Knives - I Want it Truly Made in the USA

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Any benchmade, with the exception of the Red Box line, will be made in the USA and a great piece of hardware.
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Benchmade discontinued the last of the Red Box line last year. As their own website says, you may still find some pre-existing stock here and there, but all of their stuff is made in the USA now.

For me, I prefer American made knives, but there are knives made in other places that are nice and that I wouldn't hesitate to own. My biggest issue is that don't like rhetoric in this argument because it never fails in ending up as a condemnation of a people as opposed to their government. I mostly buy and support American products, but I also buy products made overseas. The bulk of the money I spend on a Chinese Spyderco eventually ends up in American hands anyway, so I don't lay awake nights worrying about it.

Anyway, aside from that, one of the reasons I favor Spyderco so much is because they are a Colorado company. Laugh if you will, but I really do take it a step past "buy American" and buy Colorado made products whenever I can.

If you really want to buy American though, buy a custom knife. You are directly supporting a single American worker as opposed to distributing your dollars across a fairly large company. Nothing against Buck and the rest, because I will continue to buy and support them, but if you really want to support and get the best out of an American worker, buying a custom knife is the way to go.

Also, I used to think Sebenzas were over-priced, but then I held one and used one (in addition to literally never seeing a bad review about one). If you're serious about knives, they are the pinnacle of the production knife world. Does the average guy need a Sebenza? Probably not (though he or she would be well served by one), but they are decidedly not overrated.
 
Craftsmanship

In general, I prefer to buy American when possible.

There are a few designs, though, for which I've developed a decided fondness, and they just aren't made here.

They're made in Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

EKA in Sweden makes some superb stuff. I wish I could persuade Buck or some other US maker to do copies of those designs. Failing that, though, I like my Swedish knives made in Sweden -- as opposed to some of the Swedish-made-in-China stuff I'm seeing now.

The Scandinavian designs, materials, and implementations are superb, and I just haven't found many decent American ripoffs yet.

Hope you can forgive me that weakness.

And we won't talk about some of the excellent Gerber and Kershaw made-in-Japan pieces. Nor will we mention the very acceptable German and Argentinian craftsmanship in the Böker line. And, uh, well . . . let's leave it at that.

 
Mr. Adams and HSO, I was wondering if you could tell me how well your Chris Reeve knives have held up over the years, specifically blade play. HSO, you said that you have put yours through hard use for over a decade. Could you tell me what that means?

This is not the beginning of an argument...I just would like to know.

One more thing...how is the heat treat on the blades?

Thanks.
 
Camillus Pilots Knife

Thought I would share this little peice of American cutlery company history here.

I obtained this knife (with the stone) from a pawn shope off post when I was in Texas. I think it was $20-$25. I was there to replace a missing piece of my B.I.

The stone is actually black, not white.
 

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I have a few Cripple Creek knives and they say Effingham, IL. Not sure if thats where the HQ is or if they're actually made there, or someplace else in the U.S.

Otherwise I would say CASE knives prides itself on being made in United States, alot in Bradford, PA.
 
I dont want to speak for HSO, but I remember in a thread some time ago he posted that he has cut open 55 gallon drums with his Sebenza.
 
There are great Spydercos made everywhere. I have some Seki ones- including Delicas and Enduras- and they're great knives. And I have a Salsa that is also a terrific knife. Made in Taiwan.

Something that folks might do well to remember, is that the US, since before it was the "United States", has always been a global economy. Historical attempts at isolationism have hurt the US badly.
 
How about a Moore Maker. Made in Texas so you know they have to be good! The styles are similar to Case, but the blades are not "stainless".
 
There may be someone out there that thought their Sebenza was a waste of money, but I've never met one in 30+ years of owning, using and collecting knives.
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I wouldn't ever call it a waste of money , but for the price I found it to be the most uncomfortable ( ergo-friendly ) knife of any I have owned & used , I have had large & small , reg and classic. The quality is there , I just wish they didn't feel like a brick in the hand.
Fit & finish is exceptional , however the design , and the square corners are long in the tooth.
 
I was looking at some of Reeve's knives....hot damn they are pricey! Very nice. I personally would need to be making a WHOLE lot more money to afford one!
 
JTW Jr. said:
I wouldn't ever call it a waste of money , but for the price I found it to be the most uncomfortable ( ergo-friendly ) knife of any I have owned & used , I have had large & small , reg and classic. The quality is there , I just wish they didn't feel like a brick in the hand.
Fit & finish is exceptional , however the design , and the square corners are long in the tooth.
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To be honest I have never held any pocket knife that was truly comfortable in my hand. But with a 3'' or 4'' blade knife coming in at less than 3 oz less than most regular peanut knives. The true factor of a TI Folder is it disappears in your pocket where it sits 99.99 percent of the time. Fixed blades are used when you need a knife to work over a period of time.
 
seed said:
Mr. Adams and HSO, I was wondering if you could tell me how well your Chris Reeve knives have held up over the years, specifically blade play. HSO, you said that you have put yours through hard use for over a decade. Could you tell me what that means?

