Usa! Usa!

[JNewell]

Hi Folks!

I'm a long time Spyderco fan, and a real passionate cutlery aficionado. :cool: I do have A LOT of Spydies in my collection, Japan made, USA made and Taiwan made.

And I can very proudly say that my collection includes the very best models from each a every one of those country makers.

I'm not trying to figure out which one is the best country/maker between them. It's very clear who makes the best F&F, by far, even setting a whole new standard for the production cutlery today. :D And I have yet to see the first USA made Spyderco model which at least equals the Taiwanese quality.

Every time recently that someone has posted a poll, that's the result. The people Sal picked in Taichung do an awesome job.

[Leatherneck]

They indeed hit a homer with Taichung. I do have a CPMD2 Para that I would put against any Spyderco out there though. It's one that I would never let go. The centering, lockup and smoothness is out of this world. I would challenge anyone to show me a smoother knife. (T-Mags don't count )

[GoodEyeSniper]

They would have to change the blade marking - it could no longer refer to "Earth." :D

Olympus Mons, Tharsis, Mars.

[Revival]

Sal once said something like don't think WHERE the knives are made but rather WHO is making them.

[demoncase]

Being from the UK, there's a long-standing gag along these lines:

Being British means: Driving your German car to an Indian restaurant and drinking Belgian lager with your meal, then going home to watch an American tv show on your Korean made TV, while being interupted by your Chinese made mobile phone.

Where does one stop if you decide that only things from ones own 'home nation' are worthy?

Do you stop buying steels with neodymium or tungsten additions because these are only available from overseas sources?

What about the glass in your TV? Or the semi-conductor chips? Or the LEDs/LCDs?- All made in purpose built factories

I guess, being in Aerospace, I'm used to a 'global village' when it comes to the marketplace- That Boeing 787, proud American product built in Seattle by American workers?- Yeah, all the actuation systems were designed, tested and developed in Wolverhampton- England and then we move production to the Phillipines. Boeing themselves even built 6 factories in Suzhou, China for sub-assembly build before they come to Seattle for airframing.

Then again: 2000 years ago the British were trading goods across the Roman Empire....I guess we've had longer to get used to the idea than the good ol' US of A

Too long/didn't read?- It doesn't matter the origin of the product, provided the product is benefiting a business you are happy to support and the product is good quality.

[Prof68]

It's difficult to stay domestic in this day and age. I have a handgun made in Austria, half my household products are probably made in China. Look at your jeans probably made in Honduras, then look at your North Face jacket etc etc. Now, even items "made in the USA" can be something that's only assembled here like cars for example. For me, I'm glad when I'm able to purchase USA made and often do when it comes to knives and Spyderco is an American company. Some knife companies with products proudly "made in the US" aren't even American companies. In short, made in the USA for the entire line would be awesome, but not realistic.

And just to lend another perspective on the matter: the link below leads to an interactive chart called "What Percentage of Your Car Was Made in America" (e.g., Ford Mustang = 65%):

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/MadeInAmerica/ ... e-13795239

We live in a Global Economy, and not all the companies within it have the same kind of business ethics that Spyderco does. The country of manufacture is pretty low on my list of considerations when shopping for one of their knives.

[akaAK]

Being from the UK, there's a long-standing gag along these lines:

Being British means: Driving your German car to an Indian restaurant and drinking Belgian lager with your meal, then going home to watch an American tv show on your Korean made TV, while being interupted by your Chinese made mobile phone.

Where does one stop if you decide that only things from ones own 'home nation' are worthy?

Do you stop buying steels with neodymium or tungsten additions because these are only available from overseas sources?

What about the glass in your TV? Or the semi-conductor chips? Or the LEDs/LCDs?- All made in purpose built factories

I guess, being in Aerospace, I'm used to a 'global village' when it comes to the marketplace- That Boeing 787, proud American product built in Seattle by American workers?- Yeah, all the actuation systems were designed, tested and developed in Wolverhampton- England and then we move production to the Phillipines. Boeing themselves even built 6 factories in Suzhou, China for sub-assembly build before they come to Seattle for airframing.

Then again: 2000 years ago the British were trading goods across the Roman Empire....I guess we've had longer to get used to the idea than the good ol' US of A

Too long/didn't read?- It doesn't matter the origin of the product, provided the product is benefiting a business you are happy to support and the product is good quality.

Well said, Without Japanese manufacturers i am not sure Spyderco would be were it is today.

[sal]

Hi Max,

Welcome to our forum and thanx much for your service.

Hi Prof68,

Welcome.

sal

[Jay_Ev]

I've discovered that "Buy American" no longer holds the same meaning that it once held in the 50's-60's-70's. I've owned Fords made in Mexico, Dodge's made in Canada and my last Toyota truck was made here in California.

In my opinion, it truly is a global economy.

[dialex]

...Personally, I'd prefer to carry a knife made overseas for a highly ethical American company than one made in the USA by a company that lacks them...

I hear you Paul - and I feel the same way too.

[buckthorn]

There are other considerations involved but ethical behavior is REALLY IMPORTANT (and Sal & Co. seem to shine on that factor!).

