Spyderco Forums

I hope this is an okay question to ask, I am just curious about it: Since a number of Spyderco knives are made in Taichung, Taiwan, and I know Taiwanese made items and especially with Spyderco quality control are high quality, do you think that if you visited Taiwan, and you could see the knives people there carry, you would definitely see at least some of the people carrying Spyderco knives that were made there, such as various models of the locking folders?

And it makes me wonder about Japan, as well: If you saw the knives that knife owners and users carry in Japan, especially around Seki, do you think you would see some of the Japanese-made Spyderco folders?

I have this cool image in my mind about a Taiwanese café and the guys sitting there enjoying the local foods and drinks all have Spyderco folders in their pockets, and the same with Japan.

Spyderco knives are also made in Maniago, and in 5 weeks in Italy this year I saw a total of one local carrying a Spyderco. One of the (military) guards at the Coliseum had a PM2. Other than that, I didn't see a single one.

Hi SEF,

Probably not likely. Most of the processes are not for public viewing.

sal

TomAiello wrote:Spyderco knives are also made in Maniago, and in 5 weeks in Italy this year I saw a total of one local carrying a Spyderco. One of the (military) guards at the Coliseum had a PM2. Other than that, I didn't see a single one.

He probably also had my SAK, which was confiscated at the security check at the Coliseum in October. Painful, but not as painful as losing a Spydie!

Just because something is made somewhere doesn't mean that it is used (or even well known about) there.

TomAiello wrote:Spyderco knives are also made in Maniago, and in 5 weeks in Italy this year I saw a total of one local carrying a Spyderco. One of the (military) guards at the Coliseum had a PM2. Other than that, I didn't see a single one.

...and you'll never see my Spydercos carried out! Not legal carry them unfortunately. Bad Country to live in, my Country nowadays...cannot work, cannoy carry knives, cannot do lot of things, indeed, pity to say this. Hope in better times but very unlikely. Take care.

sal wrote:Hi SEF,

Probably not likely. Most of the processes are not for public viewing.

sal

I don't see in his post if you could see anything in the factory. I think he's asking if the people in Taichung take pride in what they produce and make an effort to carry things that are made there.

It seems like in the USA, there is a percentage of people (maybe 15% of people) who value "Made in USA" stuff, but it seems like outside of the USA there is about the same percentage of people who value "Made in USA" stuff.

I'm not sure what kind of percentages of people from England who value "Made in England" stuff. Same as other places.

I'll add that some people entertain similar fantasies about Seki and Echizen/Takefu with respect to higher end Japanese kitchen knives. These are knife-making centers, but most of the home cooks in the area use crap knives and aren't even aware of the bounty that surrounds them.

I doubt that many in Taichung even know that the factory is there. Especially because it's probably nestled in a giant industrial park into which ordinary people seldom venture.

Valuing things because of where they were made is almost always nonsensical tribalism. Worship quality regardless of where it comes from.

it's kind of the thing with Chinese knives.
They have good locking blades in the inexpensive range (Byrds and budget line [Tenacious, Resilience, etc-] included) but due to Chinese laws the citizens cannot carry them in their own country... :confused:

some laws in some countries are truly mind-boggling

Indeed. The Military model is made in Colorado, but isn’t legal to carry there. Colorado has a 3.5” blade length limit, last I checked.

btbyrd wrote: Valuing things because of where they were made is almost always nonsensical tribalism. Worship quality regardless of where it comes from.

I don't know if this is true.

I live in a town where everyone seems to be buying things that are made in China to save a dollar and all the factories around me are closing. Should I pay an extra dollar for something made in USA so that 1,000 people around me will still have jobs?

I guess the way business goes, even if everything I bought was made in USA, the companies might still move production to other countries to put an extra dollar in their pocket.

Do you think the people though who actually work in the manufacturing assembly lines in Taichung and who physically handle the Spyderco knives they are making at least get to purchase them at a discounted price to bring home so they can also enjoy them, and the factory management people? That would be so cool. I have a friend from Taiwan who loves knives and is aware of Spyderco knives and he told me that Taichung is like old Solingen, Germany, as a center of quality knife and cutlery production. I have a diving knife from there and it is lancet-sharp.

