The Companies We Should Support

EvanWilliams

EvanWilliams

Joined
Jan 10, 2009
Messages
153
I was just thinking how I have allowed myself to be seduced away from buying American. I try to buy American when possible. Beer, guns, ammo, clothes, cars etc.

With that in mind do I really need to be buying Bokers, Cold Steel etc?
Would not all of my needs be met by Buck, Benchmade, Ka-Bar, Spyderco? and Ontario.
Do these companies make their knives here in America.

Just thinking.
 
This issue gets raised from time to time. However, try to keep an open mind that you are posting to an International Forum, not an American forum. There are other readers who might be thinking along similar lines of yourself but with different manufacturers in mind ;)
 
EvanWilliams said:
I was just thinking how I have allowed myself to be seduced away from buying American. I try to buy American when possible. Beer, guns, ammo, clothes, cars etc.

With that in mind do I really need to be buying Bokers, Cold Steel etc?
Would not all of my needs be met by Buck, Benchmade, Ka-Bar, Spyderco? and Ontario.
Do these companies make their knives here in America.

Just thinking.
Click to expand...
No, some of their knives are not made here. I tend to go with ethics, design and quality when i make my choices. I do believe competition is good for the customer reguardless of origin.
 
spyderco makes knives in golden, colorado, obviously.

they have knives made in japan and taiwan. i have knives from all three countries. they are all comparable in fit/finish.

im less concerned with the outsourcing than i am with the parent company being american.

that said, i still have no problem buying from foreign companies. my car and tv are both japanese. i have watches from switzerland, japan, and finland; flashlights from here and china....
 
Kershaw is definitely a brand you should look at.

They are working hard to maintain (actually increase) as much of their US production as possible. In general the only knives that they manufactured in China were their entry level knives. They have actually managed to get some incredibly affordable (and highly regarded) US made knives into Walmart (OD-1, Zing, Skyline). This is a pretty impressive feat and everyone should let Walmart know that we notice and appreciate when they sell US made products.

Additionally, Kershaw's entire ZT line is made in the US.
 
Ka-Bar makes knives in the US and also has some that are sourced out. They make no effort to hide the origins of their knives, which helps you make your purchase decisions, IMO.

Benchmade also has more than one source of their products, as does Boker. While I prefer to buy A US made knife, I also have knives made from other places. I see it as a learning experience.
 
I will buy if it is made in another country as long as it is not made in a communist country--like China which I avoid.

Taiwan and Japan--:thumbup::thumbup:
 
EvanWilliams said:
I was just thinking how I have allowed myself to be seduced away from buying American. I try to buy American when possible. Beer
Click to expand...

Uh... I'll admit that there's some incredible micro- and smaller breweries making excellent beer here in America. But as far as mass produced stuff (Bud, Coors, Miller, etc.) my money is best spent on imports.

Call me unamerican, and that's ok, but I like my beer with some flavor.

When it comes to knives, I will not sacrifice quality just to buy American, it's just stupid to do so. I try to buy American cutlery whenever possible, but if I see a knife I like, made from high quality materials at a good price, I don't care where it's made. But if I'm spending my hard earned money, I want the best for my dollar.

90% or more of my knives are American, the rest or German, Swiss or Japanese. Those imported knives are every bit as good, and in a lot of cases better, than comparable US made knives.

What companies should we support? Any company that makes quality knives at reasonable prices. And most importantly, any company that makes a knife you like. Don't worry where it's made, just buy what you like.
 
Daniel said:
I will buy if it is made in another country as long as it is not made in a communist country--like China which I avoid.

Taiwan and Japan--:thumbup::thumbup:
Click to expand...

Ummmmm.......

Uhhhhhhhh......

Now again..... just where is Taiwan, R.O.C., located?

HINT: R.O.C. = Republic Of China

Check your globe, check your world history of this century. :eek::eek:

Just because some there in Taiwan don't want to be part of the people's republic anymore, doesn't mean they aren't.

You are showing your age, too! I remember when we went all the way through this same discussion 30 years ago when we were fretting over the origin of our tools (I am in construction - we hated Makita, Hitachi, etc.) and over cars. We hated everything that wasn't made in the USA, including blue jeans. Toyota wasn't a powerhouse 30 years ago, nor was Nissan, Mitsubishi, etc. And of course being good Americans we hated all "rice burners", and to this day I don't drive foreign.

Robert
 
Last edited:
Don't take this post as unpatriotic - but as tight as money is and as hard as it is to earn it, I spend my money with the companies that produce the best for the least. Where those companies are located is secondary, and will only sway a decision if there are 2 or 3 specific knives or multi tools that are in the running.

We, the consumers, have more power than we realize.
 
i agree with kneedeep's comment -- kershaw does a great job of keeping their production in the US and keeping their knives affordable.

i think for what they're worth, bradley cutlery also does a good job.
 
midnight flyer said:
Ummmmm.......

Uhhhhhhhh......

Now again..... just where is Taiwan, R.O.C., located?

HINT: R.O.C. = Republic Of China

Check your globe, check your world history of this century. :eek::eek:

Just because some there in Taiwan don't want to be part of the people's republic anymore, doesn't mean they aren't.

You are showing your age, too! I remember when we went all the way through this same discussion 30 years ago when we were fretting over the origin of our tools (I am in construction - we hated Makita, Hitachi, etc.) and over cars. We hated everything that wasn't made in the USA, including blue jeans. Toyota wasn't a powerhouse 30 years ago, nor was Nissan, Mitsubishi, etc. And of course being good Americans we hated all "rice burners", and to this day I don't drive foreign.

