KyWstJoe
US Veteran
Seems like the new S&W pocket knives are "Made in China" now. What's up with that? I'm a proud S&W, born in the USA handgun owner and refuse to buy a Chinese knife.
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'Made in China"?
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borntoraisehogs
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The rights to use the name of American companies ,such as S&W , Colt , Winchester , and many others has been purchased by various entreprenuers , Americans as far as I know . With the low cost labor ,the knives are manufactured to their specs , many in the same factory , in Red China at a fraction of the former cost .
I try to buy American but sometimes someone's sense of loyalty to fellow American workers , conflicts with economic self interest . There is nothing more American than participating in the benefits of the free market system , including international trade .
I have seen and handled the Red China knives , have not purchased them , have not used them , or sharpened them . I am told the steels used are at least acceptable .
When the Red China knife costs $9.99 to $19.99 and the equivalent American knife is $39.99 to $119.00 it gives you a sick feeling the living standards of the American working person are going to be adjusted , and I do not mean for the better .
Do we all buy American cars ? I do . Is it in my economic self interest ? Not always . Do the union workers at GM and Chrysler give a flying fig about my economic well being ?
I try to buy American but sometimes someone's sense of loyalty to fellow American workers , conflicts with economic self interest . There is nothing more American than participating in the benefits of the free market system , including international trade .
I have seen and handled the Red China knives , have not purchased them , have not used them , or sharpened them . I am told the steels used are at least acceptable .
When the Red China knife costs $9.99 to $19.99 and the equivalent American knife is $39.99 to $119.00 it gives you a sick feeling the living standards of the American working person are going to be adjusted , and I do not mean for the better .
Do we all buy American cars ? I do . Is it in my economic self interest ? Not always . Do the union workers at GM and Chrysler give a flying fig about my economic well being ?
bk43
Member
Most knives today, including the S&W knives, are not made in the USA. We Americans like to bluster on about made in America but will not pay the prices when it comes to spending our money. We live in a global economy and our onerous taxes and union wages price American made out of the market except for the knife collector. It is what it is.
As I've said before, the Chinese made S&W knives are a good buy at their price points. I own some and I also own knives from people like Randall, Chris Reeve, Loveless and others that cost many, many times more than a S&W. They all have their place. The S&W knives make great users and if you lose one it's no big deal.
Bob
As I've said before, the Chinese made S&W knives are a good buy at their price points. I own some and I also own knives from people like Randall, Chris Reeve, Loveless and others that cost many, many times more than a S&W. They all have their place. The S&W knives make great users and if you lose one it's no big deal.
Bob
ChinaSeaSailor
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my cane issued by The V A Hospital has a sticker on it that says "Made in China" - Global Trade - Bull - is there no end to this?
RYNO
Member
Springfield Bob
Member
Ever see the knifes that the NRA offers at the "Friends of the NRA" banquets. Made in China.
mkk41
US Veteran
Ya think that's bad. Bought a few 5-paks of Hanes skivvies at Walmart last week. To my great surprise , they were NOT made in China.
They were made in VIETNAM!
They were made in VIETNAM!
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Smith and wesson knives are owned by a company called Taylor cutlery if I'm not mistaken. They are based in china and I believe the best steel they use is 440 stainless which is really to soft to be used on a daily basis or as a "work knife". I hear alot of hype about cold steel and the truth is they are way over priced. The best steel they use is vg-1 and that would be ok but you can pay almost the same price for something made of vg-10 (it's better) and you get a life time warranty, cold steel only offers a one year warranty, and they are based in taiwan. Now I'm all about buying US mad knives like benchmade or case, but I'd rather own somthing by spyderco who is base in the us and japan ( the ones made in japan are actually a higher quality) and germany make some of the finest carbon steel knives the world has ever seen! Even china has a company ran by a man named Paul chen who makes high quality knives and swords. My point is that just cause it's not made in the u.s. Doesn't mean it's crap. ...... Unless it says 440 steel then it's crap
I agree with you in part...
If there is no equivalent product made in the USA, I have no problem with buying something made overseas. My motorcycle (BMW) and my car (Honda Civic Si) are both imported, for example, and nothing like them is made here. I love my Steyr Scout Rifle, my Valmet Model 76, and my Browning Hi-Powers. I proudly display my Schuco and Exoto 1/18th scale model cars and trucks.
But if the product in question is something one can buy here, then yes, I will cough up the extra bucks to keep a fellow American working.