This is not the beginning of an argument...I just would like to know.

One more thing...how is the heat treat on the blades?

Thanks.
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Seed, Chris Reeve is the standard on which "all" framelock are made. Chris Reeve Knives are American made.
 
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Agree with you there on isolationism. But in the case of China I'd hate to have to fight asians again for who runs the big puddle. Imagine japan X billion. Lets not make it any easier and give them the money to purchase the gear that we may face.
 
There are a few designs, though, for which I've developed a decided fondness, and they just aren't made here.

They're made in Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

EKA in Sweden makes some superb stuff. I wish I could persuade Buck or some other US maker to do copies of those designs. Failing that, though, I like my Swedish knives made in Sweden -- as opposed to some of the Swedish-made-in-China stuff I'm seeing now.

The Scandinavian designs, materials, and implementations are superb, and I just haven't found many decent American ripoffs yet.

Hope you can forgive me that weakness.
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Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong at all. I like ethnic knives too, and I prefer to get them from the country of origin. Nepalese khukuris, French Laguioles, Finnish puukkos, Argentine gaucho knives, etc.
 
The main thought is to avoid chinese, knock off garbage. Should the Chinese actually create and honestly make a fantastic, quality knife, I may even buy one. They dont.

Nothing wrong at the core with a foreign product in general. Its just when there is a superior local product for a comparable price that it bothers me.
 
Gentle Reminder

In this space we are really more concerned with the quality and usability of the products, and less concerned with the politics of the locale.

Myself, I generally prefer U.S. made pieces because experience has shown that (generally) the stuff made here is of a consistently higher quality.

There are specific exceptions to that, and I indulge them based on quality factors, without regard to regional politics.

I want something I can use, something that's effective, something that will last, and something that's aesthetically pleasing to me.

And, within the scope of our charter here, those are all acceptable reasons.

Let us not, therefore, engage in discussions of our fears and distrusts and apprehensions involving other nations.

Let us discuss instead materials, fit & finish, shapes, styles, grinds, treatment, balance, family traditions, and the host of other attributes that make our "habit" fun for us, while keeping our bank accounts from becoming overburdened with cash. :D

 
Chinese Quality

I have a few "U.S. Classic" pieces, Wharncliffe half-whittlers.

There's an outfit out of Kentucky that commissioned them, and they're made in China. They are unusually well made for what they are -- that being a reasonably faithful copy of a set of old American designs -- and they come quite sharp, really tight, and with good snap.

Rough Rider is another brand that's building a following. As long as they can maintain the quality, I say good on them.

The Japanese (as we old timers will recall) used to be famous for cheap junk. Not so much any more.

Today, China is making strides toward consistent quality. My "don't even look there" source nations are currently mostly found on the Indian sub-continent. I have yet to find consistent quality out of India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh. Their time will come, I'm sure. On the other side, England used to be one of those places I trusted for quality, and it saddens me that they've started to slip.

I'll admit I have my prejudices, but I try not to let that get in the way of recognizing quality when it's in front of me.

 
How about a Moore Maker. Made in Texas so you know they have to be good! The styles are similar to Case, but the blades are not "stainless".
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Not all Case are stainless, they also use the same chrome vanadium they have used for years.
 
jotobo,

The PRC-made Spyderco Persistence and Temperance ARE fantastic, quality knives. And they're making them honestly with Spyderco, not ripping them off
 
The PRC-made Spyderco Persistence and Temperance ARE fantastic, quality knives.
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+1! I have been carrying a Persistence for the last month or so, and I find it to be a very nice knife. Lockup is tight, there is no blade play, fit and finish is excellent and there are no rough edges on the G10 handles. Plus, Spyderco has excellent QC, so I have confidence that the steel is what they say it is and is heat treated properly.

There are other knives that have been getting solid reviews, though it is my impression that it has been on the traditional slipjoint front. Rough Rider knives, for example, have gotten good reviews for a long time. At least a couple of models of Kissing Crane knives too. Personally, I am planning on purchasing the Kissing Crane mini-trapper because it is just a little different, something similar isn't made by an American company as far as I am aware of, and it will be a decent addition to my collection. Here is the one I am considering: Amazon link to Mini Trapper
 
Well.....here is the Case mini trapper available in SS or CV and in 35 different scale options.
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err... Let me rephrase... The blade shapes are different. I own two Case mini-trappers already. A regular one with G10 handles, and a the 2009 Wharncliffe with blue bone handles.

I admit, poorly worded on my part as occasionally happens on a forum! I simply meant that there is a departure from the standard blade shapes with the Kissing Crane. The spey blade on the kissing crane has that little curve in it's spine and the clip joint is just less... clip jointy, I guess. Mea Culpa.
 
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