Thoughts on buying Chinese knives

[NI200]

If however someone else makes a better product, in a different country, then buy that one. Let quality decide.

well, I guess it's how much money in your pocket that you base your decision on otherwise I'd be driving caddy and carrying couple of sebenzas on me

 

[vjb.knife]

I would never buy a product from Mainland China. Currently, I try to buy only American Made Customs.

 

[StretchNM]

I don;t buy Chinese-made products when I don;t need to. I don;t need to apologize, or say how many nice CHinese people I've met, or say how rich Chinese history is - that's all superficial apologetics. The fact is, U.S. companies are having their product made overseas at the peril of my home country (USA). For those in here from other countries, most are facing the same dilemma, to varying degree.

Benchmade is just one of many examples, and maybe not the best example. Their Red-Line is made in Taiwan (and a few of them in other countries too, I believe). Now, as the OP stated, I don;t view Taiwan as critically as I do red China, BUT: the issue is the same. A U.S. company having its products made foreign FOR THE SAKE OF PROFIT AND AT THE PERIL OF ITS HOME COUNTRY. Profit is good. I'm a capitalist. Bloody profit is not.

Thank you Knife Outlet for taking a stand!

 

[enderwiggin]

C'mon. When was the last time you filled up your car with gasoline? Criticizing trade with China is ridiculously hypocritical when we all have an insatiable appetite for putting money in the hands of folks like the Saudis, who not only take a dim view of civil rights, but have no problem funding Islamic fundamentalists around the world.

I can't find anything in what I wrote that claims whether I do or don't buy knives from China. I checked and re-checked, but I just can't seem to find where I expressed my buying preferences.

 

[enderwiggin]

A good reason to do research before you buy something.

Oh, and why is that? Almost all of the major knife manufacturers are now making models in China. Even Benchmade has at least one model (Vex) made in China.

Because the particular model he's buying isn't made in china. Come on.

 

[Sword and Shield]

I buy US wherever I can. Plain and simple.

 

[2TONYB]

Unfortunately the laptop I am working on was made in China. The cell phone on my belt, China. Pager, Taiwan. Shoes, China. Knife on my belt, USA. Sheath, Peoples Republik of Illinois (couldn't resist). I try to buy goods manufactured in the USA, but the fact is that it is very difficult to avoid Chinese made goods altogether. Now, I work in manufacturing for a large American company based out of my home state. You would expect good ole Americans to be wanting to buy my American made goods, right? But, I work for a pharmacuetical company. How many of you opt to buy a generic drug made in some hole like India (or China) when you could buy the real American original. I have a feeling that some of the China haters are the same people that beg for foreign made generics. I spend a good amount of money on knives, but I spend a hell of lot more money on other things. So, the buy American argument is a lot bigger than knives. Just some of my thoughts...

 

[3Guardsmen]

I ordered in a Vapor last month. I was very excited to receive it and couldn't wait to check out the AUS6 alloy blade! Then, to my horror, I seen "China" on the blade base when I first opened it!! I NEVER carried the knife as a result and now it is tossed in some box somewhere.

A good reason to do research before you buy something.

I was really shocked Kershaw would do that. Benchmade 154CM for me!!

Oh, and why is that? Almost all of the major knife manufacturers are now making models in China. Even Benchmade has at least one model (Vex) made in China.

Because the particular model he's buying isn't made in china. Come on.

If you're going to quote someone's post from almost a year ago, I would strongly suggest reading closely what was said. It may save you from looking like you don't know what you're talking about. Lontittle stated he was shocked Kershaw would have a knife made in China. I responded that even the company he was now espousing, Benchmade, had a knife made in China (of course, now they have more than just one model made there). Let me know how it foot tastes.

3G

 

[enderwiggin]

Really? From the way you've quoted the exchange there, it still seems that lontittle was upset that he bought a knife that was made in China.

The Benchmade Vex, the model made in china, is made with 8Cr14MoV blade steel. lontittle said he's sticking to Benchmade models featuring 154CM, because he wants to buy models from a knife company (Benchmade) that he can be sure are NOT made in China.

lontittle has asserted that by buying Benchmade models in 154CM, he would know the particular model he's buying isn't made in China.

 

[3Guardsmen]

Really? From the way you've quoted the exchange there, it still seems that lontittle was upset that he bought a knife that was made in China.

The Benchmade Vex, the model made in china, is made with 8Cr14MoV blade steel. lontittle said he's sticking to Benchmade models featuring 154CM, because he wants to buy models from a knife company (Benchmade) that he can be sure are NOT made in China.

lontittle has asserted that by buying Benchmade models in 154CM, he would know the particular model he's buying isn't made in China.

