The Companies We Should Support

[Gerberblades]

The more you pay the better quality you usually get.

I have to disagree. Made in Ohio means made in Ohio, but that does not mean "made like Busse" Some people are looking at something like Fenix or Nitecore, and thinking "made like the Chinese flashlights at Wal-mart" Too many people expect the exact same level of production quality from everything marked China, yet who would do that with things marked Ohio?

I mean, just look at this

 

[MORIMOTOM]

I have to disagree. Made in Ohio means made in Ohio, but that does not mean "made like Busse" Some people are looking at something like Fenix or Nitecore, and thinking "made like the Chinese flashlights at Wal-mart" Too many people expect the exact same level of production quality from everything marked China, yet who would do that with things marked Ohio?

I mean, just look at this

i didnt say made in ohio is the same as made by busse.

i was stating that made in ohio does not imply that the state of ohio made the product.

 

[hardheart]

What I am saying is that 'made in X' automatically places all products on the same level in the minds of many. Saying made in China is bad disregards the fact that there are a billion people in China who could be making whatever it is you are buying. This is personifying China, and saying that this singular entity decides on how well it will make stuff. The level of quality can and does vary, greatly.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

What I am saying is that 'made in X' automatically places all products on the same level in the minds of many. Saying made in China is bad disregards the fact that there are a billion people in China who could be making whatever it is you are buying. This is personifying China, and saying that this singular entity decides on how well it will make stuff. The level of quality can and does vary, greatly.

that is pretty much what i have been posting the whole time.

if you read shecky's earlier posts, it gives mine the appropriate context.

 

[fishshooter]

I really don't see how what GerberBlades said could be construed as racist. Stereotypes are usually based on a bit of fact. Ignoring price, if you pay the money for a product produced by a relatively smaller American company, that cares about the customer, you get a superior product than that mass produced in China, or any where else. China is known for mass production at reduced cost. He said "I just know that anything hard-use I would not want it to be made by the Chinese", and I agree. I have both Fenix and Surefire stuff. If I'm in the position to only have one, I'm taking the Surefire. Same with knives. Different classes all together. China can make decent stuff, I just don't think they make the best of anything, except maybe take-out.

 

[AMRaider]

pointless semantics here.

I think we all get that the countries/land/entities known as the u.s.a. And china don't actually make anything, it is people who populate those areas that make the products.

Can we just assume for the purposes of this thread that a chinese product is chinese, and an american product is american?

+1....

 

[Sep]

I find it interesting that people tout Kershaw as "made in USA" while completely glossing over the fact that it's a Japanese company using mostly Swedish steel.

Here's the headquarter of Kai corporation.
http://www.kai-group.com/e/profile.html

The vast majority of Toyota cars sold in USA is made in USA, yet strangely people don't consider Toyota cars as a product of USA.

Don't think that I hate Kershaw. As a matter of fact I love Kershaw and I don't care where their knives are made or who owns them. It's just that ignorance always bugs me a little.

 

[EvanWilliams]

I find it interesting that people tout Kershaw as "made in USA" while completely glossing over the fact that it's a Japanese company using mostly Swedish steel.


That bums me out. There products are awesome so I will still buy them.

 

[Karl B. Andersen]

Andersen Forge is located right here in Illinois, U.S. of A.!

 

[Unsub]

I prefer to buy made in the US products even though I am a Canadian. They are generally better quality ,they pay a living wage and have some environmental standards unlike China. China is not really communist they are more of a fascist oligarchy that uses some communist techniques and propaganda. They use slave labor and don't care if their substandard products poison or kill people so long as they are foreigners. Hopefully now that the economy has tanked we will realize that making our companies in North America compete on an "even" level with Chinese ones that don't have to pay their workers ,don't have to test their products ,can dump toxic waste for free wherever they want and dump product until our companies are out of business is a terrible idea. The free market is only good for the very very rich. Everyone else is going to end up working at wall mart.

 

[T.K.C.]

Andersen Forge is located right here in Illinois, U.S. of A.!

And you mke some of the most amazing knives I have ever seen my friend!! :thumbup::thumbup:


We have some incredible makers that are right here on BF & bsed in the US. All you need to do is look in the makers section. :thumbup:

Chris Reeve knives are USA made. :thumbup::thumbup:

 

[milani74]

The reason why Japanese companies today are powerhouses are because people bought their products. The more Americans that simply buy "the best product for the best money" simply reinvest the future into somewhere else. Especially in countries that do not like us and do not reciprocate business trade. I really think it is sad that so many people do not see the real impact of each purchase. One dollar that goes overseas (china for instance) is never returned. On top of that, it is one dollar that will not be spent here in the US, and it is one job that is lost. Multiplied by time, that is one company that closes it's doors that would have employees.

The sad thing is we do it to ourselves and will be looking for scapegoats 25 years from now on who is to blame.

 

[zignal_zero]

I prefer to buy made in the US products even though I am a Canadian. They are generally better quality ,they pay a living wage and have some environmental standards unlike China. China is not really communist they are more of a fascist oligarchy that uses some communist techniques and propaganda. They use slave labor and don't care if their substandard products poison or kill people so long as they are foreigners. Hopefully now that the economy has tanked we will realize that making our companies in North America compete on an "even" level with Chinese ones that don't have to pay their workers ,don't have to test their products ,can dump toxic waste for free wherever they want and dump product until our companies are out of business is a terrible idea. The free market is only good for the very very rich. Everyone else is going to end up working at wall mart.

