When it's not exactly Made in the USA - Hoback

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RBB2 said:
First point: agree. Given that all the dealers list COO on their sites, I'm amazed that info apparently isn't required to be disclosed by the maker as part of the contracting process. (Or, if not disclosed, stated in the contract that it will be left out of the knife info on their site.) I'm betting it will be in the next round of contract renewals!

Second point: agree somewhat. As regards machining capacity specifically, unless the dealer watched every video he's posted, which is apparently where this info came up, the dealer wouldn't have this information. I hardly think you can expect a dealer, who sells knives from dozens of makers, if not over one hundred in some cases, to watch every social media post or tour every shop of every maker they carry.
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Machining was just an example noted in this thread. There are others indicators which people can weigh in their own evaluations. I’m paraphrasing, but potentially evasive wording on Hoback’s website was another example noted here.

I’m not really speaking to how compelling I may find any of these examples.
 
SCTorrero said:
Machining was just an example noted in this thread. There are others indicators which people can weigh in their own evaluations. I’m paraphrasing, but potentially evasive wording on Hoback’s website was another example noted here.

I’m not really speaking to how compelling I may find any of these examples.
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I understand, I was just running with your example. The wording on his website was definitely a bit wishy washy. I think it was something like "all knives are QC'd, fitted and shipped from our shop in Idaho." The "fitted" is vague, and using "and" there was a lie given what we now know.
 
Midas13 said:
As an impartial reader of maybe half of the 66 pages since Wednesday, it is amazing that a couple people defend the years of misleading consumers and it's equally amazing that they managed to get 66 pages of replies. Trust me, you won the debate on page 1.

By the way, first post, glad to be here!
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We aren’t “defending” Hoback… I don’t know how to be clearer about that. We just aren’t assigning 100% of the responsibility to him.

Many of you think that there are two positions: For Hoback, or against Hoback. I’m not ”team Hoback”, but I also don’t think we should drag him to the village square and burn him at the stake like many of you want to.
 
Paratrooper06 said:
We aren’t “defending” Hoback… I don’t know how to be clearer about that. We just aren’t assigning 100% of the responsibility to him.

Many of you think that there are two positions: For Hoback, or against Hoback. I’m not ”team Hoback”, but I also don’t think we should drag him to the village square and burn him at the stake like many of you want to.
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🤣🤣🤣

Lying again. Trolling and lying. You have defended hoback this entire time. EVERYONE sees that. Good job making even more people see you for what you are👍


LOL not defending hoback. The gaslighting is so obvious it's disgusting. Good thing you look like a damn fool to everyone and are fooling absolutely zero people. 🤡
 
brancron said:
I don’t think this has been posted yet (apologies if it has), but here is a nail in the Hoback coffin (as if one were needed):


At 10 seconds in:

Question: “Do you make everything here?”
Answer: “Yep.”
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Surprise surprise. Hoback lying on video and being supported by 2 liars here. Jake... I know you are reading this, your loyal subjects have torched their image on bladeforums for you, don't leave them with nothing! Send them a knife for their loyalty!
 
I mean if the secondary bombs I’ll definitely pick one or two up. I’ve wanted a Kwaiback in micarta… never wanted to pony up that sort of cashola.
 
Read some pages. Skimmed some more. Here's the thing. I don't buy Chinese made knives. I don't believe in sending discretionary money to disgusting communist dictatorships. I wouldn't send any money to them if there were options.

That means I won't buy many A.G. Russell knives although I like the designs when I peruse the catalog. I won't buy Finch knives although I like the designs. Its important to me. Not trying to start that fight again, just laying out the background.

If I had purchased one of these knives I would be very angry. I would feel duped. In reading through this it is obvious that the duping was done by the manufacturer. Do the dealers have some culpability? Maybe? Sounds like some of them didn't dig too hard.

It doesn't matter, I will never buy one of these knives now because they are or might be made in China and because the manufacturer that is deceptive about one thing is probably deceptive about others.
 
I do not own any Hoback knives but was close to getting one from KnifeCenter. It was a custom kwaiback that listed the origin as USA (has now changed to China).

