Spyderco "made in Taiwan"

[mongol8]

Just wondering what your thoughts are about spyderco's made in Taiwan knives. I'm sure they are great, but my knife buddies see made in Taiwan, it's instant junk. Any thoughts?

Offer to buy them say, a Sage 2, or Techno. See if they turn down that "junk".

 

[Ankerson]

Just wondering what your thoughts are about spyderco's made in Taiwan knives. I'm sure they are great, but my knife buddies see made in Taiwan, it's instant junk. Any thoughts?

Most of it's just ignorance based on what people have heard and not real facts.

As long as it's a quality product it really doesn't matter were it's made.

The quality of the products are set by the parent companies..... NOT by the manufacturer.....

That is reality......

 

[JBoone]

Thanks a lot guys. I've been eyeing the chokwe and the sage series for a while now. Just a little gunshy I guess. Thanks for all the great responses. Now I have something to say to my knife buddies!

I have a sage two in my pocket as I type this, had the southard in there before a last minute change of mind this morning. Both are my highest end spydercos, an I absolutely love them.

 

[Ankerson]

On a side note the Japanese used to be doing extremely well business wise, much better than they are doing currently.....

The only thing that changed was they started sending their people over to the United States to learn at the Ivy League schools...

Looking at the history it was defiantly a step backwards and a classic example if it's not broken then don't fix it....

In the end it was the Untied States that should have been sending our people over to Japan to learn instead.

 

[nccole]

On a side note the Japanese used to be doing extremely well business wise, much better than they are doing currently.....

The only thing that changed was they started sending their people over to the United States to learn at the Ivy League schools...

Looking at the history it was defiantly a step backwards and a classic example if it's not broken then don't fix it....

In the end it was the Untied States that should have been sending our people over to Japan to learn instead.

Or, you could look at it as we stole their talent. The only reason it happened that way is the Japanese learn English, Americans do not learn Japanese. One of the problems with the Japanese as I see it is their inability to market themselves on a global market. I work with a robot tube bender made by the Japanese that is twice the machine of any competing robot tube bender. When you go to trade shows, and talk to them (if they have anyone who can speak English), they just fail to impress. Their demonstrations are lack luster and their communication is poor. They do well in Japan though and it seems as though they are content to keep it that way.

 

[Hadji Flip Me Over]

I just got the Spyderco Szabo. Marked Taichung, Taiwan, it is incredibly well made.

I'm glad you got a good one. Mine is so stiff and slow that I can't actually carry it. The blade rubs the liners so much that it sounds like someone is opening a pair of scissors. No adjustments make a difference, which has me concerned. It also doesn't help that I've seen videos where other people's Szabos fly open and handle just like giant Para2s (which I love). I'm going to see if Spyderco will take a look at mine and if they can't improve it, it's getting the boot.

 

[claycat]

I'm glad you got a good one. Mine is so stiff and slow that I can't actually carry it. The blade rubs the liners so much that it sounds like someone is opening a pair of scissors. No adjustments make a difference, which has me concerned. It also doesn't help that I've seen videos where other people's Szabos fly open and handle just like giant Para2s (which I love). I'm going to see if Spyderco will take a look at mine and if they can't improve it, it's getting the boot.

I recently got a Szabo and am Sorry to hear you got a potential bad one...I feel your pain

 

[jeepsrjason]

Love my Sage 1 and my Southard!!!

 

[whp]

My Southard has great f and f . My Gayle Bradley seems to be as well made as any knife I ve ever handled.

 

[Larry Turko]

I'm planning on purchasing the Spyderco Pygmy Warrior [if it is ever released] although the Spyderco catalogue has it listed as being made in the US. I'm fully aware of all the crap made in the US but I think the Pygmy should be okay because I've got quite a few spydercos and they've all been well made.
With the extensive history of inferior products made in the US -just look at the auto industry- it's absurd when people distrust products made in other countries.

 

[steveg30]

I just can't see paying 238.00 for a spyderco flipper when I can buy a USA ZT 560 for about the same price. I'm not knocking spyderco I have many of them . But I think maybe 150.00 is a little more reasonable for southhard flipper.

 

[RetiredGuns]

I just can't see paying 238.00 for a spyderco flipper when I can buy a USA ZT 560 for about the same price. I'm not knocking spyderco I have many of them . But I think maybe 150.00 is a little more reasonable for southhard flipper.

$150? That's $100 less than a 0560 and the Southard is every bit the knife. Would you have Spyderco sell them at a loss?