He said they also love to eat quality roasted and barbequed chicken and beef and know good seafood, if anyone is into those foods.

ChrisinHove wrote:

TomAiello wrote:Spyderco knives are also made in Maniago, and in 5 weeks in Italy this year I saw a total of one local carrying a Spyderco. One of the (military) guards at the Coliseum had a PM2. Other than that, I didn't see a single one.

He probably also had my SAK, which was confiscated at the security check at the Coliseum in October. Painful, but not as painful as losing a Spydie!

I feel for you. My conversation with him started when he confiscated my Urban K390.

Donut wrote:

btbyrd wrote: Valuing things because of where they were made is almost always nonsensical tribalism. Worship quality regardless of where it comes from.

I don't know if this is true.

I live in a town where everyone seems to be buying things that are made in China to save a dollar and all the factories around me are closing. Should I pay an extra dollar for something made in USA so that 1,000 people around me will still have jobs?

I guess the way business goes, even if everything I bought was made in USA, the companies might still move production to other countries to put an extra dollar in their pocket.

It's one thing to support a company because you know its values and its role in a community and you want to support it. That's all fine and good. But buying something solely based on its country of origin (or "where it's from") doesn't make sense for most items. I live in NC. Golden Colorado is 1600 miles away from me. I'm literally closer to Cuba than I am to Spyderco headquarters. If my goal in buying things was to support "the people around me" by providing them with jobs, a knife made in Colorado may as well have been made on the moon. If you're hundreds or thousands of miles away, does it really matter if the jobs your purchase helps support are in Golden or Seki, Taichung or Maniago? It sure doesn't to me. I have about as much of a community tie to the people of Golden as I do to the people of Taichung: none at all.

TomAiello wrote:

ChrisinHove wrote:

TomAiello wrote:Spyderco knives are also made in Maniago, and in 5 weeks in Italy this year I saw a total of one local carrying a Spyderco. One of the (military) guards at the Coliseum had a PM2. Other than that, I didn't see a single one.

He probably also had my SAK, which was confiscated at the security check at the Coliseum in October. Painful, but not as painful as losing a Spydie!

I feel for you. My conversation with him started when he confiscated my Urban K390.

Ow Ow Ow. My SAK was a good one (Handyman) but not that good .... I went back at the end of my visit to take it out of the bin, but the men-with-guns wouldn't allow it.

To be fair, street security in Rome was otherwise top notch, in these occasionally dangerous times - reassuringly meaningful without being oppressive.

In Japan, I doubt you'd see many, if any carrying any kind of knife, the weapons laws there make it unlikely. So, when it comes to Taiwan, the first thing you'd need to know is what the knife laws are like there. I have no clue how lax or restrictive they are, but it could have a huge impact on what, if anything, you might see people carrying. Then there's the question of etiquette, it might be that, while carrying a knife is acceptable, walking around with it showing would be considered impolite, for one reason or another.

I have found with most things the people tend to be patriotic or want things exclusive to other countries (the old grass i greener on the other side)
When i visited a watch store in Tokyo, the "shrine" was export only Seikos, they were the ones ooh-ed while i as a visitor looked at all the cool Japan only models :)

Donut wrote:I'm not sure what kind of percentages of people from England who value "Made in England" stuff.

As many are tourists or non-resident as 'indigenous' but a lot of what is so-called 'British made' is foreign owned...

cELLiBAIt wrote:

Donut wrote:I'm not sure what kind of percentages of people from England who value "Made in England" stuff.

As many are tourists or non-resident as 'indigenous' but a lot of what is so-called 'British made' is foreign owned...

And there’s also differences between “foreign owned” businesses, others making their wares of some or all imported parts, domestic owned brands manufacturing overseas, goods made domestically by migrant labour etc ... or most probably, a combination of all of the above to some greater or lesser extent.

This is why quality “brands” are so important.

btbyrd wrote: ...may as well have been made on the moon. If you're hundreds or thousands of miles away, does it really matter if the jobs your purchase helps support are in Golden or Seki, Taichung or Maniago? It sure doesn't to me. I have about as much of a community tie to the people of Golden as I do to the people of Taichung: none at all.

Perhaps that's why they specify EARTH on their blades. We're all in this crazy rat race together, no matter where we call "home".