Recently, I read multiple postings on the AG Russell forum. People were discussing the pros and cons of where knives are made. Predominantly, the discussion seemed to revolve around the somewhat controversial topic of whether or not people should buy knives that aren't made in the USA. Reviewing those postings got my mind to thinking...so I've decided to share some of those thoughts here.

First, I think that it's important that we be able to voice our opinions without people overreacting to perspectives that differ from their own. If a person is secure enough in themselves to be open-minded in regards to someone else's opinion, there is no need to condemn or attack another individual for having a contrasting point of view. Over the years, I've learned a lot from listening to what others have to say. So...what I have to say here is simply my opinion on a fairly complicated subject.

Second, I enjoy knives from many different countries. Though the majority of the blades in my collection are USA-made, I also have knives from China (gasp!), Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Spain, Italy, India and Canada. Some of these knives show an ethnic influence born of their native manufacture...though many do not. Alas, I cannot espouse so bold a claim as, "The only non-American knives in my collection are ones that I bought for their respective ethnic design."

Third, through experience gained over the ownership and use of a few hundred knives, I've discovered that "quality" is largely not indicative of a knife's country of origin. I say "largely" because I do have knives from China and India whose quality is simply "OK". However, I have knives from Taiwan that I consider to be absolutely as well-made as anything production-made in the USA, Germany, Sweden or Japan. I'm old enough to remember a time when what Japan produced was largely "poor quality" (the phrase popularized in those days was "Jap Crap"; nothing quite like an ethnic slur to create a myopic point of view, eh?). Decades have passed and I now have Japanese-manufactured knives from SOG and Spyderco that I consider MAGNIFICENT examples of blade-craft.

Does whether or not a knife is made in the USA influence my purchasing decision? Often, yes...it does. That said, it isn't because I hold to a belief that knives made in this country are of significantly "better" quality than knives made elsewhere. There was a time when such a notion held considerable validity. Not anymore. Why not? Well...technology bridges a lot of gaps, doesn't it? With the right tools, materials, training and discipline...quality products can be made anywhere on Earth.  Unfortunately, many American companies have compromised on quality in a misguided effort to price their products more competitively. Combine that erosion of quality principle with the development of competitive manufacturing from foreign companies and we have a very different playing field than existed just 25 years ago. So, if American-made doesn't guarantee "better" quality, why do I buy more American-made knives than those made in other countries? Well...read on.

The global economy has certainly resulted in aggressive competition from knife manufacturers the world over. Frankly, that dynamic is to the consumer's benefit. Today, right now...we have more knife choices available to us...quality knife choices at "better prices"...than any time before. This country is a captive market no longer; consumers can buy a knife from any other country just as easily as they can one made right here. Very acceptable and serviceable blades can be had for as little as $25. Sure, 40 years ago, I could get a crazy nice knife for $25...so lets put this into perspective. 40 years ago, the $25 knife that I'm referring to (Spyderco Persistence, for example) would have cost $5 or less. And that $25 knife from yesteryear would run $200 to $300 in today's world. So it truly is a GREAT TIME TO BE A KNIFE COLLECTOR!!!

Ok...so global competition has resulted in an improved dynamic for consumers. Nothing comes with all up-side, does it? There is a price to be paid for this benefit. Know what it is? No? I'll tell you; the creation of what I'll describe as the "survival compromise". Isn't it interesting to note that knives from America, Germany, Sweden and Japan are priced similarly? In general terms, the knives from those countries display a higher level of "fit and finish" than their less expensive counterparts. Unfortunately, limited fiscal resources and a large amount of blade ignorance dominate the consumer landscape. An awful lot of buyers aren't collectors and their understanding of what makes a "great knife" is extremely limited. American knife companies are competing with less-expensive foreign knife companies for the aforementioned buyer's dollars. To influence that potential buyer's decision requires that the dollar-distance between products be relatively close. To accomplish that, American companies have made sacrifices in profit margin and product quality.

The sacrifice in product quality is readily apparent even amongst some of America's Top-Tier knife manufacturing companies. Think not? Well, I'm here to tell you that I've seen plenty of Spyderco and Benchmade knives with marginal flaws that should NEVER have passed QC Inspection, let alone made it to the public. Want more proof that what I'm saying is true? When was the last time that you bought a Case knife? Go to a store that sells Case knives and look through their supply. Specifically, look for blade-centering. Know what you'll find? I do because I did this; most of the blades are not centered and the bolsters are scratched.

In reading the above paragraph, some of you will scoff, saying, "Any manufacturer can have off-days". Hogwash. Right is "right" and wrong really is "wrong". Yes, manufacturing...as an activity...will produce some inherent failure. I know, I work in the manufacturing sector. However, Quality Control is supposed to be the filter that doesn't let flawed product out of the manufacturing process. When flawed products slip past QC, it is always the result of a management philosophy centered around immediate dollars and not long-term goals and principles.

Any of the companies that I mentioned in the above text could CHOOSE to NOT let any sub-standard product out of their facilities. Yes, there is a cost to holding that kind of "line in the sand". If those companies are correctly managed, that price is never more than 2% of total revenue. Would you pay 2% more to ENSURE that every time you bought a knife from one of those companies, you could be absolutely certain that it would be "perfect"? OF COURSE YOU WOULD!!! I'd pay 10% more! Know what? At one point in the lifetimes of each of those companies, that "line in the sand" was held "tightly" and the 2-10% price that I'm talking about was ALREADY FACTORED into the sell price of the knives. So where did that money go? Think that management just decided to make "more" immediate profit? As cynical consumers, that thought is part of what we've been trained to think, isn't it? Here's a reality check for everybody; those companies aren't really socking way more profit...they ARE charging less for their knives...and some compromise in principles has been made to facilitate the lower price. That's part of the price of global competition. Yes...it's a small world after all.

Though I've criticized Spyderco, Benchmade and Case in this blog, I only do so because I'm using them as examples (these are brands that most knife buyers are very familiar with). All three are GREAT companies. Well...certainly Spyderco and Benchmade are. Case WAS a great company and is in the process of rotting from the inside out. The fact of the matter is that both Spyderco and Benchmade are producing GREAT knives. I buy a lot of knives from both companies and it's fair to say that 95% of what I see has "great quality". Both companies are producing fantastically innovative designs. As production knives go, I consider both companies to be the very best of their kind. As for Case...well, I've stopped buying their products...so that ought to tell you something.

So is buying American important to me? ABSOLUTELY. I buy American to employ Americans. I'm willing to reinvest in America's future. Every dollar spent here is more valuable than one spent abroad. Every manufacturing job maintained here helps this economy. Will I buy knives made in other countries? YES, I WILL...happily. You know what? I don't buy blindly...and I make a point of telling knife companies what I think. Do "it" right and they'll hear from me. Do "it" wrong, and they'll hear from me. Feedback helps companies make decisions. Those decisions affect us as consumers...and as citizens of this country.