The thing is much more complex than what you and "therealwitch" make it out to be. It's much more than a knife made in Taiwan. If you can't see past that aspect then a few things are happening here.
The first is that you obviously don't know Spyderco. Their first knives were produced in Japan, and were for a good long time. Without that, you'd not have any Spydercos made in Golden. That is where the profit goes for those knives, to Golden, Co.
Secondly, you don't know much about Sal. He researches things to the ends of the Earth, and is one of the most down to Earth and most transparent guys in the industry. That isn't opinion either, it's a well known fact.he wouldn't be where he is and Spyderco would have dried up if he didn't find the best makers and highest quality people to do the work.
Third, you might not understand anything about business as it pertains to the here and now. With limited production capacity in Colorado, where would these knives be made? Maybe Maniago would be willing to try and make them, maybe they have their hands full. Lionsteel has a ton of their own products and collabs on the plate already. China? Not an option and Sal probably knew it would work out. Japan? Well Moki and the Seki City manufacturers both will not use "foreign made steel" as they truly believe it is inferior to their own steel produced in Japan. So, discard a great opportunity to expand a line up? Chances to work with a high quality and trustworthy manufacturer not necessary? Make expansion of the Golden, Co facility a financial impossibility?
Finally, you might not know materials in knives well enough to realize the cost of manufacturing (machining, heat treating, fitting, labor, etc). If it were not for this manufacturer, a lot of knives wouldn't exist, and Spyderco may have suffered for it. The economy isn't in a friendly and simple climate for growth the last few years in case you hadn't noticed.
Look, I'm the last one to advocate buying knives made in China. My family and I try to buy as much US made as we can at every opportunity. We read labels, research country of origin, and ingredients on just about everything we buy.i want to support American workers and American businesses as much as the next guy. Spyderco isn't owned by the Chinese anymore than Buck or Benchmade (although both companies have items produced offshore). It's important to support American workers IMO, despite folks that may not fully understand. In the end, buy what you like. But keep in mind Taiwan isn't the same thing as China. Most folks over there want their freedom, but telling that to the government is easier thought than said and impossibly done (up to now).