My Guild guitar was made in the USA. With the sole exception of the Canadian-made gliding rocker in my sunroom, the furniture in every room of my home was made in the USA. (And yes, that was a very expensive proposition, but American furniture is far better made and far more durable, IMO.) My tools are Craftsman and Snap-On. The flashlight in my car is a Surefire. And the pocket knife I carry is a USA-made Buck.
I agree that for many Americans (maybe even most), the bottom line is the bottom line, and they don't care if something they buy is made in a third-world sweatshop or a communist dictatorship. But I like to think (or maybe hope) that many of us still do care about that "Made in USA" label.
bk43
Member
I'll let the guys down at the Randall Made Knives shop know about this next time I'm in there. I hope they take it well and can find something other than that awful 440B. I'm sure they'll let the other high end custom makers using a 440 know too.
The properties of a finished blade are primarily determined by its geometry, plus how it's manufactured and tempered. The metallurgy of the steel has very little to do with it. Some feel certain steels fit better with what a given knife will be used for but reality is it doesn't mean much.
Bob
The world is a lot smaller now than it used to be, and will get smaller all the time. No country can make all that it's citizens want. No country could survive economically without international trade. I can't imagine how low our standard of living would be if all we had were American made products. Remember that trade works both ways. More Buicks are sold in China than here. That might be one of the reasons they have outlasted Oldsmobile and Pontiac. We shouldn't think of trade partners as enemies.
Harrison
US Veteran
I may be wrong, but I heard buicks are made in China.
It is very hard to compete against a country with no labor laws and no emission regulations. Americians have worked very hard to get where this country is today. Take a look at the standard of living of the average person in china. Yes, trade is good when done evenly and fairly. For every item we ship to china there is 1000 times more coming here from china. Many of Americas factories are gone because everything has gone to the lowest bidder and many times the quality is poor.
mkk41
US Veteran
For the last several years , knives made by Columbia River Knife and Tool aka CRKT , were the hottest knives on the market. The early ones were American made. Now , most if not all are made in China.
bk43
Member
CRKT is a great example to bring into a "Made in China" thread. They have a good reputation and their knives, to this day, are very well thought of. Customer service is first class and they stand behind their products. However, the truth is that CRKT has yet to make their first knife. They have always bought everything from someone else, practically all Pacific Rim countries. Today's stuff is all from China.
Soooooooooooo, if China made is so bad why does CRKT enjoy the reputation they do? Just sayin'.
Bob
Soooooooooooo, if China made is so bad why does CRKT enjoy the reputation they do? Just sayin'.
Bob
gerald mcdonald
Member
Some of them are just plain junk, the Carson series has some real dogs in the line up. AUS-4, who knows what it is but it doesnt hold an edge for chitze.
Americans as a whole used to strive to purchase quality in everything they could afford, now we strive for the appearance of quality hoping others will notice it. We want our quality brand name and walmart prices at the same time, we dont seem to care if it's high quality or not, only that others think it is and label us as affluent by association.
Truth be known; we are in a hell of a shape.
bk43
Member
AUS-4 is a Japanese steel. AUS-4, -6 and -8 are pretty much the same as 440A, B, and C. Americans are usually more familiar with the 440's. While knife snobs get all gushy about the "vast" differences between these steels the truth is that there isn't much.
The blanket statement that AUS-4 doesn't hold an edge is like saying all Chinese knives are junk. Some Chinese knives may be junk but a generalization that all are is false. In this case you are probably trying to get the knife to do something that it wasn't designed to.
Bob
gerald mcdonald
Member
Dont own one, only handled one. I am familiar with the steels, it's just that there appears to be a sliding scale of marketing in steel qualitys. Originally AUS 6 and AUS 8 were considered 440A and 440C, then they bring out 4 and now it's 440A and AUS 6 has moved up the scale. Honestly it doesnt hold a candle to 440A heat treated correctly. I should have said the CRKT Carson I handled in AUS 4 doesnt hold an edge. The biggest problem I have seen with chinese anything is consistancy in quality control. One may be great, the next junk, that and once people start production of a product in china there appears hundreds of knock offs appear to have left the same facility.
CRKT makes fine knives for what they are and what you pay for them, they are knives built to a price point for the most part. I have found the little Rough Rider knives (also from china) to be a better quality than the CRKT's for a lot less price. I know nothing about Taylors other than they buy names and move production overseas,
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