[dishcore]

I'm in the military and I love spyderco knives. I have 2 pm2s, 2 manix2s, 2 natives and one delica 4. Not the biggest collection, but I like them all. But there's one that isn't the same.....the delica. I'm sure this will really fire some people up, but I am one of "those guys" that lives for the good ol USA (just how I was raised). It may be very shallow of me to say this but I just can't bring myself to carry something that has China or Japan etched into the blade. That being one of the main reasons I carry a bm mini grip (ritter version) as edc. Just saying spyderco for me would be far and away#1 if more of their models were made in the USA especially the delica, stretch, and endura. I might just be crazy, but I'd like to know what others think.

Hey Max,

First off Thanks for your service, I and my family appreciate it.

I can understand your sentiments, especially when a large amount of what you see out there as normal everyday merchandise is cheaply made Chinese throw away items. I was for a small time of the same opinion, until I stumbled across the Caly 3 Damascus Carbon Fiber. It is a purely beautiful blade, made with love and care and skill just like the blades made by the folks in Golden.

Also, look around you. Unless you're in camp right now, there's a good chance a very large percentage of the items in your household are imported. I try to buy American when I can, but sometimes there just aren't feasible options. Ever try to buy running shoes made in America?

The thing i'm getting at here Max is... Yes, buying American is great. There are great products but then again there are some terrible products. The same goes for China and Japan. Just do your shopping wisely.

Also, I'm not sure if someone has posted the link here or not yet, but Sal had a good thread about the difference between made in USA / assembled in USA.

Lots to consider bud.

[Leatherneck]

The replies about choosing USA on the blade has little to do with quality as the knives speak for themselves. It's a polite way of saying that the middle class was born out of good paying manufacturing jobs and we certainly can't deny the dwindling thereof. I see Spyderco as an oddity in being able to produce a consistent, quality product in several countries. I'm thankful we are given a broad choice. Whatever I choose it is putting food on someone's table.

[noseoil]

Welcome, & think a little about our allies as well. Japan has some truly excellent people, as does Taiwan. They are capitalists, have a strong work ethic, and support our life style and market with their labor. While I would like to see a completely USA made product, in today's world it just won't work that way in every case and every time. The Delica in VG10 or ZDP-189 would not be possible if not for Japan. They have worked very hard in both research & development to come up with these steels and perfect their manufacturing. They are every bit as proud of their accomplishments in manufacturing as we are of ours. There is no conflict here.

Politically, they are very closely aligned with our national interests. As Henry Kissinger said, nations have interests, not friends. We exist on our little planet with many nations. Some of them are very good, some are very bad. My son is a drill sergeant now at Ft. Jackson. After two deployments in the middle east, he's seen some of the worst in people and their actions (11 bravo). These other nations are not out there trying to kill our soldiers, they are our allies and we should support them and their workers if we can.

Please take a look at some of Taiwan's offerings (the Gayle Bradley to name one excellent example) and you will be impressed with the fit, finish, quality & design. This represents a free nation and a free people who work hard for their money, just as we do. You would also not be able to afford one made by Gayle himself, if not for our allies off the coast of mainland China. Some 70 years ago we fought a war against some nations which were not aligned with our interests, they are now our staunch allies. It was not the people we fought, but their governments. If you have a chance to meet some of the people who live in these countries, you may find a deep respect for their traditions, hard work and friendship.

Thank you for your service to our nation.

[sal]

Hi Noseoil,

Please thank your son for his service as well.

It might also be of interest to note that our Taiwan makers will generally use USA made steels that we purchase and ship to Taiwan.

sal

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"The opposite of war isn't peace, it's trade".

[Cujobob]

I never understood the 'Buy American' philosophy. It is good for everyone when a consumer purchases the best product for their needs. Americans have low population density and good land for anything requiring such. We have so much as it is. Just my .02

[FCM415]

I never understood the 'Buy American' philosophy. It is good for everyone when a consumer purchases the best product for their needs. Americans have low population density and good land for anything requiring such. We have so much as it is. Just my .02

To me, there's nothing wrong in taking pride in buying goods made where you are from. Totally understand the reasoning and angles shared behind it. A few just take it too far and sound ignorant at times (no-one on this thread BTW, just in general).

[bh49]

I never understood the 'Buy American' philosophy.

I believe that below is really good explanation.

The replies about choosing USA on the blade has little to do with quality as the knives speak for themselves. It's a polite way of saying that the middle class was born out of good paying manufacturing jobs and we certainly can't deny the dwindling thereof. Whatever I choose it is putting food on someone's table.

My position in this issue most likely is much more strong. Most of my working life I am working in manufacturing. The country lost millions of manufacturing jobs. For last two years the company I am working for is struggling for survival. The biggest customer pullout all jobs and shipped them to China. We lost about 30% of people. Good skillful people. We didn't have quality issues, but Chinese completion beat us up on price. Cheap labor, near no environmental laws, plus support of government. I never liked buying "made in China' for the reasons, which I cannot discuss here. But buying "made in US" became much more important for me several years ago, when we started to loose millions of jobs and some of these numbers became familiar faces.

[kbuzbee]

Amazed it took you this long to weigh in on this, Roman, given our past discussions on the subject.

It's a totally valid point, of course. But as you've experienced yourself, there are more and more things you just can't find "Made in the USA" (or if you do they are double, triple or more expensive) Not everything of course, but it is becoming very difficult in many areas.

Ken

[M2P]

I'm french and I proudly like what Spyderco makes (and sells !). Not because it comes from USA, but because they create awesome knives, some made in USA, some elsewhere, but always with high-quality standards.
And I like as the more so as since I met Sal and Eric who are close to and very friendly with their customers.
That's all I need to be faithful ! :)