If I had bought that knife from KnifeCenter when it was incorrectly labelled, who would I take legal action against for misleading advertisement? Would it be KnifeCenter or Jake Hoback or both? Who would I have a likely chance of winning against?

Do the dealers have any ability for legal action?

I do believe that Hoback bears responsibility that his knives were being misrepresented as USA made as he knowingly did so. I have no horse in the race but would like to see this thread continue on for a bit longer as it has been an interesting 67 pages.
 
Hate to jump in this late in the game, but look at his Instagram....he posted picture after picture of "prototypes" and talked a lot about being busy with "production". Several posts about "making" knives. To say he didn't try to skew perception would be a joke. I also find it funny when people compare what this guy has done to Hinderer using a foreign made steel that is clearly marked on the blade but was ground, heat treated etc in the US. I have been tempted in the past to buy a Hoback. Glad I didn't.
 
Maybe I have an old fashioned way of looking at things. I'm older, 70. I was self employed my whole life.

If a guy puts his name on something, he better make damn sure he represents it properly. No ambiguity, no doublespeak, no parsing of words. No political BS. No spin. Straightforward, period.
If he doesn't, he doesn't care about his name. What else does a man have?

This goes for the dealers too. Pleading ignorance sounds silly and is no defense. Try pleading ignorance when getting pulled over for speeding. "I assumed the speed limit was 70." LOL.
If this Hoback guy had been straightforward, there would be no wiggle room for the dealers to "misinterpret" or "assume" anything.

That said, if you have to ask, the answer is CHINA. Some of these dealers STILL have these knives listed as "unknown" on the origin line. Sounds dumb.
For me, that makes their credibility suspect. But I'm old fashioned.

So Hoback and the dealers both get what they deserve. For Hoback, the death of his "brand", and the dealers stuck with inventory that has lost much of its value.
I don't feel sorry for either of them at all.

Feel sorry for folks that got ripped off buying a Chinese knife that they thought was American made. Doesn't matter if its a well made Chinese knife.
 
HopalongCassidy said:
Maybe I have an old fashioned way of looking at things. I'm older, 70. I was self employed my whole life.

If a guy puts his name on something, he better make damn sure he represents it properly. No ambiguity, no doublespeak, no parsing of words. No political BS. No spin. Straightforward, period.
If he doesn't, he doesn't care about his name. What else does a man have?

This goes for the dealers too. Pleading ignorance sounds silly and is no defense. Try pleading ignorance when getting pulled over for speeding. "I assumed the speed limit was 70." LOL.
If this Hoback guy had been straightforward, there would be no wiggle room for the dealers to "misinterpret" or "assume" anything.

That said, if you have to ask, the answer is CHINA. Some of these dealers STILL have these knives listed as "unknown" on the origin line. Sounds dumb.
For me, that makes their credibility suspect. But I'm old fashioned.

So Hoback and the dealers both get what they deserve. For Hoback, the death of his "brand", and the dealers stuck with inventory that has lost much of its value.
I don't feel sorry for either of them at all.

Feel sorry for folks that got ripped off buying a Chinese knife that they thought was American made. Doesn't matter if its a well made Chinese knife.
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This sums up my position as well. But many here consider it “defending Hoback”.
 
brancron said:
I don’t think this has been posted yet (apologies if it has), but here is a nail in the Hoback coffin (as if one were needed):


At 10 seconds in:

Question: “Do you make everything here?”
Answer: “Yep.”
Click to expand...
I'll add, if hoback lied at bladeshow to people at his booth, what makes anyone believe he hasn't lied to some of the 28 dealers? A liar is a liar. Giving the benefit of doubt to a liar? Right.
 
Just watched another video by Jake Hoback of Jake Hoback Knives talking about the Husky. He clearly states, he’s showing the viewers the stuff “HE IS MAKING” not assembling or qc’ing, he explicitly states he’s making them. The knife is wholly Chinese according to his spreadsheet so he didn’t make crap. Doesn’t say he designed them either.

If Jake Hoback used this same verbiage when talking to dealers he’s clearly culpable and mislead everyone. He started out making knives in the USA, when he made the switch to overseas is unknown.
 
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