iKnife Collector
The online community of knife collectors, A Knife Family Forged in Steel
KNIVES MADE IN ASIA, ESPECIALLY CHINA
I recently found a nice little (2-1/2 inches closed) two-bladed folder with beautiful scales that were polished reddish wood with a band of re-constituted mother of pale midway along each scale. It was only $10.00 and looked like a great little knife for my hobby toolbox, so I bought it. Well, I got it home and discovered it was made in China.
Every knife collector knows that the knife market in the U.S. is flooded with Chinese-made knives, and that many other inexpensive products sold in the U.S. are made in China, even a lot of products sold under American manufacturers' brands, which means U.S. companies are exporting jobs to China and other Asian countries. Most of us also know that the Chinese have bought a frightening amount of American assets. We have also heard a lot of negative publicity about their civil rights policies.
Now, my conscience is bothering me about my purchase of a knife made in China, but I'd like to know what iKC members think about this.
1. First, is it unpatriotic to buy Chinese-made knives?
2. Second, what about buying other Chinese-made products? Is that unpatriotic?
3. Third, what do our members think about U.S. manufacturers who have their products made in China to keep their prices down? Is that unpatriotic?
What's your opinion on these issues?
Every knife collector knows that the knife market in the U.S. is flooded with Chinese-made knives, and that many other inexpensive products sold in the U.S. are made in China, even a lot of products sold under American manufacturers' brands, which means U.S. companies are exporting jobs to China and other Asian countries. Most of us also know that the Chinese have bought a frightening amount of American assets. We have also heard a lot of negative publicity about their civil rights policies.
Now, my conscience is bothering me about my purchase of a knife made in China, but I'd like to know what iKC members think about this.
1. First, is it unpatriotic to buy Chinese-made knives?
2. Second, what about buying other Chinese-made products? Is that unpatriotic?
3. Third, what do our members think about U.S. manufacturers who have their products made in China to keep their prices down? Is that unpatriotic?
What's your opinion on these issues?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Phil Hostetler on
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Hi Brad, I know it's hard in these times right now to buy US products but the whole idea about making things in China was to help people that need the products, but can't afford to buy them, at a cheaper price. What I have been seeing lately is that what used to be cheaper made in China, is now getting more expensive. I don't know for sure but I'd bet that the Chinese worker's are not making more. So who is making the extra? Again I'd bet it was the company president that moved the business over to China in the first place. We have to make it harder for companies to move their operations to China in the first place. I will continue to buy USA made knives, tomahawks, etc. I consider my purchase as an investment too. I could be wrong but I don't see Chinese knives being worth more in the future.
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Hi Brad, I know it's hard in these times right now to buy US products but the whole idea about making things in China was to help people that need the products, but can't afford to buy them, at a cheaper price. What I have been seeing lately is that what used to be cheaper made in China, is now getting more expensive. I don't know for sure but I'd bet that the Chinese worker's are not making more. So who is making the extra? Again I'd bet it was the company president that moved the business over to China in the first place. We have to make it harder for companies to move their operations to China in the first place. I will continue to buy USA made knives, tomahawks, etc. I consider my purchase as an investment too. I could be wrong but I don't see Chinese knives being worth more in the future.
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Permalink Reply by Brad Hyde on
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Phil..The two China knife manufactures (Rough Rider & MTech) that I carry in my line have not had a price increase in the 3 years that I have been selling them...and I have not raised my prices on them to the public...The price that I sell them for now is the same price that I was selling them at 3 years ago. Your theory about price increases on China made knives might apply to other knife manufactures such as Buck and Gerber, Kabar and others (USA companies)...because I have seen price increases from those companies china made knives. I suspect those increases were made to offset the increase in overhead (expenses...transportation, employee health insurance, & energy just to mention a few). The cost of doing business in the USA has increase significantly in the last few years.
