In the modern market, many quality knives are made overseas. Many are made in China, but some are made in other countries such as Japan, Germany or Italy.
High labor costs, among other factors, have driven some manufacturing associated with steel alloy production, blade stock forging, and knife assembly offshore, but there are still many brands that produce American made knives, such as Buck, Benchmade, Spyderco, Kershaw, ESEE, and Hellbender Blade Co.
They’re often more expensive than imports, but there is also often good reason for the higher price. This article will take a closer look at some of the reasons that American made knives are worth the cost.
American Made Knives and Value
One of the main drivers in value behind American made knives is the quality of the steel. That is not necessarily to suggest that the fact alone that steel is made in America necessarily makes it better; 1095 is 1095 no matter where it is made.
But the fact of the matter is that quality controls are often better stateside, and there are many stories of low-quality, or at least inconsistent quality steel, coming out of countries like China and India. Poor reporting or lax controls that result in inconsistent steel quality can result in low yield strength, a lesser degree of resistance to corrosion, and a wide range of other undesirable features.
But that alone does not paint the entire picture, because the consistency of steel chemistry alone does not convey the entire quality of a knife, even though it is critical as an underlying basis.
Even assuming quality, consistent metallurgy, how the steel is forged and then heat-treated or tempered is also critical. Poorly heat-treated 1095, for example, will be soft or exhibit inconsistent edge retention. If it is too hard, it will be too brittle, and instead of taking and holding an edge as intended, will likely either be too difficult to sharpen properly, or else will have an edge that is far too brittle and too fragile to be serviceable.
So the manner in which the steel is formed and subsequently treated is also crucial to performance and quality here, and brands that have American made knives in their catalogs, like Benchmade, Buck and ESEE, have pretty strong track records of upholding quality in their production.
Looking past metallurgical consistency, forging, and heat-treatment, we have also to consider the fit, finish, and overall aesthetic quality of American made knives, and irrespective of price point, they are pretty well regarded.
Of course, as a closing note, it’s also worth observing that the pride of ownership, for some, is higher with an American made knife than it could ever be with an import, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that either.
So, all in all, American made knives, (like American made tools and other consumer goods) are generally more expensive but at the end of the day, for many, that higher expense is worth it not just due to the resulting quality, but the pride of ownership.
Shop American Made Knives at River’s Edge Cutlery
Want to explore a catalog that contains examples of American made knives? Start with River’s Edge Cutlery. Their catalog is full of American made examples and they represent some of the most highly regarded brands in the industry, including but not limited to Spyderco, Buck, LT Wright, Microtech and Chris Reeve, among manyothers.
Visit their website or get in touch with them directly if you have any questions about what they sell or would like a recommendation; they’re more than happy to help.
