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So what's the big deal not buying American-made knives?

What's your view? Here's the situation-

We know the big push lately to "Buy American" but it seems it really only became an issue when our firms here begin to struggle to compete. And now our firms got hit with the one/two punch of our severe rescission, it's almost like someone is Un-American if anyone buys foreign-made knives.

Shouldn't knife buyers have choices and be able to buy what they want? Yes, some of the oldest knife companies in America's future may be on the line here, but shouldn't they be forced to remain competitive instead of our gov protecting them or there being a stigma created if someone wants to buy less expensive knives?

So what say you?

Tags: commerce, debate, knife-companies, patriotism, tariffs

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Permalink Reply by Randy Huckeby on October 10, 2009 at 20:52

I sell knives. When I first started in this business I invested heavily (for me that is) in American made knives. Mostly Spyderco as I really like them & collect them also. I sold a few along with some Bucks & others but people kept asking if I had or could get something less expensive. Fact is I love to sell American made knives, but for the most part that isn't what sells. I now carry the Rough Riders, Meyerco, Taylor/Schrades, Maxams, etc. This is what sells for me. I have also developed a weakness for the black CLB Boker/Plus line of knives. These sell as well as the inexpensive Spyderco Tenacious & now the Persistence, these are excellent inexpensive knives but again China made. Neck knives are hot right now. I do sell some R.A.T. Izula's but most of what I sell is china made. You can buy a Meyerco Necklance with a Forever warranty for under $10 & that is real popular with the younger purchasers. Rough Riders are also popular and a bargain, so what are you going to do?

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Permalink Reply by Rick Cothren on December 3, 2009 at 10:36

I agree with you 100% on your observations... I have the same thing happen to me. Another thing is that youngsters who want to start collecting generally can't afford the $$$ it sometimes takes to get into a USA knife so even though a Chinese made knife may not ultimately increase in value as a collectible the price point for those youngsters helps them to get interested in knife collecting and allows them to learn.
Also case in point, I have recently sold a couple of Blackjack Anaconda III's (made in China) rather quickly. These were reviewed in Blade Mags Jan 2010 issue and were very highly recommended. They are well built, hold an edge well and come razor sharp from the factory. I have seen US made knives that were not this sharp from the factory.

Although as a collector I prefer USA knives I would not hesitate to buy a Chinese made knife for a great usable EDC knife. I have seen extremely low quality and very high quality come from China. Most likely it depends on the manufacturer and their own standards they set for their product.

Yes some people claim to prefer USA only and say they "buy American" even for an EDC knife and won't buy a foreign made knife but they walk around in their jeans made in Mexico, their shoes made in China and their jacket made in Taiwan and then leave in their car made in Korea.

Those are the ones that I don't like.

It really doesn't matter where the kinfe was made to me as long as the quality is there and the warranty to back it up.

Besides look at it this way, yes that knife may have been made in China but the person you are buying it from, especially at a gun / knife show is an American citizen who will make a profit off of that knife and subsequently put some, if not most, of that profit back into our American economy. Sure 100% of the purchase price doesn't go back into our economy but when you buy a knife for $10 that cost the seller $2 where do you thing that other $8 goes?

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KnifeMakerPermalink Reply by CaptJeff Saylor on December 3, 2009 at 18:33

i gotta agree with Trent and J.J. on this one! Both have very good points!

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Permalink Reply by Sunil Ram on January 17, 2010 at 16:33

I prefer to buy American Made products. But obviously in our stores, you can't always but a Made In USA (fill-in-the-blank). So all of us buy stuff made in other countries. But when I want something like a knife, I want it to be made by an American Company, and by American Workers. Why? Well I think an American Worker in an American Manufacturing Factory will create for me a better product. Period. (may be true, may not be true). I have bought knives made in China or Taiwan. Even though those foreign made knives that I bought are Good Quality knives, something in my conscientiousness says it is inferior to USA made knives.

Let's say for argument sake that Asian made knives ARE just as good as American made knives. Then what is the difference? THE PRICE. So only the Price is Lower. That means it is being Made for Less, so it can be Sold for Less. Right? So what's the point of it being made in Asian countries at all? Just the Price? So the company can sell more product? But you take away American jobs that would have manufactured those knives here. Who is really benefiting? I think just the Knife Company. The community of those companies now have laid off, unemployed workers. Or are NOT hiring new workers.

I do shop at ChinaMart (I mean WalMart), but I have never purchased a knife there. Now there is such a thing as "I just need a cheap knife for this purpose". That's when you can just get whatever. I am interested in some cheap knives that I can use for teaching young boys about knife safety, sharpening, how to hold, carry and pass a knife safely (I'm a Royal Rangers commander). So for that purpose I will just get some made in China knives. These are just some of my opinions and convictions. If you like non-American made knives, then go for it. I never tell other people how to spend their money.

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Permalink Reply by Daryl Sawatzky on June 12, 2010 at 22:53

Yeah what's up with that? You should all buy CANADIAN! Come to think if it, I should buy Canadian... I don't have a single Grohmann... the only Canadian knife company (that I can think of). http://www.grohmannknives.com/pages/folders.html

I think the "Buy American" Campaign only applies to American knives that are made overseas... it has nothing to do with buying European knives, or knives that originate in Asia, or whatever. There is some sense to protesting local companies sending work overseas to protect their bottom line. Especially if they are not a publicly traded company under pressure from their shareholders, in which case the shareholders... YOU (or your bank)... are to blame...