:thumbup: alot of truth to your post.

i try to use a little geographic loyalty, when any purchase. i do ride a Jap bike, though. if there was an American inline 4cyl, i probably wouldn't mind spending an extra 2 or 3 grand for it. that money would go to feed and clothe American kids who hopefully would try to support other American owned businesses.

there all also states i try to avoid supporting, if given an option.

 

[Sal Glesser]

Seems like there is a lot of opinion here, much of it not really accurate. I really don't want to get into an argument here, but I will share some information.

Just some thoughts to share:

I didn't see any slave labor in China in the many times that I've been there. I did notice the workers had cell phones. There is poverty, but there are also lotsa BMW's Mercedes, Hondas and Chevies (all made in China). I didn,t see any 8 year olds working in any of the factories I was in.

Some US knife companies no longer have to put company of origin on their imported knives, (no names). That means the Chinese made knives that are made by those companies are not marked. Politics? You will just "assume" they're made in the US, right?

Building in America is best! Buying American is best! We are doing our best to build in the US, but in our experience, many Americans won't pay the price for American products. That's why many US manufactuers are forced to build in China.

sal

 

[Sep]

Seems like there is a lot of opinion here, much of it not really accurate. I really don't want to get into an argument here, but I will share some information.

Just some thoughts to share:

I didn't see any slave labor in China in the many times that I've been there. I did notice the workers had cell phones. There is poverty, but there are also lotsa BMW's Mercedes, Hondas and Chevies (all made in China). I didn,t see any 8 year olds working in any of the factories I was in.

Some US knife companies no longer have to put company of origin on their imported knives, (no names). That means the Chinese made knives that are made by those companies are not marked. Politics? You will just "assume" they're made in the US, right?

I see knife companies waving the US flag for their sales, but we can't build product in the US with US steel for the prices they can? We use the same lasers, the same CNCs, the same labor, whyisthat? Are we just stooopid?

Building in America is best! Buying American is best! We are doing our best to build in the US, but in our experience, many Americans won't pay the price for American products. That's why many US manufactuers are forced to build in China.

sal

I concur. This has been my experience as well.

Several people on the Internet proclaim that Americans want to buy 100% American products, while overlooking the fact that the biggest company on Earth is Wal-Mart, whose business is selling the absolute cheapest mass produced goods. They're the biggest in USA because in most cases they are the cheapest, and in turn Americans buy their stuff by the truckload. They're the cheapest because their suppliers use the cheapest labor in the world, wherever that is at the moment. In many cases China is not the cheapest anymore, so you start seeing products from Vietnam, Honduras, Bangladesh, etc.

People vote with their wallets, and the winner by far is whoever brought them the cheapest products.

 

[Nuke_Spook]

I have stated to see if I can meet my knife needs/desires with USA made products. I want to support companies like Buck, which has started moving production back to the USA. This means jobs for Americans, a lot of whom need one right now. BUCK makes good solid knives at fair prices. Could Buck make their knives cheaper elsewhere? Probably. The fact that they are bringing production back to the USA says a lot about their character and makes BUCK a company I am not only pleased to support but also proud to.

 

[EvanWilliams]

I have stated to see if I can meet my knife needs/desires with USA made products. I want to support companies like Buck, which has started moving production back to the USA. This means jobs for Americans, a lot of whom need one right now. BUCK makes good solid knives at fair prices. Could Buck make their knives cheaper elsewhere? Probably. The fact that they are bringing production back to the USA says a lot about their character and makes BUCK a company I am not only pleased to support but also proud to.

Amen. Next purchase..another buck 119.

 

[Jake Bauer]

And it's moves like Kershaw and buck are making that will help bring more money to the U.S. made knife industry. When a company or two starts making good knives in the U.S. for cheap, other companies will follow to keep up with competition, and it will be better for all of us.

 

[Chocula]

As some others have said, supporting a product out of patriotism doesn't make sense. If you need or want something, get the best thing you can at the lowest price. Entrepreneurs will innovate to lower the price or improve the product, which is exactly what you want as a consumer.

Regarding unemployment, there is a lot more to it than simply "we should stop using foreign things to improve our economy." Foreign trade can result in increased unemployment, but usually both economies benefit from trade. For example, if one country is better suited to making computers and another better suited for growing wheat, they both win by specializing and trading.

Study some economics before you make a fuss about unemployment or globalization.

EDIT: I am assuming some ethical standard. Most will not want to buy a computer if child slaves are being used to build them, regardless of the price.

 

[Nuke_Spook]

As some others have said, supporting a product out of patriotism doesn't make sense. If you need or want something, get the best thing you can at the lowest price. Entrepreneurs will innovate to lower the price or improve the product, which is exactly what you want as a consumer.

Regarding unemployment, there is a lot more to it than simply "we should stop using foreign things to improve our economy." Foreign trade can result in increased unemployment, but usually both economies benefit from trade. For example, if one country is better suited to making computers and another better suited for growing wheat, they both win by specializing and trading.

Study some economics before you make a fuss about unemployment or globalization.

EDIT: I am assuming some ethical standard. Most will not want to buy a computer if child slaves are being used to build them, regardless of the price.

I don't see that I "made a fuss about" about anything including unemployment. I did study economics (Business degree from University of Tennessee). So while I acknowledge that there are some advantages to Globalization, I don't think out sourcing everything to other countries is the best ideal.

I am also one of those guys who thinks patriotism always makes sense.