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Permalink Reply by Michael D Sabol on
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if we just give up and keep buying chinese produts then we will just owe more to them so we have just about 2 choices- we can give in and doom the US into even more debt or we can suck it up and buy US amde knives and products as much as possible to try to balance it out a little bit...for sure i'm not putting down all chinese knives like rough rider and other quality brands...just the fact that they are taking American jobs...for example if you picked up the case knife factory and all its workers and moved it to bejjing..it's the same as making them in bradford...same matierials and same evrything...just made in china..so don't have a prejudice against their knives--just their stealing of our jobs
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Permalink Reply by Bob Andrews on
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I would like to relate to y'all a current economics lesson given to me by Ken Warner at a Gun&Knife show recently.It goes like this: An American knife vendor goes to China to have his knife design manufactured. He gets the knives from the Cinese Manufacturer for $3.00 a piece.He imports them to the USA and sells them to a Wholesaler for $6.00 a piece.The Wholesaler then sells them to a Distributor for $12.00 a piece.Now the Distributor sells the Knife to a Retail Customer for $24.00. So out of that $24.00 price tag,$21.00 stays right here in the good old USA,the Chinese Manufacturer gets $3.00,and the Chinese has to supply all the Steel and other Metals for knife,and turn the raw materials INTO a knife,for THREE BUCKS! Thats todays lesson in Global Economics. Bob Andrews
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Permalink Reply by Terry Waldele on
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Bob, your lesson in economics is interesting, but it doesn't make me feel any better about buying knives made in China, Pakistan or other countries with inhumane civil rights policies, and at the same time are competing in the world market unfairly. I admit that I have mixed emotions on this subject. I don't object to Americans buying knives made in other countries when they are less expensive than U.S.-made knives. I do it myself! However, it does raise some "moral" (for lack of a better word) questions, and these questions bother me, as I explained in my first discussion comments on this subject. Here is an analogy to make my point. Let's say a U.S. knife manufacturer cuts its costs by hiring illegal aliens and paying them less than minimum wage, making them work in unsafe conditions, making them work 80 hours a week under threat of losing their jobs, using manufacturing processes that pollute the environment (and paying minimal fines levied on the company for their pollution), by using inferior materials, which are less expensive than high quality materials (but can't be identified as inferior without expensive testing), and by these unscrupulous business practices produceing a line of knives that sell for much less than knives made by reputable manfacturers. If you knew about this company's practices, would you still buy from them? My guess? Yes, most of us would, because we don't check out the business practices of every manufacturer whose products we buy. That being the case, should we rely on the government to monitor knife manufacturers' business practices? My guess? No, most of us probably think it's not government's job to look over the shoulder of knife manufacturer's that closely because it would be a waste of taxpayers' money. OK, now imagine a "whistle blower" tells the government about this unscrupulous business's practice and the media make the information public. What would you do? Would you still buy their knives? My guess? Yes, most of us would. Why? Because we are the product of a materialistic, capitalistic, morally corrupt society that values the dollar over the public good, and each of us has values that reflect this society's values to varying degrees depending on our upbringing, education and life experiences. In my humble opinion, the majority of us aren't troubled by unscrupulous business practices if they result in lower-priced products and don't hurt us or our families directly. Most of us also feel that we are entitled to a high standard of living and a high standard of consumer goods and services because we pay taxes, which are higher than most other countries' taxes, and we endure the stupidity and/or dishonesty of elected government officials with no immediate recourse against them. Anyway, it all boils down to one principle: "The almighty dollar rules, because we all believe we are entitled to more than we can afford. "
Now, I'll get down off my soap box and confess my sins. I buy Chinese, Japanese, Pakistani and other foreign-made knives without any over-riding consideration of the effects on U.S. citizens or businesses. I have pangs of conscience about my actions, but since "everybody does it", why should I deprive myself of such wonderful treasures as really cool knives? Would I mind giving up these luxuries if the government decided to tax imported knives to level the playing field for U.S. knifemakers? No, I would feel better if the government did just that. So, my economic lesson for the day is this:
If we want to be responsible citizens, we should think more globally, politically, morally and economically when we want to buy a knife made in China, Japan, Pakistan or other countries that "steal" jobs from U.S. workers, and we should protect our country's and our fellow American's economic interests. How can we do that? Depending on the strength of your convictions on this issue, here are some options:
1. Buy only American-made knives, or buy 2 or 3 U.S.-made knives for every foreign-made "bargain-priced" knife you buy. (You might have to "save up" for the U.S.-made knives. Can you stand the strain of waiting to buy that special knife?)
