The Companies We Should Support

[James Y]

It's not a negative to me because I don't care where the product was made, but it is to some people. What bugs me is that Kershaw got the nod as "Made in America" while Toyota is always classified as "foreign". Both companies are Japanese and headquartered in Japan. Both companies manufacture their products here, at least the product lines they sold here.

If you all stop buying Toyota on account of its foreign ownership, a whole bunch of American Toyota factory workers are gonna lose their jobs. Few people protest the bailout money poured at the big 3 car manufacturers while completely ignoring Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. who also have factories here. I guess American workers of Japanese carmakers are lesser citizens than Detroit workers.

Everybody touts the virtue of capitalism and the free market, but when it comes to american made products suddenly some people turn socialists; insisting on subsidizing people/product who can't survive otherwise. That's interfering with the free market principle we hold dear.

:thumbup: Agreed 100%.
Jim

 

[AMRaider]

It's not a negative to me because I don't care where the product was made, but it is to some people. What bugs me is that Kershaw got the nod as "Made in America" while Toyota is always classified as "foreign". Both companies are Japanese and headquartered in Japan. Both companies manufacture their products here, at least the product lines they sold here.

If you all stop buying Toyota on account of its foreign ownership, a whole bunch of American Toyota factory workers are gonna lose their jobs. Few people protest the bailout money poured at the big 3 car manufacturers while completely ignoring Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc. who also have factories here. I guess American workers of Japanese carmakers are lesser citizens than Detroit workers.

Everybody touts the virtue of capitalism and the free market, but when it comes to american made products suddenly some people turn socialists; insisting on subsidizing people/product who can't survive otherwise. That's interfering with the free market principle we hold dear.

BIG +1 :thumbup:

 

[chanwahyaoh]

The companies I support are the ones that provide me with a desirable/quality product and service at a reasonable price.

Period.

 

[Masteroffajitas]

Whichever ones make knives that I like, and have good custumer service.

 

[Sword and Shield]

gerberblades... did you pick your SN before gerber went over to china/taiwan?

P.S.- Support Rat Cutlery, Spyderco, and KABAR

Don't forget Case, Great Eastern, Queen, Bark River, Buck (bringing lines back from China as I write this), Bear, Busse...

 

[zignal_zero]

But, would you think of your beloved Kershaws (and possibly ZTs) as less desirable if they were simply imported?

Following the "buy national" reasoning, perhaps I and all other european knife buyers should simply STOP buying american knives, and focus fully on Euro-zone knife companies. There are definitely a number of very interesting local products out there. Fox. Roselli. Fontenille-Pataud. Maserin, not to mention my fellow Belgian custom makers, etc.

that's what i would do, if i lived in your country. geographic loyalty goes both ways. rep where ya stay

 

[enderwiggin]

kind of begs an interesting questions.

dodge is an american company.

your truck was assembled in mexico, presumably with parts from other countries as well.

is it then a mexican truck? is it the sum of its parts?

or is it still american because dodge is an american company?

Dodge also sells the Sprinter van, which is actually a Mercedes diesel engine in a full-size van.

They re-marked it that way because Mercedes vans weren't selling very well to their target demographic. For whatever reason, contractors and handymen were "embarrassed" to be seen driving around in a Mercedes.

 

[LX_Emergency]

Did Mattel order those all those toys to be made with the lead paint?

You make an interesting point. (A few pages back the discussion was a bit concerning whether low quality products are to blame for the producer or the customer.)

But YES. They did, by not specifying what type of paint SHOULD be used they left the choice open for the manufacturer. And the manufacturer when faced with a choice will 99.9% of times choose for the cheapest option. Thus you get the lead paint.

If Mattel had ordered "Toys to be painted with childsafe materials, this meaning that there are no toxins in plastics and paint that can harm a child when ingested" And went on to specify what constitutes as harm then the chinese would not have made the misstake.

Clear communication solves a LOT especially when dealing with a language and culture barrier.