Rumor of KA-BAR going chinese??

S

S1RLUN5

Joined
Jun 26, 2013
Messages
7
I've heard rumors that KA-BAR may be selling out or has already sold out to taiwanese or chinese company. I am greatly hoping this is not true. But i have this notion to stock up on the true American made knives before it's too late and im paying twice as much for them since they'll be out of production. Anyone else heard this? (note the individual who told me this was the clerk running the sportsman section and ammo counter at a Wal-Mart, so may or may not be credible) He said that is the reason walmart no longer carries KA-BAR anything.
 
So i was in walmart the other night buying some bow stings and .22 rounds and i ask the counter clerk in the sportsman section why they don't have any KA-BAR products anymore and he said that they wont carry them anymore because they sold out to a chinese company and the american made ones are out of production or soon to be. I find this hard to believe but at the same time if it holds some truth, I plan to stock up on the true american made products before i'm paying double for them. Anyone else heard this or know anything about this.
 
Sounds like more good information from a low level Walmart employee.

I usually get my medical advice from the guy restocking the aspirin shelf. :thumbup:
 
Walmart wont carry them because they were sold to the Chinese? Isnt everything in Walmart already from China?

Dumb
 
K-Bar has some of there knifes that are being made in china and that was from about 15 years ago. no I don't think the company got sold. If it did don't you think it would be all over the news?? I think the guy has no clue what he is talking about or just got his info wrong. can't you just email the company and ask them??
 
S1RLUN5 said:
So i was in walmart the other night buying some bow stings and .22 rounds and i ask the counter clerk in the sportsman section why they don't have any KA-BAR products anymore and he said that they wont carry them anymore because they sold out to a chinese company and the american made ones are out of production or soon to be. I find this hard to believe but at the same time if it holds some truth, I plan to stock up on the true american made products before i'm paying double for them. Anyone else heard this or know anything about this.
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You have .22s at your Walmart?:eek:
 
well I took my own advice and emailed K-Bar and asked them what the deal was. when I get a email telling me the answer I will post it in this thread.
 
S1RLUN5 said:
So i was in walmart the other night buying some bow stings and .22 rounds and i ask the counter clerk in the sportsman section why they don't have any KA-BAR products anymore and he said that they wont carry them anymore because they sold out to a chinese company and the american made ones are out of production or soon to be. I find this hard to believe but at the same time if it holds some truth, I plan to stock up on the true american made products before i'm paying double for them. Anyone else heard this or know anything about this.
Click to expand...

The reason most Wal-Mart's don't carry KA-BAR is because we won't sell direct to them. The limited amount of KA-BAR products Wal-Mart carries (mostly online) are purchased through third party distributors.

As for the China rumor, it is quite the contrary. We have moved over 10% of our production back to the USA in the last three years, bringing our USA production to around 80%. Most of our new items will be made in the USA. Our outstanding friends in this community as well as all over the world have made this possible and we expect to continue to grow our USA-made product line.

-OKB
 
down here at the local gun and knives shows they are fighting over who gets to buy the ammo first. 22 are like gold down here everyone and there brother wants to buy but nobody has it in stock. maybe a couple of box's of 100 rounds but that is it.
 
richard thurman said:
well I took my own advice and emailed K-Bar and asked them what the deal was. when I get a email telling me the answer I will post it in this thread.
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If only there was an online forum where we could have direct contact and communication with Ka-Bar reps... :rolleyes:
 
well they just emailed me back. they said no they have not sold the company and yes some of there knives are being made in china and twain but they still have to meet there standers of quality because they still give a life time warranty against manufactures defects.
 
Walmart currently sells 93 models of Ka-Bar knives. Google is your friend.

Walmart elects to stock few quality knives in brick-and-mortar stores, electing to stock with low-quality knives.

Econ 101 - it's about price/profit.
 