Robert
Click to expand...

Taiwan, ROC is not part of Communist China. Check your history. They are not communist and have never been.

The U.S. rebuilt Japan and Germany and we now consider them both allies. Red China does not fall into this category. They are intent on dominating the globe financially and militarily and I personally refuse to patronize their effort if I have any choice.

Unfortunately, in many cases, you have no choice but to buy foreign. There are almost no electronics made in the U.S. I own 2 Ford trucks and although they are assembled in the U.S., many of the parts are foreign manufactured.
 
And which flashlight is better? I had a LED light made in China lasted me about a week before it just died. Then I bought a Surefire (American) and it has been the most well built flashlight I have ever owned, feels like it could take a bullet and I have seen articles were it actually did and still worked.

Face it China makes CRAP. I would never trust ANYTHING from them and try to buy as little as possible from them. The reason Americans started outsourcing is because it is cheap, and the more profit for that goes to the huge companies here in America. Same goes for all other places such as Taiwan, Vietnam, etc. Japan is the only one who can make a knife half decent.

With that being said, I also like a lot of German and Sweden knives, they care about their craftsmanship, and having very good steel doesn't hurt either. :D

The day China makes a knife as good as Busse Combat, or any other American company please shoot me a PM.


MORIMOTOM said:
spyderco makes knives in golden, colorado, obviously.

they have knives made in japan and taiwan. i have knives from all three countries. they are all comparable in fit/finish.

im less concerned with the outsourcing than i am with the parent company being american.

that said, i still have no problem buying from foreign companies. my car and tv are both japanese. i have watches from switzerland, japan, and finland; flashlights from here and china....
Click to expand...
 
I don't see why I should buy Dutch only (except it would be impossible to buy everything from such a small country with for example no automotive industry) or German or American.

Competition, as long as it is fair and transparent, is good for everyone on the long term. If you stick to the idea "buy American only", I am sure you would accept that no other country will buy American products too. Meaning no Ford, GM (if anyone would buy them in the first place), Coca Cola, MacDonalds, Kershaws, Busses and countless other American products in the rest of the world. And you should drive a lot less too without all the oil from the Arabian Peninsula and stick to American petrol only. And why not take back thousands of American consultants too - we have quite a few of them in our company.

Protectionism had worsened the depression of 1930's. I really hope we don't make the same mistake again.
 
Gerberblades said:
And which flashlight is better? I had a LED light made in China lasted me about a week before it just died. Then I bought a Surefire (American) and it has been the most well built flashlight I have ever owned, feels like it could take a bullet and I have seen articles were it actually did and still worked.

Face it China makes CRAP. I would never trust ANYTHING from them and try to buy as little as possible from them. The reason Americans started outsourcing is because it is cheap, and the more profit for that goes to the huge companies here in America. Same goes for all other places such as Taiwan, Vietnam, etc. Japan is the only one who can make a knife half decent.
Click to expand...

my fenix and nitecore lights are made in china. overall, surefire makes a better light. but the fenix and nitecores are on the cutting edge when it comes to led technology. mine have held up very well, and i have been carrying the nitecore on duty for a few months.

there are some things i would change, but i feel the same way about my surefires.

With that being said, I also like a lot of German and Sweden knives, they care about their craftsmanship, and having very good steel doesn't hurt either. :D

The day China makes a knife as good as Busse Combat, or any other American company please shoot me a PM.
Click to expand...

lots of chinese stuff is crap and/or knockoffs. but its a little presumptious to think all products coming from china are this way.

lots of american stuff is crap too.
 
Good discussion. I do believe in buying quality. I try to buy American quality when possible. It is true that you must buy some foreign things. I apologize for addressing the forum in a manner that did not take into account the international nature of this place. My apologies to our blade afficionadoes from all over the world.
I would not fault any of them for buying from their own countrymen first.
I am just trying to educate myself about which knife companies are American and deserving of our patronage. I understand we will differ on whether it is good policy to buy American first. I think it is our duty to see if our needs can be met by our countrymen first.
I actually try and support Texas when possible. I buy Shiner bock as it is a good beer. I used to buy excellent foreign beers. No need once Sam Adams came on the scene.
I always bought American cars until Ford sold me a lemmon and did not stand behind it. So, now I have a Honda Ridgeline made in USA but of course, profits to Japan. Also got a Chevy Silverado.
Guns: Colt, Ruger, Mossberg, Marlin as well as a few SIGS and Glocks. Don't see myself buying another pistol that ain't a Glock unless things change.

I can't believe I overlooked Kershaw!! I love that company and own Gads of the their knives.
 
Yeah, shoot me a PM when America is making cars as good as BMW, Porsche and Audi.

After having nightmarish experience with Ford Escort and Chrysler 300, I am driving Volkswagens and BMW's as happy as a man can be ever since.
 
I will shoot you a PM as soon as you upgrade your membership. But for now I have to email you.

Did I say anything bad about European cars? I have ridden in Mercedes, BMW's and Audi's and I love their engineering, very comfortable as well as fast but might have a problem throwing a elk in the back of one.

But one thing you cant do is make a diesel as good as us.

eburon said:
Yeah, shoot me a PM when America is making cars as good as BMW, Porsche and Audi.

After having nightmarish experience with Ford Escort and Chrysler 300, I am driving Volkswagens and BMW's as happy as a man can be ever since.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top