Enderwiggin,
You're still missing the boat on this one! Maybe this will help you (pay extra special attention to the underlined portion of Lontittle's statement, the part I was responding to):

I was really shocked Kershaw would do that. Benchmade 154CM for me!!

I used Benchmade as an example of a company, like Kershaw, that a person new to the knife hobby might not expect to have ANY models produced in China. I suppose I could have used Buck or Gerber, but I used Benchmade, a company Lontittle already seemed familiar with. I never stated that Benchmade models that have 154CM as a blade steel are made in China. I was trying to convey that one needs to research the specific knife model one is going to buy, to be absolutely sure of where it is made.

Since you brought up the subject of steel type being a reliable indicator of place of manufacture, for the purposes of your own edification, you might be interested to know that some knife companies are sending 154CM and S30V, both American steels, to China to have their knives manufactured there. An example would be 5-11's knives: http://www.511tactical.com/tactical-knives.html.

Now, I don't know how much more I can do to help you understand what I was trying to convey to Lontittle, almost a year ago.

Regards,
3G

 

[Bill Bond]

While I agree with what you are doing I think that you are fighting a losing battle.
Most people do not care where something comes from.
All they care about is if it is CHEAP!

 

[Lycosa]

Bill Bond is, a-hem---right on the money.

 

[bh49]

While I agree with what you are doing I think that you are fighting a losing battle.
Most people do not care where something comes from.
All they care about is if it is CHEAP!

I am afraid that you are correct, or at least how I see near future. Still there is a hope at least for me that it can be changed. Nothing we can do about corporates or people's greed (I am not a saint as well), but may be somebody will realize about how dangerous can be our dependence not only on foreign oil, but also on foreign manufacturing.
I prefer to buy made in US, I am not buying anything made in Peoples Republic of China (or any other unfriendly country) if I have a choice.
I do not see myself buying any knife made in PRC.

 

[jim preston]

I buy knives I like. If those knives are made in China, so be it.

 

[johnny reb]

Buy American! It puts Americans to work. China will destroy our economy, if we are not carefull. It`s sad to see good American companies sacrifice thier reputations for profit.

 

[idontknow312]

You guys cant just blame China for producing knives. You guys should blame the company that moved their American factory to China. China has no responsibility on what so ever hiring the employee, it is up to the company that hires the employee. It seems like some of you guys are blaming everything on China.

Also you guys can always boycott China made products and not buy them.

If you guys are serious maybe you guys can organize a group and protest infront of a knife producing company so that they can maybe change their mind and start relocating their factory back to America..

 

[Tom Sanders]

our minimum wage. How do you compete against that?

Tom

 

[Pointshoot777]

I find it curious you would buy from some of the countries listed but not from China. Personally if the quality is there for the price charged I will buy a knife from China...and have, of late I have bought several of the Rough Riders.

Because those countries don't see themselves as future rivals & adversaries of the USA in the Pacific region and around the world. Because those countries don't have a dictorial regime that is currently cracking down on protesters in Tibet, and care nothing of human rights. Because its almost impossible nowadays to go into a store and buy anything from clothing to kitchen utensils to electronics to office supplies and not see "Made in China" stamped on it . . . and wonder what it will mean for your country when it no longer has the ability to make real things anymore. And because, respectfully, to see a name of someone you've read about and admired - Teddy Roosevelt, The Rough Rider - American President, soldier, outdoorsman - - stamped on a China knife as a branding ploy is something that I personally find very distasteful. - - No, I can't avoid all China made products. And sometimes it seems impossible to find a particular type of product that isn't made there now. - - But I can avoid those in this one small category. Regards, - -

 

[shecky]

Manufacturing will always go where labor is cheaper. When labor in California or Detroit is too costly, it moves elsewhere. Same thing on a national scale.

If the US decided somehow to stop importing products from China today, none of those jobs would come back to the US. Instead, they'd move to India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc.

A U.S. company having its products made foreign FOR THE SAKE OF PROFIT AND AT THE PERIL OF ITS HOME COUNTRY. Profit is good. I'm a capitalist. Bloody profit is not.

Utilizing low cost labor, whether in a different State or a different country, is GOOD for the American consumers. Chinese products allow Americans buy more with our dollars raising the American standard of living, which is higher now than it's ever been, partly because the US has allowed freer markets to thrive. Exporting manufacturing jobs has certainly changed the nature of the American work force, but it's been positive, despite the change.

What is really interesting is that low end knife manufacturing has justifiably moved out of the country. Yet the American market for high end knives has grown. As has the American based manufacturing for those knives. This is exactly what you'd expect when American labor is too valuable to produce cheap gadgets. Manufacturing for those cheap gadgets goes elsewhere, and the increased prosperity creates new markets boutique gadgets.

 

[Thomas W]

China...8 times less than our minimum wage. How do you compete against that?

Automation.