Now that both of the original poster's posts have been consolidated here in the KA-BAR forum, with a thorough explanation of the true situation by OFFICIAL_KA-BAR (thanks!) I think we're good. :D

Take your .22 problems to Gadgets & Gear! :p
 
S1RLUN5 said:
So i was in walmart the other night buying some bow stings and .22 rounds and i ask the counter clerk in the sportsman section why they don't have any KA-BAR products anymore and he said that they wont carry them anymore because they sold out to a chinese company and the american made ones are out of production or soon to be. I find this hard to believe but at the same time if it holds some truth, I plan to stock up on the true american made products before i'm paying double for them. Anyone else heard this or know anything about this.
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A lot of folks in the gun and knife areas of any store have terrible cases of self importance that leads to oral diarrhea. Before this thread turns into personal attacks on you (I see the derision has already started...) you should know that you need to be careful with certain subject matter. I see you only have three posts here, so a good policy would be to read a lot and see how folks treat one another. Like any other playground, it is good and bad.

That being said, I think that KABAR selling to anyone would have struck the knife industry like a thunderclap. They are about the last of the all American knife companies that are still around, one that has the history and product that is certainly part of the modern American knife story.

Somebody got a crossed wire on that, hopefully it was an honest mistake. KABAR has several knives, fixed and folding made for them in Taiwan, which (for those that slept through world history, world politics and world geography) is technically part of one of the Chinas. Which one, I don't know. Before the screaming starts, a cite:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan,_China

That carefully worded set of articles relates how complicated Taiwan's relationship is with its old family member, including mention of those that want Taiwan completely reunified with one of the Chinas. Some in Taiwan want to be completely rid of China and its influence and others want reunification. Think East/West Germany. Both events of separation happened at the same time.

But rest assured, in some form or another, Taiwan is Chinese. I don't know which China, but I am not the only one confused on the issue. Again, take a quick look at the link above.

BTW, don't count out the KABAR Taiwanese knife offerings. I have a buddy that bought a "large bowie" to beat the snot out of on his ranch. He bought it to be kind of a beater and it lives under his front seat. He uses it for everything from chopping fence posts and brush, light digging, prying (well more than a knife should take), opening metal cans, splitting wood, and on a rare occasion, slicing something. I don't think I have ever seen a knife take that much hard treatment and still be in good condition, but still 100% ready for more.

A few passes on the slack belt of a belt sander and he is back in business for another six months. If I needed a big old honking knife like that, I would buy that exact knife in a heartbeat.

Robert
 
OFFICIAL_KA-BAR said:
The reason most Wal-Mart's don't carry KA-BAR is because we won't sell direct to them. The limited amount of KA-BAR products Wal-Mart carries (mostly online) are purchased through third party distributors.

As for the China rumor, it is quite the contrary. We have moved over 10% of our production back to the USA in the last three years, bringing our USA production to around 80%. Most of our new items will be made in the USA. Our outstanding friends in this community as well as all over the world have made this possible and we expect to continue to grow our USA-made product line.

-OKB
Click to expand...

I came here to say this...

KA-BAR has been working to start and move things to the USA, not the other way around. Why? cause it makes sense for their business and their customers... Furthermore the blades made in Taiwan by KA-BAR have very good QC, price, and functionality. Look at the heavy duty line, fantastic.
 
The only concern I have with Taiwanese made products, knives included, is the guilt by association with its monstrously looming big brother China. Chinese manufactured products are probably as poorly manufactured using sub-standard materials as were the made in Japan products of the 1950's. To add insult to injury, there is a huge market of fake name brand products that are primarily, if not all, manufactured in China. Taiwan, on the other hand, benefits from modern manufacturing facilities, and bends over backwards to please American businesses looking to manufacture quality goods at a more affordable cost. I received two Dozier folders from one of our MOD's, and the knives were manufactured in Taiwan. If they were made in China, I would not have been as impressed with what probably would have been obviously inferior quality.
 
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