 

[rororo64]

I feel that the Southard is worth every dollar of the $240 I paid for it. I've been using it since I got it a little over a month ago and have had no problems with it.

The fit and finish is better than most of my knives and the design has grown to be my favorite.

I'm from Canada and don't give a crap where a knife is made as long as the knife performs well, has a design I like and isn't crap. That being said, I own a lot (30+) of USA made knives ranging from Buck, to Chris Reeve, to Spyderco and Zero Tolerance, and find that my 6 Spyderco Taiwan models that I have aquired, beat every USA knife except for Chris Reeve in Fit and Finish.

I have 2 Gayle Bradleys, a Sage 1 and 2, a Southard and a Techno, and upon very close inspection of the knives, there is absolutely no dings, marks, blade play or anything I can fault with these knives.

I can find at least one thing wrong(F and F and/or bladeplay) with every single production knife I have made in the USA, no matter the company besides CRK, and that is no exaggeration. Am I super unlucky? Maybe. However in my experience, for the price you pay for these Taiwan knives you are getting a bargain and they will beat any other knife made in USA(f and f wise) for the price every time.

In conclusion, this is my real world experience with these knives and these are my findings. Do I hate USA made knives? Hell no, I will continue to buy a knife from any country(yes, even China) if I like the design. Don't like what I have to say about my personal experience with USA knives? Complain to someone who gives a rats donkey.

 

[sodak]

My Taiwan Gayle Bradley has pretty much kicked everything else out of my pockets for EDC. I just love it. I also don't care at all where a knife is made. A good knife is a good knife.

 

[zpstl321]

From those who outsource such things tell me the quality normally runs best Japan, mid Taiwan, and lastly China. A few say there are three manufactures in China, one of which can produce very high quality knives. Pretty much everyone agrees that blade coming from Japan are the best of the best these days.

The USA pretty much didn't make anything for years, other than a few tool and die shops. A few manufactures like Buck and bringing things back in house and going thru some growning pains. Even Bark River is showing signs of growning pains because they are highly desired blade and they can't keep up with demand. I wish is was different, but what's a buyer to do.

Spydie is trying to manufacture/sell a good product. Their not the best of the best, but they do make a good high mid range blade these days. May of them break if you put the up against a hard use task, but most folders fall in this class of knife. Use them for work to slice and dice and they'll be fine. Just don't beat on them, stab, twist, or put side pressure on the blade and they'll hold up great.

 

[JNewell]

I just can't see paying 238.00 for a spyderco flipper when I can buy a USA ZT 560 for about the same price. I'm not knocking spyderco I have many of them . But I think maybe 150.00 is a little more reasonable for southhard flipper.

ZTs are woefully over-priced. They should be in the $125-150 range.

 

[Hairlesstwinkie]

Once upon a time Japanese stuff was considered junk. I guess now it's time for Taiwan to rise. I just got a Southard. I can't for it to get in and see for myself.

 

[nccole]

ZTs are woefully over-priced. They should be in the $125-150 range.

Let me know when you open up a knife company and make Southard and 561 quality knives with similar materials, and sell them for $125-$150. I will buy many, seriously. In fact, I would buy as many as I could early because it would not last, and maybe I could then re-sell those awesome knives at $300 and make some cash (I would keep a few ). I would never open a business with that model, and expect to make it.

 

[Luis G.]

Actually we run a pretty unethical labor practice lol.
While most things cost about the same here compared to the USA, our labors are on the verge of rioting, a few days ago some few hundred factory workers took over a metro railway so they can have their chance to voice their concerns when they lost their jobs, albeit such matters will die off soon since, well, we are the oppressed. On paper our work hours are 8 Hrs a day, but in reality the majority of our white collar workers pull give or take 12 Hrs a day 5 days a week with no over time fee for a mere labor rate just shy of 750 USD, and thats with work days clocking in around 2/3~3/4 a year.

This reflects exactly what my Taiwanese friends have mentioned working for TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company).
They worked in the research for QC side of wafer manufacturing.

They say it wasn't bad but they did mention they are making in just a little over a 1 week~ here in the USA what they made in 3 weeks in Taiwan while working 42-43 hrs a week, versus 50 hours/week plus on call during days off (holiday or not).

 

[JNewell]

Let me know when you open up a knife company and make Southard and 561 quality knives with similar materials, and sell them for $125-$150. I will buy many, seriously. In fact, I would buy as many as I could early because it would not last, and maybe I could then re-sell those awesome knives at $300 and make some cash (I would keep a few ). I would never open a business with that model, and expect to make it.

'twas sarcasm.