2. Lobby Congress to levy an import tax on knives made in the aforementioned countries.
3. Lobby Congress to subsidize U.S. knifemakers.
How strong are your convictions? Can you think of other options?
Sorry for venting. (You don't have to read this diatribe if you don't want to.)
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I didn't read most of your diatribe.You don't need to preach to me,I've been a member of Qrganized Labor for more than 35 years.I live the American Workers life every day. Many of your supposition are not entirely accurate,some are just not true. Do you wear shoes?Do you apply the same standards to everything you buy,use and wear?How about your own Carbon Footprint?If you don't like Chinese knives,don't buy them.But you shouldn't attempt to denigrate them with false assertions and suppositions.The Chinese workers are lifting themselves out of stone age poverty.Most have relocated the wilderness to cities and towns to work. They now have electricity,indoor plumbing and modern medical care. And for many of them,first the first time in their history,disposable income. These factories are built and operated by International Companies,many of which are American owned.We live in a Global Society,we have a Global Economy.And in the end,IT'S JUST A KNIFE! For Crissake,turn off Glenn Beck! Bob Andrews
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Permalink Reply by Peter Wagner on
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Hello befriend, is separate have "smith the problem not only in America everywhere. I in China three short time ago & wesson" neckknives bought have for 4$ the piece. all together with postage it ca. 20 Euro cost costs act would have to work buy. here in Germany such a knife in the normal between 30- 40 Euro, I a half day around me this knife to can and would support to buy does not bring produced will can do not change therewith the profit of others. these knives nothing there it nevertheless. we nature of the person, can be greed belonged in addition. it proud of its country that it patriotic Its may be counts has. if one in my country patriotic one as Nazi and every asylum-seeker more right as a German.
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Permalink Reply by Trent Rock on
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This would just cause a "tariff war".
Then China would tax our exported avacados.
Then we would tax their bicycles
Then we would tax John Deere tractors...etc..etc...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_war
A good book on free trade is====>
"Free Trade Under Fire" by Douglas A. Irwin
It dispels all myths/misinformation about free trade............
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Because we are the product of a materialistic, capitalistic, morally corrupt society that values the dollar over the public good, and each of us has values that reflect this society's values to varying degrees depending on our upbringing, education and life experiences
Do you think we are more "morally corrupt" then , say, 20 years ago?
Give some examples of "morally corrupt"
I don't feel "morally corrupt" myself....;)
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Whoa! I never expected to stir up so much controversy with my diatribe on buying knives made in China! After reading all of your comments, I realize that my perspective was a little warped and overzealous. You've all made some very valid points and have made a positive impact on my perspective. I also realize now that I should have left politics and economics out of my discussions and stuck to the subject of knives. Thanks for bringing me back to the "feel good" world of knives. Peace!
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Permalink Reply by Slade Ingram on
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First off, alot of folks are going to cry"you can't find anything made in America", well, that's a bunch of B.S.. what a cop out!
If you will just read the labels, you will find a lot of stuff made here in the good ole US of A. Groceries, light bulbs, clothes, even KNIVES. Try out GEC or Canal Street or Case or several others.
I do a lot of gun and knife shows (25-30 per year) and I won't put chinese knives on my table. I do not buy foreign anything if I can help it.
Part of the reason all this came about was greedy manufacturers trying to squeeze another dollar out. BUT, you and I are just as responsible, because we go along with it and condone everything the big companies do.
If we ALL quit buying foreign crap and spent our money at home, the whole nation would profit from it and the companies who went to china would feel the pinch in their wallets and maybe, just maybe, they would see the light.
God Bless America and all our guys in the service. they are dying for our way of life.
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