend money on things that make me feel that way.

 

[Ankerson]

Everything is connected. It is in everyones interest for everyone to do well. The US needs a healthy Asian market, which needs a strong European market which also is dependent on the US. It isn't a zero sum game. A strong economy overseas provides opportunities and jobs back in the US.

That ain't happening right now is it?

It more like Companies are leaving the USA putting more Americans out of work.

 

[LX_Emergency]

No, and you know that perfectly well. It is the overall philosophy and the system in that region which prompts the treatment of the workers in such way.
It's just that - you pretend to play innocent until proven thingy.


Again, no, it's not by association but circumstances/situation.
Simply put, it is you who has NO basis to assume workers are treated well, contrary to all the evidence. Yet, by pure "disassociation" you choose to assume(or pretend) all is well, and suggest that in the system where neither human life, nor human rights are any priority average worker is ok.

So basically....you're saying that all companies that have products that are made in say....china (or taiwan or india etc) are treating their workers badly....

So Spyderco, Buck, Kershaw etc etc etc all exploit their workers.

I'm not suggesting everything is well at all. But I just don't buy into the whole "oh noes!! it's from china, everything from china is bad" mentality. If you have knowledge of people being abused in the factories in china then you might want to go and talk to Sal Glesser for instance, I'm sure he'd be happy to hear about it so he can do something about it.

I have seen NO evidence with my own eyes, nor has evidence ever been presented to me of people being abused in chinese factories from the companies that I buy from. If I'm wrong then maybe you could enlighten us all instead of wildly generalising.

 

[mmarkh]

I prefer to buy made in the USA to help keep jobs here. Now if the quality wasn't there I would think differently but from the companies I buy from it is high quality. I also will occasionally buy a Japanese made Spyderco or Al Mar knife but I draw the line at Chinese products. I do my best not to support Chinese products if I can help it for political reasons but this is not the forum to discuss this so I will just leave it alone.

 

[flying hippo]

That ain't happening right now is it?

It more like Companies are leaving the USA putting more Americans out of work.

It's not happening now because of the sub prime mess not because people are not buying enough USA made knives. People are out of work everywhere in the world. Not just in the states.

Anyway last I checked, Honda and Toyota still have major operations the states.