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Permalink Reply by Chris Hillier on October 20, 2010 at 11:20

I have to agree, buy Canadian :) Grohmann makes some fine knives and are only just up the road. Seriously though. Buy what fits the need, no matter where it comes from. Unfortunately all those manufacturing jobs that have been lost overseas, even the ones being done for North American companies, will never be back on North American soil because none of us can afford the 87.7% pay cut to bring them back.

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Permalink Reply by Gary Kennedy on October 20, 2010 at 15:16

OLD SCHOOL BUY AMERICAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! are we will be 3 world one day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Chris Hillier on October 20, 2010 at 15:47

If you have ever seen the Cold Steel "canadian belt knife" it is modeled after the Grohmann knife. The one with the flap sheath is the general issue knife for our Army.

Craig T. (max) McGruder said:

Those look good and they are Canadian? Grohmann? Never seen them before,I only know Grohmann for the buses they build. I also always thought of them as being from Europe,my bad!

Chris Hillier said:
I have to agree, buy Canadian :) Grohmann makes some fine knives and are only just up the road. Seriously though. Buy what fits the need, no matter where it comes from. Unfortunately all those manufacturing jobs that have been lost overseas, even the ones being done for North American companies, will never be back on North American soil because none of us can afford the 87.7% pay cut to bring them back.

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Permalink Reply by Daryl Sawatzky on October 20, 2010 at 17:16

I guess if you live in an area with lots of "patriots", it might matter. If you live in an area where Honda's and Toyota's are as rare as Ferrari's, then it might be better for your health to buy only American knives. But unless someone gets up close and personal with your Buck, how would they even know where it's made?

"Buy American" is a government created campaign to save a few jobs, but it's a band-aid approach to a much larger problem. And it actually hurts the very suppliers of America's raw materials.

Even brands that claim to be American, like Delta, Fender*, Apple, and even some Bucks are made in asia or Mexico, and (maybe) assembled/packaged here. By demanding cheaper products, Americans have collectively decided that it is OK to make China rich. It's time to start looking at the world as one big economy, not just America at the top with a bunch of second class economies below it. That's just not reality. Share the wealth and soon everybody will benefit.

As for being "un-american"... look around your American made car (or is it Canadian-made?), and your entertainment center (mostly Japanese I'll bet), and your computer (Chinese or Asian motherboards, Chinese or Mexican hard drives) and the entire contents of your house (Hmmm... deodorant- made in France) , and then do the same in your patriot neighbors house... I'll bet you'll discover that you've both been un-american so many times, and for so many years, that a new made-in-xxx knife won't seem like such a big deal.... Oh, sorry, this point has been made a few times already....

I have a growing knife collection, but I have to really save up to buy a locally made knife. It might be time you custom knife makers mechanize, or set up a chinese shop ; )
*ok, a few Fender guitars might be 80% American...

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on October 20, 2010 at 19:13

Don Reeves said:

OH NO ..............
MY MOST RECENT KNIFE PURCHASE WAS FROM NEW ZELAND.....

now how did that slip thru???

Wow...I didn't even know knives were made there Don. What was the brand? Of course now that I think of it custom knives are made everywhere. Is it a custom?

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Permalink Reply by Gary Kennedy on October 20, 2010 at 21:00

don't give up it sounds as you have I still look at labels and try to buy as I preach and will keep my flag high as for sharing the wealth (thats not a right no one owes me anything I didn't work for and the same for everyone else )

Daryl Sawatzky said:

I guess if you live in an area with lots of "patriots", it might matter. If you live in an area where Honda's and Toyota's are as rare as Ferrari's, then it might be better for your health to buy only American knives. But unless someone gets up close and personal with your Buck, how would they even know where it's made?

"Buy American" is a government created campaign to save a few jobs, but it's a band-aid approach to a much larger problem. And it actually hurts the very suppliers of America's raw materials.

Even brands that claim to be American, like Delta, Fender*, Apple, and even some Bucks are made in asia or Mexico, and (maybe) assembled/packaged here. By demanding cheaper products, Americans have collectively decided that it is OK to make China rich. It's time to start looking at the world as one big economy, not just America at the top with a bunch of second class economies below it. That's just not reality. Share the wealth and soon everybody will benefit.

As for being "un-american"... look around your American made car (or is it Canadian-made?), and your entertainment center (mostly Japanese I'll bet), and your computer (Chinese or Asian motherboards, Chinese or Mexican hard drives) and the entire contents of your house (Hmmm... deodorant- made in France) , and then do the same in your patriot neighbors house... I'll bet you'll discover that you've both been un-american so many times, and for so many years, that a new made-in-xxx knife won't seem like such a big deal.... Oh, sorry, this point has been made a few times already....

I have a growing knife collection, but I have to really save up to buy a locally made knife. It might be time you custom knife makers mechanize, or set up a chinese shop ; )
*ok, a few Fender guitars might be 80% American...

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Scott King on October 20, 2010 at 21:03

Being an International knife community here it's really hard for anyone of us to insist the interest of our country or knife companies is more important than other firms from other countries our members might live in.

While my position here might not be the most popular among US collectors, I still say buy what you like. Our knife companies here must make knives of such high quality that buyers want them, and if these knives are more expensive, then the quality has to justify the price- then let the chips fall where they may. Necessity is the mother of invention and any firm must find new ways to be competitive or simply make a better mouse trap.